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Local Offer

Dandelions Community Pre-School

Offering services to:
  • Children 0-5
  • Primary school aged children
Carescheme type:
  • Pre-School Playgroup

Dandelions is  an inclusive Community Pre-school in the heart of Hatch Warren.

Our aim is provide the best Early Years start in the child's important first steps in their learning journey, in a language rich environment.

We have extensive knowledge and experience in supporting children and their families and providing strong transitions to school.

Who to contact

Telephone
01256 818857 01256 818857
E-mail
manager@dandelions-preschool.org.uk

Where to go

Address
St. Marks Primary School
Danebury Road, Hatch Warren
Basingstoke
Hampshire
Postcode

RG22 4US

View RG22 4US on a map
Notes

We are situated in the grounds of St Marks School in Hatch Warren and serve the local community of Hatch Warren, Beggarwood, Longacres, Kempshott  and Brighton Hill.

Availability

Has wheelchair access
Other notes

At Dandelions, we have intensive knowledge of caring for children with a range of needs; including ASD, Downs Syndrome, global developmental delay and a range of delayed speech and language needs.

 

Our SENCO team can discuss your needs and tailor a plan to meet each individual child's needs.

Inclusion Information

Wheelchair access
Yes
Special Needs provision
Yes
Special Needs Experience
ADHD Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Global Developmental Delay
Medical Needs
Downs syndrome
Challenging Behaviour
Learning difficulties
Social development impairment
Serious allergy / Anaphilaxis
Autistic Spectrum Disorder ASD
Hearing Difficulties
Severe dietary needs
Language impairment
Details
Caters for children with special needs.
Provision for special dietary needs
Yes
Experience
Yes
Can make special cultural provisions
Yes

Childcare Information

Funded Places

Offers 3 & 4 year old funded places
Yes
Offers 2 year old funded places
Yes

Opening Times & Facilities

Opening Times
Opening Times
DayOpening TimeClosing Time
Monday
Facilities
Open Space
Baby toys
Arts & Crafts
Healthy Eating
Outdoor Playspace
Both indoor and outdoor activities
Garden
Messy Play Area
Climbing Frame
Books & Storytelling
Outdoor Play
Accessible Parking

School Pickups

Does not offer school pickups

Local Offer

Contact Name
Kelli Rushton
Contact Telephone
01256 818857
Contact Email
info@dandelions-preschool.org.uk
Links
https://dandelions-preschool.co.uk/
How does the setting/school/college know if children/young people need extra help and what should I do if I think my child/young person may have special educational needs?

By working with the parent/carer and through interactions and observations, we build a picture of where the child is emotionally and developmentally. We are guided by Birth to 5 Matters and our professional knowledge; being aware if a child is showing any delays in any learning area. We then work with parents/carers, the child's keyworker, and our experienced SENco team to provide individual support for your child.

We work closely with several outside agencies such as Portage, Speech and Language and Occupational Health and our able with your permission refer your child to various agencies.

We will be able to signpost you to various groups for support.

Before starting at Dandelions, we provide home visits where you can discuss any concerns with your child's key person, ensuring a smooth transition into pre-school.

How will early years setting/school/college staff support my child/young person?

We will support your child by having a strong staff team working with your child; we have experienced and qualified staff, all of whom have the same ethos - every child is individual, will learn in their own way and at their own stage. We have a low turnover of staff creating continuity of people looking after your child and building a strong relationship with you and with your child to achieve a solid partnership. We will assign your child a key person to settle your child at pre-school, support them with their learning and development and provide you with feedback and information. 

We have a SENCO that oversees any additional needs children may have. The SENCO has received various training including Portage Training and Makaton. Our Manager is also an Autism Ambassador.

We have policies and procedures supporting an Inclusive setting. The policies and procedures are regularly updated.

How will the curriculum be matched to my child's/young person's needs?

We recognise and value each child's uniqueness and individual learning and development needs.

At Dandelions, we have designed our own curriculum which is tailored to meet the needs of each individual.

Our extensive knowledge of Child Development allows us to plan appropriately for your child and meet all their needs.

Please do contact us for further information relating to our curriculum.

How will both you and I know how my child/young person is doing and how will you help me to support my child's/young person's learning?

We operate an open door policy allowing parents/carers to come in at any point to discuss your child. 

We use Tapestry where you will get regular updates on the experiences your child has had at pre-school and the learning and development achieved. We encourage parents to use Tapestry to provide updates of your child's interests and learning at home.

Each half-term, your child will be a focus child. This provides another opportunity for you to find out about your child's learning and development, ask any questions and receive input from the whole team on the learning provided during the focus child week.

Dandelions has a closed Facebook page which is another platform to see the activities being provided by pre-school.

As a pre-school we are committed to developing strong family partnerships and offer regular parent meetings, stay and play sessions and many other events throughout the year. Alongside this we ask families to come in and share their interests; cooking or reading for example. 

You will be provided with a written 2-year report and a transition report.

 

What support will there be for my child's/young person's overall well being?

Our policies and procedures are put together, reviewed and updated by our committee, which are the foundations of the running of the pre-school to protect each individual child and staff member.

We have registration forms which need to be completed when your child starts at pre-school, and these include medical and dietary requirements.By having this information we can ensure we are meeting your child's needs, and if a particular medical condition is highlighted a care plan is made, together with parents.

All staff are paediatric first aid trained which includes Epipen training. Individual care plans are in place and communicated to all staff.  

Children get to partake in a range of well-being activities such as yoga.

What specialist services and expertise are avaliable at or accessed by the setting/school/college?

Staff at the pre-school have had experience of caring for which children care with a range of additional needs and these have included; Downs Syndrome, Autistic spectrum disorder, looked after children, global developmental delay and severe speech delays and EAL.

By having the experience of caring for these children we have built up knowledge of each individual need and the training necessary to fully support them in our setting. We are aiming for all staff to be trained in Makaton to enhance the communication of children that need this additional help, currently two thirds of staff are trained in Makaton. Our SENco is currently undergoing further training and is completing her Level 3 SENO aware. She has recently completed Portage workshop training and is Makaton trained.  

As a setting, we access various outside agencies; such as working with the local hospital Paediatric team, Speech and Language, Portage to name a few. We are also aware of local support that we can signpost you to

What training have the staff supporting children and young people with SEND had? Are any being trained currently?

All the staff are qualified to a minimum of Level 3 childcare. Our Manager is Level 6 trained and our Senior Practitioner holds Early Years Professional Status.

All staff are trained in paediatric first aid and this is important for any children that have particular allergies and dietary requirements.

We also have all staff trained in safeguarding (Level 3) and our Safeguarding Lead and Safeguarding Officer (Level 4) this is of utmost importance for the safety and well-being of all the children in our care. Our officer and lead practitioners in safeguarding attend termly support groups where updated information is obtained and cascaded to all staff members. We also have several staff that are trained in Makaton which is an excellent tool for our children with communication difficulties and allows them to access the preschool environment with more confidence and independence.

Our Pre-school at Manager holds a BA Hons Degree.

SENCO support meetings are regularly attended, and training is be kept up to date. Our SENco holds a level 3 in Childcare, Level 4 in Makaton and is currently undertaking a Level 3 SENco qualification. Both the SENCo and Manager have completed SENCo induction training and various behaviour and communication courses. The Manager is also an Autisim Ambassador and has attended various autism training.

All staff are encouraged to seek out training to support continuous professional development.

How will my child/young person be included in activities outside this classroom including school trips?

We will often go on walks around the local area and also use the grounds of St Mark's School where we are situated.

How accessible is the setting/school/college enviroment?

Dandelions is situated in a purpose built building, the paved area leading to the main entrance is flat without any steps making it accessible for wheelchairs. There is a disabled parking space in the car park. We have patio doors leading to our outside area straight onto a paved area. All the doors are wide with safety covers over the hinges. The outside area has recently been improved with a safer wet pour surface on the playground.

The adult cloakroom is designed for wheelchair access and the children toilets and hand basins are all low level. We use visual timetables during the day and now/next timelines designed to suit the needs of each individual child. For parents where English isn’t their first language we will get our information translated, where possible.

When additional equipment is required to support a children with special needs we would look at purchasing the item or contact our local resource centre where we are able to borrow books and resources including additional languages and auditory aids for the visually impaired. 

How will the setting/school/college prepare and support my child/young person to join the setting/school/college or the next stage of education and life?

We offer a home visit prior to starting. Settling-in sessions are arranged on an individual basis to suit the needs of the child and family. During these times, you will get to meet your child's key-worker.

You will be given a welcome pack which will include a full registration form and also an 'All About Me' form. This allows us to collate all the information we need about your child. During the first settling-in session, your keyworker will go through these forms with you and find out what is important to your child. We will discuss what they like / dislike and experiences they have had at home.  

 

How are the setting's/school's/college's resources allocated and matched to children's/young people's special educational needs?

Please discuss individual needs direct with the pre-school.

How is the decision made about what type and how much support my child/young person will receive?

Please discuss individual needs direct with the pre-school.

How are parents involved in the setting/school/college? How can I be involved?

We ask you as a parents/carers to enter the pre school as much as you can, we offer open days, fun days, sponsored events and stay and play sessions. We also offer parent meetings to talk about your child's progress and offer timings to best suit you. We ask for families to fill in questionnaires to build up an understanding of the services that you would like to see. We leave displays up for parents/carers to contribute to, regarding their child's activities at pre school and any forthcoming events that can be participated in. We hold an AGM each year and invite parents to join our committee; in either the capacity of a member or on our fundraising team 'Friends of Dandelions'. At these meetings we offer parents to come in and talk to their child's key person.If your child attends another provider, we encourage links with them and share information during our dedicated Second Providers Week.

Offering services to:
  • Children 0-5
  • Primary school aged children
Carescheme type:
  • Pre-School Playgroup

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Last Updated: 19 January 2023

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