Little Lambs Pre-school 110498

Our ethos at Little Lambs Preschool is solely based around the individual child and their stages of learning and development. By observing our children and building up relationships with their families we gain a whole picture of your child which enables us to understand their specific developmental needs. All children are unique and develop at different ages and stages. We pride ourselves at Little Lambs Preschool that all our staff form close and strong attachments with their key children and their families. Your child will be allocated a Key Person during one of their first settling in sessions that we hold. The Key Person is you and your child’s first point of contact, if for any reason the Key Person is absent, every member of staff know the children as well.

The building of these strong relationships along with our constant observations of your child enables us as practitioners to identify any children with possible special educational needs and those that may require any additional support. By having these strong parents as partners links, together, we can raise concerns that families or practitioners may have.

We offer an open door policy for parents/carers to come and speak to us with any concern during the sessions.

Any child who starts with us who already has a specific need, the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo) will liaise with the Inclusion Setting Support Officers (ISSO) at Services for Young Children (SfYC)  to help us determine how best to support your child including  appropriate training, equipment as well as liaising and co-ordinating with any other relevant external agencies, for example Portage, Speech and Language Therapists (SALT) Educational Psychologists (EP’s) or Occupational Therapists (OT’s), Hearing Advisory Teacher.

At Little Lambs Preschool, the SENCo will plan and oversee all support needed for any child that requires extra support within our setting. Your child’s Key Person will work with your child to ensure that progress is being made and that the Individual Education Plan (IEP) is being followed. This IEP will have been devised by close liaison with the SENCo, Key Person and the family. The support given by the Key Person will be undertaken in various ways, through language groups, attention autism groups such as bucket time, intensive interaction, makaton visuals, now/next boards, using the sensory room to help regulate the child, small group work and on occasions on an individual basis. This support will be completed as often as your child’s needs determine. We will liaise closely with any external agencies, such as ISSO’s, Pediatrician, SALT, Portage, EP’s OT’s etc. to ensure we are all working together on the same targets to give as much support and continuity to your child as possible.

At Little Lambs we use Antecedents, Behaviours, Consequences & Communication (ABCCs) reports to find out what the behaviour is communicating and how this behaviour is being triggered to help the child and the setting regulate the child. 

Regular meetings with parents of children with additional needs are held at least once every 6 weeks to discuss their progress, developments and next steps. Parents are also invited in at any time comes in to the setting with their child to ensure they get to see them to discuss progress and /or concerns. We welcome to the setting external agency such as portage, SALT and hearing advisory teams to assist us for the best probable outcome for children. At Little Lambs Preschool, we pride ourselves on our openness and flexibility with our families and they feel that we are always available to speak to when they need it.

The SENCo reports at our regular management meetings to inform the management of the progress of our children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and any additional support or resources they may need. The SENCo also provides updates on the progress of our children with special educational needs and disabilities at our regular staff meetings so that the whole staff team is aware of the support in place for our SEND children as well as the Key Person.

Little Lambs Preschool follows the Statutory Framework for the Early Years and Foundation Stage, more information can be found on:

 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2

 We have an excellent approach to our children’s learning and development. We constantly observe how your child learns, develops and what interests them. By completing these observations we can develop the next steps in your child’s learning by planning activities and having resources available that address your child’s needs and interests. Children develop at different ages and stages and therefore within our continuous provision we ensure that a variety of resources and equipment will be made available to support every child’s needs and development. For whole group activities we ensure that they all will be differentiated to suit each individual child’s needs and that all children will be able to access this and it matches their stage of development.  Every child at Little Lambs Preschool has their own scrapbook that shows “wow” moments of what they have achieved and enjoyed at preschool.

At Little Lambs Preschool we run a school readiness session called “Rising Fives”. During Rising Fives, we practice activities such as getting ready for PE, being independent and learning goals ready for school.

Each child has their own specific way of learning and by continually observing and assessing we can plan the next steps in your child’s learning. If a specific learning need is highlighted an IEP may be instigated and extra support for your child will be given as stated in the IEP. This is initiated by the Key Person, the SENCo and the family together to ensure the best approach and outcome for your child.  

At Little Lambs Preschool we have an open door policy which means that at any time our parents can come in to discuss their child’s learning and development with us. We have a home to school link communication book. This book can be updated by both the Key Person and the parent. It is an excellent way of letting us and you know of any ‘wow’ moments or if there is anything particularly unsettling for the child, which could explain changes of character.

During Little Lambs Preschool Sessions, we offer children sensory/fidget bags, calming areas, portable calming areas and a sensory room to help children regulate when they are feeling overwhelmed, frustrated or dysregulated.

Termly meetings occur between the Key Person and parents to discuss and update the progress and development of their child that has been made since the previous meeting. At these meetings both the Key Person and parents discuss and agree together the next steps in their child’s learning and development. To strengthen our home links further we share your termly reports and scrapbooks with you at these progress meetings to enable you to contribute within it to ensure we have a holistic approach to your child’s development both at home and at nursery.

Regular meetings with parents of children with additional needs that currently have an IEP are held at least once every 6 weeks to discuss their progress, developments and next achievable steps.

For children who are aged two we carry out and complete, together with the child’s family, a statutory two year learning and development check, this is done in conjunction with the two year health check currently completed by the child’s health visitor.

We regularly inform and update our parents on what is happening at Little Lambs Preschool through termly newsletters, regular email correspondence and notices on our closed Facebook page.

The children are at the centre of everything we do and we include the child’s views as much as possible at Little Lambs Preschool. We provide the children with respectful care and all of our staff are trained to put themselves in the shoes of the children we care for to ensure we are providing every individual with the best care possible. Each child’s personal care is delivered by their key person whenever possible, this allows consistency for the children and enables them to build up trusting and strong relationships which in turn supports their wellbeing.

If children need additional behavioural support we are able to offer this in many different ways. Our behaviour management policy states that staff will at first use distraction and redirection to allow children to express their views and emotions in more positive and safe ways. By using positive reinforcement and lots of praise we aim to help develop children’s confidence and self-esteem, we allow children to begin to resolve their own conflicts with adult support if needed. Additional visual prompts and tools can be put in place to support children. These might include visual timetables, now and next cards, sand timers, visual cue cards or warning cards.

We have a robust medication policy that states that only our senior staff are able to administer prescribed medication to children and there will always be 2 members of staff present whilst medication is being administered. We liaise closely with parents and ask that medication forms are completed for each medication including, name of medication, dosage, time for it to be administered and any other special instructions. All medications are stored within a secure medicine cupboard or separate fridge is needed to be stored in a cool location. Any specialist training to administer medication for individual children’s requirements would be sought as and when required.

Children’s emotional well-being is important to us. We are a mindfulness setting and practice meditation and yoga as well as talking to children about their feelings and emotions which makes the children feel valued.

All of our staff are trained in child development and how to look out for signs that a child may need additional support. Our nursery SENDCo attends regular training and update meetings with the local authority to keep up to date with any updates in the services that are available as well as new thinking and developments in the sector. As a nursery we also have very close links with the Inclusion Setting Support Officers (ISSOs) who we liaise with regularly to ensure we are doing everything possible to support any child who may need more specialist or additional support. This may include Individual Educational Plans (IEP’s) being put in place, referrals to outside agencies such as speech and language (SALT), PATCH or Portage, completing Education, Health and Care plan’s (EHCP) or applying for additional funding if needed (SENDIF).

Staff training is regularly audited to assess their skills. Staff complete regular training in house during staff meetings which is usually given by the SENDCo and management team of the preschool. In the past we have included training on Makaton and behaviour management. The topics chosen for the meetings will be a reflection on the current needs of the children. Training provided by outside agencies would be sort to those involved with the children’s learning to help provide individualised training where necessary.

We are a Makaton trained setting and an Attention Autism Trained Setting. Our SENDCo attends regular termly SENCO support group and briefing meetings to discuss any changes or training in our local authority.

Little Lambs Preschool is an inclusive setting that provides children with rich and purposeful first hand experiences. We have created good links with our local community and make the most out of our local amenities such as the Library, our local parks, Churches etc. On enrolment we ask parents to complete a permission form which includes a section for parents to provide us with permission to take children out of the setting on trips by foot.
Staff within the rooms will also plan trips slightly further afield which will enhance the children’s current interests. For these trips it may be necessary for the children to either use The Mulberry Bush Mini-Bus or take public transport. In these cases we will gain parent’s permission prior to the trip and inform parents of how we will be traveling to our destination. Risk assessments are completed for each trip that takes place and child to adult ratios will be lowered dependant on the risks identified and the support that is needed for the children who will be attending the trip. We want all children to be able to have access to off-site curriculum opportunities and for those with specific needs the management team would meet with the parents/carers to plan how to make adjustments so that this would be accessible and a risk assessment would be written with their input.

Little Lambs Preschool has 3 classrooms on the same level and has stair access to the garden via a classroom. We also have ramps and ground level access to the garden via the church and the side door. There is also a disabled toilet located on the ground floor.  

At Little Lambs Preschool we understand that every child will settle into preschool in a different way and know that this time can be difficult for some children and families. We do our best to tailor our settling procedures to meet the needs of each family and can offer home visits to support if needed.  The keyperson will be introduced to the child and family on their first settling in session. This allows the key person to become familiar with the child and their family, their needs, routine and interests. Following this we advise that at least a further two more settling sessions are booked in to support the child to settle fully before they begin fully at the nursery. We are also able to offer a home visit if the family and key person think this would be of benefit to the child. We are also able to offer a transition book (Social stories) for the family to take home which contains pictures of the room, the staff and information on what to expect for both the child and family too look through.

At Little Lambs we have excellent relationships with all of our local schools. In the lead up to the school transition practitioners will provide parents with support in the application process if this is needed and any information regarding school open/information days is communicated to parents. Key people spend time completing a transition report to send to your child’s new school which should provide them with information not only on their development but also information that we feel is important for your child’s new teacher to know such as, things that may help them settle, their likes, dislikes and current interests. We plan trips to local schools to allow children to become familiar with their new environments and also encourage teachers to visit the children here at the nursery to help create even better trusting relationships. Our preschool SENDCo and manager attends transition partnership meetings with the parents and new school. This provides the SENDCo with the opportunity to discuss further children who may have additional needs or may require further support.

We hold a weekly school readiness for the children going to school on Fridays called “The Rising Fives”. The children will develop skills needed to help them transition and develop into school, such as listening and attention skills during circle times, fine motor skills, turn taking games, pencil control, scissor control, cooking and PE lessons.

Within the preschool we also set up lots of activities that will create opportunities for the children to prepare themselves for the upcoming transition, this includes setting up our role play area to support different aspects of school life such as allowing them to dress up in their school uniforms. We also read stories that depict what their experiences at school might be like as well as allowing the children time to talk about their excitements and worries. If your child has any additional or more complex needs we are also able to set up additional meetings with your child’s school to discuss this in more detail. If a child requires additional support then we may request an EHCP.

Each child’s development and wellbeing is monitored by their key person and this is also overseen and regularly reviewed by the management team. We ensure that resources are thought of when addressing any areas of support that may be needed.

With the use of funding if applicable we are able to purchase additional resources to support individual and groups of children. In the past we have purchased “ear defenders, climbing frame, sensory play, visual aids, a sensory room and training to develop staff to be able to support particular children. This is reviewed regularly to ensure funding is being used effectively and for us to assess how much of an impact this has made on the child.

At Little Lambs Preschool we include the views of both children and parents in all decisions we make. Parents have an active involvement in their child’s development and planning of next steps through  regular conversations during handovers, parent evenings and additional meetings if needed. Our SENDCo and management team will continuously oversee children’s development to ensure additional support can be offered to children, families and key people when needed and discussions are had with families to ensure that always know what is happening within the setting.

We ensure we liaise with any outside agencies that may be involved with a family or child as well we take on board any targets set from other professionals such as portage, occupational therapist (OT), Speech and Language therapists (SALT) and the PATCH team and we can include these in Individual Educational Plans (IEP’s) that may be in place within the setting. IEP’s are regularly monitored and reviewed again by all parties involved.

The amount and type of support that is required for each child completely depends on their individual needs and these will be determined through close observation and through discussions held with parents, and other professionals. If any specialist funding such as SENDIF, DAF etc is applied for then its use will be discussed between management, SENDCo and parents.

The nursery uses an “assess, plan, do, review” cycle which enables us to reflect on the opportunities we are providing and planning for children. We are then able to continually monitor the impact this is having on the child’s development and amend planning as necessary. At all points throughout this cycle we take note of and include observations, parental views and the child’s views.

Our SENDCo works closely with the Inclusion Support Services Officer (ISSOs) to ensure all needs are being met accordingly and that the nursery and key people are doing all that we possibly can to support individual children. ISSOs support will only be accessed to support individual children with the acknowledgement of the parents/carers.

Parents are children’s first educators and creating a strong partnership with parents is something here at Little Lambs Preschool, we think is essential to being able to provide the best care for the children we look after.

Parents are able to upload photos on our closed facebook page as well as communicate with their child’s key person to ensure any important messages are passed on. We have an open door policy where parents can come and talk to us whenever they want. We also often invite parents in to the nursery for various celebrations or events such as our annual Christmas fayre and garden party, mothers and father day etc. In addition, parents are able to book stay and play sessions throughout the week.

We have an active church and parent committee who meet termly to discuss any current developments, upcoming events and reflect on the term.

We are always looking for ways to improve and develop the service we provide and are always thinking of new ways to encourage parent participation within each aspect of the running of the preschool. We welcome any feedback and suggestions.

Parents and keyworkers are able to feedback to each other before and after the session. This is a time for parents and their child’s key person to discuss matters such as their development and next steps for the term ahead as well as any upcoming transitions. We do also have an open door policy and encourage parents to keep us informed throughout their time with us.

We keep parents updated with any changes within the preschool that are likely to affect their child such as change in key person, staffing updates as well as any events. Communications are sent out via letter’s which may be handed directly to parents from their key person as well as email notifications, and posts on social media via our closed Facebook page.

We ask parents to complete parent questionnaires yearly to ascertain parent views on a variety of topics such as meals and nutrition, communications, preschool events and curriculum.