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Local Offer

Wisps Preschool

Offering services to:
  • Children 0-5
Supporting people with:
  • Activities for children and young people
Carescheme type:
  • Pre-School Playgroup

Languages spoken: English, Makaton and will support other languages by working in partnerships with the families to obtain some key words we can use alongside our spoken English words.

Who to contact

Telephone
01256 359215 01256 359215
E-mail
finance@wisps-preschool.com

Where to go

Address
Winklebury Infant School
Willoughby Way
Basingstoke
Postcode

RG23 8AF

View RG23 8AF on a map
Notes

A warm, stimulating and inclusive setting that provides our children with enriched experiences and any support they need to reach their full potential within these important Early Years.

Costs

2 Years £5.1  per hour
2 Years £15.3  per session
2 Years £30.6  per day
3-4 Years £4.8  per hour
3-4 Years £14.4  per session
3-4 Years £28.8  per day
Details
Age group - 2: 6 per hour, 18 per session, 36 per day. Age group - 3 - 4: 5.5 per hour, 16.5 per session, 33 per day

Availability

Age Ranges
0 to 5 years

Inclusion Information

Special Needs provision
Yes
Details
Caters for children with special needs. Challenging behaviour
Can make special cultural provisions
Yes
Details
Cultural and Spec. Diet. Needs

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 08:30 15:00
Tuesday 08:30 15:00
Wednesday 08:30 15:00
Thursday 08:30 15:00
Friday 08:30 15:00
Facilities
Computer

Local Offer

Description

We are an inclusive pre-school setting supporting children aged 2-5 with varying needs and abilities.

Contact Name
Toni Nocella
Contact Telephone
01256 359215
Contact Email
enquiries@wisps-preschool.com
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?

Staff at our setting are all experienced and thorough with the care they provide for their children. Children are each allocated a key person who will form that initial special relationship with the child and their family. The key person is responsible for making observations and sharing any concerns with the manager and our SENCO. The SENCO will advise them if they need to complete IEP's to build further evidence for future referrals. Information is shared with parents and we welcome any feedback and concerns that we will then support in turn.

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

Children are treated as individuals and the observations made on them will help inform the planning for their next steps based around their own interests and individual needs. If the need for IEP's arise then they will be specific, achievable and used to structure how we support the child more closely and effectively. We use Makaton and many visual prompts and signage including 'now and next' boards, daily routines and choice boards. Where required 'real life' props and prompts will be used to help show the children and aid their understanding in what we are trying to convey or likewise for them to use to communicate with us.

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

We have a blend of adult-led activities on offer as well as children's free play choices. The activities we plan are based around the children's current interests. All activities are tailored so they can be extended or simplified to ensure they remain age and stage appropriate for the child in question. We link any observations to the current curriculum criteria and can choose to focus on particular aspects such as Communication or Physical development for example, as opposed to all areas depending on where extra support may be needed.

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 make sure there is regular feedback about children's progress. The Manager will do tracking termly but she spot checks more frequently for those who have been identified as needing further support so that tighter monitoring is maintained and better communication between the Manager and key person/ SENCO is maintained and thereafter the right information is communicated with the parent. We use Tapestry to record observations which are visible to the parents, and to see the observations that parents put on for us. It is also used to share activity ideas and our current topic we are focussed on so that parents can see what we are doing and get an idea of what they can be doing at home. The next steps will also detail example activities that may help the child achieve them. In addition we have a lending library and 'Bags of support' for the different areas so that parents can use some of our resources that they otherwise may not have access to. We are members of the SEN resource centre which means we can borrow appropriate resources to use in the setting too.

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

We use a lot of praise and positive reinforcement. All staff and children are encouraged to use Makaton through everyday communication, singing, activities and instructions so that all children feel included! Children's achievements are celebrated and work displayed around the room so that they feel part of the WISPS community. Festivals and special occasions that are personal to each child are celebrated in a way that is relevant to them. 

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

We are experienced with liaising with many agencies such as SALT, Portage, Outreach, Paediatricians and ISSO's to ensure we give the best opportunities to the children in our care. our SENCO delivers a language group session daily for those children who need support with their speech; whether that be for those with EAL, Early language delay, to develop confidence or to help children needing support with initial sounds and pronunciation.

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

Our SENCO and SENCO support in the setting have both had full SEN induction training and they refresh their knowledge by attending SENCO support groups, SEN briefings and by liaising with professionals in SENCO surgeries. They cascade information to the rest of the team including introducing new Makaton signs.

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

If we plan any outings then we adjust our ratios accordingly to ensure enough support is there for all, appropriate risk assessments are completed and if and where needed adaptations will be made to make sure it is inclusive for all. 

How accessible is the setting/school/college enviroment?

We are an easy access setting on 1 level. There is a private car park outside, which although not generally for parents use; does have disabled parking, which could be available to support any families that may require this. The garden floor is relatively flat and there is a step up to the main room from the garden, which could accomodate a ramp should we need to have one. We have nappy change facilities and 2 child height appropriate toilets and sinks. The bathroom area isn't large enough to accomodate a wheelchair unfortunately but with the age of the children, staff would be available to lift and assist children onto the nappy unit and/ or toilet.

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 pride ourselves on making sure any transitions when joining the setting and moving onto the next or to school are as smooth and as well supported as possible. We communicate a lot with the families initially when a child starts with us and make sure the key person is there to start building that special relationship with the child and parents/ guardians. The Manager will make contact with any previous settings/ childminders to see if there is any information they can provide, as well as linking with any other shared care settings that the child still attends. The initial key person meeting is an opportunity for the key person and parent to meet and discuss the child; what they like/ dislike, how they play, what support they may need etc. The child is able to play nearby throughout this meeting so that they can start to settle into WISPS whilst seeing that trust begin between their parent and their new key person. We offer a some visits thereafter where the parent is encouraged to drop the child off for an hour or two, and then their start date will be soon after so that the visits are fresh in their mind. We make sure the child has a peg ready for their first day to help with that sense of belonging and then photos are taken on the first day so that the child can have their own placemat, and photos to go on the self-registration board and 'super smiley' reward chart. When moving onto schools; we ensure all developmental information is shared across. We attend transition events to meet with the teachers and discuss the children moving through to them, advising of any needs, support etc. EHCP's will have been completed ahead of this should the ned arise. The term before breaking for the Summer; is spent really building up those 'school readiness' skills as much as possible to make sure the children go through as confident and able as they can do. Where possible we ask the schools for photos of things such as their classroom door, where they put their belongings, the teachers that will be in their class so that we can share them with the children and help them become familiar with them before starting.

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

We use any EYPP funding to buy resources to support the child in receipt of it, but where possible we use it in a way that will benefit the children as a whole to make all experiences more enriched for each child in the setting. We are a charity setting so any funds that we have after overheads; get used to develop different areas of the setting and to purchase new resources. All resources are age and stage appropriate and can be used in ways to support the different ages we cater for.

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

The key person and Manager work closely together to track and assess the children to ascertain whether the need for any referrals or extra support is required. These assessments are shared with the parents so that strong partnerships are maintained to support the child

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

We really believe that strong partnerships with parents is key in giving that rounded approach in giving the children the best outcomes. Parents are very much encouraged to use Tapestry and to communicate frequently with the staff if they have any concerns, queries or things they want to share.

Offering services to:
  • Children 0-5
Supporting people with:
  • Activities for children and young people
Carescheme type:
  • Pre-School Playgroup

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Last Updated: 11 May 2023

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