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Local Offer

Alphabets Preschool

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

Alphabets Pre-school is a registered charity group, established in Botley for over 40 years. We aim to provide a happy, safe and stimulating environment for your child where they can develop across all areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

Alphabets offers your child learning through play, where all children are encouraged to develop at their own pace, to their full potential with support from fully qualified staff.

Alphabets offers morning and afternoon sessions Monday – Friday between 9am – 3pm for children aged 2-5 years. 15 hours free government education funding is available for 2-, 3- and 4-year Olds.

We offer 30 hours of free funding for 3- & 4-year Olds, subject to availability & eligibility.

Who to contact

Contact Name
Amanda Searle
Contact Position
Manager
Telephone
07867 542988 07867 542988
E-mail
contact@alphabets.org.uk
Website
https://www.alphabets.org.uk
Scan to visit this website
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alphabets-Pre-School/426155250736571?fref=ts

Where to go

Address
Scout Headquarters
Recreation Ground, Botley
Southampton
Hampshire
Postcode

SO30 2ES

View SO30 2ES on a map

Costs

Details
Age group - 0 - 5: 5.8 per hour

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 09:00 15:00
Tuesday 09:00 15:00
Wednesday 09:00 15:00
Thursday 09:00 15:00
Friday 09:00 15:00

Local Offer

Description

Prior to application for a placement at Alphabets the main point of contact is Amanda Searle the manager, who is also responsible for arranging times and dates for parents and their child to be shown around. Start dates, settling in sessions and key person allocation will be discussed during the show around.

Alphabets is a committee run Pre-School; we provide care for children aged 2 years to 4 years with SEND.

Contact Name
Amanda Searle
Contact Telephone
07867542988
Contact Email
contact@alphabets.org.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?

 At Alphabets Preschool we have policies and procedures in place to support children with special needs and disabilities. (SEND) We offer visits and settling in sessions suited to children’s and parent’s needs. The registration appointment is for parents /carers to complete a registration form and meet with the Key person. This offers an opportunity for parents to indicate any initial concerns. Any query or concerns will be discussed during these times with a follow up meeting with our Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO).

We have regard for The Special Educational needs and disability code of practice.

We have a clear approach for identifying, responding to, and meeting the needs of children with SEND.

We have systems in place for assessing and reviewing development.

Our SENCO supports all children with an identified special educational need or disability from birth or if you as parents/carers have a concern, as our Senco is available to offer support and advice.

Our practitioners and our SENCO are all qualified and have years of experience in Early Years Education. We have a robust system of support as Early identification and interventions are crucial. This is to recognise if a child has difficulties at the earliest point, identifying their needs and making prompt interventions, to support them.

We will inform parents of early identification when the setting is making special educational provisions for your child.

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

At Alphabets we have a designated SENCO, who oversees all additional support that your child needs.

Our key-Person system allows our staff to develop strong relationships. This enables them to monitor and assess individual children.

We carry out ‘Two-year progress checks’ This is a statutory assessment.  Key persons assess and summaries your child’s development against the Early Years foundation stage/ Development Matters checkpoints. This identifies strengths and areas where your child is ‘off track,’ or an identified SEND.

Key Persons share their concerns with you and our SENCO.

We use ‘The graduated approach’ cycle, of Assess/plan/do/review to support individuals. We have three levels of support: -

  • Universal support – Extra Key person support.
  • Targeted support - SENCO support with individualised Targeted support.
  • Specialist support – Specialist involvement with interventions.

We work closely with parents, involving them in their child’s development, listening to your concerns.

On all levels of support your child’s progress will be reviewed half termly and shared with you in person or/and copies are shared via our Tapestry system.

The SENCO reports to the Preschool Manager when extra resources or adjustments to the provision are required to support children with SEND.

Your child may benefit from attending our language group ‘Chatterbox’ this helps develops areas of communication/ interaction and personal, social and emotional development.

At the end of each term, key persons complete learning and development summaries on all children. These are shared during parent consultation.

We have an ‘Open door Policy’.

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

At Alphabets Pre-school we follow the Statutory Early Years Foundation Stage framework. Our setting delivers the curriculum through the Department of Education ’Development Matters’, guidance.

After your child has settled in, Key persons are responsible to assess through various observations, this information helps staff record baselines and complete development summaries on each child in their care.

All our children learn and develop through play, with additional focused activities which can be child led or adult led.

We plan activities for individuals around their interests to help support progress and development. We actively encourage you to contribute and share your child’s experiences and home learning on tapestry as we like to celebrate achievements.

All children are supported to access all areas of learning, we encourage all children to be involved and where possible differentiate learning styles, adapt activities and equipment to create positive experiences.

All Practitioners are aware of individuals needs and extra support/supervision is part of our inclusive practice.

All Key persons/Senco use observations as evidence to assess your child’s development in line with Early Years Foundation Stage/ Development Matters guidance. This information is recorded to allow staff to monitor and track progress.

Where a child has extra intervention support, this is programmed into the child’s day.  Progress is monitored half termly.

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 are committed to support all parents with their child’s needs and development.

We work closely with parents to build relationships centred around your child. We offer support and practical advice.

Every child has an online learning journal. We share your child’s development and progress through observations and photos, these are their Wow moments and focused learning observations.

 If your child requires Targeted and/or Specialist support, they will have an ‘Individual Target plan.’  This cycle of action is called the graduated approach cycle.  After discussions the Senco and key person will create and document a plan to support individuals to make progress through the Early year’s foundation stage curriculum.   Therefore, it is important to analyse and monitor the progress of individuals.

  • Assess the child’s needs
  • Plan support and interventions to meet the needs and ensure the child can make progress.
  • Do – put in place the interventions and support for an agreed period of time & Frequency.
  • Review the progress the child has made as the result of the intervention. (This is shared with parents/Carers, this is a continuous cycle of action and is reviewed every half term).

 This enables you to help support your child with home learning and strategies to support their development.

 When required our Senco and/or Key person will discuss progress, needs and concerns through arranged meetings.

Our Senco will update parents, with Specialist feedback and advice.

Termly assessments are discussed with parents, this is an opportunity to talk about outcomes, progress and next steps.

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

Early years are a vital time to lay the foundations for a healthy and happy life.

The manager and Deputy have overall responsibility for children’s safety. Practitioners/key person are responsible for individual children’s welfare and needs.

Policies are in place to ensure that children are safe and secure. Alphabets has policies to support Behaviour, SEND and Equal opportunities.

Our Behaviour Co-Ordinator is responsible for supporting children with PSED difficulties, working with parents and practitioners to develop and implement strategies to support children’s needs.

Monitoring systems are used to identify triggers of behaviour and areas of needs. We help the children to develop social skills. These are important skills for children to learn and encouraging skills in communication and interaction.

Practitioners provide enriched language, that the children listen to during play. 

Social skills are encouraged through verbal and non-verbal communication strategies & Interactions by taking turns, developing relationships, playing with others and mealtimes together.

Key group time creates an opportunity for children to talk about their feelings, make choices and feel part of a team. Key-persons builds strong relationship attachments with key children during this time.

We value our children’s independence and encourage them to participate in deciding on resources they would like out in their environment. Items are in the store cupboard and rotated to suit children’s interests.

Staff are trained in First Aid and Safeguarding. Medication is stored in medicine box which the children never access. All medications dosage, time of administration is recorded and signed by you.

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

Alphabets preschool offers links with many different specialist services and professionals. If your child requires specialist support, Our Senco will arrange a meeting with parents/carers to discuss the support route and benefits of involving external services. Parental consent is required for all referrals.

We are here to help you with your child’s development and difficulties they may be demonstrating at home. We can offer support & signpost you to relevant support and guidance links.

If required, we offer support strategies and visual aids to support individuals with routines and personal, social and emotional development at home. Communication books are sometimes introduced to parents of children with special educational needs and medical needs.

We currently work with Speech and Language Therapy, Educational psychologists, Local authority Inclusion team and Portage. We work closely with NHS medical/specialist services when required.

We can signpost our parents to the ‘Local Authority Local offer’ This is an information and services hub for children and young people with SEN and/or disabilities from birth.

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

Our Special Educational Needs Coordinator is experienced and holds an NASEN level 3 qualification. Training is undertaken to equip staff with the necessary knowledge as the need arises.

All staff attend in house training that meets the needs of children in the setting at the time. All our staff members hold the minimum Level 3 Early Years Childcare & Education Qualification.

Our Senco attends regular support groups to keep up to date with information and legislation. Our Senco is trained in Communication and language development in early years. All staff are encouraged to attend staff meetings, share training and implement recent training.

Some staff have attended an Introduction to Makaton training. This is a language programme designed to provide a means of communication through signs to help children understand and be included, this is always supported by modelling language.

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

The majority of outings undertaken by the Pre-School are within our local area. Any outing further afield will be organised in advance and written parental consent obtained. All of our activities are adapted to ensure all of the children will be able to access them.

When going out of Alphabets we alter the ratio to ensure we have a higher number of staff to supervise the children and we base this ratio on individual children’s needs to ensure they have enough support to take part in the outing.

We seek help from parents and volunteers to ensure appropriate levels of supervision when necessary.  A visual risk assessment is carried out prior to any Alphabets trips to ensure everyone’s health & safety will not be compromised and that we have the correct number of staff to adequately supervise the children.

If the risk assessment estimates that an outing or some elements of it might be dangerous or too difficult for your child to cope with and fully enjoy, we will ask for your assistance and participation

How accessible is the setting/school/college enviroment?

Alphabets Preschool is situated in a spacious Scouts Hall attached to the buildings of Botley Centre within Botley Recreation Grounds.

The hall is on the ground level with an easy double door access. There is one step leading in/out of the back garden. The room has a low ceiling with roof windows.

There are no windows in the walls. There is a small kitchen with a small window and split door that is locked during the day and children have no access to it.

There is a toilet in the room for children to use with two cubicles and two sinks. We have step stools, small toilet seats and a potty to encourage independence in self-care and hygiene routines.

The nappy changing area is situated in the staff/visitor's toilet. The disabled toilet is outside the room, in preschool’s foyer. 

The Botley Centre has a large free car park with marked disabled bays. We are open to adapting our environment to suit any child’s additional needs

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 encourage all children to visit their school before starting. We work closely with the school and invite them to come in to see the children at Alphabets.

For children with SEND we would liaise with the school to arrange more visits and organise a Transition partnership agreement (TPA) meeting.

In summer term, children starting school in September attend daily “Butterflies Group” where an adult leads activity that introduce the children to ‘school” life.

These are literacy/numeracy activities, opportunities to practice self-care like getting dressed, putting own shoes and taking the register.

We share books and social stories on starting school. Some schools provide transition leaflets, and we look at them with children regularly.

We will give school as much information about your child as possible and in July we will send a written summary of their development.

If your child’s needs, require an extra transitional plan we will arrange an TPA meeting. This meeting is with parents, future school, Senco from Alphabets and the professionals working with your child. This is to ensure the school knows how best to support the child and what they may need to put into place before your child starts with them. This planning provides a successful transition.

Working in partnership with parents and other professionals If a child is identified as requiring more support in school or requiring a specialist provision. The Senco will arrange a meeting and explain the process of applying for an Educational Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

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

All children attending a session are together in one room.  The Key Person and our SENCO will ensure that your child's routines/activities and teaching are adapted to his/her needs. The routine is flexible, and all children's individual needs are considered when planning daily activities. If a child needed additional resources, we would ensure these resources were in the room for them to access freely. We ensure that all children with SEND needs are met to the best of our ability with the funding available. 

Some children may be eligible for DAF Funding - Disability Access Fund. This can contribute to supporting Alphabets purchasing additional toys and resources. 

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

Your child’s key person, SENCo, Area ISSO, parents and any other outside agencies will discuss what support would be appropriate for your child’s needs. Parental/carers agreement and consent is required for all levels of additional support.

Our Senco can support parents and carers with understanding the identification of special educational needs and intervention process.

If you agree to your child receiving additional support at Alphabets. Our ‘SEN Support’ system is explained in section two. Our Senco would discuss our levels of support during a meeting with you.

We will monitor how well the support we have put into place is helping your child and the progress they are making through regular observations, reviewing targets on Individualised Target Plan and looking at how much progress they make.

For children that make less than expected progress over a period of time, despite having Sen support interventions. Our Senco will discuss how specialist support will benefit the child and families.

We have regular meetings with parents to discuss the child’s development. We may take away the additional support if we feel that your child has made significant progress and is no longer in need of the support.

Early Years SEN funding can be claimed for children with special educational needs, though funding is not always guaranteed. Disability access fund can be claimed the term after their 3rd Birthday if they receive disability living allowance.  This can contribute to supporting staffing cost to ensure higher staff ratio, specialist equipment or resources.

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

We aim to work in partnership with parents and carers. We encourage our families to take part in fund raising events, share fundraising ideas and contribute to events such as Summer Fairs.

We invite parents/carers along to share their knowledge and any skills they might have.

We have an open-door policy and are always happy to listen to parents' comments or concerns.

Every parent/carers is welcome to join the committee and take an active part in decision making and the managing process.

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

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Last Updated: 21 February 2024

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