Tavistock Pre-School

At Tavistock Pre-School we offer parents/carers the opportunity to discuss any worries or concerns you may have about your child prior to starting at the setting, this will enable us to prepare for a smooth transition into the preschool environment or continue with strategies that are already in place for your child.

Our setting has two SENCO (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator) trained members of staff who regularly attend training and briefings to keep up to date with latest changes and best practice; you are welcome to discuss your child with them at any time.

We plan a Stay and Play session for all our new children where you and your child can meet their Key Carer and begin to build a secure relationship with them. This session provides opportunity to discuss any concerns you may have about your child with their Key Carer directly.

On entry to preschool their Key Carer will monitor and assess your child`s progress as they play and engage with age/stage appropriate activities, should it be found that your child requires any additional support your Key Carer will discuss this with the settings SENCO and yourselves. If appropriate and with parental consent a referral will be made to our Area Inclusion Officer who can offer further support for your child or to an outside agency; including Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists and Portage Services.

If you have any concerns, please talk to your Key Carer or our SENCO.

Your child will have a Key Carer who will know how your child learns best, what interests they have and what next steps they need to work towards through observations and playing with your child. If your child needs support the Key Carer will discuss this with the setting SENCO and an Individual Education Plan will be written with targets for your child to work towards. This will be shared with you and reviewed on a regular basis throughout the year.  Your Key Carer will then work on the agreed targets and monitor their progress. The Key Carer will keep you updated on your child`s progress through informal chats and planned review meetings and make plans for the next step in your child`s development. We are able to request support from our Area Inclusion Officer (with parental consent) who can offer further support or suggest referrals to outside agencies. If your child already has involvement from an outside agency, we will work alongside other professionals to incorporate the targets set by them within the setting.

At Tavistock Pre-School we use observation, assessment and planning to monitor and record children`s progress. We plan around the children`s individual development needs and their current interests to further their progress whilst following the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum. Our planning is flexible to incorporate the individual interests and learning styles of each child and can be adapted where required.

Resources are accessible for all children to self-select and we have visual picture cards available to aid choice. We use Makaton signing during daily routines and during song time. We also have a sound proof room where small group or focussed activities can be undertaken to minimise distractions from the main environment.

Regular observations of your child are taken by the Key Carer and recorded on their online journal, which can be accessed using your unique password.  Parents are also able to, and encouraged to share their own photos, observations and comments of their child with the Key Carer. The Key Carer will carry out regular reviews of your child`s progress and share this with you at planned review meetings or Parents Evenings.

The Key Carer or SENCO are available on a daily basis to talk with you informally, or a home/preschool book can be used if you are unable to collect or drop-off your child; this ensures that the sharing of information remains consistent.

Information with the daily activities the children have been involved with are displayed on the white board at the entrance with ideas to try out at home.

There is a parent board inside the main entrance which displays preschool information along with ideas for parents to enhance their child`s learning at home. We also have Play Bags and Story Bags which parents are welcome to borrow and use at home with their child. We are also able to access training workshops that may be relevant to you.

The Key Carer will be there to form a secure relationship with your child and to offer emotional support, especially whilst settling into the preschool. We are flexible in our settling in program and will work alongside parents to ensure a smooth transition into the preschool environment.

We have a Behaviour Co-ordinator who can help with any behaviour concerns and we actively promote positive behaviour through role modelling, small group work and stories.

All our staff are DBS checked, have had Safeguarding training and hold a Paediatric First Aid certificate. Medicines can be administered in line with our Administering Medicines Policy and a Health Care Plan will be drawn up for managing specific health conditions.

We carry out daily risk assessments to ensure a safe and hygienic environment and we have a secure purpose-built setting.

The views of our children are extremely important to us and we encourage them to express their feelings, ideas and interests during circle time, daily interactions and snack/lunch times, where children sit together in small groups to promote this.

All the staff hold or are working towards a Level 3 qualification. Our SENCO’s have completed the appropriate training and regularly attend the termly network meetings to keep up-to-date with the latest best practice and legislation. They have also attended a variety of training courses including Thomas Training, Positive Behaviour Management, Autism Awareness and Speech and Language.

We have access to the Area Inclusion Officer for support and guidance for all children with Special Educational Needs and can refer to other agencies such as the Portage service, Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy. We liaise with the Community Nursery Nurse who can offer a variety of support and advice for you at home such as toileting, sleep and behaviour. We are also able to request support from the Family Support Service who can signpost us to various workshops and training for parents.

Our SENCO’s have completed the relevant induction courses and have attended many other relevant training related to supporting children; these include social-communication difficulties, behaviour, Autism, Makaton and supporting children with English as an additional language.

Staff are trained in Paediatric First Aid including the administration of Epipens and can access further training for specific requirements.

All staff regularly attend training to enhance their own professional development and are kept up-to-date with relevant information/best practice, which is cascaded during staff meetings. We will always look for training opportunities that will further support our children.

When planning activities, we ensure they can be accessed by all children with any necessary adaptations being made. We carry out additional risk assessments on all trips or special events and would liaise with you to confirm the need for any mobility aids or medication required for the trip. Parental consent is gained prior to any off-site activity. We may ask parents to join us with certain activities to maintain our 1:2 ratio.

We would prepare children prior to any change in routine through discussion/visual pictures appropriate to their stage of development.

Tavistock Pre-School is situated next to Tavistock Infant School and is accessible by a purpose made pathway to both schools. A ramp is situated at the main entrance to allow access for pushchairs and wheelchairs. We have two outside areas: a natural grassed area with a messy kitchen, areas to hunt for mini beasts and growing areas where children can look after and maintain plants; a large play area to the side of the setting which has a large space for a range of physical activities. The outside area can be accessed from the rear of the playroom via steps and two handrails, and from the front of the building which is on one level.

We have a separate disabled toilet in the main entrance, and the toilets in the main playroom are size appropriate for the age of our children. We have a changing table to manage personal hygiene, and space to change clothing when appropriate.

The setting is open plan to allow free movement inside and free flow to the outside area. Children can be independent in their learning and activity choices as resources are stored in an accessible way. Visual pictures and sand timers are available for children to express needs and share resources.

For parents and children where English is not their first language, we can call on support from EMTAS (Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Service) for resources and translations along with visual picture cards to aid communication.

We will give you a starter pack full of information and an introduction to the staff and parents committee, which should give you an insight of what to expect and how we can support you and your child when starting preschool.

We hold a New Starters Evening before your child starts. This provides an ideal opportunity to meet the staff/committee and freely explore the preschool building and outside areas. We will have a variety of information on display, which will help you to understand the general routines and the activities your child may engage with and how this will be documented.

We also hold a Stay and Play morning just for new starters. This is where you and your child can experience a morning at preschool alongside other new parents and children. During this morning, you can meet your Key Carer and take a photo of them home to share with your child before they start.

We organise home visits the week before your child starts so they can meet their Key Carer again in a familiar environment and we can ensure we have up-to-date information.

If you are particularly concerned about your child settling in then we can provide a transition booklet which consists of photos of our environment and staff, and the flexible routines within the setting.

For children moving up to Reception year, we will liaise with the receiving schools and invite them to visit the children in the preschool setting.

SEN funding for your child can be applied for through the Local Authority. If the funding application is agreed to then it will be used to maximise the learning opportunities for your child. The funding can be used in a variety of ways and we will use observation and assessment to ascertain what will have the best impact on your child`s progress.

Your child`s Key Carer and the SENCO will decide on what support your child may need using our observations and assessments. The Individual Education Plan will help to measure the impact of the support given and plan for your child`s next steps.

Tavistock Pre-School is a committee led preschool which is run by elected parents who undertake a variety of roles such as Chairperson and Secretary to general members.  They are there to support the staff in the effective running of the preschool. Meetings are held monthly to discuss issues at the preschool and plan for fundraising events. All parents are welcome to attend the Annual General Meeting where a new committee is elected for the following year.

Parents are welcome to support the preschool in a variety of ways, from being part of the committee to helping with our fundraising events; any support you can give will always be appreciated.

When able to, parents are always welcome to stay and play during sessions, come in to read a story, or help with outings/gardening/cooking activities.

Questionnaires will be sent out during the year to gain feedback from parents about the preschool. This helps us make decisions on what works well and areas we need to develop.

We have a Facebook page and newsletter which keeps parents up to date with news and events, as well as the notice boards in the main entrance.