Lymington Centre Pre-School

At Lymington Centre Pre-School our staff are highly trained in many areas including speech and language, Autism, behaviour management. Our Keyperson system involves planning around your child's individual needs. Monitoring and tracking their development. Sharing Times and “All About Me” page focusing on interests, home life, communication, strengths, areas for development, likes and dislikes to help settle your child. We discuss our routines with you and we also use a time line. We use an Online Learning Journal system and you will have secure access to your child's account. We will add photos, observations etc and you can also add to your child's personal file. Twice a year we send out Questionnaires to each family to ensure we are supporting your child's needs and supporting you as a family. We use the results to develop our setting to the highest standard. The SENCo follows the SEN Code of Practice and ensures all records regarding your child's learning and progress are kept up to date. Our SENCo supports all other Keypersons with SEN children and liaises with the Services for Young Children Area Inclusion Co-ordinator (INCo) and other professionals. The SENCo attends local support groups and training and may need to arrange meetings for Transition into School. With your help we would fill out a referral form for support from outside agencies. Discussions of all children are confidential and we constantly discuss children’s progress daily and during Supervision Meetings and Monthly Staff meetings.

At Lymington Centre Pre-School we take into consideration that every child is different and plan and support your child at his/her own pace, using their baseline and your childs interests. We use the EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum) as a guide for child development. Our SENCo (Special Education Needs Co-Ordinator) and BeCo (Behaviour Co-ordinator) alongside the Keyperson will help your child with any extra support needed and with activities to help with his/her needs. Progress will be evidenced in your child's PPP (Personal Play Plan) and Tapestry Online Learning Journal following support and input from Pre-School and at home. PPP (Personal Play Plan) are reviewed every 4 to 6 weeks to monitor your child's progress along with observations and assessments which will highlight areas that may need to be focused on. Planning will be carefully looked into to help within these areas.

At Lymington Centre Pre-School we use Progress Books and The Tapestry Online Learning Journal which will hold your child's observations and assessments along with Tracking (a guide of where your child should be developing) your child can add creative work to the Progress Book from Pre-School and home. PPP (Personal Play Plan) will be linked to these to show how we are supporting and monitoring your child's needs and how you can also help at home. Parents are encouraged to be involved in supporting their child's learning and development at home and we involve you in the areas your child needs support. You can speak to your child's Keyperson or another member of staff daily and at Lymington Centre Pre-School we welcome Parents to volunteer and to help out, supporting the children within our setting. We will endeavour to seek funding if your child fits Hampshire County Council's criteria. We inform you about upcoming events, dates, sharing times, planning, and all relevant information to be shared via our notice boards and Parentmail.

At Lymington Centre Pre-School our staff can administer inhalers with parental consent, these must be kept in Pre-School at all times so you will need to ask your child's GP for this before he/she can stay with us. If your child needs an EPI-PEN you would need to speak to us with any relevant information before he/she could start. Authorisation would be requested from you during our home visit to be able to change your child if necessary, including wet play, messy play, toileting etc. A child with behaviour difficulties is supported by all staff within our setting and a Behavior Officer will draw up an PPP (Personal play plan) to support his/her needs following our Policies. We follow positive behaviour and values at all times. We will work along with families and the INCo (Inclusion Co-Ordinator) and any other Agencies able to help with individual needs such as Portage (who help support families with behaviour difficulties) between us we will work together to support you and your child. Children are encouraged to learn and develop through play and will be listened to. Emotions and feelings are discussed within circle times, small groups and especially our language Box Session when a small group are encouraged to use positive language, social skills and to build self-confidence.

At Lymington Centre Pre-School our staff are well qualified and experienced (5xLevel 3, 1xLevel 4, 1x Level 5) we are all 1st Aid trained and attend advanced safeguarding training. We have 2 Safegarding Officers and 2 Behavior Co-Ordinators. The SENCo(Special Education Needs Co-Ordinator) attends courses such as SEN induction Training, SEN Plus, Behaviour Training and positive approaches, Communication (friendly spaces), termly network meetings which include new ideas, resources and support and important legislation and future changes. All staff have attended Makaton and the Manager has attended Thomas Training. At Lymington Centre Pre-School 1 member of are staff is highly trained within the KOT (keep on talking) group and are called ELLP (Early Language Lead Practitioner) working within our setting and assisting with training at local meetings and settings within this area. At Lymington Centre Pre-School we work together with local health visitors, local children’s centre, outside agencies including INCo (Inclusion Co-Ordinator), Occupational Therapists, Speech and Language, First Opportunities group, social workers, Portage to support children with behaviour needs. Between us we will develop our Pre-School into a calm sanctuary for your child to learn, play and feel safe in.

At Lymington Centre Pre-School all staff has received basic Makaton training and we use this throughout the session during circle time, good morning song, rhymes, Featured Makaton signs, Language Activity groups, snack time and through general play. Signs and photos are displayed around the setting. Staff have attended speech and language training and letters and sounds focus groups. Our BeCo’s (Behaviour Co-Ordinators) have attended Behaviour Management Training. Our manager took part in the year long Keep on Talking group, she is also trained in Makaton, speech and language, environmentally friendly places, and is the settings ELLP (Early Language Lead Practitioner). At Lymington Centre Pre-School we follow our policies and procedures at all times and these are available on our website or available to view in our setting. 

At Lymington Centre Pre-School we inform Parents about trips/ outings and events through our Notice board and Parentmail. (Organised trips may incur a cost). Consent for outings is given when you complete your child's registration form and for organised or large group outings we will require volunteers to help with ratios for everyone’s safety especially if your child needs one to one support. Visual time tables could be used to help prepare your child before an outing if needed to ensure inclusion.

Lymington Centre Pre-School in based within 'The Lymington Centre' and is wheelchair accessible with no steps indoors. There is a wheelchair accessible toilet within the building but not within our room. We have large windows that let in lots of natural daylight and fresh air. We have time lines with photos to help with routines and Makaton signs and photos around the room. We have a spacious separate outside environment that offers many experiences with a wide range of resources including a mud kitchen and digging area, deconstructed role play including guttering/crates etc…providing challenging activities for children to enjoy and take part in. we adapt the activities and resources used depending on the children’s needs and interests.

At Lymington Centre Pre-School we carry out Home Visits which is an ideal opportunity to meet with your child's Keyperson and we also invite you to attend a stay and play session before starting Pre-School. This helps to support your child with settling in and an opportunity to meet again with your child's Keyperson and other members of staff. We also attend TAC (Team around the Child) meetings. Home School picture books of our staff and Pre-School can be used for children to use prior to their start if needed. Gradual short visits prior to starting Pre-school could be arranged to suit your child's needs. For children going up to Infant school, transition is supported well and the Teacher visits your child in our setting. Your child will also attend a few visits that you as a Parent will take them to through the school system. Lymington Centre Pre-School has school transition books for some schools in our local area. These include photos and we also have a school uniform box we include in our role play area and this is widely enjoyed especially helping with transition. An IPA meeting could be arranged with other settings and schools if needed.

At Lymington Centre Pre-School we will endeavour, if needed, and your child fits Hampshire County Council's check list, to apply for Special Education Needs Funding. If necessary a meeting may be held with you and your Keyperson to discuss how the funding should be spent although the majority of the time especially in the early stages would be used to support one to one time. We would endeavour to ask outside agencies for help to provide us with any equipment we may need. We accept 2 year old funding and would require your Unique reference number to claim this.

At Lymington Centre Pre-School along with yourself, your child's Keyperson and the SENCo (Special Education Needs Co-Ordinator) /BeCo’s(Behaviour Co-Ordinators) will make a decision if your child would benefit from additional support. This is done through discussions and observations, if needed extra support is put into place as soon as possible and supported by all staff. We would contact the INCo (inclusion Co-Ordinator) for advice and support. An PPP (Personal Play Plan) is written for your child with your input and reviewed over 4-6 weeks to see what impact this has had on your child, and what we can do next including extra support from outside agencies.

At Lymington Centre Pre-School your Keyperson would work with you on your child’s learning and development needs. Sharing times are held termly. Next steps/PLODs (possible lines of development) for your child are for Pre-School and at home to help your child. Progress is observed and monitored through the term and added to Tapestry our on-line Learning Journal. Discussions can also be on a daily basis face to face. We invite Parents in to share their skills and knowledge including careers, hobbies etc….