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Local Offer

Bright Horizons Dandelions Nursery EY252728

Offering services to:
  • Children 0-5
  • Primary school aged children
Supporting people with:
  • Activities for children and young people
Carescheme type:
  • Day nursery

Who to contact

Telephone
01264 382532 01264 382532
E-mail
dandelions@brighthorizons.com
Website
Bright Horizons Dandelions Nursery and Pre-School
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Where to go

Address
Monxton Road
Andover
Hampshire
Postcode

SP11 8HT

View SP11 8HT on a map

Availability

Age Ranges
5 to 8 years
0 to 5 years

Childcare Information

Funded Places

Offers 3 & 4 year old funded places
Yes
Offers 2 year old funded places
Yes

Opening Times & Facilities

Facilities
Pets
Messy Play Area
Sleeping Area
Outdoor Play
Computer

Local Offer

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

When you start at Dandelions we offer three taster sessions, during this the child’s key person is responsible for showing you around the room, talking about the daily routine as well as explaining how observation and assessment is carried out. This provides the key person and the family the opportunity to talk about the child’s current likes, dislikes and interests. This information is then shared with key staff in the room along with our Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator where needed. The Early Years Foundation Stage is also used to support the children’s educational program alongside this six month and two year checks are carried out to support the child further. If a special educational need is identified the key person will work alongside the SENCO and with the family to support the child. The nursery will adapt its routine, resources or nursery layout to support the family and suit the child’s individual needs. Dandelions is a purpose built nursery which is all on one level. The SENCO has built good relationships with outside agencies and will contact the necessary agency for advice and support. The SENCO can also signpost families to services they may be able to utilise.

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

Each child has a key person who will complete observations and assessments each week, these are then placed in a Learning Story which records the children’s progress at the nursery. Alongside this the key person will complete a Two year check, six month check and a transition report if they leave to attend another setting. The key person will plan for the child’s individual interests and adapt activities where needed. There is a planning board situated in the three play rooms of the nursery. These can be viewed along with the Learning Stories at any time. At Dandelions we also have a tracker tool which enables us to look at statistics surrounding the children’s learning and development as match the curriculum to suit children’s needs. The SENCO will work alongside the key person and family to ensure that the curriculum is matched to individual children’s needs by creating an Individual Education Plan. This enables us to develop activities based on their characteristics of leaning and their current need. The key person will identify the areas of learning that needs focusing on and plan around following the curriculum and the individual need.

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?

At dandelions we actively encourage parent partnership; this is supported through six monthly conferences with your child’s key worker. This meeting provides an opportunity to discuss at length your child’s learning and development at nursery. During these meetings you will have the opportunity to look though the Learning Story discussing the curriculum, planning and next steps. This provides a great time for parents to ask questions and discuss how they are doing. Alongside this we communicate individual daily handovers where you will be provided with information about your child’s day such as activities they have taken part in and self-care routines. We provide learning at home stickers for parents to complete if they carry out any activities at home. To further promote parent partnership we provide a weekly parent memo communicating activities taking place in the rooms, as well as information surrounding webinars that can be used to support parents around a range of topics. We regularly have stay and play sessions where parents are invited to come in and play with their child observing how they learn at nursery. The nursery operates an open door policy where parent can discuss their child’s leaning at any time or just stop by for lunch and a play session.

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

Our nursery operates a doorbell entry system where a member of staff has to let parents into the receptions area. parents are then verified before being let through the next door into the nursery. These doors cannot be opened simultaneously which provides security for the children. Equally as we are situated on a Military of Defence site we have the support from the main guard room as well CCTV. The perimeter fence is also very secure and is checked daily. All staff are checked for their suitability through interview and references, as well as the Disclosure and Barring Service check (DBS). All our staff attends safeguarding training along with First Aid training. Other training courses are also accessed to support children’s well-being and staff’s knowledge. Policies and procedures are in place and are reviewed regularly; risk assessments are also in place. These follow the statutory government guidelines. At Dandelions the children are encouraged to express their views; this can be done through one to one activities known as prime times. With the younger children we observe their well-being through play and observations. The key person will develop an understanding of the child and their likes and dislikes. We understand that children may require medication at the nursery. As long medication is prescribed by the doctor the management team will administer this during the day with the key person present to support the child’s well-being. Care plans are in place for children who have regular medication these are reviewed each month.

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

We have a dedicated Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) at the nursery who also deals with behaviour management. The SENCO has a BA Hons in Early years and has accessed local authority training as well as our companies’ internal training. We are in regular contact with our area INCO (Inclusion co-ordinator) which we liaise with and invite to the setting.at the nursery we have a SENCO folder which contains information, policies and procedures and support for parents. Within our company we have a Early Years Quality Improvement Manager who visits on a regular basis and supports staff with and SENCO or behavioural concerns. Through our two year check we can identify any areas of development that need addressing on an individual basis. We also completed six month reviews on all children in the nursery again to enable early recognition of any concerns. We then feed this back to the parents

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

Catherine has a BA Hons in Early Years and has recently taken over as the SENCO at the nursery; she has completed the SEND new code of practise training in December. During 2015 she is attending a Services for Young Children Inclusion conference as well as attending regular SEND meetings with the Local Authority. Catherine will also access both Local Authority and Internal training to further enhance her skills and knowledge. Catherine will have the opportunity to contact Kay our Area INCO at any time through email or telephone calls to discuss any concerns or seek advice. As Catherine is new to the role she has been working closely with our last SENCO, observing her practise as well as gaining further information. Catherine is a clam and reassuring person who has a great deal of knowledge through previous training and experience. She builds strong relationships with parents and children but is also confident to seek advice from other professionals where needed.

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

We follow the children’s interest which is documented through our planning boards that are in each room. From this the staff plan next step activities based on the interest and how to further promote learning and development. The activities the children access are documented in their Learning Stories which the parent shave access to at all times. During six monthly meetings the key person discusses the interests that the child has shown and how these will be developed. This allows parental input. We also have playing and learning at home stickers, the key person encourages the parent write a short observation about what the child has been doing at home. We will adapt any activities to suit the child’s individual needs. When going on trips we increase the ratio to one member of staff to every two children this would be reduced to accommodate individual needs or disabilities. We carry out risk assessments to ensure that the children are safe at all times this will include the journey there and back as well as what they will experience at the destination. We send out a consent form for any trips which allows the parents to be involved, we also actively encourage the parents to join us on the trips.

How accessible is the setting/school/college enviroment?

Our nursery is purpose built and all on one floor, our doorways are wide enough to accommodate wheelchairs and push chairs. The rooms are set out to enable children to access all areas without any potential hazards. We have an extensive garden are which is mostly flat with pathways leading to the grassed areas. The garden is set out into different areas that may be of interest to the children such as the Forest school, Military and Physical areas. We have disabled toilet in our front entrance and our nappy changing areas are large enough to accommodate any individuals with a disability. Families who have English as an additional language are supported through the translation of any mandatory documentation. The staff also research the specific language and learn key words. Parents are encouraged to make a family book that the child begins with them to enable them to have something familiar. We also make routine flash cards to enable the children to know what’s happening next. Our resources include books in different languages as well as text around the nursery. Alongside this we use Makaton throughout the nursery using hand signals to support children’s language and learning. There are books to support this also.

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?

When a new family starts with us we offer three settling in sessions, however we adapt to the needs of the family and can arrange more sessions as required. We also complete a ‘Getting to know me’ form which enables the key person to find out about the child, such as any allergies, specials educational needs or disabilities. The parents have the opportunity to ask questions as well as share their knowledge from their home experience. When a child leaves for school or another early years setting we completed a smooth transition book which outlines the current developmental progress as well as how learning can be extended. We invite the new teacher or key person in to the nursery to enable them to observe the child in comfortable surroundings. This also allows an opportunity for both the current key person and the new key person/ teacher to talk to each other. Parents are invited to the setting to share their knowledge. We also contact the new early years setting/ school via telephone or e mail to ensure good working relationships with other professionals. When the child does leave their Learning Story accompanies them.

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

Within our nursery budget we ensure that children’s special educational need are met through purchasing resources that are suitable for them as well as having a positive impact on their learning and development. We look at children’s individual needs and decide with outside agencies and the family what resources would benefit the child most. When looking at a whole nursery benefit we take into consideration the needs to each individual children and what opportunities the new resources create for their development.

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

Initially the SENCO will observe the child and highlight key areas for concern, this is then shared with the parent as we work in partnership with each other. Once parental consent is gain this information is then shared with the INCO which will then visit the setting and observe the child before giving feedback and support to the family and setting. Where needed the INCO will refer the child to another agency such as a Speech and Language therapist. Families who attend the setting who already have an identified special educational need or disability are supported through meetings with all professionals involved with an individual education plan (IEP) developed together and put in place. All decisions are made together with both the key person, the family and outside agencies. The need will be decided on an individual basis when all the information has been gathered and shared. The impact of the support is measured through observation and assessment regularly. The key person will also document this in the child’s Learning Story as well as during their six month reviews. All these documents will be shared during IEP meetings.

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

Dandelions have a Parent Support Group where they meet quarterly to discuss the development of the nursery as well as upcoming events. This enables families to have a voice and opinion which is then shared though meeting minutes that are taken and emailed to all the parents. Informally we operate an open door policy that enables parents to feel that they can talk to the staff or management team on a daily basis about their thoughts and ideas for the development of the children and setting. We actively encourage all parents to be involved as much or as little as they want to. Each week we send out a weekly memo to communicate what’s going on in the nursery and welcome feedback from this. At the end of each year we send out a reflection memo outlining the past years successes and future development plans. All parents have a hand over at the end of the day with their key person where possible. This allows the parents to involved in their child’s day to day life and routine.

Offering services to:
  • Children 0-5
  • Primary school aged children
Supporting people with:
  • Activities for children and young people
Carescheme type:
  • Day nursery

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Last Updated: 10 August 2023

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