Family Information and Services Hub
Local Offer

YMCA East Anton

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

YMCA offers more than childcare and we provide a variety of community services for families of all ages. This includes a social meeting space for people to meet each other, as well as sessions such as parent/toddler, fitness classes and rooms for individuals and community groups to hire.

Who to contact

Contact Name
Eileen Isherwood Adams
Contact Position
Nursery Manager
Telephone
01264 310140 01264 310140
E-mail
Andover@ymca-fg.org
Website
https://ymca-fg.org/
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Where to go

Address
Dairy Road, Off Smannell Road
East Anton
Andover
Hampshire
Postcode

SP11 6UL

View SP11 6UL on a map
Notes

As well as running the Nursery we have a community team who engage with the local community. The building has a community room that can be rented or used for community events. 

Costs

£8.00  per hour
Details
Age group - 0 - 5: 8 per hour, 43.1 per session, 70.6 per day

Availability

Has wheelchair access
Other notes

We support all Children within our care as well as the community on an individual basis. We provide universal support for all that access our services.  

Inclusion Information

Wheelchair access
Yes
Special Needs provision
Yes
Details
Challenging behaviour,Developmental delay,English as additional language,Hearing difficulties,Medical difficulties,Physical difficulties,Soc. Interaction Difficulties,Speech and lang. difficulties,Visual difficulties
Provision for special dietary needs
Yes
Can make special cultural provisions
Yes
Details
Cultural and Spec. Diet. Needs,Relig. and Cultural Awareness

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 07:30 18:00
Tuesday 07:30 18:00
Wednesday 07:30 18:00
Thursday 07:30 18:00
Friday 07:30 18:00
Facilities
Visit & Outings
Events parties
Car Parking
Messy Play Area
Sleeping Area
Outdoor Play

School Pickups

Does not offer school pickups

Local Offer

Description

In our setting we have a trained and experienced a Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator who supports all members of staff within each room of the nursery. We have a wealth of knowledge and experience of working with children who have additional needs of varying levels, we aim to work hard to support these children to make progress. Where necessary we refer to other professionals to provide the best support for your child.

Contact Name
Eileen Isherwood Adams
Contact Telephone
01264 310140
Contact Email
andover@ymca-fg.org
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?

Due to the ages of the children attending the YMCA nursery we are sometimes the first contact they will have with professionals. This can be prior to the 2 year old developmental checks, meaning that some children may not yet be assessed as having any additional needs. Once your child has settled and adjusted into the setting we will start the assessment process. Your child's key worker will assess them by using observational evidence. If during these observations or if any general concerns are raised, we will discuss these with the parents to gain an overall assessment of home life and nursery time. If after this we all believe your child needs any kind of additional support there are steps we can take to give them the support they require.

We believe in the importance of getting early support in place to help your child's development and progression.

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

From your first initial contact with the YMCA Nursery the staff will provide you with an information pack and will arrange for you and your to be shown around our facility. Whilst you are being shown around the setting you will have the opportunity to ask any questions or raise any concerns you may have. You will speak to our Lead Practitioner who will discuss any requirements your child may have. This will enable us to get to know your child and organise settling in sessions.

Your child will be allocated a key worker who will oversee the support they require whilst here. Your key worker will work closely with the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) to make sure that your child is progressing and getting any additional support they may need. If your child requires additional support an Individual Education Plan (IEP) will be put into place. The IEP will be set up by the SENCO with achievable targets for your child. The targets will be set up as activities that will be completed in smaller language groups. These smaller groups are better for your child to focus on the activities, this will also help the key worker and SENCO evaluate progress and identify further targets and individual needs. It will also allow the SENCO to assess if any additional support from other professionals is necessary.

We believe parent participation is vital when devising new plans for your child, this can incorporate any information or ideas to help support you and your child at home.

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

At the YMCA Nursery we complete our overall planning on a monthly basis based on the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum. We then use this planning to go in to more depth on a weekly basis. Our planning will meet your child's individual needs by planning activities that are specifically for them. It is important we follow children's interests to support their individual needs and learning. We devise different ways to suit each child's separate needs either by using small or large group activities.

We regularly self evaluate our nursery and reflect on the accessibility of our resources for the children. We operate a flexible approach to ensure the individual needs of your child are met.

We devise IEPs to guide your child's learning within certain areas, these may be areas that have been identified as needing extra support. We ensure that we take into account your child's preferred learning styles as well as interests to ensure they enjoy their learning. By using these techniques we can provide suitable and achievable targets, these will also boost your child's confidence in their own abilities. In these cases the key worker will have regular meetings with you to discuss progress and agree new plans.

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 the YMCA Nursery every child has a secure Online Learning journal which is made up of photographic and typed observations. The journals are stored on an application called iConnect, they are always available for parents to see and the can access secure on an application called Parent Zone. 

Using this application allows parents to add photographs and observations from home which helps build a blended learning journey for your child. Regular updates help the nursery and parents to check your child's development and needs. The nursery observations consist of you child's planned next steps which are put in place to support your child's needs. When these steps have been achieved the key worker will set new steps to further develop your child. An IEP is similar to setting next steps, the IEP breaks down the target to be more specific to certain areas of development that your child may need extra support with.

Within our nursery we offer an open door policy and you are welcome to make an appointment to see your child's key worker at anytime.

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

We believe that the early years is the one of the most fantastic times in a child's life. Each child is unique and full of personality and potential. It is our aim to provide a nurturing, stimulating and caring environment for every child. An environment where all children are safe, respected and treated as individuals in an inclusive manner to ensure each child has the opportunity to develop their self esteem, self awareness and confidence.

At the YMCA Nursery we have our own individual policy for administering medicines which can be viewed in the Nursery Policy folder. The policy states that all medicines that need to be administered must be prescribed by a doctor or pharmacist and the child must have started the medication 24 hours prior to coming into the setting. When a child needs prescription medication, the staff will ask for either long term or short term medicine form to be completed. All staff in the child's room will be made aware when a child needs to receive medicine. At the YMCA Nursery we have procedures in place to support children with allergies and dietary needs.

These procedures include:

  • meeting with your child's key worker
  • meeting with Helen (head cook) in the kitchen
  • paperwork is carried out by parents to inform staff what is not allowed
  • a poster, signed by parent, of the child's requirements will be put up within the child's room.

All nursery staff have their first aid training, EPI-PEN training and safeguarding training. The current safeguarding officer at the YMCA is Eileen Isherwood Adams.

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

Within the YMCA Nursery we are proud of the expertise of our practitioners. We hold annual first aid training and EPI-PEN refreshers for all the nursery staff to attend, we firmly believe in the importance of proactively facilitating staff training to ensure they are capable of supporting your child's needs.

We are extremely fortunate to be to be supported by two local specialist in Icknield school and Norman Gate school. We are able to access a wealth of support and professionals within our local authority to support your child's individual needs. If your child could benefit from additional support we will do all we can within our means to make sure your child receives that additional support from our local authority. We gain support from the following services:

  • Inclusion officer
  • Portage
  • Occupational Therapist
  • Outreach Support
  • Speech and Language Therapist
  • Physiotherapist.

If your child requires an Education, Health and Care (CHC) Plan, we will put this in place with your child's local authority in the autumn the year before your child is due to go to school, this gives us time to appeal a denied EHC if needed. The EHC plan will ensure your child receives the SEN support that they require when they leave us to go to school. If a child does not need and EHC we put together a Transition Partnership Agreement (TPA) this sets targets from the nursery for the parents and school to try to make the transition to school easier for the child and parent.

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

At the YMCA nursery we have our Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) who is Kirsty Brennan. The SENCO attends regular support meetings to ensure the best support for your child. It is vital that all staff have training to recognise and support additional needs. All staff are provided with in house training such as:

  • Induction to SEN training
  • Makaton training
  • Behaviour management training
  • Speech and Language training.

We continue to support our staff's development by assigning roles for staff such as 'Makaton Champions' who will continue to provide resources and support for the rest of the staff. Two members of staff have undergone the training program ECERS which allows staff to rate and reflect on the environment, this is to ensure our setting is suitable and accessible for all children. We regularly update our Makaton training to ensure our setting is inclusive to all children with hearing impediments and Speech and Language delays. Our SENCO has also undergone Including pupils with Autism training.

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

We ensure that all children have the opportunity to take part in trips and outings and that all activities are accessible to them. When we arrange  trips relevant risk assessments are carried out prior to the trip to ensure the correct health and safety measures have been taken into account, this is to ensure no ones safety is compromised.

When going out on trips our staff to child ratio is reduced to ensure we have a sufficient amount of staff available to supervise the children. This ratio is based on individual needs to ensure that all children have enough support throughout the trip, this also ensures any child with individual needs can take part in the trip.

The nursery has policies in place for trips and outings which can be found in our policy folder.

How accessible is the setting/school/college enviroment?

The YMCA nursery is a single storey ground level purpose built facility, we have three separate rooms for different age groups. All of our rooms have full access to the garden, there are no steps from the building to the outside, so children of all ages have a safe and secure outside environment. We operate an open door policy to the garden areas for all the rooms which allows easy access for the children to venture outside (weather permitting).

The children aged from 4 months to 2 years are based in our baby room. Our baby room consists of a sleep room, changing room facility and a milk making room. All of the activities are either floor based or low based to ensure all children have access.

The children aged 2 years to 3 years are based in our toddler room. Our toddler room has access to low level toilets and hand washing facilities and changing facilities. We have a mix of activities in this room to suit the slightly older children, again some activities are floor based as well as small table height. This means that all children are included in any of the activities.

The preschool has access to low level sinks and toilet facilities, it also has a disabled toilet in the room. This room also has access to a multifunctional sensory room.

There is also 2 disabled toilets in the foyer of the nursery, 1 has a baby changing facility and the other has a shower facility.

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?

In the September before your child is due to leave us to go to school, we will arrange a meeting with yourselves to inform you of the different schools in your area and help you to arrange a meeting with them. We will offer you advice on what to look for in the school with your child's interests in mind. We will discuss with you the differences between main stream, private and specialist schools to support your child.

For the rest of the year we will support your child in their development and provide them with the very best care possible. In the months leading up to your child starting school we will visit your school to have a transition meeting with the school, their SENCO and yourselves. At this meeting we will discuss your child's needs and requirements, this will enable us to come up with a plan for your child's transition. After this we will encourage your child's school teacher to come and meet your child as many times as possible, and we will support your child's play visits at your chosen school if needed.

We aim to make this transition a fun and comfortable experience so will constantly talk to your child about their new school, read books to aid familiarity when they move and introduce school play into role-play environments. We also try to find pictures of your child's school to make books, find prospectuses or look on school websites.

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

The YMCA Nursery has three rooms which are arranged into the ages of the children. Babies are aged 4 months to 2 years, toddlers are aged 2 years to 3 years and preschool are children aged 3 years to 5 years. Each room is set up with a variety of resources which are age appropriate, these can extend and guide each individual child's learning.

If any child needs extra resources to help them we will not hesitate to use appropriate funds from the local authority to get these, we will ensure that they are available as soon as possible to give your child the best opportunities we can. If your child has Early Years Sen Support (EYSS) we will arrange a meeting to discuss how best to spend the funding with you. We will access any additional support for your child's needs which could range from Makaton training for yourself and family to private Speech and Language therapist for your child if that is what we collectively agree will benefit your child the most. Resources are shared with all children to give everyone the same opportunities to thrive, for example your child's key worker will share knowledge they have gained from different professionals with all of the children within the setting so everyone benefits and thrives.

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

As soon as we have reason to believe that your child may need extra support or in the case that you have come to us with some concerns we will arrange a meeting to go through these. In the meeting your child's key worker will complete an IEP to support your child's individual needs. At this meeting we will discuss the needs of your child and devise a way to best way to support them. The support levels will depend on the need of your child, each child is different so individual plans need to be right. The rate of a child's progress varies depending on the child. Some support methods that we put in place may help the child significantly with progress seen straight away, while other children may not show such quick progress. This is the reason we monitor all of the support processes and hold regular meetings.

Together we will work alongside yourselves, the SENCO, your key worker and any other outside agency that we believe may be beneficial for your child. We will work as a team to devise a plan that has achievable targets. Through these targets we will monitor their progress and have regular meetings to discuss if we think anything needs to be adjusted or if your child needs additional support from other agencies.

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

Within our nursery we use iConnect, this is your child's secure online learning journal, you can access this from home using the Parent Zone application. This provides you with a constant opportunity to contribute to your child's next steps and monitor your child's development. We find this online journal is hugely beneficial for our working parents, they feel they have the constant opportunity to communicate with us about their child.  

At the YMCA nursery we operate an open door policy, this gives parents the constant opportunity to talk to their key worker, or simply stay and play with their child in the nursery.

Due to us having on onsite community team we offer a range of different activities for parents to attend with the children. These events are sent out to parents on a monthly community newsletter. Once a month you will also receive a newsletter online with information regarding to events or learning activities that are relevant to your child.

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

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Last Updated: 21 February 2024

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