Little Delwood Kindergarten

Our staff are all trained to identify signs of SEND within young children, and our SENCO will talk to parents and make referrals to outside professionals when we have concerns about a child. These referrals may include:

·       Childrens' Services

·       ISSO Support 

·       Speech and Language Therapy

·       Educational Psychologist

·       Portage

• EHCP

Our Senco will plan and oversee all support needed for any child needing extra support in our setting. Your child’s Key Worker and Sencos will work with your child to support your child’s progress. Parents will be involved throughout.   We liaise closely with outside agencies to ensure that we are all working together to achieve the same targets.  We take great pride in our setting in our openness with parents and we are always available to speak to. We will always support your child and you when required. Having an experienced Senco we feel that we talk together and discuss any strategies that will support your child and all information is shared with parents/carers and comments taken on board. The Senco discuss any additional resources needed.

We observe and record how various activities are used. The team plan for activities to ensure all the needs of the children are met. For all areas we ensure that the interests of the children are met, to suit the ages and stages of the child. All areas ensure that every child is included and able to learn at their own pace.

We are very keen to support parents with their child’s needs and how they are developing their skills. We have an door policy  and give detailed handovers after your child's session, and we welcome support or practical advice. Every child and family have a log in to their online journal, Famly,  in which we include observations, individual’s work and photographs.  If your child has additional needs we use an IEP (Individual Education Plan), which shows what targets have been set, and comments on the weekly session, sharing ideas and resources used. They are discussed every half term with parents and a set meeting.   

We welcome and celebrate each child’s diversity and uniqueness. Our team of practitioners are all qualified and are very caring, confident and listen to all concerns. The Manager and Deputy have overall responsibility for pastoral, medical or social care of every child in the setting. The team take responsibility for administering  medication and each member of staff is trained in Paediatric First Aid. The Kindergarten has a Policy for administering medicine. All prescribed medicines given at Kindergarten need to be accompanied by a permission slip. Any injuries that have occurred outside Kindergarten are written up in the Existing Injuries form and filed into safeguarding folder. All staff are trained in Safeguarding and our appointed Lead Practitioner in Safeguarding attends regular training and shares the information with all staff at staff meetings. Our Senco/Behaviour coordinator and parents to support any behavioural needs of a child. We plan for this at staff meetings/parent meetings.  We take account of ages and stages in our planning and take on board children’s opinions and likes, parental suggestions, Key Worker, Senco and other outside agencies input where appropriate.

We communicate with various different specialist services. We currently work with Portage and Speech & Language Therapists.

We have a experienced Senco who have has completed their Senco Induction Training and also has a range of experience with Behaviour. All staff have attended the Positive Approach to Behaviour training. We have had a Communicator in our team (previously) for a child who was deaf, which all team learnt sign from, we use simple sign throughout the day for all children. We attend appropriate courses when needed. 

All our activities are adapted to ensure all of the children will be able to access them in their own right.  We go on walks daily, which are risk assessed, children are able to explore the local woods, local park and local shops. Our Manager and Deputy carry out a risk assessment for both staff and children to ensure everyone’s Health & Safety will not be compromised. If we found that in the unlikely event it would be unsafe for a child, we would ask the parent/carer to join us. All medicines and first aid kit are available throughout the activity.

The Kindergarten is situated in Chandlers Ford, a spacious and secure Community Centre. We have plenty of space for indoor activities and also benefit from an enclosed outdoor area. We also have facilities for nappy changing. We have large double doors to enter the main hall and large double doors to access the garden. The playground out the front is concrete and  on a flat surface surrounded by a fence with a gate to the rear of the garden for emergency exits. Other than physical restrictions constrained by the building, we are very open to suggestions to adapt to suit any child’s needs or parent’s needs if possible.

All children visit their chosen school and attend special days at their new school, ie book reading days, visit for Christmas Nativity etc. We work closely with our feeder school(s) and the teacher or head of early years visits the Kindergarten to meet the children and the staff and chat about any individual needs. For children with SEND we would encourage the staff of the school to come and ensure the transition goes as smooth as possible. We would encourage the parent/carer to be invited too. We are keen to make transitions to all schools and welcome reception teachers to visit us. We speak to the new school/setting to give them as much information about your child as possible as well as sending a transition form and all of their developmental paperwork. If your child has SEND we may arrange an IPA, or Transition meeting to get all of the professionals working with your child together to ensure the school or new setting knows how best to support them and what they may need to put into place before they start with them. We invite local feeder schools Head to our special occasions ie: pumpkin walk in the woods, Christmas carols, Easter hunt, Graduation day. 

The Kindergarten is arranged over one large area. The room is divided into different areas, ie Role Play, Quiet Area, Malleable, Mathematics etc. . The Kindergarten has various activities and resources available which are used, including music, turn taking, listening, games, books etc. 

Your child’s Key Worker, Senco, Area Inco, outside agency and yourselves will discuss what support would be appropriate for your child’s needs. All children are individuals with different needs, at different levels of support. Through observations, reviewing IEPs, talking to outside agencies, talking to parents/carers, we look at your child’s achievements and progress and discuss new strategies and the progress that has been made.

We encourage parents/carers to be involved at the Kindergarten in many ways, such as contributing to their child’s Famly,and WOW moments. . We have special events such as Christmas Carols, Pumpkin hunt in the woods, Easter hunt, Graduation Day and Farm Visits. When your child is due to leave Kindergarten and move onto Reception Year, we ask you to complete a Questionnaire giving honest feedback on the day to day running of the Kindergarten etc. We are always striving to work in partnership and it is something we are continuously trying to develop and encourage.