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Local Offer

The Willows Day Nursery Basingstoke

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

The Willows Day Nursery in Basingstoke is situated at 137 Worting Road. The nursery has been a part of Naturally Curious Childcare since September 2019 and provides quality care, learning and a home from home experience for children aged 0 – 5 years of age.

The Willows Day Nursery follows the Curiosity Approach and is currently undergoing an accreditation. We provide natural and authentic materials within the child’s play to spark imagination, independence and first-hand experiences. We offer amazing learning opportunities to suit the individual child allowing them to flourish and grow. 

Nursery SEND local offer in accordance with  Education service requirements – for all providers receiving government funding to provide education services, e.g. Ofsted registered Early Years education providers in receipt of EYE funding, colleges etc.

Who to contact

Contact Name
Emma Hawkins
Contact Position
Nursery Manager & SENCO
Telephone
01256 331147 01256 331147
E-mail
willows@naturallycuriouschildcare.co.uk
Website
Website
Scan to visit this website
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/TheWillowsDayNurseryBasingstoke/

Where to go

Name
The Willows Day Nursery
Address
137, Worting Road
Basingstoke
Hampshire
Postcode

RG22 6NN

View RG22 6NN on a map
Notes

Day Nursery, Open 51 weeks of the year.

Providing care for children aged 0-5, Previously known as The Hatchlings 

Costs

£75  Registration fee
Details
Price list available on website The Willows Day Nursery is the only 'all inclusive' childcare provider in Basingstoke. Our nursery fees include all food and drink; Breakfast, Morning snack, Lunch, Afternoon snack and Tea in our all inclusive pricing - there's no surprises and no hidden extra. For our babies all items are including to your own personal branding requirements, eg Nappies, Teething Rings, Creams, Wipes, Baby Formula milk and Cow’s milk. When you have your first settling in session at the nursery, you will be given an order form so we can make sure everything is ready to your exact liking, just when we need it.

Availability

Other notes

We follow the curiosity approach and currently undergoing the accreditation. 

The Willows Day Nursery in Basingstoke is situated at 137 Worting Road. The Nursery has been a part of Naturally Curious Childcare since September 2019 and provides quality care, learning and a home from home experience for children aged 0 – 5 years of age.

The Willows Day Nursery follows the Curiosity Approach and is currently undergoing an accreditation. We provide natural and authentic materials within the child’s play to spark imagination, independence and first-hand experiences. We offer amazing learning opportunities to suit the individual child allowing them to flourish and grow. 

Local Offer

Contact Name
Emma Hawkins
Contact Telephone
01256331147
Contact Email
willows@naturallycuriouschildcare.co.uk
Local Offer Age Bands
Early Years (0-4 years)
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?

 Your child’s key person will observe your child on their learning and development, they will plan one to one activities based on their current interests and learning requirements and these assessments will then identify if your child needs additional support. The nursery will hold meetings with you and any outside agencies such as the Local Area Senco to support your child while they are attending the setting, these meetings allow us to plan and implement strategies that meet your child’s individual needs and learning requirements.

The Willows Day Nursery supports children with special educational needs (SEN) by identifying the specific needs of your child and we will then meet those needs through a range of SEN strategies.

We work in partnership with you as parents and other agencies in meeting your child’s individual needs, monitoring and reviewing our policy, practice and provision and, if necessary, make adjustments.

The Willows caters for the wider community children with English as an Additional Language, we work in partnership with parents and EMTAS (Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Service) who support the nursery and their families. We offer a range of supportive aids to help your child communicate such as Books, Cd’s and Flash Cards in their home language.

 

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

Your child will be supported by their key-person who works with you to plan and deliver a personalised plan for your child’s well-being, care and leaning and will act as the key contact for you and has links with other carers involved with your child, such as a child-minder, and co-ordinates the sharing of appropriate information about your child’s development with those carers.

The nursery designate a member of staff to be the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) and give his/her name to you. The SENCO is responsible for ensuring they are familiar with the SEN Code of Practice and attending regular SENCO meetings and courses to keep their knowledge on legislations and practices up to date. The setting uses a graduated response system for identifying, assessing and responding to your child’s specific educational need and will work closely with you to create and maintain a positive partnership. They will monitor, record and ensure they are kept up to date regarding information about your child’s learning and progress as well as ensuring that you are informed at all stages of the assessment, planning, provision and review your child’s progress.

The Willows Day Nursery’s SENCO will also provide you with information on sources of independent advice and support and will liaise with other professionals involved with your child such as Services For Young Children Area Inclusion Co-Ordinator (Inco) and other professionals; the SENCO will also support you and your child alongside these professionals during transfer to other settings and schools.

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

 Each child should be seen as an individual with their own needs and interests and this is taken into consideration, observing, planning and assessing your child’s progress and then planning any support they may require. The nursery implements the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum (EYFS) as a guide for a child’s development and we ensure we have a balance between adult and child initiated learning so your child can explore their own interests and ideas. The Willows also has a ‘Free Flow Policy’ where your child has access to both the indoor and outdoor environments.

Your child’s key person will monitor and track your child’s progress in accordance with the EYFS in an informative Learning Journal and each term they will complete a Development Summary. The nursery will plan meetings with you to discuss your child’s progress and we hold a parents evening every term.

The nursery’s Special Educational Needs Co-Ordinator (SENCO) and Behaviour Co-Ordinator (BeCo) will support those children who need extra support, there role is also to provide your child’s key person with support and activities they need in order for your child to learn within the area of need. Your child’s progress is evidenced in their Learning Journal and the SENCO will work with the key person in implementing an Individual Educational Plan (IEP) which is written to support learning in the nursery and home. 

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?

Your child’s key person will plan activities for your child that focuses on their interest and which will meet a specific learning goal and observations and assessments of your child’s progress are kept in a Learning Journal alongside tracker sheets (this is a guide of how children should be developing against the Early Years Foundation Stage) along with any creative work and photos. Between the age of 2 and 3 years, the setting will complete a Two Year Old Progress Check on your child and this is used to assess and monitor how your child is progressing and to adapt any targets to maintain and challenge a child’s development process. It will also highlight any difficulties your child is having so we can plan and implement strategies to support them and arrange for any help from outside agencies.

The Willows Day Nursery works closely with all the families that attend and strongly values Parent Partnership. You as a parent are your child’s first main educator and we value any information you can share with us. We use tapestry – which is a home learning journal and encourage parents to share development and wow moments with the nursery to help support the tracking of your child’s learning and development. Each session your child attends a member of staff is on hand to discuss your child’s day, we also offer parents evening s every term

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

The Willows Day Nursery has a number of Policies in place where we will agree to administer medication as part of maintaining your child’s health and well-being or when they are recovering from an illness. For children with a long term medical condition and that requires ongoing medication, a risk assessment is carried out for your child. For some medical conditions key staff will have training in a basic understanding of the condition as well as how the medication is to be administered correctly. A health care plan for your child is drawn up with you the parent; outlining the key person’s role and what information must be shared with other staff who care for your child.

The Willows Day Nursery believes that children flourish best when their personal, social and emotional needs are met and where there are clear and developmentally appropriate expectations for their behaviour. The setting has a ‘Behaviour management policy’ as well as a ‘Supporting Children with educational Needs Policy’ and a ‘Valuing Diversity Policy’.

The Willows Day Nursery has a named person, the settings Behaviour Co-Ordinator (BeCo) who has overall responsibility for our programme for supporting personal, social and emotional development.

 

 

The Willows Day Nursery provides your child with quiet areas where your child can sit and relax in both  indoor and outdoor environments; we also implement a free flow policy. The nursery encourages the children to make their own choices by ensuring we have a balance between child and adult initiated learning.

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

The Willows Day Nursery have two staff members qualified with a degree in children's development, six staff members who are fully qualified in National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) Level 3 or above in childcare, one member of staff with a level 2 children's development qualification and our apprentice working towards their level 2 certificate. The manager holds a degree in childcare and education. All staff hold a Paediatric First Aid certificate and have attended Safeguarding courses up to a Level 3 Certificate.

All practitioners and volunteers have access to a range of training though the Nursery and the nursery raises awareness of any specialism the setting has to offer, e.g. Makaton trained staff.

The Willows Day Nursery has a Lead Practitioner for 2-3 year age groups, they attend regular training via online training and in house, on how to support children aged 2-3 years in the setting.

The staff have had training in supporting children with English as An Additional Language and there are signs and symbols displayed around the setting in the appropriate areas to support your child’s communication skills. The nursery works with Agencies such As EMTAS (Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement service) to support your child.

The Willows Day Nursery works in collaboration with, local and national agencies such as the Portage service to promote the well-being of children; procedures are in place for sharing of information about children and families with other agencies.

The setting is well supported through the Local Area Senco/ ISSO who is reachable by phone, e-mail and surgery groups and can provide the nursery with information and resources to help support your child; they can assist the setting in accessing training, support groups and funding for your child.

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

The Willows Day Nursery has a designated member of staff to be the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) and give his/her name to parents. The Senco holds a degree in Childcare and education and has attended the Senco Induction Course. 

The nursery BeCo has attended Behaviour Management training and both the SENCO and BeCo attend termly support groups.

The setting ensures that the provision for children with special educational needs is the responsibility of all members of the Nursery and our inclusive admissions practice ensures equality of access and opportunity.

All staff at The Willows Day Nursery have completed Paediatric First Aid training and attended Safeguarding courses up to Level 3.

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

At The Willows Day Nursery we require parents to sign a general consent form on registration for their children to be taken out as a part of the daily activities of the setting.

This general consent details the venues used for regular outings and the nursery staff ensures a risk assessment for each venue is carried out, which is reviewed regularly.

Parents are always asked to sign specific consent forms before major outings.

The settings adult to child ratio is high, normally one adult to two children, depending on their age, sensibility and type of venue as well as how it is to be reached.

Named children are assigned to individual staff, normally your child’s key person, to ensure each child is individually supervised.

To help children with walking and to be recognised when out on a nursery outings, we have fluorescent jackets and a walking rope. One member of staff will be reasonable for first aid and will carry a first aid kit with them and contact numbers.

How accessible is the setting/school/college enviroment?

The Willows is situated on a a residential street with easy access to and from the main road, the nursery does not have wheel chair access but the setting can be adapted to meet specific needs of each individual child; the setting has a toilet for staff and visitors on the main floor and all toilets for children are easily accessible on the ground floor too.

The nursery has a free flow policy and the room is designed to be open and spacious so your child can move freely and comfortably, accessing a variety of equipment and activities.

The Willows Day Nursery will ensure that information about our nursery is accessible in written and spoken form and, where appropriate, in more than one language. Where necessary, we will try to provide information in Braille, or through British sign language. We will provide translated written materials where language needs of families suggest this is required as well as in some circumstances we will look to provide access to an interpreter.

The Willows Day Nursery has a wonderful large garden with different surfaces and experiences on offer, with a range of equipment and resources so your child can go and explore and be active.

The nursery has a sheltered decking area so your child can access the garden in all weather conditions as well as a large patio and astro turf area where they can access equipment such as slides and climbing frames which are supervised closely by the staff.

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?

The Willows Day Nursery will invite you and your child to the setting to attend Pre-Visits where they get to play and experience their new nursery for the first time. The nursery will allocate a key person before your child starts and they are responsible for the induction of the family and for settling your child into the Nursery.

The pre-visits allow you and your child to create a bond and they will be your child’s secure base to go to for reassurance and comfort, they will also monitor and track your child’s learning and development throughout their time at The Willows.

The Willows Day Nursery has close links to the community and local schools which allows us to ensure each child has a smooth transition to their new Infant School. Teachers will come to the setting to visit your child and speak personally to your child’s key person

Before your child leaves for Infant School, we have a big celebration and Graduation Party for you and your child. They receives certificates and medals for Graduating The Willows and being star learners, we also hold a School Leavers Parents Evenings where your Key-worker will sit with you and go through their School Transition Report and to hand over their Learning Journals

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

The nursery’s SENCO will hold a meeting with you and your child’s key person to discuss your child’s needs and what needs to be put into action to help support them in the nursery environment, whether this be one-to-one support or with purchasing specialised equipment. The SENCO will then contact the Local Area Inco to discuss what Special Educational Needs (SEN) Funding is available; they will also be able to offer advice on using the funding and have responsibility for monitoring how the setting uses the funding. The nursery will complete a monitoring form termly to indicate how the funding is being used which will be passed on to the Area Inco.

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

Your child’s Key person will monitor your child and keep records about your child’s learning and development and these records will help decide how much support your child needs and if they would benefit from additional support whether this be one-to-one help or with the purchase of specialised resources and toys. The key person will discuss this with the nursery’s SENCO and manager and an action plan will be put into place. The Willows will always ensure that all children can access our provision and will do its upmost in providing an environment that all children can play and learn with the correct resource in place to meet their individual needs. The support given is promptly put into place and supported by all the nursery practitioners and is reviewed termly by the Keyworker and SENCO as well as monitored by an Area Inco/ ISO. Individual Learning Plans are written for your child and these are reviewed frequently to ensure the support provided is meeting your child’s needs and to show the impact it has had in their learning and development.

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

The Willows Day Nursery believe that children benefit most from early years education and care when parents and Nurseries work together in partnership and are aim is to support parents as their children's first and most important educators by involving them in their children's education and in the full life of the Nursery.

The nursery has a means to ensure all parents are included – that may mean having different strategies for involving fathers or parents who work or live apart from their children.

The setting consults with all parents to find out what works best for them and The Willows will ensure ongoing dialogue with parents to improve our knowledge of the needs of their children and to support their families.

The Willows Day Nursery will inform all parents about how the Nursery is run and its policies through access to written information and through regular informal communication, the nursery will check to ensure parents understand the information that is given to them.

The Willows Day Nursery encourage and support parents to play an active part in the Nursery through an open door policy, parents evenings, events such as Bring Your Pet to Nursery, Graduation Parties and Parent Helper. You will be informed on a regular basis about your child’s progress and be involved in the shared record keeping about your child - either formally or informally - and have access to your child’s written developmental records.

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

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Last Updated: 10 November 2023

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