Indoor and Outdoor Learning through Play

Indoor and outdoor learning through play is of equal importance to a child’s development. All seven areas of the curriculum are taught both indoors and outdoors. The children can access both areas in all but extreme weather conditions. We provide the children with all-weather playsuits so even on rainy days children can still play outside.

Routine is an important part of our Pre-School day, this helps to support children’s learning and development and their sense of security providing them with structure and consistency. 

How is my child developing?

We use an on-line learning journey which records photos, observations, and comments in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), to build up a record of your child’s experiences during their time with us. We use the educational software programme called “Tapestry” which is hosted within the EU on secure servers. Tapestry is a GDPR compliant company using secure servers in the UK to store data. 

Careful assessment, record keeping, observations and discussions with parents provide the basis for recording how your child is developing. We welcome close dialogue between home and Pre-School in support of your child’s learning and development. All information about your child is confidential to you. Your child will have a designated Key Person who will help your child to feel safe and cared for within the setting and support their individual learning and development. This is reviewed after 6 weeks to ensure the Children have time to form bonds and supportive relationships with their allocated key person

Progress Check

The two-year progress check is an opportunity for parents, guardians, carers and professionals to come together and collaboratively review where a child is on their learning journey. It identifies their strengths, interests, and any further support or intervention required. This will be completed if the child hasn’t already had one completed by another setting regardless of their age. 

How we identify and support children’s learning and development needs

Makaton sign language is used throughout the setting to provide all children with an ability to communicate with everyone in the setting. The setting uses visual timetables and other visual aids to support children to anticipate events and times during the session.

Children work in mixed groups to enable all children to support and encourage each other in their development and learning, and to ensure all children’s learning and developmental needs are met. We work closely with other early years professionals to ensure all children’s learning and development is individually supported to ensure they thrive at Pre-School. 

Where a cause for concern is raised by staff or parents, staff would then assess, plan, do and review the situation and decide how best to support the child further. ILP’s help children where specific need is identified and ensures an intensive programme for staff to work with the child to provide extra support. 

Links we have to other agencies

The pre-school works alongside many professionals and will seek out new links to anyone they feel will add to the support for the development of children. This includes health visitors, area SENCO, social workers, speech and language therapy, early help hub and support workers. 

How we support children transferring to school

The pre-school has excellent links to local schools; notably to Pensilva school where the staff work closely together to ensure a smooth transition into primary school. Children are encouraged to try school meals at pre-school which are provided by the primary school to help prepare children for this at primary school. Throughout the year all the children use the main school hall for gym activities, and this helps them to familiarise themselves with the school and manage the difference in scale and acoustics within the primary school.

In the summer term children have transition days at primary school and this is supported by the pre-school. The teachers of the reception classes of all of the primary schools where children will be attending, are invited to the pre-school to meet the children, talk to staff, look at learning journeys and observe the children. Teachers are invited to special events such as leaving performances and sports days to help children get to know them. 

Welfare

Specialist skills or training our staff have

Lead SENCO has SEND training, all staff have SEND guidance training. Lead SENCO has behaviour training and visual aid training which has been disseminated to all staff.

Safeguarding and Child Protection 

Designated Safeguarding Lead – Carrie Hicks 

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead – Suzanne Kinsman

Multi Agency Level Three – Carly Webb 

All other staff have level two Safeguarding and Child Protection training.

We are committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults and will do this by putting young people and vulnerable adult’s right to be ‘strong, resilient and listened to ‘at the heart of all our activities. 

The Early Years Alliance ‘three key commitments’ are broad statements against which policies and procedures across the organisation will be drawn to provide a consistent and coherent strategy for safeguarding children young people and vulnerable adults in all services provided. The three key commitments are:

1. The Alliance is committed to building ‘a culture of safety’ in which children, young people and vulnerable adults are protected from abuse and harm in all areas of its service delivery.
2. The Alliance is committed to responding promptly and appropriately to all incidents or concerns of abuse that may occur and to work with statutory agencies in accordance with the procedures that are set down in ‘What to do if you are worried a child is being abused’ (HMG 2015) and ‘No Secrets (updated by the Care Act 2014) and Working Together 2018.
3. The Alliance is committed to promoting awareness of child abuse issues throughout its training and learning programmes for adults. It is also committed to empowering children, young people, and vulnerable adults, through its curriculum, promoting their right to be ‘strong, resilient and listened to’.

NB: A ‘young person’ is defined as 16–19-year-old. In an early years setting, they may be a student, worker, or parent.

A ‘vulnerable adult’ (see guidance to the Care Act 2014) as: ‘a person aged 18 years or over, who is in receipt of or may need community care services by reason of ‘mental or other disability, age or illness and who is or may be unable to take care of him or herself, or unable to protect him or herself against significant harm or exploitation’. In early years, this person may be a service user, parent of a service user, or a volunteer.