Love Lane Pre-School

All staff carefully use the Development Matters document to assess at what stage their Key Children are and consider what activities will help them progress. Information is also used from the Speech and Language Service and Staff have undergone training on understanding the development of two year olds. It is through regular informal discussion (sometimes daily at drop off and pick up) with parents and our more formal reporting structures that any areas of additional need will be talked through with parents. We have a very relaxed approach to dropping off and settling children and during this time are able to gain good relationships with our parents. Parents are encouraged to share any concerns they have with us and these are dealt with in a sensitive way, if necessary using our small room for privacy. We also like to share any reports made by outside agencies such as speech and language appointments. After a settling in period, all our children have recorded targets which are discussed with you on a termly basis, more often if needed. A copy is kept in your child's 'All about Me' book and parents are asked to share what they are working on at home. Staff keep a record of observations made and feedback is given to staff regarding the 'All about Me' books on a termly basis. Staff also record judgements regarding the age bands the children are working within. This enables us to easily identify where a child may have difficulties. As a pre-school we also have termly aims which we evaluate along with our planning.

All children in our setting have a named Key Person and Love Lane Pre-School has an identified SENCO. Staff discuss the children on a daily basis and targets are shared, so that all members of staff can help support the children. Those children with an identified SEND requirement will have a Play Plan (Support and Achievement Play Plan) which will be discussed and updated regularly with parents. This will outline the areas of need and set out small achievable targets for the child to work on. The Key Person and SENCO will work together on identifying the need and appropriate targets. The Play Plan will be regularly reviewed and updated in full consultation with parents/ carers and any other Professional involved with the child further copies are provided for referral at home. Any child with an identified SEND requirement will be primarily supported by their key worker with direction from the SENCO. We benefit from having an extra member of staff who is able to give additional support to individual children when required under the full direction of the Manager. There have been occasions where a child has been offered further additional support from the Pre-School Counselling Team and we have employed an appropriate assistant to work on a more formal 1:1 basis. Support has also been offered by completing a home/pre-school diary where both home and pre-school record what has been happening to the child on a daily basis. See also Question 1 and 3.

Whilst your child is at pre-school, staff will be making regular observations, keeping records and taking photographs of your child's development and progress, recorded in a book named 'All about Me'. These records will help the staff to plan to meet the needs of your child and staff carefully use the Development Matters document to assess at what stage their Key Children are and consider what activities will help them progress. Planned observations are carried out, but we also value, very highly, moments observed without planning in the course of the morning. At the end of each term you will be able to take their 'All about Me' folder home to share, this will include a page outlining your child's next steps and an area for you to record what your child is doing at home. We ask you to contribute to your child's folder and share your knowledge of your child. It is a statutory requirement that a progress check is completed on each child between the age of 24 and 36 months. This focuses on the areas of Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Physical Development and Communication and Language and will be reported on and discussed in full with the parents. Your child's Key Person at this point will share with you details regarding an age band your child is working within. We encourage you to share this with your Health Visitor and can contact them ourselves if you would prefer. At our pre-school staff plan an overview of our terms activities together. We consider carefully the age range of our children and any additional needs are catered for. Activities are discussed and ways in which to involve all our children are considered. Individual staff members plan adult led activities and will differentiate these as needed; it may be that instructions need to be given in a different way or that different sized equipment needs to be used. For some children working on the floor rather than at a table is beneficial. All our children are encouraged to be independent and we spend a lot of time supporting the children in this way.

At Love Lane Pre-School we are very accustomed to adapting strategies for individual needs and see all our children as being individuals who have different ways of learning and accessing our equipment. Staff are very aware of how we speak to our children, modifying language depending on the age and ability of the child. We use lots of visual cues and pointing, gesture and exaggerated responses and like to talk to the children as much as possible, but we are also aware of the need to wait and not hurry children for a response. Our daily session is structured in such a way that our children can anticipate what is going to happen next. On occasions we have used a pictorial system for this with a visual timetable. Some children need a warning that a change in activity is imminent and support to see them through transitions during the session. We are aware of the likes and dislikes of our children and try to accommodate this in our room planning in order to support particular children. Sand, water and dough are nearly always available along with access to our outside area. We encourage parents to share with us their child's interests and ask them to help their child complete a questionnaire expressing what they do and do not like to do at pre-school.

At Love Lane Pre-School we are very aware of the importance of the children's Personal and Social Development, Physical development and Communication and Language development. We support our children through play and planned experiences, both in small groups as well as supporting children individually with an adult being the voice. We see role play as a particularly important tool to support our children. A lot of time is spent helping our children practice health and self-care routines such as toileting, hand washing, nose wiping and managing their outer clothing. Our snack time around the table promotes social interaction where turn taking, conversation, healthy eating and independence are encouraged. Love Lane Pre-School has received support from a number of different organisations such as; Pre-School Teacher Counsellor Service, Speech and Language Services, Health Visitors, where we work closely with these organisations we are also able to apply for SEN funding which means more support and being able to attend to their needs. We communicate with our local Children's Centre and have a good relationship with the foundation Class and Headteacher at Shaw cum Donnington Village School. Our staff have received training on the development of two Year olds, Speech and Language development and potty training. Our children are discussed regularly and targets shared with staff and parents. A record of specific activities is kept. A child's Key Person is responsible for looking after external reports and circulating information to other members of staff as applicable. Where possible any targets given are incorporated or added to the child's targets at pre-school. Our room is set out in the same way every day, thereby helping a child with any visual impairment. Our pre-school has experience of children with mild hearing loss, where gaining the attention of the child and calm clear communications is key. Likewise we encourage a calm environment and familiar routine which supports all our children, as well as being beneficial to a child with SEND. The pre-school communicates with parents in a variety of ways. Information can be sent by e-mail, in letter form and also where additional support for parents is necessary we talk through letters and ensure the content is understood in a 1:1 situation.

Please see Question 3. Our children are encouraged to share their 'All about Me' folders with their parents/ carers and space is given to them (with their parents) to add a comment on their reports. Parents are asked to comment termly on their child's progress and share events and activities that are happening at home. Where a child has a SAPP updates and communication will be more frequent. Children are encouraged to be proud of their achievements and in very simple terms we talk to them about what their next steps might be. We look at photos with the children. If a child attends another setting we share information in a number of ways; staff have visited a child in their other setting, reports are sent and telephone conversations had. With the permission of parents/carers we share the 'All about Me' folder with the child minders that we have contact with.

At Love Lane Pre-School all our children are encouraged to join us on our trips, regardless of which days they usually attend. We visit our local Church and park four times a year. Have an Autumn walk and explore at Snelsmore Common and investigate the Natural World and Springtime at Thatcham Lakes. We also have a train trip and picnic to Kintbury. On occasions we may visit a postbox or go for a walk. All our trips are arranged in advance and written notification given to parents/ carers. Staff carefully consider the risks involved and a written Risk Assessment is always completed. Where possible a prior checking visit is carried out by a member of staff. We are very lucky that lots of our parents accompany their children when we are out and about, so our adult to child ratio's can be very low. If necessary children can travel in buggies and we have access to reins if needed. All children wear high visibility jackets when they are out. Full consultation with parents of SEND children help us to plan their involvement on a trip.

The Village Hall has a disabled access ramp to the rear of the building and a large toilet room with disabled access. The hall is a large flat surface apart form a small stage area. Access to the outside area involves a small step (door frame), however if this was an issue an outside route could be taken around the side of the building. We have a variety of chairs to aid sitting, some offering more support than others. There have been times when equipment has been placed in trays and on mats on the floor rather than at tables, we also sometimes have sand, paint and water at floor level.

Children and their parents/carers are encouraged to have as many visits to our pre-school before starting as they need and this may be over the course of half a term. We talk to new parents about their child, gain as much information as possible and ask them to complete some written settling in information. All staff are made aware of new children starting and any individual needs will be discussed. When a child who requires more support starts staffing is arranged so that someone (usually Key Person) is available to offer that. We offer a very flexible approach to starting pre-school, working with the family and our knowledge of the child. For some children their first session may only be 30 minutes, whereas other children are confident enough to remain for the full 3 hours. We would always contact a parent or carer should the child become very upset during this settling period. On transition to school, either the Key Person or manager would discuss with the receiving school any issues. It is ensured all paperwork is passed on. We have been able to offer a supported transition, where the child's 1:1 assistant visited school with them, and extra visits were arranged to support this transition. Face to face meetings were also arranged between school staff, Pre-School staff, the Pre-School Counsellor and the parents.

Parents are welcome to look at our pre-school policies at any time. They are updated and reviewed by staff and the pre-school committee on a rolling programme. The committee are made aware of any child with significant additional need. Details can be found in: Special Needs Policy, Equality and Diversity Policy, Admissions, Working in partnership with parents policy, Safeguarding Children Policy. The staff and committee are involved with updating our SEF and evaluating provision. Parents are encouraged to give formal feedback through a questionnaire in the summer term of each year.

To arrange a visit or for further information including a copy of our Welcome Booklet and Application Form, please see attachments above or contact the pre-school manager, Shaw-cum-Donnington Village Hall, Love Lane, Donnington, Newbury, RG14 2JG. Mobile Number: 07900120202 ; (term time during pre-school hours 8 till 11:30). Email: contact@lovelanepreschool.co.uk.

At Love Lane Pre-School we encourage the involvement of parents and welcome them into our setting. This leads to open communication between parents, their child's key worker and the manager. Feedback, both positive and negative is welcomed by parents and carers; with the manager being the first point of contact. We love to share the fantastic things your child does at home and hear about their achievements and developments. It is rewarding for us to receive positive comments from you both formally in your child's report and in questionnaires, but also informal comments at arrival and collection. Should you have any cause for concern, please discuss it with us. We can make our small room available for a private conversation as long as we have a little advanced warning. Any such conversation will be handled with the upmost confidentiality. If a satisfactory outcome is not achieved, contact details for the Chair of the Committee can be obtained. Support is also available from the Pre-School Learning Alliance. A copy of our Complaints Policy is available to read. This information is also available in our welcome booklet.