Streatley Hill Pre-School

We observe our children and work with them closely so that we get to know them really well. We operate a key-person system so each child has a member of staff with whom they form a bond. We monitor and track their progress keeping thorough records which parents may access and we discuss their progress with parents so that any additional needs or concerns are readily identified and shared. We have a very highly qualified and experienced staff.

Parents have access to their own child's Online Learning Journal at any time and are asked to contribute to it. In addition we provide written summaries of achievement at the end of the year and provide a parents evening. Parents may follow activities on our website, private social media page and our half termly newsletter. We put the themed activities for each week on our social media page. We really do have an "open door" - parents may choose to stay for all or part of a session whenever they wish; they may speak to their key-person or the Lead Teacher at any time. If we consider a child to be in need of additional support this is done with the full consultation and agreement of the parents. A meeting is held with the key person and SENCO to develop a plan for the child. This plan is reviewed half termly.  

In our setting every child is treated as an individual. Planned experiences and activities are based on each child's interests and the next steps for learning and development which their keyperson has identified. The children move forward at their own individual pace following their own interests. Many activities are initiated by the children themselves and then supported by the staff to ensure learning is taking place - the very best kind of learning!

When you know children well then you adapt teaching strategies to meet the needs of all individuals whether with special educational needs or not. The best strategy is to work closely with and observe any child, finding out what they like and how they learn, this enables to adapt our approach to meet their needs.We spend a lot of time outside which we have found helps many children with special needs. Children who are identified as having special needs will have a Support and Achievement Play Plan (SAPP). This is drawn up by the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Co-ordinator (SENCO) in conjunction with the children's parents/carers, keyperson and any other professionals involved, such as a speech therapist, health visitor etc. Parents, carers and practitioners all work together to follow the plan to ensure continuity of approach.

We operate over and above the recommended ratio of staff to children so that all the children get opportunities to work one-to-one with their key person and other practitioners. If a child is identified as having SEND then we are able to give them individual time or monitor them closely. We will spend time discussing the child's needs with the parents/carers and put an individual plan in place. We have a good relationship with other professionals - Health Visitor, Speech Therapist. We also work closely with the local school and liaise directly with their Special Needs and Disabilities Coordinator if a child is moving on to that school.   

We record our children's progress in their "Learning Journey" which is now online and parents and children can access at any time and add to themselves. We encourage parents to contribute to this.

Children's progress is constantly checked and next steps are identified and added to observations for parents to see also. Any concerns regarding children's learning and development are shared with parents.

We provide written reports and offer Parent consultations. If a child has a Support Achievement Play Plan (SAPP), we will meet with parents regularly (usually half termly) to discuss progress towards the outcomes in the SAPP and update it accordingly.

All children are individuals. When planning an activity we look at the group of children it is relevant for and then tailor it to suit all their needs - this would account for any need such as wheelchair access or learning difficulties but also a child with severe allergies or asthma or simply one who is afraid of loud noises. We ensure there are sufficient adults accompanying children on trips and work on a higher adult:child ratio than required.

Access to our building and garden is step-free. The doors are accessible for wheelchair users and we have an accessible toilet for a disabled adult or child. We have a ramp into the garden. The garden has a flat decking and patio area. The grass area used for a mud kitchen is also easily accessible. The lower part of the garden is built on a slope and has a firm path around it giving access to different areas, such as the sandpit. Wheelchair users may require assistance is navigate the slope safely.

We have an excellent transition record for our children moving into School. Over the years we have formed very close links with our local schools and in the summer term, offer the new class teachers a chance to come into our setting and meet with the children coming into their classes in September. We also have visits to our primary school with whom we share a site. Throughout the year, we will be encouraging children's independence so that when they leave us, they can do things such as, recognise their own name, write their names, dress/undress themselves, put on shoes/socks and use scissors. These skills are very important for when starting school.

The overall effectiveness of our SEN provision is assessed against the achievements and wellbeing of each child concerned and the satisfaction of their parents/carers with our strategies. This is done in regular meetings with those concerned directly with the child - feedback on the child's progress and the impact of the setting would be a natural part of the process.

Please telephone the Pre-School on 01491 875247. Please do leave a message if we don't answer, with your name and phone number. We will get back to you quickly.

Alternatively you can email Lead Teacher Chloe Sims at: leadteacher@streatleyhillpreschool.com

We talk to our parents all the time and build good relationships with them - we hope they all feel they can speak to us at any time about any concerns and indeed we often receive compliments and questions in a verbal form. Parents are also encouraged to post questions and suggestions in our comments box, if they would rather do so anonymously. Parents may also directly approach the parent committee.

We ask parents to send comments to our website - several can be viewed there.

Our staff have an annual appraisal with a six weekly reviews - opinions passed on can be formally noted at this.

We send out written feedback sheets annually asking for parents to let us know what we are getting right and what we could do better - and also what their child thinks of Pre-School.

We do have a formal complaints policy in place should it ever be necessary.