Estelle Clarke

Last updated: 09/04/2021

Chirpy Chick's Childcare Services is run from a family home setting in Calcot. The children have a playroom, family dinning room, an under cover outside area and garden to play in. They are also welcome to take toys into the 'home' room where quieter activities are played and they can rest.

In a pre-covid world babies and toddlers attended groups enabling them to socialise and play with a variety toys and meet other children on a weekly basis. All children went to the park most days making good use of the facilities and natural spaces in our surrounding area. This enabled the children to feel a sense of belonging to the community through meeting familiar faces regularly in shared places of interest. During the pandemic we have unfortunately not been able to attend groups and I have not taken children to play areas in parks. However, we have made great use of the farmer's field near to where we live and the wooded areas in Linear Park.

Who to contact

Contact Name: Estelle Clarke - Chirpy Chick's Childcare
Contact Position: Childminder
Telephone: 07825518491
E-mail: estelleclarke@live.com

Where to go

Address: Calcot
Reading
Postcode: RG31
Notes: As well as full day care for children under school age, I do also offer before and after school care with drop offs and pick ups at Calcot Infant and Junior Schools.

Other Details

Costs

Table of costs

Table of costs
Amount	Cost Type
£5.25	per hour

Details

£5.25 per hour between 8 am and 5 pm. £8 per hour before or after these times.

Availability

Age Ranges

Other notes

I work within the Calcot and Tilehurst community making the most of the facilities available.

Any family who requires a more tailored care plan for their child would need to speak to me so we could discuss their individual needs.

Inclusion Information

Dietary Needs

Has Provision: Yes
Details: Children with special dietary needs will need to be discussed individually.

Childcare Information

Vacancies

Immediate vacancies

Details

Spaces available will vary depending on age of child and those already at Chirpy Chicks.

Date updated

08/04/2021

Vacancy range(s)

Vacancy range(s)
Places	Start Age	End Age
1	0	1
1	1	4
1	5	7
1	8	+

Funded Places

3 & 4 year old funding
2 year old funding

30 Hours Extended Entitlements

Are you intending to provide 30 Hours?: Yes
Are you registered to provide 30 Hours?: Yes
30 Hour Partner Summary: I am able to offer 15 or 30 hours funding.  This is the reason why I do not collect from Calcot schools during the middle of the day.

Waiting List

Do you have a waiting list?: No

Opening Times & Facilities

Opening Times

Opening Times
Day	Opening Time	Closing Time
Monday	07.30	17.00
Tuesday	07.30	17.00
Wednesday	07.30	17.00
Thursday	07.30	17.00

School Pickups

Offers pickups
Schools: Calcot Infant & Nursery School
Calcot Junior School
Details: I do not offer to pick up and drop offs during the middle of the day at Calcot Nursery school as this impacts the care I can offer to those children who are with me all day.

Ofsted Information

Ofsted URN

EY501631

Link to latest ofsted inspection report

Inspection history

Inspection History
Inspection Date	Inspection type	Inspection Outcome
29/06/2018	Inspection (Early Years Register)	Good

Local Offer

Description

Chirpy Chick's Childcare Services is run from a family home setting in Calcot. The children have a playroom, family dinning room, an under cover outside area and garden to play in. They are also welcome to take toys into the 'home' room where quieter activities are played and they can rest.

Babies and toddlers attend groups enabling them to socialise and play with a variety toys and meet other children on a weekly basis. All children children go to the park most days making good use of the facilities and natural spaces in our surrounding area. This enables the children to feel a sense of belonging to the community through meeting familiar faces regularly in shared places of interest.

SEN Provision Type

Medical, Specific Literacy Difficulties, Speech & Language Difficulties, Behavioural, Emotional & Social Difficulties, Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Physical Disability, Hearing Impairment, Moderate Learning Difficulties, Visual Impairment

Local Offer Age Bands

0 to 1
1 to 4
5 to 7
7 to 11

Needs Level

Low

Early Years Private, Voluntary & Independent Settings

1: How does the setting identify children with additional needs or SEND?

Chirpy Chicks treats all children as individuals and teaches the children that we are all unique and to respect the differences of eachother.

Children who have additional emotional, learning or physical needs may require support or extra time to adjust within the setting. I ask parents to give me as much information as possible from the outset so I can work with them in partnership in caring for their child.

2: How will I be informed / consulted about the ways in which my child is being supported?

I communicate with parents daily via WhatsApp to inform them how their child has spent their day and a written form goes home every day in their bag informing the parent of nappies/sleep and food.

3: How will the setting adapt the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum for my child's needs?

Before a child starts at Chirpy Chicks, I will ask a series of questions about your child which will give me a starting point for each child. As the child attends and settles into the group they will naturally gain in confidence and I as their early years practitioner will follow their interests and scaffold their learning accordingly through being out and about in our natural environment, singing, instruments, reading, gardening, painting and craft activities, ride on toys, imaginary play and many more activities.

4: What teaching strategies does the setting use for children with additional needs or learning difficulties?

As a childminder I consider the individual need of all children. Children with additional needs will be no different from those who are considered not to have 'additional' needs.

Some children may need more one to one time than others. If this is the case I may need to work with a partner to provide quality care for all children. At the moment I do not do this but would consider it if the need arises. In a questionnaire all current parents are aware that this may need to happen should my numbers increase or the needs of the children necessitate greater adult supervision.

I have worked with children with learning difficulties and those with physical differences in the past. Each of these have presented very different ways in working and cannot be assumed to work for every child. Each child is considered as an individual and partnership with parents is the best course in supporting the child through their learning development needs.

5: What additional support does the setting provide for children with additional needs or SEND?

It may be necessary for me to attend a course in order to care for a child with specific additional needs. As a small home-based setting I can only do this for children who attend Chirpy Chicks as not all courses would be suitable for all children with additional needs.

6: How will the setting monitor my child's progress and how will I be involved in this?

I see the monitoring of children who attend the setting to be a partnership. We can have a brief chat at the door but I also communicate with parents daily via WhatsApp.

7: How do you ensure children with additional needs or SEND can be included in the same activities as other children, including trips?

Each child becomes part of our Chirpy Chick family. We help each other, we listen to each other and respect all of our differences.

If I need extra adults to support me on trips I will arrange for this. The extra support needed for children with additonal needs will depend on the needs of the child. This would be decided upon doing the Risk Assessment of the outing or activity.

8: How accessible is the building for children with mobility difficulties / wheelchair users?

Unfortunately, the building does not have a ramp or wide doorway at the front, however easy access is now available at the back of the house which is where Chirpy Chicks spends most of its time.

9: How will you support my child's transition to a new setting or school?

Usualy children who will be attending a new school or setting will have visits before they start.

If I do not have any other children within my care and I am able to do so, I can take your child to their visits.

Within the Chirpy Chicks setting my aim is to support your child t become 'school ready'. This means that I will be encouraging them to become independent, teaching them personal, social and emotional skills to prepare them for school life.

10: How does the setting assess the overall effectiveness of its SEN provision and how can parents / carers take part in this evaluation?

I would assess the effectiveness of Chirpy Chicks by asking parents to complete a questionnaire.

11: Who should I contact if I am considering registering for a place at the setting?

Should you wish to discuss your childcare needs with a view to registering your child with me then please contact me on 07825518491 to arrange a visit. I will be happy to meet you answer any questions you have with no obligation to you using my services.

Good luck with finding the right childcare for your child.

12: What arrangements does the setting have for feedback from parents / carers, including compliments and complaints?

I would ask that you speak with me personally or send me an email or WhatsApp message. Obviously, if you felt it was a serious complaint then you would need to contact Ofsted - their details are found within the policy file that I hand out to parents when completing our contract.

Quality checks

DBS check