At Perins Pre-School, we observe and assess all children while they are in our care which enables us to identify your child’s individual needs. Any concerns you may have about your child can be discussed with your child’s key person, deputy manager or the Pre-School manager. Our Senco’s work in partnership with parents and carers and if necessary, will seek guidance from outside services for further support. This can include our local Inclusion Support Officer, Portage, Children’s Services, and Speech and Language Therapists. 

When children start at Perins Pre-School, they will be offered settling in sessions where the children and their parents/carers can get to know the staff and the environment. Parents/Carers will be asked to complete an ‘all about me sheet’ which gives you child’s key person a holistic view on your child and their likes and dislikes and any needs that they may have.  We will liaise with parents/carers to discuss any identified special needs.   We complete starting points for all new children starting at Perins Pre-School which gives the child’s key person an overview of the child’s learning and development and can help identify any additional needs. 

We observe the children daily in the setting and these observations will be added to your child’s online learning journal via Tapestry.  We complete 2-year progress checks before your child’s 3rd birthday. 

All our staff at Perins Pre-School hold qualifications in Early Years from a Level 3 to a Level 6.  Our Senco has completed the level 3 award in Special Educational Needs and Disability and has experience working with children who have a special educational need or disability. 

When you child starts at Perins Pre-School, they will be introduced to a key person that best suits your child.  Your child’s key person will ensure that you child develops and progresses through the Early Years Foundation Stage framework (EYFS).  Your child’s key person will plan activities-based on your child’s interests and linked to your child’s next steps. 

Our Senco will liaise with your child’s key person and will help them in providing the support your child needs and flourish.  Our Senco will coordinate transitions between our setting and your child’s school or other Early Years Provider to pass on any relevant information. This will help to ensure a smooth transition from one setting to another. Our Senco will liaise with the local Inclusion Support Officer and other professionals to ensure that we are all working together to give your child the best support. 

Your child’s key person and our Senco will work closely with you in creating an Individual Educational Plan (IEP) for your child. The IEP will have targets set for your child which can be achieved through planned activities around your child’s interest and needs.  These targets can also be completed through one-to-one activities, small group learning, or through our play- based curriculum.  We provide a visual routine for the children to help with daily transitions and to give the children a sense of security. 

We have an open-door policy for all parents/carers and staff, where the manager and deputy manager are always available to provide support and guidance. We also offer three parent’s evening a year where you are invited into the setting to talk to your child’s key person about your child’s progression through the EYFS and it is also a time for any concerns to be discussed. 

At Perins Pre-School, we follow the EYFS curriculum.  Our focus is to keep the child’s individual interest and needs at the heart of their learning and development, ensuring that they are progressing through the EYFS at their own pace. Your child’s key person and our Senco will create an IEP with you to support your child’s learning and development at home as well as at Perins Pre-School.  Your child’s key person will me with you and the setting’s Senco to review your child’s IEP to see if any progression has been made. Your child’s key person will carry out observations on your child to show any progression on meeting your child’s IEP targets.  All observations will be uploaded to tapestry where you will be able to see the observations, add comments to any observations, and add your own observations on your child’s learning and development at home. 

All levels of support are differentiated to ensure that your child has access to all resources that are age and stage appropriate to support your child’s learning. Staff differentiate each learning opportunity planned to ensure that all children are included in new experiences to further enhance their learning. Staff evaluate the impact of the planned learning opportunities each day to reflect on the impact the activity had on the children’s learning and development. Staff also reflect on the daily practice to identify if something is not working, for example, if snack time is not working. 

At Perins Pre-School, your child’s key person will complete a termly summary of development each term. This is a written summary of what your child can do in the areas of learning in the EYFS and is shared with you at our parents evening. We carry out the statutory 2-year-old progress check, which is a summary of your child’s development within the three prime areas of learning (Communication and Language, Personal, Social and Emotional Development, and Physical Development). The 2-year-old progress check works in partnership with the progress check carried out by your child’s health visitor.  

We hold three parent’s evenings a year where you can meet with your child’s key person and discuss your child’s learning and development. If you feel you need to communicate any queries or concerns, you came email management or talk to your child’s key person anytime throughout the day.  You will also receive daily feedback at the end of each day. You child will have an online learning journal which is used to evidence your child’s development during their time at Perins Pre-School. Your child’s online learning journal will contain observations, pictures, videos, memos, and information contributed by the parents/carers. We will put up what we have been doing in Pre-School every week on our Facebook page for parents/carers to see. 

Before your child starts at Perins Pre-School, you will complete an ‘all about me’ forms, detailing information about your child’s home routine, how well they sleep and at what time, how well they eat, if they have any allergies and special educational needs and disabilities. All new children will have settle in session before they start at Perins Pre-School where they will meet their key person and spend time getting to know the building and the staff. 

Parents/carers are their child’s first educators, and we encourage you to add observations, news and events that will help to build a holistic view of your child at home. We strive to build close relationships with you as parents/carers. If you have any concerns regarding your child’s developmental needs, then please speak to your child’s key person and we can deal with any concerns immediately. 

We have policies and procedures in place to ensure your child’s welfare is met.  We aim to follow your child’s needs and routines as closely as possible to ensure continuity between home and Pre-School.  Your child’s views are listened to and used as evidence to further their individual development.  Every child has their own opinion, and we encourage them to contribute to their learning and development through expressing their ideas, thoughts, feelings, actions, and behaviours. 

Medication can be administered with parents/carers permission. If your child requires support that staff have not been trained for, then we will ensure that all staff receive the appropriate training.  All staff hold an up to date paediatric first aid certificate and the manager also hold a first aid at work certificate. If you child has a health condition, then your child'[s key person will complete a health care plan with you. This will ensure that all staff are aware of what to do and provide the best support for your child’s health needs. 

Our DSL, DDSL, and Senco attend termly support meetings to keep up to date with any changes to legislation, changes to funding, or support for ideas on strategies and resources that could be used to best support the child. We will work in partnership with outside professionals such as portage or speech and language therapists.  Certain staff members are trained to use makaton with the children and we do a makaton sign of the week to promote makaton learning with all staff and children. 

We promote self-regulation within Perins Pre-School by supporting children to label their feelings and support the children in beginning to manage their own feelings and behaviour.  We support self-regulation through our positive behaviour management system where staff label what the children are feeling in that moment, we have stories about feelings and emotions, we have games that are used during circle time which supports how we feel and why can feel those emotions. We also have mood bears for the children to use to help promote emotions and feelings. 

We have the support of outside agencies such as Services for Young Children.  All Pre-School staff hold a level 3 qualification in Early Years or are working towards their level 3 qualification. The manager has a level 6 qualification in Early Years.  

Our Senco attends termly meetings which provide information on important changes to legislation, ideas, strategies, and resources that can be used to support the child’s needs.  Our Senco has completed all required training and has the Early Years Senco level 3 award, Our Senco has over 20 years’ experience of working with children with special educational needs and disabilities.  Our Senco is always undertaking additional training to ensure that we are providing the highest quality of care and education to all children who attend Perins Pre-School.  Our Senco feeds back training to all other staff to ensure that all staff are consistent in everything they do. 

We work in partnership with professionals from a vast background to be able to provide the best support for children in our care.

Our Senco has completed the Early Years Senco level 3 award and is consistently undertaking training to provide the best possible care and education for the children who attend Perins Pre-School.  Our Senco has vast experience of working with children with special educational needs and disabilities including children with communication difficulties, children with autism and children with medical conditions such as heart defects.  Our Senco has used a range of different strategies to support children with special educational needs and disabilities such as using the pictures exchange communication system, makaton, now and next boards and individual routines. 

All staff have access to online training courses to enable them to support children in the setting with special educational needs and disabilities. Our manager holds a level 6 qualification in early years. Our DSL and DDSL hold level 4 DSL safeguarding certificates and are also the behaviour management coordinators. 

At Perins Pre-School, our children learn through both the indoors and outdoors environment. The children are free to choose which environment they want to learn in. The children also have access to the facilities at Sunhill Junior School, for example, using the sports hall and playing fields to enhance physical development. The children can also go for walks within the local community, for example, the children take walks to the local duck pond. 

If a child requires one-to-one support on an outing, we will provide this for the child so that are included in all learning opportunities to explore the natural environment and the local community. Parental permission is sought for walks around the local community.  All outings are risk assessed and personal plans are in place for any children with special educational needs and disabilities. 

Our new premises is accessible to all with access to the front and rear of the building. Children who need support can access the garden by going out the front and through the gate with staff. The learning environment is design to support all children’s developmental needs with low level tables and resources accessible to the children.  

Perins Pre-school is on one level. The Pre-School is accessible through the main entrance and is accessible for wheelchairs. The Pre-School has large playrooms for all children to access and is organised to provide the children with enough space to move around the setting freely. The Pre-School has its own enclosed garden which can be accessed through the garden gate or by going down the steps into the garden.  Perins Pre-School has its own dedicated sensory and quiet room with a book area, a space where children can rest, bubble tubes, fibre optic lights and other sensory equipment. Resources in the main playrooms are stored in low level units which give the children free access to the resources. Children can play on soft mats on the floor or at low level tables. 

We ensure that we do all we can to support any children with special educational needs and disabilities. 

At Perins Pre-School, we offer all new children settling in sessions to help them become familiar with the staff and the environment.  Settling in sessions are very flexible and free of charge. They are arranged over a two-to-three-week period prior to your child starting at Perins Pre-School to enable a smooth transition into the setting. If your child finds it hard to settle with us, then more settling in sessions can be arranged as we are aware that all children are different.  

Before you child starts at Perins Pre-School, you will be given an ‘all about me’ sheet to complete. This information will support your child’s key person and other staff in gaining an understanding of your child’s needs and interests. Your child will be assigned a key person, who will ensure that a smooth transition from home to the Pre-School takes place. Our planning is centred on your child’s interests and next steps. Staff plan and carry out activities that can be access by all children, regardless of their ability. 

If your child attends another Early Years provider alongside Perins Pre-School, we will liaise with them with parental permission to share information, ensuring that we are all working together to give your child the best possible start to their education. For children going to school, we will arrange transition meetings with your child’s new school to share information. This meeting will be a TPA meeting. We are aware that starting school is a big transition, so we will provide a school readiness programme to support the children in becoming ready for school. 

Perins Pre-School is located in a purpose building located on the Sunhill Junior School site. We take children from the age of two years until school age. All furniture and resources are age and stage appropriate for the children’s developmental needs.  If additional equipment is needed to support a child’s needs, then we will liaise with outside professionals for funding if required. 

The Pre-School is in a purpose-built building with 2 large playrooms and a separate room which is our sensory and quiet room. We take children from two years of age to school age and all children use the same rooms. All resources and equipment have been purchased specifically to suit all the children’s needs and developmental ability. We risk assess all areas of the building as well as new resources and furniture. 

Your child’s key person will continuously assess your child’s learning and development through observations and assessments.  Your child’s key person will complete a summary of development each term, providing a written summary of what your child can do in the areas of learning set out in the EYFS.  The areas of learning are communication and language, personal social and emotional development, physical development, literacy, mathematics, understanding of the world, and expressive arts and design.   If you child’s key person has any concerns, then these will be shared with you and our Senco.  You will meet with our Senco and your child’s key person to discuss what will happen next and complete any necessary forms for referrals needed to be made to outside agencies for further support. 

Parents/carers are encouraged to contribute to your child’s online learning journal through observations made within the home environment.  We know that you are your child’s main educator and that there will be things that your child will do at home that your child’s key person may not see in Pre-School.  You will be given formal feedback at the end of every session with a member of staff. You will be told about your child’s day and information such as what they have eaten. We have three parent/carer evenings a year, where you will be invited to meet with your child’s key person to discuss your child’s learning and development. We hold special stay and play sessions for parents/carers to attend as well as special events for celebrations. 

If you are interested in your child attending Perins Pre-School then please contact us either by phone, email or just by popping in. We will be happy to show you around the pre-school as well as answer any questions you may have.

Once your child starts, they will be assigned a key person who will be available if you wish to discuss anything about your child.

Michelle Osman is our named SENCO;  if you have any concerns regarding your child’s learning and development please contact her directly mosman@perins.hants.sch.uk