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Poplar Pre-School (CIO)


Poplar Pre-school is a well established (over 40 years) setting offering high quality sessional care for children from the age between 2 to 4. We have two rooms (mixed ages) and a well equipped outside area with a rain canopy. Ample parking is available on site.

We provide a safe, stimulating and caring environment that promotes learning through play, using a wide range of resources and the opportunity for children to develop their social skills as they play alongside and with other children.

We are a Charitable Incorporated Organisation and we are run by trustees.

Who to contact

Contact Name
Andrea Anderson or Samantha Lednor
Telephone
01622 763 638
Website
https://poplarpreschool.co.uk/

Where to go

Address
Poplar Pre-school, Giddyhorn Lane Pavilion
Poplar Grove
Maidstone
Kent
Postcode
ME16 0DE
Notes

Our preschool is in a lovely location overlooking a playing field and the downs. We do occasionally take the children out on to the field in good weather. There is a good sized car park for use by the parents and carers

The two rooms are mixed ages and the children can free flow between the rooms and the covered outside area.

When is it on?

When is childcare available
Term Time Only
Carescheme Age Range:
2 year(s), 3 month(s) to 4 year(s), 0 month(s)
Opening Times
Opening Times
DayOpening TimeClosing Time
Monday 9.00 3.00
Tuesday 9.00 3.00
Wednesday 9.00 3.00
Thursday 9.00 3.00
Friday 9.00 3.00

Other Details

Table of costs
Table of costs
AmountCost Type
£21.00 Per session
ECD Type
Preschool
Offers pickups
No
Cost(s)
Cost details
The sessions are 3 hours and the afternoon session includes a period of time for children to eat their packed lunch
Total vacancies
12
Vacancies Details
We have spaces available for children wishing to start from September 2024.
Immediate vacancies?
Yes
Contact Provider for Vacancy Details?
Yes
Vacancy range
Vacancy Range
Start AgeEnd AgePlaces
2 4 12
Vacancy Information Last updated Date
15/04/2024
Facilities
Music, Literacy and Numeracy, Messy Play Area, Cookery, Outdoor Adventure Play Area, Toys/dolls, Dressing Up, Dance, Outdoor Activities, Trike, Play House, Puppets, Water Play, Webcam (Secure) In Setting, Games / Puzzles, Garden, Walks, Sandpit, Arts And Crafts, Scooter, Healthy Living, Reading, Books, Bike, Kitchen, Car Parking, Songs, Slide, Library - Children's Library, Climbing Frame, Stories
Languages Spoken:
English
Wheelchair Access
Yes

Ofsted Information

Ofsted URN
EY495735
Link to latest ofsted inspection report 

30 Hours Extended Entitlement

30 Hours Partner Details (These are details of any other childcare provider(s) that this provider will work with to offer the 30 hours entitlement)

We accept Working Parent funding

15 hours for 2 year olds

30 hours for 3&4 year olds

30 hours can be provided in the session times detailed as we are open 6 hours per day 5 days per week term time only

Support with Childcare Costs

Free for 2 (families with 2 year olds receiving additional forms of government support)?
Yes
Universal Entitlements
Yes
Working Parents Entitlement
Yes

Service status

Status
Open

Local Offer

Description

We provide a safe learning environment for children with Special Educational needs. We work with Specialist Teachers and other professionals to ensure we are providing appropriate targeted planning for any child needing additional support. We will do referrals to paediatricians and speech and language therapists should this be required.

For further information please see below.

Links
Poplar Pre-school

Special Needs Support

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

As part of our admission process, we ask you to complete an ‘All about my child’ form, which will give us information about their likes/dislikes and their interests. We use this information to plan activities for them.

If your child starts before they are 3 years old, we will carry out a 2 year check based on our observations of your child and this focuses on Personal, Social and Emotional development, Communication and Language and Physical development. This may give an indication of any delays in development.

The key person will regularly monitor your child’s development and may target certain areas if they identify a need. If necessary, this may take the form of a targeted plan, which would be shared with you.

Your child's Key person will share a weekly diary on Tapestry online learning journal and this is available for parents to see at any time.

Our Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators are: Katy Sephton and Wendy Hance and Jenny Dharmalingam who ensure that the best support is provided for all the children.

 

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

Each child is allocated a key person when they start at the setting. This person will be in regular contact with the family. They will develop a relationship with your child and get to know them well. They will share a weekly photo diary on Tapestry online journal and also each term, parents will receive a written diary on Tapestry of their child's learning.

In addition, the key person will prepare a report 3 times during the academic year showing a summary of your child’s achievements within the Early Years. The key person is available to talk to parents on a daily basis and we are happy to arrange meetings either in person or by phone-call. A parent can ask for a meeting at any time to discuss any concerns.

If we do identify that your child has special educational needs, there will be regular meetings with parents to discuss progress and what additional support is being provided for them.

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

Every child is unique, and our setting is arranged in a way that allows the children to follow what they want to do. They have easy access to a wide range of activities available to them, which will enable them to learn through play. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) covers 3 prime areas and 4 specific areas.

One of the prime areas is Communication and Language and we have a language rich environment that will help with their development in this area. We work in conjunction with Speech and Language therapists to tailor activities to help with specific areas of development. We will do small group activities that are geared to encouraging speech and language.

We plan activities with the support of other professionals, such as occupational therapists and Specialist teachers, to target specific areas of development.

 

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

Environment

Our teaching starts with a well-planned environment that promotes calm. The walls are painted in neutral pale colours and the staff encourage children to be calmer inside, leaving the running and more physical activities for outside. The pre-school operates a ‘free-flow’ play system, which allows children, for a large portion of the day to access both rooms and the outside area. There is a quiet area in each room for stories and calm time.

Resources

The setting has a wide range of resources, such as sensory toys, visual timetables and picture cards to help with communication. When a child needs extra resources, the setting will apply for additional funding where necessary.

Teaching Strategies

All the staff have an early years qualification and many have attended training in specific areas, such as Understanding Autism, Speech and Language development and behaviour management. The strategies used to help children are adapted according to their need. The staff use the KCC Best Practice Guidance to ensure that they are adapting to meet each individual need as identified in the SEND Code of Practice:

  • Communication and Interaction
  • Cognition and Learning
  • Social emotional and mental health
  • Physical/sensory difficulties

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

If your child has a targeted plan and they are not making the expected level of progress, then the key person or SENco will discuss with you the need to refer to other services, such as Speech and Language Therapists or Specialist Teaching. You would be asked to sign a consent form to make such a referral.

Once consent has been obtained, a referral may be made to the Specialist Teaching and Learning Service through the Local Inclusion Forum Team (LIFT). If the referral is accepted, then a Specialist teacher will visit your child at the setting to provide guidance and advice about additional support and a personalised plan would be prepared for your child based on this. You will always be made aware of all information relating to your child.

We have experience in the setting of dealing with many areas of Special Educational Needs and when we receive children with a condition with which we are unfamiliar, our SENcos will do the necessary research to ensure all staff have an overview of what is involved with the condition.

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

As a setting we have very good relationships with parents and carers. The key person will be in regular contact with you to share your child’s achievements and you will be able to see what your child has been doing regularly through Baby’s Days (the online learning journal).

Three times a year the key person will carry out a summative assessment of your child’s progress and this will be shared with you through the termly reports/ summative assessments. The parents/carers have the opportunity to make their own comments on Baby’s Days and they can add photos to the system too.

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

Our setting is committed to providing activities for all children through our inclusive practice. Any activity can be differentiated to meet the levels of each child. For example, when doing a cooking activity, every child has the opportunity to take part and it is done in small groups, so the adult can ensure that all the children can have a go.

We do not often have the opportunity to go on trips, apart from the occasional visit to the local primary school nativity. We walk along there and if a child needs additional support, such as going in a buggy, then this will be arranged.

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

Our outside area is flat and accessible for children in wheelchairs. Much of the equipment at the setting can be moved to ensure easy access to activities. There is a slope out of one of our doors which will give access to the building and the outside area.

Whenever possible, we will make reasonable adjustments to meet the needs of children, parents and staff. The car park has large spaces and we have a toilet facility available with easy accessibility.

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

Every child that goes to school or changes setting has a transition record prepared by the key person, which is signed by the parent/carer before it is forwarded together with any other relevant paperwork, such as personalised plans.

The main schools in the area: Palace Wood Primary, Allington Primary, Brunswick House Primary and St Francis Primary Catholic School, usually arrange to come and visit the children at the pre-school in the run up to the end of the academic year. 

For children with Special Educational Needs, the key person/SENco has additional transition meetings with the school to discuss your child’s progress and what their personal plan is for the next stage of their development.

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

The setting assess the effectiveness of their SEN provision through staff meetings, SENco forums, LIFT meetings and regular meetings with parents/carers.

We also get parent feedback through the annual questionnaire sent out to all those families leaving the setting at the end of the academic year.

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

If you wish to register for a place at the setting please go onto our website : poplarpreschool.co.uk

If you feel that you may want to speak to someone about any special needs that your child has please give us a ring and we can arrange an appointment to come and visit us.

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

Copies of our policies are available on our website and this includes the complaints procedure. We look at any comments and suggestions made by parents and act on any feedback that may improve the setting. For example, we improved our signs for parents so they know where to go on the first day following suggestions on a feedback questionnaire.
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