At Ditton Church Pre-School we aim to provide the highest quality education and care for our children (from ages two and a half years up to school age).
We offer a welcome for each individual child and family, and provide a warm and caring environment within which all children can learn and develop as they play.
Ditton Church Pre School was rated as a Good setting by Ofsted in May 2022.
The Pre School is opposite St Peters Church and next door to the Ditton Junior School.
| Day | Opening Time | Closing Time |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 9.00 | 12.00 |
| Monday | 12.30 | 15.30 |
| Tuesday | 9.00 | 12.00 |
| Tuesday | 12.30 | 15.30 |
| Wednesday | 9.00 | 12.00 |
| Wednesday | 12.30 | 15.30 |
| Thursday | 9.00 | 12.00 |
| Thursday | 12.30 | 15.30 |
| Amount | Cost Type |
|---|---|
| £18.00 | Per session am |
| £18.00 | Per session pm |
| £5.50 | Per lunch |
| 0.40 | Per session |
There is an opportunity for children, usually in their final year at Pre school, to stay all day on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The time between 12.00 and 12.30 is outside of our funding period so there is a £5.50 fee charged for this time. We are closed on a Friday.
The Working Parent Entitlement at Ditton Church Pre School
At Ditton Church Pre School we are unable to offer the full 30 hours as we are open for only 24 hours per week. From April 2024 we offer up to 15 hours for eligible 2 year olds. Where we have spaces available above 15 hours we will accept extra funded hours from eligible families of 3/4 year olds. Our funded hours are between 9.00 and 12.00 and 12.30 to 3.30 each day
We have a list of local childminders and can signpost you to other settings so that you can split the hours or use the remaining hours with them.
Shortly before starting at pre school we ask you to complete an ‘All About Me’ form which gives us a chance to find out more about your child and their particular strengths or areas where they may need more support.
We then invite you and your child to a taster session where you will meet your child’s key person and talk through the All About Me form. We ask about your child’s interests at home so that this can inform our planning and help them to settle.
After about two weeks of your child starting at pre school we assess their starting points using a document called Birth to 5 along with our own knowledge of child development. If your child starts between the ages of 2 and 3 years we also complete an Age 2 Progress Check. This is a statutory document and also assesses development. As a result of these assessments we may discuss and plan next steps for any delay in development.
The next step could be that your child’s key person targets a specific area, for example social skills, to plan extra opportunities for your child. This would be a written plan and would be shared and agreed with you. It is called a Targeted Plan.
Our Special Needs Co-ordinator or SENCo is Amy. She ensures that families are well supported and has resources to help with your child’s development.
Your child’s key person will be involved right from the start so that strong and positive relationships are built with both your child and with you. We keep you informed in various ways
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is an educational framework which allows the key person to plan for each unique child. It covers 3 prime areas and 4 specific areas.
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 prime areas underpin all future learning and development
Personal, Social and Emotional Development for example, assesses self -awareness and self -confidence. We encourage a sense of belonging with our special songs and purple uniforms.
Communication and Language, we provide a’ language rich’ environment to meet the needs of our current children and we use some Makaton signing to aid communication.
Physical Development. We have a large enclosed garden which is accessed daily.
Environment
Our teaching starts with a well-planned environment that promotes calm. Our large hall has plenty of natural light and we use soft furnishings and rugs to minimise the noise. It is also has screens and moveable units so that we can ensure ‘communication friendly places’. We have a smaller lounge which is carpeted and often used for quieter teaching and small group activities. Our staff encourage children to be calmer inside, leaving the running and more physical activities for outside. Our pre-school operates a ‘free-flow’ play system, which allows children, for a large portion of the session to access the inside and outside area.
Resources
The setting has a wide range of resources, such as sensory toys, visual timetables and picture cards to help with communication. We have large sand timers to aid sharing of toys and a clear behaviour chart using photographs of children displaying positive actions. When a child needs extra resources, the setting will apply for additional funding where necessary.
Teaching Strategies
The strategies used to help children are adapted according to their individual need. All staff have an early years qualification, or are working towards one, and many have attended training in specific areas, such as Understanding Autism, Speech and Language development and behaviour management We also use the KCC Best Practice Guidance and seek the advice of other professionals and specialist teachers to ensure that we are adapting to meet each individual need. The areas of need are identified in the SEND Code of Practice:
Our policy for SEND sets out the approach we use to support children.
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 therapy or the Specialist Teaching and Learning Service. You would be asked to sign a consent form to make this referral. If a referral to the Specialist Teaching Service is accepted then a specialist teacher would visit our setting and advise and guide us, possibly refer to other services such as health and would support your child’s transition to school.
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 SENco will do the necessary research to ensure all staff have an overview of what is involved with the condition. This information would be cascaded to all staff at staff meetings.
The Key Person approach is essential for all children. Your child’s key person is responsible for guiding, supporting and monitoring the physical and emotional development of all their key children. This is especially important when children have special or additional needs.
Three times a year the key person will make an overall assessment of your child’s progress and will produce a Report for parents to keep and comment on.
We have an open door policy with regard to seeing your child’s Learning Journey and the key person will always find time to answer any questions you may have. Any referrals are firstly agreed with parents and we meet regularly with parents to review plans and targets.
Our setting is committed to providing activities for all children through our inclusive practice. Your child’s key person will ensure that any planned activity can be adapted to suit each child. For example, when reading a group story we would ensure that those who needed extra support, such as sitting at the front or needing to have a fidget aid would be provided for.
We do not have outings that would require transport but we do visit the local church for services, walk to the local park etc. We always ensure that we have enough staff and willing parents to help on these occasions. If we feel that your child would need parental support to cope in this event we give plenty of notice so that you are able to be with the child.
Our setting is on one floor and has wheelchair access at the main door. This door would also be used to gain access to the outside areas for wheelchair users as the back door has two steps. Much of the equipment at the setting can be moved to ensure easy access to activities. There is an accessible toilet and we have nappy changing facilities. The outdoor area has a surface suitable for children in wheelchairs or using frames. Whenever possible we make reasonable adjustments to meet the needs of our children, parents or staff.
Every child that goes to school or changes setting has a transition record prepared by their key person, which is signed by the parent/carer before it is forwarded, together with any other relevant paperwork, such as personalised plans.
Our main feeder school is Ditton Infants and we have a close working relationship with them. We take children to visit the school and if your child has special or additional needs we can arrange for them to have extra visits leading up to the transition. These visits are usually with their key person.
The teachers from Ditton Infants (or other school if your child is going elsewhere) are invited to come to pre school to meet the child in our setting and to talk with the key person .
For children with Special Educational Needs, the key person and/or 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. Sometimes this meeting will include the specialist teacher who has been supporting your child. All professionals aim to make transitions as smooth as possible.
The setting assess the effectiveness of their SEN provision through staff meetings, SENCo forums, Local Inclusion Forum Teams and regular meetings with parents/carers.
We regularly update our policy and procedures and carry out the SEND review tool.
If you wish to register for a place you can do so in various ways
You are very welcome to call and arrange to visit to see the environment and meet the staff, especially if you are concerned that your child will require additional help. We can arrange extra settling in visits and talk to you about how we may be able to apply for extra funding to help support your child.
Our SEND policy provides the context for supporting children through the graduated approach and we have a robust complaints procedure. Copies of all policies and procedures can be seen on our website and paper copies are kept on a table by the parents noticeboard.
We welcome comments and suggestions from parents and we continually self evaluate at staff meetings. We use parent questionnaires for feedback as well, for example we decided to keep some sessions especially for our Rising Stars. These are the older children who will be starting school at the next intake.
We know that a lot of children join us because of past parents recommendation and even when parents move out of the area they often choose to keep their children with us.
Shortly before starting at pre school we ask you to complete an ‘All About Me’ form which gives us a chance to find out more about your child and their particular strengths or areas where they may need more support.
We then invite you and your child to a taster session where you will meet your child’s key person and talk through the All About Me form. We ask about your child’s interests at home so that this can inform our planning and help them to settle.
After about two weeks of your child starting at pre school we assess their starting points using a document called Birth to Five along with our own knowledge of child development. If your child starts between the ages of 2 and 3 years we also complete an Age 2 Progress Check. This is a statutory document and also assesses development. As a result of these assessments we may discuss and plan next steps for any delay in development.
The next step could be that your child’s key person targets a specific area, for example social skills, to plan extra opportunities for your child. This would be a written plan and would be shared and agreed with you. It is called a Targeted Plan.
Our Special Needs Co-ordinator or SENCo is Amy. She ensures that families are well supported and has resources to help with your child’s development.
Your child’s key person will be involved right from the start so that strong and positive relationships are built with both your child and with you. We keep you informed in various ways
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is an educational framework which allows the key person to plan for each unique child. It covers 3 prime areas and 4 specific areas.
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 prime areas underpin all future learning and development
Personal, social and Emotional Development for example, assesses self -awareness and self -confidence. We encourage a sense of belonging with our special songs and purple uniforms.
Communication and Language, we provide a’ language rich’ environment to meet the needs of our current children and we use some Makaton signing to aid communication.
Physical Development. We have a large enclosed garden which is accessed daily.
Environment
Our teaching starts with a well-planned environment that promotes calm. Our large hall has plenty of natural light and we use soft furnishings and rugs to minimise the noise. It is also has screens and moveable units so that we can ensure ‘communication friendly places’. We have a smaller lounge which is carpeted and often used for quieter teaching and small group activities. Our staff encourage children to be calmer inside, leaving the running and more physical activities for outside. Our pre-school operates a ‘free-flow’ play system, which allows children, for a large portion of the session to access the inside and outside area.
Resources
The setting has a wide range of resources, such as sensory toys, visual timetables and picture cards to help with communication. We have a large sand timer to aid sharing of toys and a clear behaviour chart using photographs of children displaying positive actions. When a child needs extra resources, the setting will apply for additional funding where necessary.
Teaching Strategies
The strategies used to help children are adapted according to their individual need. 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 We also use the KCC Best Practice Guidance and seek the advice of other professionals and specialist teachers to ensure that we are adapting to meet each individual need. The areas of need are identified in the SEND Code of Practice:
Our policy for SEND sets out the approach we use to support children.
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 therapy or the Specialist Teaching and Learning Service. You would be asked to sign a consent form to make this referral. If a referral to the Specialist Teaching Service is accepted then a specialist teacher would visit our setting and advise and guide us, possibly refer to other services such as health and would support your child’s transition to school.
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 SENco will do the necessary research to ensure all staff have an overview of what is involved with the condition. This information would be cascaded to all staff at staff meetings.
The Key Person approach is essential for all children. Your child’s key person is responsible for guiding, supporting and monitoring the physical and emotional development of all their key children. This is especially important when children have special or additional needs.
Three times a year the key person will make an overall assessment of your child’s progress and will produce a Report for parents to keep and comment on.
We have an open door policy with regard to seeing your child’s Learning Journey and the key person will always find time to answer any questions you may have. Any referrals are firstly agreed with parents and we meet regularly with parents to review plans and targets.
Our setting is committed to providing activities for all children through our inclusive practice. Your child’s key person will ensure that any planned activity can be adapted to suit each child. For example, when reading a group story we would ensure that those who needed extra support, such as sitting at the front or needing to have a fidget aid would be provided for.
We do not have outings that would require transport but we do visit the local church for services, walk to the local park etc. We always ensure that we have enough staff and willing parents to help on these occasions. If we feel that your child would need parental support to cope in this event we give plenty of notice so that you are able to be with the child.
Our setting is on one floor and has wheelchair access at the main door. This door would also be used to gain access to the outside areas for wheelchair users as the back door has two steps. Much of the equipment at the setting can be moved to ensure easy access to activities. There is an accessible toilet which includes nappy changing facilities. The outdoor area has a surface suitable for children in wheelchairs or using frames. Whenever possible we make reasonable adjustments to meet the needs of our children, parents or staff.
Every child that goes to school or changes setting has a transition record prepared by their key person, which is signed by the parent/carer before it is forwarded, together with any other relevant paperwork, such as personalised plans.
Our main feeder school is Ditton Infants and we have a close working relationship with them. We take children to visit the school and if your child has special or additional needs we can arrange for them to have extra visits leading up to the transition. These visits are usually with their key person.
The teachers from Ditton Infants (or other school if your child is going elsewhere) are invited to come to pre school to meet the child in our setting and to talk with the key person .
For children with Special Educational Needs, the key person and/or 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. Sometimes this meeting will include the specialist teacher who has been supporting your child. All professionals aim to make transitions as smooth as possible.
The setting assess the effectiveness of their SEN provision through staff meetings, SENCo forums, Local Inclusion Forum Teams and regular meetings with parents/carers.
We regularly update our policy and procedures and carry out the SEND review tool.
If you wish to register for a place you can do so in various ways
You are very welcome to call and arrange to visit to see the environment and meet the staff, especially if you are concerned that your child will require additional help. We can arrange extra settling in visits and talk to you about how we may be able to apply for extra funding to help support your child.
Our SEND policy provides the context for supporting children through the graduated approach and we have a robust complaints procedure. Copies of all policies and procedures can be seen on our website and paper copies are kept on a table by the parents noticeboard.
We welcome comments and suggestions from parents and we continually self evaluate at staff meetings. We use parent questionnaires for feedback as well, for example we decided to keep some sessions especially for our Rising Stars. These are the older children who will be starting school at the next intake.
We know that a lot of children join us because of past parents recommendation and even when parents move out of the area they often choose to keep their children with us.