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Wincheap Pre-School


The Wincheap Pre-School – where children are provided with motivating opportunities to learn in a ‘fun and inspiring way’.

The Wincheap Pre-School has a team of highly skilled practitioners who are committed to providing a learning environment that is varied, imaginative and responsive to the children’s needs and well-being. Our Pre-School has a large, bright and well equipped classroom for children aged from 3 years and above. All children are welcome, we are fully inclusive and all of our practitioners have experience in supporting children with diverse additional needs.

All staff ensure that children are encouraged to make choices for themselves, to help them build new skills, further their independence and develop self-confidence.

Wincheap Pre-School is situated within the Wincheap Primary School grounds with a well-equipped outside space that children can access all year round. Activities are created in order to stretch their imagination and encourage independence.

Wincheap Pre-School is part of The Canterbury Academy.  Our contact information can be accessed via The Canterbury Academy Website.

Who to contact

Contact Name
Wendy Powell
Contact Position
Manager
Telephone
01227 471233
E-mail
paul.eales@hotmail.co.uk

Where to go

Address
Wincheap Foundation Primary School
Hollowmede
CANTERBURY
Kent
Postcode
CT1 3SD

When is it on?

When is childcare available
Term Time Only
Carescheme Age Range:
3 year(s), 0 month(s) to 5 year(s), 0 month(s)
Opening Times
Opening Times
DayOpening TimeClosing Time
Monday 08:00 17:00
Tuesday 08:00 17:00
Wednesday 08:00 17:00
Thursday 08:00 17:00
Friday 08:00 17:00
Other Availability
We have various sessions available throughout the day. Our core session times are from 08:45 to 11:45 and 11:45 to 14:45 with wrap around care from 08:00 and up until 17:00.

Other Details

ECD Type
Day Nursery
Offers pickups
No
Cost details
Contact provider for details
Immediate vacancies?
Yes
Contact Provider for Vacancy Details?
Yes
Vacancy range
Vacancy Range
Start AgeEnd AgePlaces
3 5
Vacancy Information Last updated Date
18/10/2019
Facilities
Computers / It, Messy Play Area, Cookery, Outdoor Adventure Play Area, Toddler Groups, Toys/dolls, Dressing Up, Dance, Outdoor Activities, Themed Sessions, Environmental Area, Trike, Play House, Parks/playgrounds, Puppets, Water Play, Quiet Room, Games / Puzzles, Play Room, Visits and Outings, Garden, Walks, Sandpit, Arts And Crafts, Healthy Living, Reading, Refreshments, Books, Sensory Room, Bike, Kitchen, Songs, Sleeping Area, Slide, Climbing Frame, Stories, Sports
Languages Spoken:
Sign Language Makaton, English
Wheelchair Access
Yes

Ofsted Information

Ofsted URN
EY392216
Link to latest ofsted inspection report 

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

City View Pre-School and Nursery has four specially-adapted classrooms which all have an outside learning environment.  This can be accessed throughout the year.

The setting has a Designated Lead Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo), Wendy Powell. The SENCo works alongside Key Persons who support children with additional needs or SEND, and frequently liaise with their parents and carers.  The SENCo and Key Person work closely with the child’s parents/carers as well as external professionals to ensure that the needs of the child are being met.

Special Needs Support

When children are registered in our settings, we discuss with parents/carers whether there are any outside agencies currently involved with the child and family. If so, we ensure that connections with those agencies are maintained in order to support the child and family further. We obtain information from outside agencies with regard to the child and their families, to enable us to work in ways consistent with the strategies that external agencies are implementing.

We regularly track and assess children with reference to the EYFS Development Matters document.  This is done via observation and online learning journals. At the point where additional needs become apparent in a child, we promptly invite parents/carers into the setting to discuss the child’s needs with the SENCo in order to support the child in the best way that we can.

Your child’s key person will be involved from their very first day with us at City view so that strong and positive relationships are built with you and your child.

We offer various ways for you to find out how your child is being supported at nursery:

  • Daily informal contact during drop-off and pick-up times.
  • Online learning journal which is updated regularly with photos and observations of your child’s progress.
  • Parents’ evenings and meetings to discuss your child’s progress. Any additional concerns you may have and support that we can provide can be discussed.
  • Collaborations with you in order to complete extra planning that we put into place e.g. targeted plans, personalised plans, SENIF (Special Educational Needs Inclusion Funding)/DAF (Disability Accessibility Funding) requests.

We observe, assess and plan for your child in three prime areas and four specific areas of the EYFS:

  • Communication and Language –
    • Working in line with speech and language therapy advice
    • Providing a ‘language rich’ environment tailored to the needs of current children
    • Providing ideas and resources for parents to use at home
  • Personal, social and emotional development –
    • Targeted small group activities to promote well-being and resilience
    • Liaising with local advisors for advice and support on the individual child
    • Attending specialist information events
  • Physical development –
    • Building links with specialist therapists in order to provide additional physical support
    • Offering an accessible environment and layout to meet families’ needs

Frequent and regular access to outdoor spaces

  • Teaching strategies
    • All of our staff are trained to Level 3 or above and some have received additional training on support for children with autism and communication difficulties e.g. intensive interaction and Makaton training.
    • Individual planning for every child in order to engage their interests and include the characteristics of effective learning
    • Use of the Best Practice Guidance to support all teaching
    • Liaising with the Specialist Teaching Service to discuss different teaching and learning strategies suitable for the individual child
  • Environment
    • Sensory areas in every room are always accessible to the children so that they can use them when they need them.
    • Areas are set in the rooms to allow for small group activities and targeted learning linked to the EYFS.
    • The areas and resources are labelled clearly with text and pictures in order for all children to be able to access the resources and understand what the different resources are.
    • All areas are fully accessible to the children, including the garden and hall facilities, as they are all on one level.
  • Resources
    • A range of visual support materials for children to access e.g. Makaton, signs and symbols
    • We are able to access funding in order for us to obtain additional resources to meet the individual child’s needs. For example, we have recently been able to purchase toilet aids for a child in the setting to promote their individual health and self-care needs.
    • All resources are clearly labelled with both images and text in order to support children in being able to see what resources are available to them.

If we feel your child is not making the expected progress for their age, then we will discuss with you the need for a targeted or personalised plan in order to support their learning through the use of specific targets. However, if it is noticed that your child may need support beyond their personalised plan, we are able to discuss with parents the use of services e.g. speech and language therapy.  The specialists’ advice will then further inform our planning within the setting.  That advice should then support your child both within the setting and beyond.

In addition, with parental permission we are able to refer children to the Specialist Teaching and Learning Service through the Local Inclusion Forum Team meetings that are held six times a year. This further support allows us to access advice and guidance.  The advisors can recommend further referral to other services to support your child.

We are always open to discussion with parents about what is best for their child in order to support their progress whilst at nursery. This can include support in accessing other services or being able to change hours attended to help the individual child. We can also discuss further how parents feel that their child can be supported both in our setting and at home.

We pride ourselves on our partnership with parents and regularly share progress and development through the use of our online learning journals. The key person is responsible for guiding, monitoring and supporting the development of your child and we see this as especially important for children who have special or additional educational needs. Children are tracked according to the online learning journal at regular intervals: their tracking is updated when children’s observations and photos are added to their learning journal.

You are able to access your child’s online learning journal from home on a daily basis as it is updated by your child’s key person.  We also hold parents evenings throughout the year to which all parents are invited, in order to have an opportunity to discuss your child’s progress and any further concerns either held by parents or the setting. 

All of our planned activities are adapted to every child’s individual needs so that those activities are accessible to all children. This includes the use of different resources, such as signs and symbols to support children with communication needs, and through other resources such as toilet aids to promote independence in health and self-care, and the use of small group activities tailored to the child’s interest to support their emotional development.

We regularly make trips out into the local area, including the town centre, the shops, the park and the beach. In order for all children to access these, we have completed risk assessments for the children who attend the setting. Before we take the children on trips, we also do a “safety research” trip in order to inform our risk assessment and be aware of what the area is like before taking the children. Whenever we leave the setting, we have a first aid kit, children’s emergency details and any specialist medication for the children e.g. allergy relief, inhalers etc.

The setting has been built on one floor, allowing ease of access for all staff, children and families. The building has full wheelchair access to the classrooms, main hall and gardens. The reception area also has access to a disabled toilet. The setting is fully accessible for both children and adults using wheelchairs, frames and walking aids.

Each classroom has an outdoor area which is accessible either through the classroom or the side gate. Our outdoor surfaces are suitable for both frames and wheelchairs for children and adults.

There is limited disabled parking in our car park, there are two designated disabled parking spaces in the car park that we share with Canterbury Primary School. However, a parking permit can be issued subject to proof of a disabled parking badge.

We have a close working relationship with The Canterbury Primary School in order to support children with their transitions. The children visit the school on a regular basis and become involved in activities such as sports day, pupil plays/performances and celebration assemblies.

All school reception teachers from local schools are invited in to the setting once school places are accepted. This allows for the children to meet their teacher before they start school and also allows for the teacher to be able to have a discussion with the key person.

Relevant paperwork including ‘All About Me’ (the unique child), their final report and progress tracking is shared with their future teachers, with parental permission, in order for them to gain a better understanding of your individual child.

Whilst children are at nursery, during the final term prepare the children by talking to them about moving to their new schools.  We revisit this topic several times and use photo books of their school to explain to them what it will be like. We use the photo books to help show children what their new school will look like and who their new teachers will be once they are in school.

The management team at City View annually review all the policies and procedures in consultation with parents/carers, practitioners and the board of directors. Throughout the year, the Setting Manager & SENCO update the policies and procedures to ensure that the practice reflects changes to legislation. To ensure that the setting is always fully inclusive, we review all parts of the nursery to consider any necessary adaptations.

By attending both LIFT (Local Inclusion Forum Team) meetings and SENCo forum meetings, the SENCo is able to talk to other practitioners within the local area and gain new ideas about how the setting could improve their provision. LIFT meetings and SENCo forums also mean that, as well as the physical setting being able to be adapted through different ideas, it can allow for a reflection on practice and procedures within the setting, thereby underpinning support for a wide range of children and gaining new knowledge about the best practice to follow in order to support these children and promote their development.

Questionnaires are given to parents regularly in order for them to be able to give feedback on the setting as a whole and the support provided for their child. Feedback is taken on board by staff and is gratefully received as we are always open to changes to improve the setting to benefit the children in our care.

Our staff meetings are also held regularly, with both lead practitioners having meetings and practitioners within each room having meetings, too. This can mean that the staff are able to regularly review the setting themselves, discussing changes that they wish to put in to place in order to support all children within the setting.

If you are interested in a place for your child within our setting, then we offer a guided tour in order for both you and your child to look at our provision.  We also offer multiple ‘stay and play’ sessions to support your child with settling in to a new nursery.  This also allows for you as a parent to see how we work as a setting.  You will also be able to discuss how you would like us to support your child, and you as parents at home.

As part of our registration process with the setting, we do ask if there is anything you would like us to know about your child before they start in the setting. This is a chance for you to be able to disclose any information about your child that you would like us to know, such as involvement with external agencies (Early help, speech and language therapy, physiotherapy etc.), any high risk allergies and existing health conditions. We use this information to further assess the support we are able to give you when starting the setting and to assess any modifications needed to accommodate your child’s needs.

We send out feedback forms for parents to complete and return, in addition to our parents’ evenings.  These provide the opportunity for parents to air their feelings about the setting to their child’s key person. We also have an open-door policy and encourage as much communication between staff and parents as we can. Staff are always available to talk to parents at both drop-off and pick-up times within the setting and throughout the day, either by telephone or in person.

We welcome constructive feedback for both staff and setting, and take this on board whenever it is offered: we see it as a way to improve both the setting and the way that we all work. Through the open-door policy that we have in place, we recently received feedback from parents regarding our graduation ceremony for the pre-school.  This was held on a week day and families were not able to attend. As a result, we moved our graduation event to a Saturday daytime, allowing for families to be able to attend more easily. This allowed for lots of the children to have a big graduation party with lots of their peers, and meant that more families were also to attend the event.

Many families that we have had at our setting have left us for school with positive comments.  Multiple families with children with autism have commented on the range of support that we provide for the families, both at home and during their time in setting. Families have also praised our staff for being approachable, no matter what the issue. Our staff’s knowledge of the different types of support available, and suggestions of strategies which can be tried independently of other agencies, have received consistent positive parental feedback.

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