Our mission statement:

We aim to provide a caring, nurturing and safe environment where children can play, learn and grow happily and securely. Every child is unique, therefore we plan to encourage and enable individuals to progress at their own pace and reach their full potential. Of paramount importance is the development of the child’s personal, social and emotional skills. Self-confidence is encouraged in a sensitive, responsive, warm and loving environment. We work towards each child becoming a valued member of the Hut Pre-school and of the wider community so that they develop a strong self-image and high self-esteem.

We respect parents and carers as the child’s first educator; we aim to make them a part of their child’s future learning, involved in all areas of the Hut Pre-school..

In The Hut Pre-school we aim to provide appropriate learning opportunities to all children who attend. We endeavour to identify any children who would benefit from additional support and seek the appropriate provision in order for the child to reach his or her full potential.

Our enabling environment:

The Hut Pre-school operates in term time only. We accept children from birth to 4.5 years old

• Inside environment –The Hut Pre-School has four rooms permanently set up which are accessible and welcoming.

One room is used for registration, table activities, story and song times, art and craft and group work and one room that has a home corner that can be a shop, vets, doctors; dressing up clothes, construction and small world activities, a fenced area is for quiet time and for baby/toddler play.  We have the use of the large room that is used for eating together and a small kitchen. The fourth area has a soft play room, sensory room, another small kitchen and play room.   

• Outside environment – We have a specially adapted garden that has a bike track, a bridge and a tunnel , some water features, mature trees and bushes and a mud kitchen. We use gazebos together with seating under trees as a story area with planters for the children to grow plants. They have small fruit trees and fruit plants that the children can harvest in summer and autumn.

We have a climbing frame and a soft matted area, decking and grass areas. We aim to give children the opportunity to play with support where needed. We have rooms that can be used to accommodate many different and varied needs of the child. The entrance is suitable for wheelchair users and 3 toilets are fully accessible.

• Staff have extensive experience of including children with a range of unique additional needs; we have children with a diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) and children with learning delay. We work in partnership with the families and other specialists and include the children in experiencing socializing with their peers and we support their needs and enable them to have positive learning experiences.

Special Educational Needs and Disability Contact

Louise is our named Special Educational needs and Disability Co-ordinator (SenCo) at The Hut Pre-School. Louise has experience of working with children with a range of different needs, and she receives ongoing training.

Kerry is Deputy SenCo and has experience in Makaton signing, she has attended many training days on different needs to support her role as deputy SenCo. She has also worked for Three Ways School as a Teaching Assistant.

All staff have an inclusive approach and a ‘can do’ attitude to inclusion:

• Louise is supported in The Hut Pre-School by an experienced team, all of whom have worked in The Hut Pre-School for many years.  
• Our staff consist of staff who are parents themselves which provide a consistency of care toward all children.
• The team work well together, with many different talents that ensure that there is a good range of play and activities for the children to choose from throughout the day, all of the staff uses Makaton signing daily, either through song or stories.
• The children are always valued and respected by each member of the team.

How we work – key person approach

• At The Hut Pre-School every child has a key person, the key person is part of a team that supports every child when settling into Pre-School, working with parents to ensure a smooth transition, and once the child is settled the key person is there to support and care for the child when needed.

• The key person will ensure that any targets that have been set for your child are carried through in an appropriate manner, working directly with your child, either within a small group, or on a one to one basis in a quiet area. All strategies are delivered in a fun and engaging manner. They will also monitor targets closely, and liaise regularly with Louise or Kerry and with you.
• Louise as the setting Senco and Kerry as deputy supports all of the staff to ensure that the children are receiving the highest possible care and attention, she will liaise with any outside specialists, and arrange  and attend regular  (TAC) Team around the child meetings to ensure that the child is always put at the centre of our setting.

Observations, assessments and summaries:

• Throughout your child’s time in The Hut Pre-School the staff will be observing your child.  These observations are then collated in to a learning journal. The learning journal is a document that has photos, observations and anecdotes which make up a scrap book of your child’s time in Pre-School. You can look at this at any time, please ask J
• This will gradually be changing to an electronic online version called Tapestry that you as a parent will have the opportunity to access. You will be able to see your child’s learning journey on-line and to add your own comments from home.
• Three to four times a year we assess each child against the Early Years Foundation Stage goals, this is written up in a summary that covers all areas of learning. This enables us to see any gaps in the children’s learning to help us to identify any support that a child may need.

SEN support:

We feel that the more we work together the best support we can give to your child and your family.

• Louise and Kerry meet regularly with the staff team to discuss the children’s learning and development and to support the team in identifying any gaps in the children’s learning experiences. If any concerns are raised, by the staff team or by you, then Louise or Kerry will start to observe the child, and document any additional needs they may have. Louise or Kerry will then liaise with you to discuss how we can best support your child, and what the next steps may be.
• Once an additional need has been identified through observation and assessment we work with you to follow a graduated approach to supporting your child.

• This could include setting long term outcomes and strategies for you to use at home and the staff team to use at the Pre-school using short term targets. This would enable us to set small, achievable outcomes for your child over a six week period, to monitor the progress your child is making. We might put together a non-statutory plan called a ‘MY PLAN’ which helps us all focus on your child’s interests and needs and the best way to support them.
• We might request permission for a Local Authority SenCo Advisory Teacher to come in and observe your child in the pre-school setting. The Area SenCo will advise and support us with further strategies, information on reasonable adjustments to our practice and environment and will help us identify further staff training and development.
• We might request permission to complete an Early Help Assessment (or CAF) together, this enables you to collate all of your child’s history and needs in one place, and to tell your story, this can then be used when liasing with specialists or school staff to ensure that they have the information to give appropriate support to your child. This could support a request to a specialist, such as an Occupational Therapist, an Educational Psychologist, a Speech and Language Therapist or a Paediatrician.
• We might need to request extra support and inclusion funding from the Local Authority and we will work with you to do this. The Early Help Assessment will be very helpful in identifying and giving evidence of your child’s need to support an application of this request.
• Regular Team around the child meetings would be held to ensure that everyone is working together to gain the best outcomes for your child. Please be reassured that we will work with you at all times, and decisions would not be made without input from all involved.

Settling in:

• To ensure a smooth transition and to ensure we can offer the appropriate support, we feel that the more information we have about your child before they start at the setting, the more support we can give them.
• In the summer term, we hold a parent’s day. This is an informal day where you will get the chance to meet your child’s key worker and the staff, see your child’s learning journal and to see what else runs at The Hut.
• Every other Saturday we hold TURTLE toy library that offer toys and games to suit every child, and you as a parent can loan them for a small fee.
• If you have any concerns or feel your child may need extra support, in any area, please come in to talk to Louise or Kerry.
• We offer parents to come into sessions so they can join in with their child and for their child to become more familiar with the staff and children before starting.
• We liaise with any shared settings throughout the year to support consistency of care.
• During the settling in sessions parents will be given a starter pack, which gives you information on The Hut Pre-School , including practical tips and hints, structure of the day and policies and procedures., we ask that any concerns, or information that may help us deliver a smooth transition is written in detail for us, we will contact you with any sessions that we can offer your child.
• Please remember that if you have any concern, no matter how small, please come in or phone to speak to us.

Forming positive relationships:

• The staff in The Hut Pre-School prides themselves on making excellent relationships with our parents. If your child has an additional need then we will ensure that we have regular (TAC) Team around the child meetings, including everybody involved in their care. We will ensure that all information relevant to their care is shared with appropriate people, eg: the staff team.
• We ensure that, if needed, there will be daily feedback when you collect your child. We will hold regular meetings to monitor any targets set and we will help you to access any further support available.
• We have an ‘open door’ policy and welcome you in for regular chats and coffee, Louise or Kerry are always available to discuss any concerns you may have.

Communication with other providers:

• During the year we contact all shared nurseries, pre-schools and child minders to discuss all the shared children in our care. We then send out our summaries of the child’s learning and development, including any interests or experiences they might have that term, we invite the settings to send us their own summaries to ensure consistency of care.

Transitions to other settings and school:

• We have very close links with local schools and have developed positive relationships with school staff to ensure a smooth transition. We also work closely with the Local Authority to discuss children’s needs and to ensure that, if necessary, a detailed transition plan is in place.
• We encourage visits from class teachers, and ensure that any relevant documentation that will support your child in school is shared.
• Where it is felt helpful we will work with you to put together a non-statutory Education Health and Care Plan (MY PLAN)
• Where your child requires a higher level of support we will work with you in requesting a Educational, Health and Care needs assessment, of which the outcome might be a Statutory Educational, Health Care Plan (EHCP) .

Any other questions:

If you would like to discuss any of the above, please do not hesitate to contact Kerry on 01225 571511 or mob 07792500148