Busy Bees Kindergarten

Our Local Offer

Our Local Offer for Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

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Who can I contact for further information?

Your Child’s key person is your first point of contact if you would like to discuss your child’s needs. We are always happy to offer advice about organisations and professionals who may be able to support you and your child, such as Health Visitors, Speech and Language Therapists and Essex Child and Family Well Being Service who can help in many ways. We can also access help and advice from the Sen Hub which has recently been launched.

If your child’s need has been referred to a specific team, or Paediatrician we will help and support you wherever you may need this.

We also have a member of the staff who can offer advice on Behaviour Management, Michelle Kimble will be able to help with some strategies.

If at any time you are unhappy with an aspect of our provision or practice, we would ask that you come to us to discuss the matter to see if this can be resolved easily. If you are still unhappy, then please find a copy of our Complaints Procedure in the Welcome Pack that you were given when registering with us. Ofsted’s contact details are also displayed in the Entrance Hall.

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How will the setting prepare and support my child: joining, transferring to a new setting or to Primary School?

At Busy Bees we like to settle children in offering an initial visit with their parent/carer staying on site, where you will have the opportunity to discuss your child’s needs with their key person or the room leader.  This is the time for us to learn as much as possible about your child and for you to discuss any concerns or queries you may have.

This also gives us the chance to get to know you and your family, and provides the opportunity for you to share with us details of your child’s needs and the involvement of other agencies, and agree with you a consistent approach to ensure the continuity of care for each child.  We also offer additional settling in sessions as close as possible to their start date.  After this we provide the opportunity to slowly increase your child’s hours attending with a flexible settling in period.  This can be ideal for children who need a little more time to separate from their parent/carer.

We will meet with other professionals e.g. Health Care Professionals, to put in place transition planning/health care plan, or to seek relevant training before your child starts.

If your child attend’s another setting whilst with us or leave’s to go to another setting we would invite your child’s Key person/teacher and SENco to attend sessions with your child to help them become familiar with them and to discuss your child’s strengths and needs. We would also provide all relevant paperwork and developmental information to the new setting, with your agreement.

What support will there be for my child’s physical and emotional wellbeing?

Our practitioners are welcoming and friendly, providing an inclusive, sensitive and positive approach for your child to feel welcome into our Nursery.

They provide good role models for positive behaviour, and we are consistent in our day to day care of all our children, and our happy children at Nursery are testament to this.

We are flexible in our routines to provide a positive environment for your child’s needs, and provide personal care, such as changing nappies respectfully.

Personal health care plans can be adopted if necessary, and staff will be trained in giving the appropriate medication for your child if required.

Activities will be adapted to ensure your child is able to interact fully with their environment, visual strategies and the staff support children to understand now and next activities. Our Curiosity Approach provides natural resources that extends a child’s ability to play and explore using their own curiosity, we have small spaces for children to retreat to when they just need some time to themselves.

The safety of your child is paramount. All staff members are first aid trained and attend a refresher courses every 3 years. We will not allow a child off premises if the person collecting them is unknown to the setting or not on the list of approved adults provided by the parent/carer. We also operate a password system for specific situations.

How will staff support my child?

On starting at Busy Bees Kindergarten you will be given a Welcome Pack with information regarding the Nursery and some forms that you as a parent/carer can add and share with us to help us care and understand your child, this can be as simple as a favourite toy, book or interest.

We encourage you to work with us as much as possible and offer as many visits as is felt is needed and a trial session for your child to attend, whilst you have the opportunity to chat to your child’s key person about their strengths, needs, interests and family.

Children are at the heart of all we do, and we will work with you to support your child together, listening to you as well as your child.

Our SENco will explain how children’s individual needs can be met by planning support observing and to create a One Plan, which prioritises developmental targets initiated by professionals and parents/carers. They will also explain who may be involved and their roles.

Observations, assessments and evaluations all contribute towards a One Plan alongside you as a parent’s views and aspirations for your child your child’s key person would oversee the targets on the One Plan.

Your child’s key person would be in some if not all of the sessions, if not their buddy would be well informed of your child’s One Plan. They will form a strong bond with your child and build a good working relationship. The SENco will also have fostered a good relationship with your child and be able to step in as necessary.  Your child’s key person will identify individual needs and plan next steps, accessing additional support from other professionals where necessary.

The Room Leader will maintain an overview of experiences, progress and the SENco will work with all staff to ensure we are providing the relevant and appropriate support.  We will work in partnership with you, reviewing the One Plan targets and planning new ones together, and giving you ideas to use at home to support your child. 

How does Busy Bees Kindergarten know my child potentially needs extra help and what should I do if I think my child may have an additional need or disability?

At Busy Bees each child is treated as an individual. Your child will be allocated a key person, whose role is to develop a trusting caring and sensitive relationship with parents and children, to enable respectful sharing of information.  If you have any concerns about your child’s development you can ask to have a chat with your child’s key person or the settings designated SENco (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator) Lily Chapman, at a convenient time for both.

Reports from Health Care professionals, such as Health Visitors and Speech and Language Therapists help to identify your child’s individual needs. We welcome parents and professionals sharing these reports in order to plan appropriately to meet these needs.

Ongoing observational assessments are made of all the Children and these are linked to The Early Learning Goals and Stages of Development. This can potentially identify individual needs where necessary.

These observations will be discussed with the SENco and the appropriate Room Leader. If your child’s key person has identified a possible individual need, they will discuss this with you in private and plan with you to support your child’s learning and development.

Our SENco will offer support and advice to your child’s key person and other staff in our setting involved with your child. With your permission they will also liaise with other professionals to seek advice and support in identifying individual needs if necessary

How will I know how my Child is doing? 

Assessment systems are in place such as the 2 year old check, ongoing observational assessment and the Tapestry online system which are all linked to the EYFS ages and stages of development.

Our Open Door Policy means that you are always welcome to tell us how your child is doing on a daily basis when handing over which provides an ongoing two way communication between us.

Telephone calls and emails can be used if parents work and are unable to bring/collect your child from Nursery.

We will also invite you to attend a Parents Evening twice a year to discuss your child’s development and update on their next steps.

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How are the settings resources allocated and matched to children’s additional needs?

Dedicated budgets have been used to train staff, for example Makaton, Behavioural training.  These can be applied for to support your child in our setting If required.

We also budget to provide for resources such as a visual timetables, sensory activities and emotional resources etc.

How is the decision made about how much support my child will receive?

Through the observation process linked to the EYFS ages and stages of development, and in discussion with you we will identify what support is required.

Extra support will be put in place if necessary with the aim of enabling your child to become independent within their environment.

Our SENco will advise you on the process of applying for extra support, and the Inclusion/SEN funding process will identify the level of need based on the evidence submitted by the setting and other professionals who are working with you and your family to support your child.

Reports from Health Care Professionals and other Professionals who are working with your child, will be used to plan support within the setting.

The Early Years SEN Partnership Hub alongside Health Professionals who are involved with your child and the SENco will support the decision-making process to planned targets on the One plan. The One plan will be written with you and will include how you can support your child at home.

Staff meetings within the setting will ensure all staff working with your child knows your child’s strengths and needs, and how to support them.

How will my child be included in experiences away from the setting?

We will endeavour to include parents in the planning of visits off site, to identify the strengths and needs of your child.  We can prepare a photo book for your child, so they know what to expect on the visit and invite all parents to join us on the trip.

We would carry out a risk assessment linked to the visit and the needs of all the children.

We would also take along any aides or medication your child may need.  All visits or trips would be planned in order to include all of our children, and we endeavour to keep them local and low cost.

How accessible is the setting environment?

If you are a parent who does not have English as your first language, we can involve another family member who speaks English, or if possible arrange for an external interpreter.  We are also able to access translation web sites to translate forms, policies and newsletters.

Signs and posters around the setting are used with pictures to direct children and adults.

Accessible toilets and changing facilities are available, and we will explain the limitations of the building we use to you on your visit. The building is fully accessible by wheelchair, as is the garden area.

We provide multi-sensory activities as part of our planning.

Policies are updated regularly and are available for parents in the welcome pack or by request from the office.

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How will I be involved in discussions about and planning for my child’s education?

We encourage you to be involved from your first visits to the Nursery, to register your child at our setting. The child’s strengths, needs, likes and dislikes are discussed at this time to help us make the settling in process go smoothly.

You are involved in identifying needs, information sharing, identifying targets and next steps to focus on at home and in our setting and reviewing progress toward these targets at regular reviews.

Your permission will be sought before involving outside agencies.

How will the learning and development provision be matched to my child’s needs?

We will get to know your child before they start with us through meetings with you and information from other professionals who are involved.  We offer flexible settling in routines that enable you to stagger the process until both parties are happy.

Ongoing observational assessments will be used as a starting point within the first few weeks of starting linked to the EYFS ages and stages of development.  Targets will be set on a One Plan if necessary to support the learning and development of your child. This enables planning for individual needs and learning goals.

Your child’s key Person and our SENco will work together to make sure that the environment, routines and activities support your child’s needs.  They will communicate with the rest of the staff to provide consistency and understanding within our team.

We will ask for copies of assessment from other professionals before your child starts, and advice from the EY Sen team, will be sought with your permission.

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What specialist services and expertise are available at Nursery?

All staff have accessed Child Development Training and have experience working with the Early Years age group.

Individual staff have accessed specific training on Makaton, Epilepsy awareness, and speech and language courses. We attend regular training and have experience working with children with ASD, sight and hearing impairments. Cerebral Palsy, hyper mobility and speech and language difficulties.

Our SENco attends meetings to keep up to date with the latest information and news.

They can refer a child to the Speech and Language Therapists as necessary.

How will you help me to support my child’s learning?

Your child’s key person or SENco will discuss with you at your child’s progress review meetings, how to best support your child and give you ideas for activities at home that will mirror what we do at Nursery.

If your child has specific identified needs, we will work with the team supporting your child and explain to you how we are acting on advice given by them to support your child.

We will discuss with you, where possible, on a daily basis at drop off and collection times how your child is doing on that particular day.  This enables you to let us know about any new information we may need to have.

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What training have staff supporting children with SEND had or are expected to have?

Our SENCO is completing the most up to date SENCO training, has attended Cluster Group network meetings and cascades any relevant information and changes to other staff at staff meetings.

Some staff have attended communication and language training, and had training on some specific needs Diabetes, Asthma, Behaviour etc.

Staff training records are held on file, and relevant training can be viewed on request to the Managers.

Our Promise

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All children are unique and learn and develop at different times in different ways.

We aim to take into account the views of each child and provide for their needs.

We aim to work in partnership with parents, listening to their unique understanding and knowledge of their child.

We endeavour to ensure that each activity can be enjoyed by every child.

Further Information/Contact

Telephone:  01206 396291   

Mobile:  07841 021060

Email:  busybeeskindergarten@gmail.com

Website:  www.busybeeskindergartenmanningtree.com

Busy Bees Kindergarten moved into its purpose-built building on the grounds of Highfields Primary School, Lawford in September 2010.

Busy Bees is a Community Interest Company.

The conditions of our Registration under the Children’s Act (1989) means that we are regularly inspected by Ofsted in order to ensure that the quality of care and education we provide meets the standards required by Ofsted. 

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