Wind In The Willows Childcare (Sefton)

Welcome to Wind in the Willows, a whole new world of creative play and inspirational learning.

We are committed to delivering high quality childcare, we provide children with an enlightening and vibrant haven - come rain or shine! As a fully inclusive private childcare provider, regulated by Ofsted, we follow the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework and continually invest in our staff to ensure your child receives the very best.

Please note that although this setting is eligible to deliver the free childcare entitlement for 2, 3 and 4 year old's, they may not always have places available. Please contact the childcare setting directly to check availability. 

If your child is eligible to receive a funded 2 Year Old Offer place and you are having difficulty in securing a place, then please contact the Early Years Team at Sefton Council on 0151 933 6021 who may be able to help you. You can also email the team at  2yearolds@sefton.gov.uk 

If you are having difficulty in securing a Free Early Years Entitlement place for your 3 or 4 year old then please contact the Family Information Service at Sefton Council on 0345 140 0845. You can also email the team at  fis@sefton.gov.uk

 Wind in the Willows Local Offer

Our Local Offer is information for parents/carers of children who have Special Educational Needs (SEN) or disability, and all of those who support children with additional needs. The information outlines the support and provision they can expect to receive whilst attending our nursery.

Definition of special educational needs (SEN)

A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for them. A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty if they:

(a)           Have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age; or

(b)          Have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post 16 institutions

(c)           A child under compulsory school age has special educational if they fall within the definition at (a) or (b) above or would do so if special educational provision was not made for them. Clause 20 Children and Families Bill

Definition of disability

A child is disabled if he is blind, deaf or dumb or suffers from a mental disorder of any kind or is substantially and permanently handicapped by illness, injury or congenital deformity or such other disability as may be prescribed. Section 17(11) Children Act 1989

A person has a disability for the purposes of this Act if they have a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities (Section 6) Equality Act 2010

How does the nursery know if my child needs extra help and what should I do if I think my child may have special educational needs?

• The Key Person Approach enables parents/carers to establish a good partnership between nursery and the family. By using this approach it enables all individuals to raise any concerns they have in respect of their child at the earliest opportunity.
• The key person will complete observations, complete tracking documentation, and plan and assess for children’s individual learning and development. By using these it will enable all individuals to highlight any concerns about their child.
• With parental permission we will consult and discuss with our named SENCo (Special Educational Needs Coordinator). All of our SENCo’s have received additional training from the Local Authority to signpost and refer to outside agencies and professionals e.g. Speech and Language Therapy.

How will the nursery staff support my child?

• Key person approach. At Wind in the Willows we offer to all our families a period of ‘settling’ into nursery. This involves visits, discussions with the parents/carers and an opportunity for their child to become familiar with the nursery. During these sessions their child will be allocated a key person who will oversee these settling in sessions and form an attachment with their child. The key person will plan the learning and development of each child who attends our nursery. We have a number of policies and procedures which cover settling children in to nursery. These policies and procedures are available for parents/carers' to view at all times.
• Each nursery has a named SENCo who will support the key person and the family.
• Sharing information. At Wind in the Willows we hold regular staff meetings, room meetings and supervisions where each practitioner can discuss any concerns or issues in respect of a child. Confidentiality is maintained at all times however sharing of good practice, skills and knowledge is beneficial to everyone.
• Key persons, SENCo’s and Managers all have a specific job description, specification and responsibilities.

How will the curriculum (EYFS) be matched to my child’s needs?

Personalised learning which includes an initial assessment completed within the child’s first 6 weeks of attendance at nursery. The key person will complete this and the parents/carers are able to make their comments too on their child’s first 6 weeks at nursery. The key person will plan for the child’s learning and development and make an assessment using Development Matters and Birth to Five both of which are non-statutory guidance. If any gaps are identified not within the expected developmental milestones for their age group we can use the Department of Education Early Developmental Journals. These are designed specifically for children who are unable to achieve the expected outcomes of the Non Statutory guidance as identified above and have been designed specifically for children with additional needs.

How will you and I both know how my child is doing and how will you help me to support my child’s learning?

At Wind in the Willows we complete the following for all children who attend our nurseries.

These include the following:

• Communication using the EYLog system which is an App which can be downloaded and used on your phone. This can be in the form of home learning support i.e. activities to do at home with your child bags.
• Individual Personal Plans
• 2 year developmental progress checks (Statutory requirement within the EYFS framework)
• We track each child’s development every 12 weeks/checkpoint tracking x 1 per term
• Possible Next Steps to plan for children’s learning and development
• Transitional documents when children move from room to room
• Children’s care plans which include medical needs and behavioural needs. This includes diagnosed allergies and any long term medication requirements for example asthma
• We ask for parent/carer comments in respect of tracking children’s development and learning. Parents/Carers have an opportunity to upload information/Photographs via the EYLog App onto their child’s journey

We also offer the following in our nursery:

• Inviting parents/carers in to our nursery for parent’s evenings, play and stay sessions, involving parents in any special occasions for example annual carol concerts, sports days, charity events and graduations
• Resources to take home which include story sacks, chatterboxes, home learning bags. We also offer nursery mascots to go home / on holiday encouraging parents to take photographs and make notes about their child’s experiences outside of the nursery, for example ‘Billy the Bear’ who has his own toothbrush and bag.
• Attendance at Team around the Family (TAF) Meetings, These meetings will include all agencies and professionals involved with the child and family.
• Parents/Carers can request a one to one meeting with their child’s key person and SENCO for the nursery
• Reviews of children’s Individual Personal Plans every 6 weeks, parents will be asked to attend the review meeting and will be encouraged to make comments and suggestions about their child’s learning. It is often interesting to find out any interests that the child may have outside of nursery, what involvement other family members may have in the child’s life.

What support will there be for my child’s overall well-being?

Relevant policies and procedures to support children's overall emotional health and wellbeing will include:

• Medication policy
• Behaviour policy and behaviour management procedures i.e. ABC observations
• Training and development for staff
• SEND Policy.
• Risk assessments
• Inductions/probationary periods for new staff employees
• DBS checks
• Written references for staff

What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by your nursery?

At Wind in the Willows we have practitioners who hold the following qualifications:

• MA (Ed) Early Years
• BA in Early Years
• BA in Early Years Leadership and Management,
• EYP (Early Years Professional Status)
• EYITT (Early Years Initial Teaching Training)
• SENCo trained practitioners
• NVQ at level 5, 4, 3, 2

All of our practitioners are encouraged to complete Continuous Professional Development Programme in a variety of subjects throughout the year. These are usually accessed through each Local Authority. Additionally all staff complete training plans.

We also offer staff in-house training in:

• Safeguarding children
• Positive Behaviour Management

We can also make referrals to specialist agencies through the Local Authority such as Speech and Language or the SENIS Teams

What training have the staff supporting children with SEND had? Are they being trained currently?

• DFE supported Level 3 SENCO training
• NASEN training on going for all staff/variety of courses available on line
• SENDTAC – Level 3 SENCO training
• ELKLAN
• Noodle Now online training
• ECAT (Every child a Talker) to support communication difficulties in children

When a child has enrolled with an identified SEND or been identified while at our nursery with SEND, Wind in the Willows will discuss with parents/carers any outside agencies/existing or yet to be involved. A referral may or will be made to that agency. In some instances we may need to access additional training for our staff to enable the child to start with us e.g. Epi Pen training for all staff members which is usually through the Local Authority or Health Services for a child with severe allergies.

How will my child be included in activities outside the nursery building?

When organising any trips and outings all parents/carers are encouraged to attend as the ratio is 1:2 on outings. We encourage all parents/carers to come along and join us. Before all outings, activities and experiences a risk assessment is carried out. All venues are checked for accessibility and suitability ensuring children will gain the maximum from the experience.  If a child has funded 1 to 1 support we would arrange for the support to be used during the outing if possible.

How accessible is the nursery environment?

• We have wheelchair access at the front of the building.
• We have access to a toilet area that would accommodate a wheelchair.
• All doors/entrance and exit will accommodate wheelchair access.
• We encourage a print rich environment
• EAL – use of photographs, timelines, translation of newsletters for parents, signposting parents to Family Well-being Centres for additional support, use of pictures and word in their home language.

How will the nursery prepare and support my child to join the nursery or the next stage of education and life?

v  Settling in sessions

v  Enrolment Forms

v  All About Me booklets

v  My first day at nursery via EYLog App

v  Initial Assessments within the first 6 weeks of starting

v  Key Person allocated to each child

v  Observations of children

v  Room to room via EYLog App documenting transition

v  Termly liaisons if the child attends more than one setting

If a child is leaving our nursery to start school, once the parent has been informed of their child’s school placement, the teacher from the child’s allocated school will be invited into the nursery to meet with the child. The teacher will meet with the child’s key person to discuss any concerns or issues and to discuss the child’s development. We will always seek parental permission before we invite the teacher into our nursery.

How are the nursery’s resources allocated and matched to children’s special educational needs?

Resources are allocated to all children as far as possible

 If the nursery requires and needs any specialist equipment then this will be sourced from the local authority or health department involved with the child. As a private provider we do not have a budget for special educational needs, if a child needs specific equipment we would endeavour to source it from outside agencies e.g.  we have previously been able to lend walking frames for a child with impaired motor skills.

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

Multi agency meetings will be held to discuss the needs of individual children and how to meet their needs, SENCo’s, Key Persons, Teachers and other professionals from health will provide information within the meeting. This will help to determine the level of need of the child. The child with the need may be referred to the Multi Agency Panel Session (MAPS) this will then determine how much support they will be allocated whether it be financial in the provision of a personal budget or resources or time for specific activities.

How are parents involved in the nursery? How can I be involved?

Now we are all opening up again following the COVID 19 Pandemic we are beginning to hold face to face meetings with our parents.

Parents will be involved in their child’s leaning and development plans/reviews every 12 weeks via EYLog App

Check point assessments using the Non Statutory guidance Birth to Five/Development Matters are shared with Parents/Carers at parent evenings.

At any time a parent/carer can request a meeting with their child’s key person to discuss their child’s development. A mutually convenient time and date can be arranged.

We welcome all our parents/carers into nursery when we are holding celebration events such as our Graduation ceremonies when children are leaving us to go up to school.

Christmas Parties and other celebration events.

Further information or for enrolment information please contact the nursery on 0151 521 1555

Wind in the Willows (SEFTON) named SENCO is Leah Rummens

Nursery Manager is Tracey Murray

0151 521 1555

sefton@witwchildcare.co.uk

Other agencies

Netherton Family Wellbeing Centre

0151 282 1405

Sefton SEN and Inclusion Service (SENIS)

Professional Development Centre

225 Park Road

L37 6EW

0151 934 2347