Forbury Gardens Day Nursery

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Forbury Gardens Day Nursery is an Ofsted rated Good, privately run, high quality, professional childcare service catering in the main for working parents in the Reading area, accommodating children from three months to five years of age.  It is open Monday to Friday throughout the year (except for Public and Bank Holidays).  Full time places are available 8.00am - 6.00pm offering a particularly stable and settled environment for the children.   Part time daily places are also offered, but we do not offer half day sessions.


The Nursery will now be closed at 2pm from Christmas Eve and will reopen after the New Year bank holiday. 

 

The Nursery reserves the right to alter the opening hours during the Christmas period. 

Take a look at the Nursery website or contact provider for more information concerning costs.

EY Funding available contact provider for more details.

Forbury Gardens Day Nursery is graded 'Good' by Ofsted &  has a five star food hygiene rating from Environmental Health.

 

This setting has signed up to offer Tax Free Childcare.

 

Who to contact

Contact Name
Amanda Hunter
Contact Position
Nursery Manager
Telephone
0118 958 8116 0118 958 8116
E-mail
info@fgdn.co.uk
Website
www.forburygardensdaynursery.co.uk
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Notes

Take a look at our Nursery Facebook page

We offer the children weekly music & movement sessions with ‘Wiggle Waggle’, weekly sports sessions with In2Sports and weekly French lessons with La Jolie Ronde.

Wiggle Waggle with Miss Joanna

All children thoroughly enjoy their weekly music and movement session with Miss Joanna. The sessions involve action songs, movement, drama, singing, rhythm… and all whilst having the most invigorating fun possible. The children use a wide range of activities and stimulation by means of different props, pictures, lights and instruments. They simply LOVE it!

In2Sports

Coach Dave visits the Nursery every Tuesday and offers a variety of sports including football, rugby, cricket and athletics for our Pre-school aged children. The children learn to work as a team and also develop lots of individual skills. These sessions are linked into the EYFS and are thoroughly enjoyed by the children.

French Tuition

French lessons with Rola are offered to children from 2.5 years every Monday morning. These lessons provide a unique programme developed specifically for this young age group based around two lovely fun characters: Matou and Tounette. It provides an opportunity to have fun whilst learning through fun songs, puppets, finger rhymes, games and crafts such as mask & puppet making. La Jolie offers good grounding for future language learning.

The children also spend time on walks in our local community visiting the local Forbury Gardens, Reading Library and visiting the local shops to buy ingredients for cooking activities, as well as more structured activities to the local theatre and farm trips.

Where to go

Address
Forbury Gardens Day Nursery
Abbots Walk
Reading
Berkshire
Postcode
RG1 3HW
Directions to RG1 3HW
Notes

We are based in the heart of Reading Town Centre, 5 minutes walk from Reading Train Station. We overlook the Forbury Gardens.
The Nursery has no car parking facilities. Parent's can use St James' Church car park for dropping off and collecting children from the Nursery.

Time / Date Details

When is it on
Monday to Friday 08:00 - 18:00

Costs

Costs
Under 2's £85.00 part time daily rate (days or less)  Per Day
Costs
Over 2's £79.00 part time daily rate (4 days or Less)  Per Day
Costs
Under 2's £75 Full time daily  Per Day
Costs
Over 2's £69.00 Full time daily rate  Per Day
Details
The prices are for full days, we currently are not able to offer half days. Take a look at the nursery website or contact Nursery directly for full current cost information. https://www.forburygardensdaynursery.co.uk/prices/

Inclusion Information

Wheelchair access
No
Details
The Nursery premises is classed as a listed building, we are therefore unable to make any changes to the structure of the building.
Special Needs provision
Yes
Special Needs Experience
Yes
Details
We have a vast experience of caring for children with additional needs. Please call the Nursery Manager to discuss further.
Provision for special dietary needs
Yes
Details
This can be discussed further with the Nursery Manager & Nursery Cook.
Can make special cultural provisions
Yes
Details
All children are welcome to attend the Nursery

Childcare Information

Vacancies

Immediate vacancies
No
Details
We have no immediate availability and are running at full, also operating a large waiting list. The waiting time depends on the age of the child, the start date & days of attendance required. Please contact the Nursery for further information. NO FUNDED VACANCIES No 2, 3 or 4 year funded only places available.
Updated
30/11/2023

Funded Places

Has 3 & 4 year old funding
Yes
Has 2 year old funding
No

30 Hours Extended Entitlements

Additional 15 hours of *Free* childcare offered
Yes
When are the additional 15 hours available? (e.g. Monday to Friday, 8am to 1pm)
If children attending 3 days per week.
Intending to provide 30 Hours?
Yes
Registered to provide 30 Hours?
Yes
30 Hours Partner Summary
Children have to attend 3 days per week in order to receive the 30 hrs funding.

Opening Times & Facilities

Opening Times
Opening Times
DayOpening TimeClosing Time
Monday 08:00 18:00
Tuesday 08:00 18:00
Wednesday 08:00 18:00
Thursday 08:00 18:00
Friday 08:00 18:00

School Pickups

Offers school pickups
No

Ofsted Information

Ofsted URN
EY221119Link to latest Ofsted inspection report 
Inspection history
Inspection History
DatetypeOutcome
14/12/2006IntegratedGood
25/11/2009Inspection (Early Years Register)Outstanding
05/05/2015Inspection (Early Years Register)Outstanding
01/07/2019Inspection (Early Years Register)Good

Local Offer

Contact Name
Amanda Hunter
Contact Telephone
0118 958 8116
Contact Email
info@fgdn.co.uk
Links
Forbury Gardens - Website
Local Offer Age Bands
Early Years (0-4 years)
SEN Provision Type
Universal
Local Offer Updated
17/04/2023

Early Years Private, Voluntary & Independent Settings

Description

Forbury Gardens Day Nursery is a professional, high quality childcare service, located in the heart of Reading, next to the Forbury Gardens.  We also take food hygiene very seriously here, and have received a five star rating from Reading Borough Council.

Forbury Gardens Day Nursery enjoys the benefits of being a large Nursery. We have a good reputation based on the care that we give to each individual child. Please email with any questions that you may have or call us on 01189 588116 to arrange a visit to the Nursery.

 In our latest Ofsted inspection in July 2019, we were judged 'Good' in all areas.

 

 Reviewed April 2023

1: How does the setting identify children with additional needs or SEND?

When families first register with our setting they are asked to supply information about any identified needs. If parents have any ongoing concerns, meetings can be held with the Nursery SENCO and the child’s key person. All concerns are taken very seriously and advice can be sought from outside agencies if needed.

 If we identify a possible SEND we would immediately arrange meeting with the SENCO and parents to discuss our concerns and help to direct them to the correct advice service.

We use the Tapestry, ECAT and the Early Years Outcomes to guide our staff in the children’s milestones.  

We complete a two year intergrated review in-line with the Health Visitors review to look at children's overall development.

Every time the child attends the Nursery they are observed closely and notes are made on significant progress and recorded in their individual on-line learning journals.

Parents have access to their child’s on-line learning journey and can also input observations, concerns, questions at any time.

Children's progress is recorded and tracked using their next steps and through in the moment planning. We ensure that children have individual support plans (ISP) made for them when they have a specific need. These plans involve targets which are individual to the child. Children's progress is tracked using the learning outcomes and parents are asked to be involved in every part of the IPP process.

 

 

2: How will I be informed / consulted about the ways in which my child is being supported?

Meetings are regularly held between the parents, the Nursery SENCO and the child’s key person when a specific need has been identified. Parents are always asked to be involved in the child’s learning and we would develop an ISP with the parents to ensure that we are working together. The SENCO would oversee this plan, keeping the child’s key person and other team members informed of the needs and the targets which have been set. The ISP would be in place for as long as the child’s needs remain that way and we would make alterations as and when necessary. The ISP’s are reviewed according to the individual child’s needs.

 

 

 

3: How will the setting adapt the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum for my child's needs?

Through initial assessments when a child comes to us, we are able to determine the child’s capabilities. We ask the parents for information on the child’s needs during the registration and induction process, these are recorded as 'Starting Points' in a child's development, a baseline assessment is then completed. We would put enough support in place for the individual child and would seek further advice from other professionals as and when needed. Gaining independence is a huge part of Nursery life and it is encouraged in everything we do, we can adapt activities via planning and assessment. The SENCO is there to support our staff team with planning particular activities to meet the needs of children with SEND. Each key person plans for the needs of each individual child in our setting. The children’s learning journeys, tracking systems and the staff own knowledge of the children help to inform the planning of activities and daily routines for the children. Parents are actively encouraged to be involved in their child’s day by looking at the planning, looking at their on-line learning journeys and we invite parents in regularly to stay and play sessions where they can get involved and also look at the sorts of activities we have planned for their children. We also hold parent’s evening once a year to discuss their child’s development in more depth and summative assessments are completed three times per year based on the children's current learning and development .

 

4: What teaching strategies does the setting use for children with additional needs or learning difficulties?

The Nursery uses visual timetables and prompts throughout the setting to help children with learning difficulties and additional needs. We may need specialist equipment and we would speak with outside agencies if necessary.

The ISP’s are put in place with the parent’s knowledge of the child and we seek further advice from other professionals where necessary. We would always allow access from other professionals into the setting and encourage the staff to observe the teaching methods shown by them.

 

5: What additional support does the setting provide for children with additional needs or SEND?

We would always encourage other professionals and organisations to come and spend time at the Nursery. Individual children may have varying needs and therefore we welcome support and advice from everyone. The Nursery uses the local Children’s Centre as a sign post to other agencies. They run sessions where parents can meet with Educational Psychologists and Speech and Language Therapists for advice. The Nursery Manager and SENCO has attended a variety of SEND & inclusion development training, which involved training in specific areas of learning difficulties and additional needs, the development of visual aids around the setting and dealing with behaviours of young children. The SENCO holds a certificate in special educational needs provision. The Manager works closely with the SENCO to advise them in specific needs.

Children without funded support would be involved in small group activities and may get some one to one time where possible. When funding has been provided for a child this would be used according the child’s needs and we would support as the funding required us to.

If we have specific agencies in mind for a child we would let the parents know when developing their ISP and help them to seek the correct advice. Parents are always involved in decisions about their child’s needs through regular meetings.

 

 

 

6: How will the setting monitor my child's progress and how will I be involved in this?

The process of monitoring a child’s progress is described in all of the previous questions.

Good relationships with parents is one of our main priorities, the Nursery understands and recognises the importance of the parents role and we would always ask for parents involvement when planning for their child, and ask them for specific targets to help their child to progress whilst they attend the Nursery.

Where possible children can be involved in setting their own targets and have their say in the activities which are developed for them. We always take children’s current interests into account when we are planning for them.

In cases where a child attends another setting as well as ours, we would share transfer forms and development summaries to gain overall knowledge of the child we would regularly communicate with other settings and in past cases we have been able to visit the child at their other setting to see how they get on there and what they get up to.

 

7: How do you ensure children with additional needs or SEND can be included in the same activities as other children, including trips?

When we are introducing a new child to the Nursery we find out all about them from the parents. We are then able to plan for each individual child and, where necessary, risk assessments would be carried out to ensure the practicality and safety of the adaptations we would need to make to activities and when taking them on outings.

When leaving the Nursery to go on a trip, all parents are invited to attend. It is not expected that the parents will attend, we would ask for valuable advice from the parent on how to organise and prepare the child for the outing. The Nursery would look at the relevant support and equipment needed when arranging the details of the trip.

 

8: How accessible is the building for children with mobility difficulties / wheelchair users?

Our setting is based in a listed building so we are restricted in some areas, however we try to be as adaptable as possible, and have in the past had children attend our setting who require the use of a wheelchair.

The lower level of the building is wheelchair accessible. The garden is accessible via a private walkway, staff would always be on hand to ensure the safety of any child in a wheelchair. The upper level of the building could be accessed via a stair climber which we would seek funding for when needed. Each room has a visual timetable displayed and this can be adapted to individual children’s needs.

 

9: How will you support my child's transition to a new setting or school?

Before any child attends our setting they must have had an induction to discuss the child’s needs. Once this has been done all of the staff team involved in the child’s care would be briefed on their needs. The child would be invited to come and play for a number of short sessions to develop their confidence and relationships with their new carers. Where children have more specific needs and need specialist equipment we would ask for parent support in accessing the equipment that we need. We would need contact name and numbers for every professional involved with the child so that we could communicate with them on a regular basis about the child’s needs. When a child is moving onto a new room in this setting we ensure we allow plenty of time for transition. Lengthy reports are filled in by the child’s current key person which are then passed onto the new room. We accommodate the children on many short visits to allow them time to adjust to the new room and make new relationships with their peers and staff.
When a child is starting at a new setting or school we would ensure that all transition documents are sent in plenty of notice, we would send them the child’s ISP with parental consent and could also share their learning journal. The child’s key person would arrange a meeting with the Nursery SENCO and the schools SENCO and the child’s teacher, at the school, and discussions can be held with the parent and child present to ensure that everyone can be involved in decisions made about the transition. Where a child has an EHC plan we would call a meeting with all of the professionals involved with the child so that the school is fully prepared for the child’s needs and know what has been being worked on. Parents are welcome to speak to the staff about the transition at any time and can ask to speak with the SENCO or Manager of the Nursery.

 

10: How does the setting assess the overall effectiveness of its SEN provision and how can parents / carers take part in this evaluation?

 

The Nursery regularly sends out parent questionnaires to assess the overall effectiveness of its provision. We have a comments box for parents to express their views and the office has an open door policy to actively invite parents in to express any ideas for improvements and give advice and offer support in any way they can. Parents can share their views with us through their child's on-line Learning Journey which parents have full access to.

 

11: Who should I contact if I am considering registering for a place at the setting?

 

Amanda Hunter- Nursery Manager- 0118 958 8116 -info@fgdn.co.uk

 

Please contact us for an information pack and enrolment form to register your child.

 Visit our website www.forburygardensdaynursery.co.uk

 

 

 

       

 

12: What arrangements does the setting have for feedback from parents / carers, including compliments and complaints?

Useful information about other agencies can be found in the entrance hall of the Nursery and further details can be given to the Nursery from our local children’s centre.

Our Complaints & Compliments Policy can be given on request. Parents are more than welcome to come and visit the setting to see a member of staff who will be able to talk to in detail about all of our policies and procedures.

 

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Disclaimer

This information has been collected from third party providers therefore the Reading Services Guide, Reading Borough Council (RBC) and Brighter Futures for Children (BFfC) cannot accept responsibility for the accuracy of this information and recommends that parents, carers, young people, residents and professionals check with providers regarding DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service) and OFSTED registrations and CQC registrations. Information collected by Reading Service Guide; is used solely to implement and supply the Family Information Service (FIS), Special Educational Needs & Disabilities - Reading's Local Offer, Adults & Carers Support Group and Reading Youth.

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Family Information Service

fis@reading.gov.uk 0118 937 3777 OPTION 2 0118 937 3777 OPTION 2

SEND Local Offer

localoffer@reading.gov.uk 0118 937 3777 OPTION 2 0118 937 3777 OPTION 2

Adult & Carers Support

CSAAdvice.Signposting@reading.gov.uk 0118 937 3747 0118 937 3747
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