The Grange Pre-School opened in 1967, we are situated in the Grange United Reform church hall in Southcote. The building has wide access for wheelchair users and prams. On entering the building we have an accessible toilet, men’s toilets and ladies toilets. There is a smaller room which is used for our lunch club and small group work.  We are a “pack away” setting and our environmental planning ensures that we offer a full range of activities across all areas of learning, daily. The setting recognises that there are limitations in respect of the children’s free access to all resources, however children are able to request changes and in most instances we are able to accommodate these. The outdoor space is grassed, with a small patio area which is fenced and gated securely. A large outside shed stores our garden equipment. The garden is divided into 3 areas. We have a large grassed area which has access to a summer house for the children. A car track area which we added as a result of a capital access grant in 2009 and a small patio area. We ensure that our inclusive admissions practice ensures equality of access and opportunity. We are proud to have achieved the level 1 Inclusion award, in December 2019, and are currently working towards the level 2 Inclusion Award. Our Senco has a Level 3 Senco qualification (CACHE Recognised). Our 2 Year old room leader has completed her Level 2 Senco qualification.

Local Offer Updated - February 2024

Firstly, parents provide information during their initial visits and home visits and a suitable key person is assigned to the child with the relevant training, secondly we have a dedicated SENCO who supports parents and children within the setting.  We use the graduated response system for identifying, assessing and responding to children's special educational needs. With parents permission we co-ordinate with the health visitors team if needed. On inset days key persons discuss any specific concerns over their key children and the SENCO can signpost to the external professionals if needed.

We ensure that parents are informed at all stages of the assessment, planning, provision and review of their children's education.  We provide parents with information on sources of independent advice and support.  We liaise with other professionals involved with children with Special Education Needs and their families including transfer arrangements to other settings and schools.

We provide a broad, balanced and differentiated curriculum for all children with special educational needs.  We use a system of planning, implementing, monitoring, evaluating and reviewing individual educational plans for children with special educational needs.  We ensure that children with special educational needs are appropriately involved at all stages of the graduated response, taking into account their levels of ability.

A tailor made individual support plan is put in place for any child with additional needs. The plan takes into account the strategies suggested by any of the external professionals involved. This plan is discussed with the parents and their consent obtained before implementation.

Children receive dedicated time with our SENCO and often receive one-to-one care if specifically required. 

Children will be regularly monitored and assessed according to their needs and a Learning Journey kept to track their progress, which is shared with parents on a termly basis. For a child with an ISP in place, the ISP is reviewed termly and targets are reassessed. Parents and external professionals are involved at every stage and their input is sought and highly valued when setting new targets.

All activities within the pre-school are suitable for the majority of children with SEND.  Trips taken out of school premises are only taken with the parents attending with their child, irrelevant of their ability.  All children participate in short walks around the pre-school and are attended with a dedicated key person to assist should it be required.

The main entrance to the pre-school is accessible via a flat path.  Our corridor is wide and has a slight slope which is easily accessible to all.  The garden has a patio area, a large grassed area and a cycle track which would be suitable for wheel chair use.  We have an accessible toilet within our setting.

We endeavour where possible to familiarise the children with their new environment to assist in the transition process.  Throughout this process, we involve the child, their parents and the receiving setting or school.  We prepare records about a child's development and learning in the EYFS in our pre-school.  In order to enable smooth transitions, with the parent's permission we share appropriate information with the receiving setting or school at transfer. We hold a transition meeting attended by the parents, SENCO, Key person, external professionals and the school the child is transferring to. A transition passport is filled in and passed on to the new setting. In the term after the child has started primary school or new setting, our Senco follows up with a phone call or email to the parents and school/setting.

The manager and Senco have regular meetings to review the overall SEN provision. We give our parents questionnaire to evaluate the effectiveness of our provision which is given to all parents, including those with additional or SEN needs. We also get written and verbal feedback from the various external professionals that visit our setting e.g. Speech and language, Portage, EP's. 

Pre-School Manager - Julia Molyneux
Pre-School Administrator - Angela Oakey

Parents/Carers are invited to come in, go through the learning journey and discuss their child's progress with the keyworker once a term.  We also have a parent questionnaire which is issued during term 3 and reviewed by the management team. They can put in complaints anytime, either verbally or written. Complaints are dealt with immediately.