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Little Buddies Pre-School

Pre-School Playgroup

General Details

Little Buddies Pre-School is a small, friendly group. We aim to support parents/carers, the children and their families who are all welcome in our group. Our aim is to provide a caring, loving, happy, stimulating environment to enhance and support all our children’s interests and abilities. All our regular staff, volunteers and students have had a Criminal Records Bureau check. Our staff are highly qualified and experienced in Early Years, 7 are First Aid trained and regularly attend training sessions to update their qualifications. Little Buddies Pre School is Ofsted registered and offers the Early Education Grant, which offers funded places to eligible two, three and four year olds. We operate a key person system, which provides a link between parent/carer, their child and a specific staff member. The children are offered free time and space to explore and learn at their own pace, supported by understanding adults, in secure areas both inside and outdoors on a daily basis. For more details please contact Kate on 07906409418 or pop in during session to meet us. We are experienced with children who may have additional needs such as downs syndrome, Autism, global delay and profoundly deaf.

We often go on visits outside the setting to the park and shops.

Who to contact

Name: Kate Wright
Position: Managing Director
Telephone: 07906409418
Email: kate.buddies@gmail.com

Venue Details

Venue: St Lukes Church Hall
Address: Homefield Avenue
LOWESTOFT
Suffolk
Postcode: NR33 9BU
Venue Email: kate.buddies@gmail.com
Parking available: Yes
Parking details: roadside
Notes: Bus route at the end of Homefield Avenue.

30 Hours Extended Entitlements

Registered to provide 30 Hours?: Yes

Vacancies

Last updated: 04/04/2022
Immediate vacancies: Yes
Other information: Please contact Little Buddies Pre-School for vacancy information.

Days & times

Monday: 8.00 am - 3.30 pm
Tuesday: 8.00 am - 3.30 pm
Thursday: 8.00 am - 1.00 pm
Friday: 8.00 am - 3.30 pm

Inclusive Provisions

Wheelchair access: Yes - This setting has level access to their premises.
Cultural provisions: Yes - We welcome all children and their families. Our resources provide positive images of a range of cultures and faiths. We include a range of multi cultural snacks regularly. We had a black, Portuguese family join us, the child had English as a second language. We translated newsletters and information for the family and also had to help fill in funding forms. We also have had Chinese family whose child also has English as her second language, mum spoke a little English but did not want newsletters translated.
Individual dietary needs: Yes - We show regard to parental preference, cultures, faiths and nationalities within our snack choices and alternatives are always offered. WE had a child who had an intolerance to Wheat and Dairy, so we bought and offered alternative to all the children to offer inclusive practice. We also had to be aware of our resources such as home made play dough, which we made with wheat free flour so he did not became ill by licking or eating any of it. We had to be aware of snack and lunch club that he might try to eat other children's food, so allocated a member of staff to support him at these times.
Recent experience of supporting children with additional needs: Yes - The manager has had experience of children with Downs syndrome, Asperser’s, Global Delay and Speech and Language difficulties and is a Sure Start accredited Special Educational Needs Coordinator. We would offer spaces to all children with additional needs if the setting is suitable or can be made suitable. Staff would train to be able to meet the child's needs.
Specific additional needs this setting has experience of: ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
Aspergers Syndrome
Asthma
Autistic spectrum
Challenging Behaviour
Communication difficulties
Downs syndrome
Dyspraxia
Eczema
Emotional needs
Epilepsy
Global Delay
Hearing Difficulties
Hypermobility
Learning difficulties
Muscular dystrophy
Serious allergy
Severe dietary needs
Speech and language difficulties

Costs

Table of costs

Table of costs
Amount	Cost Type
£2.00 lunch	Lunch Club - Per day
£4.50 for 3-4 year olds £5.50 for 2 year olds £6.50 for under 2's	Per hour
Child age rate	Breakfast club - Per day
Child age rate	Lunch Club - Per day

Details

Normal sessions start at 9am and either finish at 12 or throughout the afternoon depending on how many hours you want your child to do we are flexible so sessions can be added together and additional hours added on

Other Details

Facilities

Climbing frame, Computer, Equipment for all ages, Out-door play, Sensory play equipment

Cater for over 8s

Age Range

From 2 Year(s)

To 4 Year(s) 11 month(s)

Notes

We have had many children from the local refuge and children with social care involvement. We are a sensitive non judgemental setting and understand the need for confidentiality.

Our aim is to support families, carers and the children.

Our SENCO is highly experienced with children on the Autistic spectrum and has many qualifications in this field.

We also have experience of children with seizures

Last Updated

04/04/2022

Ofsted Information

Ofsted URN

EY350350

Link to latest ofsted inspection report

Inspection history

Inspection History
Inspection Date	Inspection type	Inspection Outcome
17/04/2008	Integrated	Good
08/11/2011	Inspection (Early Years Register)	Good
30/11/2015	Inspection (Early Years Register)	Good
01/05/2018	Inspection (Early Years Register)	Good

Local Offer

Experience of including people with special educational needs and disabilities

Our named SENCO is Donna Hughes, she and the preschool have experience of working with children on the autistic spectrum. Katherine (previous SENCO)also has experience with a child with downs syndrome and other development delay, moreover she is experienced with writing education health care plan referrals.

We have had experience with a child also had an intolerance to dairy and wheat so we catered for his needs through diet. ensuring that our resources were safe for him by making playdough with wheat free flour so if he licked it or ate some he would not become ill, and more recently a child with dairy. soya, peanut and tree nut, fur and feathers allergy.

Many of our children have had speech and language difficulties and our staff are trained in Makaton and have experience with adapting language skill for these children. The staff have experience with choice and now and then boards.

We have the 'Wellcomm' assessment tools for speech and language and currently assess children on entry.

We had a set of twins who hearing was impaired and they both wore hearing aids, a member of staff worked closely with both boys and their mother to ensure their needs were met.

We also have had experience with a child who is profoundly deaf and had cochlear implants. One member of staff had relevant training and all the staff were trained in British sign language.

Our setting has experienced children with a range of- delay, asperges, and on the autistic spectrum including severely autistic, a child who experienced epileptic seizures, and children with challenging behaviour.

Each child had differing needs and our practice was adapted for each child.

We have a high ratio of adults to enable to meet the needs of all the children in our setting

Contact

Katherine Wright

Telephone

07906409418

Email

kate.buddies@gmail.com

Conditions Supported

Autistic spectrum conditions
Communication difficulties
Health conditions
Learning difficulties
Physical disabilities
Sensory impairments

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Reviews

Rated 3 out of 5
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could /should do better

staff seem unsettled and overworked ....always rushing about...they need to offer children more time to formulate their answers and respond to questions posed during their play and improve arrangements for group activities so that the needs and preferences of all children are fully considered and met. The last OfSted report was in NOV 2015 ...but since then unfortunately shows little improvement.

Improvements for Ofsted

Response to the previous review. Thankyou for looking at our Ofsted report and reminding us of our ONLY 2 improvements to become OUTSTANDING. I believe these improvements are being made through peer observation training and carrying out peer observations which clearly show that staff ARE giving children more time to process thier answers and "respond to questions posed during play" (Ofsted Inspection Report November 2015) Moreover arrangements for group activities have also been adjusted accordingly to meet the needs of our children, such as 'hello time', story time, social interaction, small group walks and adult focused activities. The setting has just completed the 'Twos Count Here' project which involved assessing parent participation and concluded with stay and play sessions, key person meetings, more parents attending trips, sports day and party days, all of which have been a great success thanks to the additional hard work of all the staff involved. We have also reassessed the setting, looking at exploratory activities espeacially for our two year olds and this has benefitted the older children too. This is an ongoing process - evaluating and assessing each term and planning through the characteristics of learning and schemas.