PROSPECTUS 2014-2015 What is Bath Opportunity Pre-School (BOP)?

PROSPECTUS 2014-2015
What is Bath Opportunity Pre-School (BOP)?
First started in 1979, BOP is an Ofsted registered pre-school catering for children
aged 0-5 with additional educational and care needs. We have 13 permanent
members of staff and approximately 28 children on our books. Our high ratio of
staff to children and regular access to different therapists together with our strong
links with Health, Education and Social Care enables us to care for children’s varying
needs. We are an independent limited company with Charitable status.
Manager - Michelle Kimberley – Early Years Professional/Teacher Status.
Michelle joined BOP in 2010 as Deputy and was promoted to Manager in January
2011. She spent several years prior to BOP working as an Occupational Therapy
Assistant specialising in Rheumatology. Michelle is passionate about sustaining an
established and high quality provision for children with additional needs and their
families.
Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO)
Katherine Fallon – Early Years Professional/Teacher Status
Katherine joined BOP in May 2011 as the Special Educational Needs Coordinator.
Kath spent many years working as a Nursery Nurse in the Pre School Assessment
and Therapy Centre in Bath, (RUH) a centre for children with complex special needs.
Kath is passionate about ensuring our families’ needs are met, supported and that
the children attending our setting reach their full potential.
Management Committee
Julie Dyer – Head Teacher of Three Ways School
Michelle Kimberley – Manager of BOP
Kath Fallon – Senco at BOP
Trustees
Julie Dyer – Head Teacher of Three Ways School
Marjorie Furber – Retired Health Professional
Becky Belben - Parent
Administration
The office is manned by Helen Whitley who is happy to provide you with more
information or pass your query on to the relevant member of our team. Helen is a
graduate in Business Management and has lots of experience in running a busy
office.
Staff
Lee Dolman – Room Leader / Caterpillar Room
Kate Sutton – Room Leader / Butterfly Room
Claire Whatley – Early Years Practitioner
Rachel Longstreth – Early Years Practitioner
Pauline Smith – Early Years Practitioner
Kirsty Taylor – Early Years Practitioner
Paula Howe – Early Years Practitioner
Rea Hunt – Early Years Assistant
Dawn Scarisbrick-Rowe – Speech and Language Therapist
Amanda Yeo – Speech and Language Therapy Assistant
Marie Duncan – Early Years Practitioner / Bank Staff
Fees
£16.50 per 3 hour session, £33 for the whole day, paid in arrears. There is a provision
for assistance with fees – please speak to Michelle. We accept Early Years
Entitlement, Two Year Old Funding and childcare vouchers. An invoice will be
issued each month and payment can be made by cash, cheque, childcare voucher or
bank transfer.
Absences
If your child is ill please let us know before the start of the session he/she is meant to
be attending or you will be liable for the fees for that day. You will have to pay for
sessions your child misses due to holidays, but will not be charged for sessions
missed due to professional appointments as long as advance notice is given.
Settling in Period
A parent/carer is expected to stay on site for the first few sessions whilst the staff
get to know the child’s needs and administration forms are filled out. You are the
expert on your child so we value your input and welcome you in sessions,
particularly at this crucial settling in period.
Communication between Parents/Carers and BOP
Keyperson
Each child is allocated two Key people who are responsible for providing and
overseeing an Individual Education Plan (IEP) with support from the Speech and
Language Therapist/Assistant and the Senco. They will work with your child for part
of the session and will be aware of all the activities your child is taking part in. The
key people are your first point of contact if you have any questions or information to
share regarding your child’s care. He/she will also be available to attend meetings in
order to reflect your child’s progress. Please feel free to talk to them at any time.
Progress Reports
At the end of each year parents/carers receive a diary of their children’s work and
activities. At other times, particularly during statutory assessment stages, we will
be asked to write a report on your child’s strengths and needs to enable appropriate
provision to be made for him/her. All reports will be discussed with you, as a parent
or carer, before being sent to the agency involved.
Home-BOP Communication Link Book
Each child will bring home a book you can use for writing bits of information in such
as anything special your child has done, or anything we need to know to enable us
to care for them better e.g. that they are teething, bad nights sleep or they didn’t
have any breakfast. A key person will write in the book anything special that they
have done that session or tell you about planned events and activities.
Classroom Doors
There is a blackboard on each classroom door that is updated daily informing you of
the day’s activities. Staff also stick WOW cards on the doors to celebrate the
achievements of children. We encourage parents to fill out WOW cards for us to
display to celebrate any achievements at home. Please also check the hall displays.
Newsletter
Every term a newsletter is produced for parents to keep up to date with events at
BOP. It contains details of new members of staff, important dates and events and
other snippets of information.
Complaints (and Praise!)
Our Manager has an open door policy and available to listen to you if you have any
concerns or joy you wish to share. We also have a formal complaints procedure.
Details are available on the Parent/Carer Notice board.
We see communication with you as very important and value your comments at
all times.
Pre-School Set Up
Hours – option of a morning session or full day
Monday – 8.30-11.30 / 8.30-2.30
Tuesday – 8.30-11.30 / 8.30-2.30
Wednesday – Butterfly Room Only 8.30 -11.30 / 8.30 – 2.30
Stay and Play 9.30-11.00am .
Thursday – 8.30-11.30/8.30-2.30pm
Friday – 8.30-11.30/8.30-2.30pm
The Pre-School is divided into two classrooms:
Caterpillars
Primarily for children aged 0 till their third birthday. We provide a peaceful
environment for very young children to explore, develop and interact with the other
children and staff.
Butterflies
When a child outgrows Caterpillars, which is generally around their third birthday,
staff and parents will decide that he/she is ready for a more structured environment
enabling preparation for school. We recognise that some children benefit from
staying in Caterpillars until they are older and others are ready at an earlier age.
Additional Rooms
We also have a Speech & Language Therapy Room and we have access to a Soft
Play room and Sensory rooms which we share with Three Ways School.
Parent/Carer Room
Parents and carers are welcome to stay on site during session time. There are
refreshment making facilities and information on services relating to additional
needs. It is a good base for exchanging information and support within the parent
network – and a good place to relax and read or chat.
Therapies
Where appropriate our children receive in house Speech and Language Therapy
from our therapist and her assistant.
Music and movement is provided by Adrian Snell – Music Therapist who is based
with Three Ways School.
Occupational Therapy & Physiotherapy
We have regular visits from the NHS therapists who work individually with specific
children, recommending programmes and specialised equipment.
Other Professionals
We also have regular visits from Health Visitors, Social Workers, Educational
Psychologists and other link workers from Health, Education and Social Care to see
individual parents/children or to support parents in general.
A Typical Session in the Classrooms
Butterfly Room
Morning
Caterpillar Room
Morning
Hello Time
Hello Time
Story
Music and Movement- Adrian
Story
Music and Movement- Adrian
FREE PLAY
Snack
Food is Fun
FREE PLAY
Snack
Physical activity in community
FREE PLAY
Attention group
Narrative group
FREE PLAY
Physical activities in the community
TAC PAC®
Natural Outdoor play
FREE PLAY
Natural Outdoor play
Free Play
FREE PLAY
Natural Outdoor play
TAC PAC®
FREE PLAY
Children changeover
Story/singing
FREE PLAY
Children changeover
Story/singing
Butterfly Room
Afternoon
Caterpillar Room
Afternoon
LUNCH
LUNCH
Healthy Early Years Project
Colour schedule activities/joint attention
Healthy Early Years Project
Listening
Lotto
FREE PLAY
Narrative group
FREE PLAY
Narrative group
Sensory craft activity
FREE PLAY
FREE PLAY
Natural Outdoor Play
TAC PAC®
Natural Outdoor Play
Learning Programme
Our learning programmes are carefully planned to follow the Early Years
Foundation Stage Curriculum. In addition Individual Education Plans are devised by
staff, together with parents and therapists, to meet specific developmental needs of
each child.
Trips
In the past we have taken our children on trips to Bristol Zoo, Westonbirt
Arboretum, the Theatre Royal, Warleigh Lodge Farm and Weston Super-Mare, as
well as more local trips to the park or woodland.
Quality Assurance
To continually improve our services all staff are involved in quality assurance
schemes and we have been awarded The Bristol Standard and The Children’s Rights
Charter over the last few years. We have also participated in an Early Childhood
Environment Rating Scale. We have also taken part in the Well-being and
Involvement Project.
Staff Training
Our staff regularly attend training sessions for curriculum development, health and
safety and special educational needs information. All staff complete Mandatory
training courses such as First Aid, Child Protection, Manual Handling and Food
Hygiene.
Early Support Home Learning
Early Support Home Learning is a 12 week individualised programme that supports
families with a child who has a developmental delay. The Tutor visits the family in
their own home and works with the parents/carers to design learning activities that
help the child reach targeted goals.
Early Support Stay & Play
Early Support Stay and Play is an informal session for parents/carers to stay with
their children at BOP and play; learn and explore together. It is a useful opportunity
to discuss any concerns about a child’s development with experienced and
knowledgeable staff in a non judgemental environment. It is also an opportunity to
meet other families and their children. Sessions are weekly and it is advisable to call
beforehand to ensure space available.
Fundraising
As we have to find most of our running costs ourselves fundraising is very important.
Management spend a great deal of time on this and we are always happy to receive
help, ideas and contributions, however small.
We have a ‘Friend’s of BOP’ group who are committed to fundraising and supporting
the team and school with fantastic ideas and contacts.
Volunteers and Students
We welcome volunteers to support our team. We also welcome childcare students
from Norland College, The City of Bath College and Bath Spa University who work
with the children under the careful supervision of staff members.
Policies
BOP has written policies as required by Ofsted – these are available in the office or
in the literature stand by the front door. A selection are available to view on our
website.
Address
Bath Opportunity Pre School
180 Frome Road
Bath
BA2 5RF
Telephone
01225 830972
E-mail
Office
Manager
bop@threeways.co.uk
bopmanager@threeways.co.uk
We are constantly updating our service so items in the prospectus are subject to
change at any time – if in doubt please ask a staff member.