With a team of experienced and qualified staff we excel at child-driven play. Linking in with EYFS and the National Curriculum we see that all children in our care develop well as we prepare them for their transition to school. 

With a new indoor space designed with play in mind and multiple outdoor areas available, children will have access to many experiences and opportunities. The YMCA boasts a secluded woodland, large playground and other outdoor space as well as close proximity to local nature reserves and many beaches. 

Fully ofsted registered. A security system is in place including CCTV on the interior and exterior of the building and keypad secure doors.

Please get in touch to learn more or visit our website for addtional details!

Who to contact

Telephone : 01803551578

E-mail : nursery@ymcasouthdevon.org.uk

Website : www.ymcasouthdevon.org.uk/muddywellies.html

Notes : Dee Passenger- Nursery Manager

Paris Davies- Deputy Manager

Kirsty Light- SENCo

Where to go

Name : YMCA South Devon

Address : YMCA South Devon
Dartmouth Road
Paignton
Devon

Postcode : TQ4 6NX

Notes : Just off Dartmouth Road; good transport links via car or public bus with regular buses between Brixham and Paignton stopping just outside the centre.

Our large carpark can hold around 70 cars (please note, a 5mph speed limit is enforced within our carpark). 

Other Details

Costs

Details : Please contact provider.

Availability

Age Ranges : age 0 to 5 years

Childcare Information

Vacancies

Details : Please contact for up to date information on vacancies

Funded Places

3 & 4 year old funding : Yes

2 year old funding : Yes

3 & 4 year old 30 Hour funding : Yes

Ofsted Information

Ofsted URN: 139449

Link to latest and historical ofsted inspection reports 

Local Offer

SEN Information

What special education provision is available at our setting?

• Here at Muddy Wellies a varied range of provisions are accessible for any child who has special educational needs.
• The setting has a designated SENCo who accesses the necessary support and training to accommodate all children’s needs (Katy Holman).
• The SENCo is trained in Makaton and delivers in house training to staff.
• All practitioners have a vast knowledge surrounding child development and are able to identify any early needs that a child may have; additionally all staff have a vast amount of knowledge to help identify early support as well as access to a wide range of monitoring resources.
• The provision will access multi agency support throughout your child’s time with us, in order to ensure all children’s needs are met working alongside; Early Years Advisory Service, Speech and Language therapists, Hearing Impairment Advisory Service, Health Visitor and Portage.  Outreach workers also where possible come into the setting to support meeting the child’s needs
• All key workers closely communicate with parents/carers to ensure that children’s daily routines at nursery accommodate the child’s needs. We offer parents evenings and regular ILDP  review meetings.
• We, as a setting, pride ourselves in keeping the child at the heart of any decision making.
• The setting utilises senior management and practitioner’s knowledge and expertise as much as possible, through sharing fresh training information, experience and qualification knowledge.
• Disabled access is possible to all necessary areas of the provision.
• Individual Learning and Development Plans (ILDPs) are completed for the children who require them; these are reviewed every 6-8 weeks by the settings SENCo, the child’s key person, parents and other agencies involved.
• Your child’s key person will track their development closely, identifying any needs of the child and implement targeted support if needed.

What criteria must be satisfied before children and young people can access this provision/service?

• Muddy Wellies Nursery is an inclusive setting which offers quality care and education from birth – 5 years. We provide care for children with a variety of needs and offer support to children and families. We welcome all children.

How do we identify the particular special educational needs of a child or young person?

• Upon first contact with the setting, information is gathered from the family and any other source available upon authorisation from the parents/carers, (agencies, professionals supporting the child/family and/or any supporting documentation) in order to establish the needs of the child.
• Once this information is captured, the setting will seek out all support available from within the Nursery group and/or outside agencies/professionals who may or may not already be engaged with the family, in order to provide a service that fully meets the needs of the child/family in question.
• The setting SENCo holds a level 3 in Special Educational Needs Coordination and has a vast knowledge around the graduated approach, this cycle is used to support the family and child in reaching their best outcomes.  She is supported by the management of the Nursery and YMCA, who all have considerable experience supporting children. 

How do we consult with parents and/or children and young people about their needs?

• When a parent decides they would like their child to attend the setting they are invited in to come and have a look around, ask any questions and have discussion based on what we can offer to support their child. We will then set a number of settling sessions, gradually increasing the time spent at nursery. However this can be individualised to the child depending on the level of need.
• The child will be allocated a key person which will be the first point of contact for the parent /career. The key person will monitor the child’s development and feedback to the parent/careers.

What is our approach to teaching children and young people with special educational needs?

• We have a child centred approach taking into account the needs of the child and how they learn as well as supporting the family. We use the graduated approach to inform our teaching. We individualise our teaching treating the child as a unique individual. We assess the child through observation then plan for their needs accordingly. We use the child’s motivators and interests to inform our targets.

How can we adapt our curriculum for children and young people with special educational needs?

• We adapt our curriculum by looking at the child’s needs; we do in depth observations on the child to inform the best outcomes. All children are included in the daily routine and activity of the nursery however this is adapted to suit the child’s needs and development.
• We use various resources to support the child through the day such as visual cues, transition songs and Makaton signing.

How will we ensure we get the services, provision and equipment that children and young people need?

• We have full support of Torbay’s Early Years Advisory Team and other professionals throughout Torbay for expert guidance and specialist equipment.
• By meeting with the family prior to the child starting, we can ensure that we seek advice from other professionals within the Local Authority and have strategies in place prior to the child starting. 
• We can also signpost families to other areas of support. 

How is this provision funded?

• Muddy Wellies at the YMCA is a charity funded organisation; any money raised is done through fund raising events throughout the year. The Local Authority offers funding for eligible 2 year olds as well as the universal and extended* funding for 3 and 4 year olds (*dependent on meeting certain criteria).  For more information on funding available for your child please visit https://www.torbay.gov.uk/children-and-families/childcare/

What additional learning support is available for children and young people with special educational needs and how do they access it?

• Learning support and targeted interventions and strategies are implemented by the key people whilst being supported by the setting SENCo. Adaptations can be made to our practice and provision to support the needs of the child. We, as a team, work together and collaborate on ideas; we also gain support from outside agencies where necessary.

How do we support and improve the emotional and social development of children and young people with special educational needs?

• We work in partnership with parents building relationships between key staff and the family. We use tapestry as a tool for sharing pictures and observations between home and nursery and use these as a talking point.  Parents are also encouraged to share photos and videos from home to foster the home and nursery relationship. 
• We work with the family to maintain consistency for the child, sharing resources, strategies and resources.
• We focus on personal, social and emotional development using the thrive ethos and enjoy activates that relate to the child’s well-being. The setting SENDCo and manager act as support to offer ideas and guidance for practitioners. The staff use various monitoring tools and behavioural plans to support a child that is displaying challenging behaviour.

How do we support children and young people with special educational needs moving between phases of education and preparing for adulthood?

• All staff work together to provide smooth transitions for the child. When a child is moving from one room to the other we provide lengthy transitional sessions. Staff have informal meetings discussing the child and a transition report is shared with the staff in the next room.
• As we are a small setting all staff play a role in working with all the children therefore all the children transitioning are familiar with the adults they will be working with.
• Throughout the year we hold parents’ evenings which offer an opportunity for parents and staff to share information relating to the child.
• Children that will be moving onto school or  a new setting are supported by transition sessions at the new provision. Staff will gain consent from the parents to share information relating to the child this will also be in the form of a transition document. All staff has a positive attitude towards children’s journey through life and speak openly about the transition to build confidence. We will make contact with the new provision to gain visual supports to gain familiarity for the child and use this as a talking point with the child.

What other support is available for children and young people with special educational needs and how can they access it?

The setting SENCo and manager hold a vast knowledge of support available for families. Where a concern is raised with a child, staff will discuss this with the SENDCo and the Nursery Manager and a plan is formulated.  As the plan progresses a meeting will be called with the family. The SENDCo will gain consent from the family and seek support from the local authority if necessary. The family will be given information relating to services available and various support groups available.

These services include:

• Early years Advisory Teacher
• Portage
• FIPCAN groups
• Speech & Language therapist
• Impairment support services

What extra-curricular activities are available for children and young people with special educational needs?

We offer various activities catered to the individual child we make use of resources available to provide unique opportunities. We have a garden attached to the nursery as well as woodland area that is accessible (and two Level 1 Forest school practitioners).  The children and practitioners within the Nursery also have access to the sports hall, play courts and outside areas of the YMCA. 

How do we assess and review progress towards agreed outcomes, and how are parents, children and young people involved in this process?

When a child is identified as having SEND we follow a cycle called the “Graduated Approach”.  In this approach we will assess the child and arrange a meeting with the parent/careers to plan what the way forward and how we will support the child and family. We will create some SMART targets based on the child’s areas of need. These meetings are a great way of parents discussing their aspirations for the child or anything they may be needing support with. The targets and plans will be reviewed and evaluated at the next meeting.

How do we assess the effectiveness of our special needs provision and how are parents, children and young people involved in this assessment?

We review our Special Educational Needs Policy on annually to ensure they are up to date and relevant. Staff and manager meet regularly through supervisions and appraisals as well as monthly staff meetings where staff reflect on their practice and discuss other strategies that may be needed. Parents/carers are welcomed to attend regular meetings with the child’s key person to monitor progress and discuss anything they have concerns or ideas about.

How do we ensure that teaching staff and other staff have the expertise needed to support children and young people with special educational needs?

As a setting we understand the importance of professional development all staff are required to attend a variety of specific courses and complete mandatory online training courses every 3 years.

Any specific needs of the child will be identified and relevant training will be sought.  The management team of Muddy Wellies have a wealth of experience and strategies which they share with other practitioners. 

How do we keep parents informed where children and young people have special educational provision but do not have an Education Health and Care Plan?

Key people are available to talk to at the beginning and end of the session. We offer an online learning journal (tapestry) which parent/careers can access and view their child’s observations and also contribute information relating to their home life.  Regular newsletters are shared with parents via the latest news option on Tapestry. 

We also offer termly parents evening where parents/careers can ask any questions.

How can parents, children and young people make a complaint about our provision?

Muddy Wellies offers an open door policy where parent/carers can talk to the staff openly and any grievances or problems can be spoke about with a resolution being found.

All complaints are dealt with in an appropriate manner and actioned by the management team.

Please refer to our complaints policy for more information.

How can parents, children and young people get more information about the setting?

For more information about us please call on 01803 551578 or email us on nursery@ymcasouthdevon.org.uk.

We will be happy to answer any questions and make arrangement for you to come and look around.