The role of key person in an early years setting is much more than just a title. It is a requirement of the Statutory Framework for early years foundation stage that every registered childcare setting must assign a key person to your child when they start.

At Buttercups, we feel that this role is extremely important as it ensures that all our children have a single person whom they can form a strong attachment with, as well as parents having someone they can regularly speak to about their child’s learning and development. At Buttercups, your child’s key person will ensure that your child’s learning and care is tailored to meet their individual needs.

When a child is due to start, parents will be told who their child’s key person is and have their role explained. The key person will help the child to settle and will be responsible for ensuring that the care your little one receives meets all of their needs.

Before your child starts at Buttercups you will be given our parent pack, which contains all the information you will require before your child starts. We also gather information such as individual needs and interests so we can prepare for your child’s first day. We will work with you and your child to ensure the transition from home to Buttercups is as smooth as possible, by working with you. To achieve this, we will offer you and your child a home visit, a one hour and two-hour visit to Buttercups, our induction process is flexible to meet individual’s needs. We actively encourage parents/carers to help support their child’s transition into the setting.

The key person is responsible for tracking the development of all children in their care. With the help of parents, a starting point for each child is gaged. Through effective pedagogy and mixing different approaches, children will be encouraged to learn through play. From here valuable observations can be made to ensure that children are successfully moving forward with their learning and development, or highlight whether a child has a special educational need, therefore requiring additional support.

The key person is responsible for tracking the development of all children in their care. With the help of parents, a starting point for each child is gaged. Through effective pedagogy and mixing different approaches, children will be encouraged to learn through play. From here valuable observations can be made to ensure that children are successfully moving forward with their learning and development, or highlight whether a child has a special educational need, therefore requiring additional support.

At Buttercups, we support children’s speech, language, and communication, which are crucial for their development. These skills enable understanding and expression of ideas, following instructions, and engaging in conversations. They also lay the foundation for academic success in reading, writing, and problem solving. Effective communication fosters positive relationships and social skills like sharing and empathy. It helps children express emotions and needs, reducing frustration and enhancing self-esteem. Strong communication skills are essential for future success in school, work, and daily life, highlighting the importance of early support to address developmental delays or speech disorders.

To ensure that Buttercups identifies any Speech, Language and Communication delay early, we carry out a straight forward screening process, which is also used by Health Visitors during a child’s two-year-check if needed.

The WellComm Speech and Language Toolkit is a comprehensive resource designed to support early identification of speech, language and communication needs in children. Suitable for use with children from six months to six years, it provides a straightforward screening process and targeted intervention activities. The toolkit uses a ‘traffic light’ system to highlight areas of concern, making it easy for practitioners, teachers and parents to understand a child’s developmental progress.

 With its engaging, child-friendly activities, Wellcomm not only assesses communication abilities but also offers tailored strategies to enhance language skills. It is widely recognised as an intervention and fostering better communication.

At Buttercups Nursery School, we offer a fully inclusive environment were all children are supported to reach their full potential. Our designated Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo), Lead Practitioner for Looked after Children, EY-ELSA, along with the key person, will identify, through careful observations, if a child requires additional support or referrals to outside agencies.

If additional needs have already been identified, we pride ourselves in working closely with parents and other agencies to ensure that the individual child is able to thrive and develop within Buttercups.

We ensure that parents are informed at all stages of assessment, planning and review of their child’s education and care.

To read our Local Offer please click on the link below…

https://fish.hants.gov.uk/kb5/hampshire/directory/service.page?id=fIr8ZJqbQD0&familychannel=6-1-9