Nursery World Awards 14: Initiatives - Team Development

This specialist pre-school for children with special educational needs and disability takes a whole-team approach to staff development.

The setting, registered as a charity in 1976, believes that 'together everyone achieves more'. For this reason, staff, including volunteers, relay what they have learnt to the rest of the team following training, which Springboard's manager Jane Boulton says is 'priceless' and 'contributes greatly to job satisfaction'.

Despite experiencing challenges including a constant budget shortfall and a reliance on funding, the pre-school values staff learning, alongside that of the children.

Recently, two members of the team attended a course on PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System), a strategy that promotes communication through pictures and gives children a voice. This training broadened the range of expertise of the team in supporting children with speech, language and communication needs. Staff shared this technique with parents through informal workshops, as well as mainstream settings where the children also attend.

Practitioners at the setting have also benefited from attending 'Twiddle Box' training, which promotes the importance of low intervention strategies to promote fine motor skill development. This training has shaped parent sessions for play at home and been used to identify strategies within children's Individual Education Plans (IEPs).

To provide the best opportunities for children to learn and thrive, the pre-school constantly reflects on its practice and looks for ways to develop. This is also true for the pre-school's administrative processes. Recognising that it needed to develop its business approach, the pre-school's administrator undertook a level 3 Leadership and Management qualification, normally accessed by nursery managers. This training gave the pre-school a greater understanding of the range of communication methods available, which has benefited both parents and staff. The move to using more internal systems that are less paper-based has also generated greater appreciation of the admin team.

The knowledge and skills of staff are also clearly appreciated by parents, with one saying that she feels 'blessed to have the benefit of their skills, wisdom and care'.

Another said, 'The staff completely understand what it's like to have a child, or in some cases children, with additional needs in your family, and they are always there with a listening ear, practical help, advice and, most importantly, a cup of coffee.'

FINALISTS

The Hollies, Droitwich

Kidzone Cranwell, Lincolnshire

Seymour House, Essex.

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