Tag Archive for: UK

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38 Weeks, 42 Weeks & All-Year-Round Childcare in Streatham

38 Weeks, 42 Weeks & All-Year-Round Childcare Options in Streatham
At Little Cedars Nursery in Streatham, we offer a range of three main options for weekday childcare and early years education. Some families require all-year-round childcare for their under-five child. Others may prefer (or, if funded through Government schemes, only be eligible for) “term-time” cover over 38 weeks of the year. Between those two options, Little Cedars Nursery also now offers a ‘midway’ solution that provides childcare cover for 42 weeks. In today’s post, we clarify how the options work and differ over the course of the year, including in calendar form so that parents can see the differences graphically. See our overview below and click the calendar image for a larger view. If you have any questions, use one of the contact options at the end of today’s post and we’ll be happy to help.

Calendar showing the academic year with options of 38, 42 and all-year-round childcare at Little Cedars Nursery, Streatham.

All-Year-Round Childcare

Our all-year-round childcare option does pretty much “what it says on the tin” and provides weekday childcare and early years education right across the year. Apart, of course, from that week or so when we’re closed over Christmas/New Year and on inset days and public holidays. So, it’s a great solution for busy parents.

38 Weeks of Childcare

Our 38-week childcare option is particularly well-suited for those families whose childcare is funded through one of the key Government childcare schemes. These typically fund a child over 38 weeks of the year. However, do talk to us (or your childcare provider if not Little Cedars Nursery) if you would like to explore the possibility of stretching the hours out over more weeks of the year.

The term dates and holidays for the 38-week option match very closely with those of most schools*, so are often referred to as ‘term-time’ places. So, if you have an older child at school as well as a child at nursery or preschool, your under-five child’s timetable should synchronise well if they attend using the 38-week option.

* Term dates sometimes differ a little from school to school. Check yours here.

The 38-week option also ties in with the legal minimum number of days that childcare settings like ours are required to be open each year (190 days when the nursery must be open to children plus 5 inset days for staff training and development).

42 Weeks of Childcare

Little Cedars Nursery has also introduced a childcare timetable that’s somewhere between the all-year-round and 38-week options. With our “42-week” childcare option, under-fives at Little Cedars Nursery are looked after over four more weeks of the year than provided by the 38-week option. This will give greater flexibility for families, particularly where parents simply cannot take as much time off work as there are school breaks. For example, childcare is provided during the school half-term break in February, during one week of normal school closures between spring and summer term in early April, and during two weeks of the school summer holidays in late July/early August. Take a look at the calendar provided above to see how the three options differ across the academic year.

Days when children don’t attend, common to all three options, are:

  • Inset days when we’re closed to childcare provision while staff attend training and development sessions.
  • Bank holidays and public holidays when, like virtually all businesses, the nursery is closed.
  • The week or so between the start of Christmas and the New Year, when the nursery is closed.

Check Out our Competitive Fees

You can check out our competitive childcare fees here. There are a few things to note therein:

  • Fee-paying places have slightly longer sessions, with morning sessions starting at 7:45 am and afternoon sessions finishing at 6:15 pm. In contrast, term-time Government-funded places begin a little later at 8:00 am and the afternoon sessions finish at 6:00 pm.
  • Lunch hour occurs between 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm.
  • For some children receiving government-funded hours, additional fees may be required for meals.
  • The standard £85 daily fee and £46 half-day fee are reduced, in effect, for those attending all year round.
  • Fee-paying siblings of children already attending the nursery are eligible for a 13% discount.

Fees and details are correct at the time of writing (31 October 2024).

High-Quality Weekday Childcare at Little Cedars Nursery, Streatham

Little Cedars is a nursery & preschool offering high-quality childcare in Streatham, near Tooting, Tooting Bec, Tooting Common, Tooting Broadway, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood.Ofsted rates Little Cedars Day Nursery as a Good ProviderDo you have a baby, toddler, or child under five in or around the Streatham area? If so, do consider us today for your childcare provision. As you can see above, we have several options that will suit a variety of different family situations. We also support many Government-funded free childcare schemes for eligible families. What’s more, we’re way more than just a childcare provider; we nurture every child to bring out the best in every area of their learning and development, enabling them to thrive and be ‘school-ready’ by the time they leave us to begin primary school.

Little Cedars Nursery is located in Streatham and is just a stone’s throw from Tooting Common. So, we will suit families requiring childcare nurseries in Streatham, Streatham Common, Streatham Hill, and Streatham Park as well as those looking for good nurseries near Tooting, Tooting Broadway, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood.

Contact us today, book a free guided tour of the nursery, message us or ask us a question — we’ll be happy to help:

Apply for a Place Arrange a Visit or Message Us 020 8677 9675
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Top Tips for a Successful Primary School Application

Top Tips for a Successful Primary School Application

If you're the parent of a 3-year-old child, or one that's just turning 4, choose your 3 preferred primary schools now and submit your application by mid-January.Are you the parent of a 3-year-old child, or one that’s just turning 4? If so, you need to choose your 3 preferred primary schools now and submit your application for them at the latest by mid-January of the coming year. It’ll be here before you know it! Whether you want your child to begin school at the age of four or five, you have limited time left for your application. With that in mind, today’s post outlines our top tips for a successful primary school application for your preschooler. Read on to learn how to maximise your potential success in achieving a school place that’s best for your child.

Top Tips for a Successful Primary School Application

1. Be Prepared — Know Your Dates!

Once your child is 3 or has only just become 4, you need to plan for your primary school application right away. And it doesn’t matter whether you want your child to begin primary school at the age of 4 or 5 — the deadline is the same. Applications open on the 1st of September and the submission deadline is 11:59 pm on the 15th of January.

2. Decide on Comparison Criteria

What do you want in a primary school? In the lead-up to your application, you will need to carefully consider how to decide which primary school will best suit your child and household. What criteria should you use? How can you compare schools? Decide what’s most important to both your child and your household. Criteria will probably include, for example, proximity to your home, travel time, whether a sibling already attends the setting, quality and reputation of the school, feedback from parents of children already there, Ofsted ratings, specific facilities that may best suit your child, and so on. These are all great ways to benchmark schools, but consider if there are other factors specific to your child too.

3. Focus on Primary Schools Nearby

It's important for parents to focus on primary schools that are close to their child's home.It’s important for parents to focus on primary schools that are close to their child’s home. That’s for two reasons:

  1. It’s convenient, with less travel time involved in dropping off and collecting your child from the school;
  2. Proximity to a child’s home is one of the key criteria schools and admission authorities use for the selection of schools (the closer the better).

So, nearby usually means a school is both convenient and a safer bet!

4. Research the Contenders

Now armed with your comparison criteria, research the schools, ask around for opinions, check those Ofsted ratings, ask for brochures, research the primary schools online, speak to your local authority about each contender and glean as much information as possible. Knowledge is power and getting it right is incredibly important for your child’s future.

5. Don’t Assume an  “Attached” Primary School is a Safe Bet

Some parents whose children attend a nursery or preschool attached to a primary school assume it’s a safe bet; the assumption is often that their child will automatically be offered a place there. Because of this belief, some of the parents are rather more ‘relaxed’ about their school application than they should be, for example, submitting it late. In such a case, they may get a nasty surprise on National Offer Day. So be warned; attached schools are not always a safe bet and therefore on-time applications are just as important with those as they are with other schools.

6. Visit the Schools

Visit the schools on your shortlist to get a feel for the settings, ask questions, and see how your child may fit in.Visit the schools on your shortlist. Such ‘in-person’ visits are like gold dust. You can ask questions, get a feel for the school, see how the existing children are getting on, witness the teaching style, and see how well your child might fit in. Take them with you if possible. Most primary schools will have open days or evenings, so find out about those and attend. Alternatively, call the head or school office to arrange a guided visit if possible.

7. Make the Most of Your 3 Choices

Don’t try to ‘outsmart’ the admissions system by entering your top school on the application form three times. It will not make any difference to your success rate for a place at the school. Instead, make full use of all three of your choices on the application form and ensure you enter three different schools.

8. Check if They’re Oversubscribed

School heads and local authority admissions staff will have access to data on historical applications and admissions to schools. Contact them to ask if the schools you have shortlisted are likely to be oversubscribed. Some popular schools are, and this alone makes it very hard to land a school place there because of the sheer level of competing families, especially those that live closer to them than you. If you do find that one or more of your school choices are likely to be oversubscribed, based on historical data, ensure that at least one of your 3 choices is unlikely to be so when you fill in your application. Then, at least you have a ‘safer bet’ to fall back on should your top choice(s) not prove successful.

9. Decide Whether Starting at 4 or 5 Works Best for Your Child

Summer-born children will be amongst the youngest if they start in Reception Year at 4 or amongst the oldest if they defer until the age of 5.One of the most fundamental decisions you need to make before applying is whether you want your child to begin at primary school when they’re 4 or the ‘legal’ maximum age of 5. This is a conundrum especially for “summer-born children” i.e. those born between the start of April and the end of August. For this age group, they’ll be amongst the youngest if they start in Reception Year at 4 or amongst the oldest if they defer their start until the age of 5. What’s more, for those deferring until 5, it’s not the parent who decides whether a child goes into Reception or Year 1 — it’s the schools and local admission authorities. So, parents need to decide, before applying, whether they wish to go with the usual flow and start their children at 4 (will they be ready?), or defer a year until they’re 5. It’s a fine balancing act and your decision needs to be made in the best interests of the child. That said, most children do start at 4 and go in Reception Year.

10. Include an Email Address in Your Application

It’s a simple fact that on-time parents who enter a valid email address on their primary school application forms receive their school offers first, on the morning of their release. That’s in mid-April for children starting in the September term. Submitting an application form without including an email address means you will find out via post. That is sent out via Second Class post, so usually takes a few days longer to arrive.

11. Don’t be Late With Your Application!

Ensure you are not late submitting your primary school application.Priority for primary school places is given first to those who submit applications on time. Each year, that means between the 1st of September and the 15th of January when your child is 3 or has just turned 4. Even if you intend to defer your child’s school start until they’re 5 rather than starting them while they’re 4, you still need to apply while they’re only 3 or have just turned 4. If you miss the mid-January deadline, you will stand a much lower chance of achieving a place for your child at your preferred school(s) — because places will already have been allocated to those who applied on time. Sadly, many families miss out because they simply didn’t realise how early they needed to apply.

12. Know Where to Apply!

Primary school applications are made via your local authority website (find yours here). However, some schools and specific settings (for example, some church schools, faith schools, and academies) require parents to fill in and submit the setting’s own supplementary form as well. Parents will need to find out whether this applies to the schools they are applying for through their own research, as it varies from school to school.

13. Chances Increase if a Sibling Already Attends

If your child’s sibling already attends the primary school you’re applying for, they stand a better chance of a successful offer at the same school. That’s a nice head-start for some!

14. Know What to Expect on School Offer Day in Mid-April

Be prepared for the result of your application next April, so you know what your options are if you do not get the offer you had hoped for. However, we’ve got you covered with all of the options in our Guide to National Offer Day for Primary School Admissions which covers things like appeals, waiting lists, and much more.

15. Accept Whichever School They Offer You

Accepting the offered school place does not adversely affect your chances with appeals or waiting lists.You read that right! When National Offer Day for primary schools arrives, it’s generally agreed that you should accept whichever school place is offered to your child. That’s the case even if you’re unhappy! It’s because your child then has a firm school place to fall back on should you appeal, or go on a waiting list for another school, and are unsuccessful. Accepting the initial school place that’s offered does not adversely affect your chances with appeals or waiting lists, which is why the accepted wisdom is to accept the initial offer.

16. Accept Your Offer On Time!

Once you have received your school offer, it’s incredibly important to officially accept it by the acceptance deadline. Such a deadline will be shown in the offer communication you receive in mid-April assuming you’re applying for a standard September term start. If you miss the deadline for accepting the offered school place, you may lose it. That’s because “unused” offers are offered to other children, for example, those who are on waiting lists, applied late, or successfully appealed.

Good Luck from the Team at Little Cedars Nursery, Streatham

Little Cedars is a nursery & preschool offering high-quality childcare in Streatham, near Tooting, Tooting Bec, Tooting Common, Tooting Broadway, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood.Ofsted rates Little Cedars Day Nursery as a Good ProviderWe wish all parents of 3- and 4-year-olds the best of luck with their applications and trust that today’s tips help to increase their chances of a successful outcome. It’s a huge milestone when children begin school, but rest assured that little ones under the care of our early years practitioners are nurtured in every area to ensure they’re as ‘school-ready’ as possible by the time they leave us. The good news, too, is that the vast majority of parents receive an offer for a school they specified in their application. Indeed, in 2023, only 1.4% missed out, so the odds are extremely good.

Little Cedars is a high-quality nursery in Streatham, just a short walk from Tooting Common (see map). As well as being perfectly located for those in Streatham, Streatham Common, Streatham Hill, and Streatham Park, the nursery is also only minutes away from Tooting, Tooting Broadway, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood.

Explore a possible nursery/preschool place for your child at Little Cedars Nursery today:

Apply for a Place Arrange a Visit or Message Us 020 8677 9675
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The Big Butterfly Count — Little Citizen Scientists Get Ready!

The Big Butterfly Count — Little Citizen Scientists Get Ready!

The arrival of July brings with it an annual request for young citizen scientists to help in the world’s largest butterfly survey. Adults, teens, younger children and even little ones under five can all play their part. Butterflies are beautiful creatures for children to see and taking part in the survey takes as little as just 15 minutes. This important nature-based activity is also fun, free, and educational, and will help in the conservation of butterflies and the UK’s natural world. With all that in mind, today’s guide tells you everything you need to know about taking part in the Big Butterfly Count for 2024.

What Is the Big Butterfly Count?

Since 2010, the Big Butterfly Count has taken place during the ‘peak butterfly’ period each year in the UK. During the count, thousands of people across the nation spend as little as 15 minutes surveying how many butterflies and day-flying moths they can spot, and of which species. Their findings are then submitted to the Butterfly Conservation scheme so that a detailed picture can be pieced together about butterfly populations across Britain.

“Counting butterflies can be described as taking the pulse of nature and we depend on you, our citizen scientists, to help us assess how much help nature needs.” (Butterfly Conservation)

Why Butterflies?

Butterflies are important to the UK’s ecosystem because they pollinate food crops and themselves form part of nature’s food chain. However, populations of butterflies have declined significantly in recent decades.

“80% of butterflies have declined since the 1970s and we have lost up to 44% of moths in the UK. ” (Butterfly Conservation)

This may be due to factors like habitat loss, climate change, and the use of harmful and indiscriminate pesticides. The decline is alarming from the perspective of butterfly conservation – some species are in real danger of extinction – as well as being a warning barometer for the state of nature overall. By monitoring butterfly and daytime-flying moth populations, experts can get a better idea of the health of biodiversity and the natural environment across Britain and, by doing so each year, identify trends over time. Only through such a widespread and comprehensive approach can measures be put in place to try to fix any problems identified. The Big Butterfly Count is therefore an important and hugely worthwhile activity for children and families to get involved in during July and early August.

When is 2024’s Big Butterfly Count Taking Place?

The Big Butterfly Count itself starts on Friday 12th July 2024 and will run to Sunday 4th August. However, the overall scheme and Big Butterfly Count smartphone app open on the 1st of July so that people can prepare, plan where to spot the butterflies, and so on.

How Can Children & Families Get Involved?

It’s simple for children, families and individuals to take part. It can take as little as just 15 minutes and is totally free.

What to Do

  1. Preparation is the first step. This is made easy for families because all the necessary resources are supplied by Butterfly Conservation, the initiative’s organisers. Download a free butterfly identification chart for your area here. This can be printed out for your child. Alternatively, for those with smartphones, simply download the Big Butterfly Count app (available free on IOS and Android) which incorporates everything you need, all in one place, including additional tools that are both helpful and highly informative.
  2. When you/your children are ready for the count, find a suitable butterfly-spotting location* and count the targeted butterflies and daytime-flying moths that you can see over the course of 15 minutes. This must occur during the period from Friday the 12th of July to Sunday the 4th of August 2024 inclusive. The smartphone app and/or identification chart from Step 1 above will help you identify the species of each butterfly you spot. More details about counting butterflies can be found here.
  3. Submit your findings via the scheme’s website or directly through the smartphone app (please note that, in each case, you will not be able to submit your results until the count is officially open). You can submit your butterfly sightings right up until the end of August and may submit more than one entry.

* Butterflies are more likely to be around when it’s sunny and sheltered, and there are lots of flowers and blossoms in bloom. Another option is to simply attract butterflies to your own garden; explained for children and families here.

 

How to See Results of the Count

Once the event is over (from 5th August inclusive), you can visit the event’s official map, which is interactive. Zoom in on your area to see which butterflies you and others spotted. You’ll be able to filter by species and date and see total butterfly counts and even the number of citizen scientists who have taken part.

Little Cedars Nursery, Streatham

Little Cedars is a nursery & preschool offering high quality childcare in Streatham, near Tooting, Tooting Bec, Tooting Common, Tooting Broadway, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood.Ofsted rate Little Cedars Day Nursery as a Good ProviderAt Little Cedars Nursery in Streatham, our childcare practitioners fully understand the enormous benefits of nature to children. It’s simply transformational, which is why we have outdoor spaces where children are able to sow seeds, tend to plants, and even grow vegetables. Nature teaches them so much and we therefore wholeheartedly recommend children’s involvement in the Big Butterfly Count each year.

First-class Childcare for Families in Streatham, Tooting, Furzedown, & Balham

Little Cedars is a high-quality nursery and preschool in Streatham, also close to Furzedown, Tooting, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood. If you’d like to consider sending your child under five to this wonderful nursery, please get in touch today. The setting has the backing of Government-funded childcare schemes for eligible families and a ‘Good Provider’ rating by Ofsted. Please choose an option to get started:

Apply for a Place Arrange a Visit or Message Us 020 8677 9675
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It’s the Perfect Time for Some Children’s Gardening Activities!

It’s the Perfect Time for Some Children's Gardening Activities!

At the time of publishing this article, many UK children are enjoying National Children’s Gardening Week. At this time of year, the weather is sunnier more often, so it’s the perfect time to involve children in gardening activities. Whether taking part in the event or not, gardening is a fun, educational activity for children — and will also help to make the world a better place! So, if you would like to introduce your child to gardening and all that it has to offer little ones, read on as we tell you about some gardening activity ideas that little ones can take part in now and at any time during the warmer months of the year.

National Children’s Gardening Week

National Children's Gardening Week takes place each year during the 'warm week' beginning right at the end of May.National Children’s Gardening Week takes place each year in the UK during what’s known as the ‘warm week’ beginning right at the end of May. This year (2024) it spans from 25 May to 2 June. However, children can get involved in gardening well outside of those dates*, of course.

The annual gardening event for children started in the north of England but now takes place across the whole Nation and, like the plants and flowers in the gardens, its popularity is growing. Indeed, children are taking part at home, in schools, and at childcare settings like nurseries and preschools. In turn, the initiative itself supports the Greenfingers charity, which provides wonderful gardens and outdoor spaces for children in hospices.

* Children Can Garden Any Time in the Warmer Months

Late spring and the summer months in particular make things much easier for children to learn about gardening as there’s negligible chance of frost occurring. Warmer weather makes gardening easier and less complicated for them because, when it’s warm, there is no need to protect plants and seedlings from adverse weather conditions. What’s more, gardening results are much faster during the warmer months of the year, so even less patient children can remain engaged. That said, patience is something every child will have to learn, so a little waiting for results is a good lesson to learn.

Gardening Activities for Children

There are many fun gardening-related activities for children to do during the warmer months. Here are a few ideas to get children and families started.

Grow with Peter Rabbit Activities

Free "Grow With Peter Rabbit!" activity booklets are available to download.This year (2024), National Children’s Gardening Week has teamed up with The World of Peter Rabbit and is encouraging children and their families to Grow With Peter Rabbit! Free activity booklets for the initiative can be downloaded here.  The dozen or so pages in this year’s activity booklet include 9 gardening-related activity ideas for children to take part in. Activities include anything from growing a windowsill herb garden and creating leaf-print cards to more simple tasks like solving garden-related pictorial puzzles. Download the activity booklet using the bold link above.

Wildflower Growing Activity

The most simple way to sow and locate seeds is to create a wildflower meadow.A quick and easy outdoor activity for children is to sow and grow wildflowers (follow the bold link for much more information about this simple but worthwhile activity). Once growing and flowering, wildflowers will brighten up the garden and also attract important pollinators like bees and butterflies. What’s more, this activity is possible using just flower pots or grow bags on a patio or balcony if you don’t have access to a garden. You can also download our free butterfly reference poster for children here.

Make Simple Bird Feeders

A wonderful way to encourage young children to enjoy and learn from nature is for parents to help them make bird feeders.Did you know, there are some incredibly easy ways for children to make home-made bird feeders?  Follow our guide and you’ll soon see how children can make bird feeders from something as simple as a pine cone or even a recycled milk carton. Take a look via the link and get ready to welcome some lovely birds to your patch. Indeed, bird spotting is all part of the fun (download our free bird-spotting poster here).

Composting Activity

As the compost pile transforms, involve children in observing the changes.Composting is another hugely worthwhile activity for children to take part in, even right up into the Autumn. It’s easy and a great way to ecologically dispose of waste like egg shells, vegetable peelings, and garden waste like grass cuttings. What’s more, once complete, the household will have a ready supply of nutrient-rich compost that will enrich and feed flowers and plants in the garden or flower pots on the windowsill.

Minibeast Spotting

The Great Outdoors serves as a natural classroom, with true hands-on learning experiences that provide numerous opportunities for children to acquire new skills and knowledge.Compost heaps are also wonderful homes for minibeasts, which are also fun and educational for children to spot. Use our previously published free Minibeast Reference Poster to learn how to recognise some of the common minibeasts that might be hiding in gardens, under pots, and in compost heaps around Britain.

Wildlife-Friendly Gardening

Try to teach your children how to make gardens wildlife-friendly (whether in back gardens or smaller spaces like patios and balconies). Ensure children understand that wildlife like bees and other flora and fauna are under threat from nasty chemicals and habitat loss. Try to teach your children how to make gardens wildlife-friendly.So, making a wildlife-friendly garden or area is a very worthwhile activity for children to take part in — and is educational on so many levels. See our separate guide to wildlife-friendly gardening for kids, try some of the ideas above, or download this free wildlife-friendly activity pack.

Indoor ‘Gardening’ Activities for Kids

The seeds will eventually grow into green cress 'hair', giving the egg people real character!Children can do ‘gardening’ activities indoors too! Get them to try making egg cress heads, for example. It’s an easy, fun activity and children will love the results!

Did you know that children can also grow food from scratch indoors? They’ll love growing microgreens indoors and it can also be done on a windowsill. Not only will it be fun and educational for the children, but they’ll also be able to eat the results! Learn more about growing microgreens indoors here and learn more about the benefits of teaching children to grow food here.

More Gardening Ideas for Kids

More gardening-related activities for children can be found here. At the bottom of that page, you can also use the ‘older entries’ link to discover even more ideas.

Gardening is also a great way to introduce children to the concept of sustainability, ecological matters, and the need to protect both the environment and the planet as a whole. After all, we only have one planet and our children and grandchildren will eventually be in charge of its stewardship. Find out about some additional sustainable gardening activities that children can take part in here.

Why Gardening is Such a Worthwhile Activity for Children

Gardening will teach children many new skills and new knowledge.The benefits of gardening for children are many and varied and that’s why it’s such a wonderful activity to get them involved in. It will teach children many new skills and new knowledge. It’ll teach them about the circle of life, how to care and be responsible for other living things, and about the importance of looking after the planet. It will also give them an insight into where some food types come from. It is also great fun, will give children a huge sense of achievement, and may even open their eyes to the possibility of careers in horticulture, land management, food production, farming, and the like. And, of course, gardening makes the world a better place in so many ways. Let’s also not forget that being around nature is hugely beneficial to children, but do remember to follow good safety precautions when children are outdoors.

Little Cedars Nursery: First-Class Childcare in Streatham

Looking for the best childcare in Streatham or near Tooting, Furzedown, or Balham?

Little Cedars is a nursery & preschool offering high quality childcare in Streatham, near Tooting, Tooting Bec, Tooting Common, Tooting Broadway, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood.Ofsted rate Little Cedars Day Nursery as a Good ProviderLittle Cedars Nursery also appreciates the importance of nature and outdoor play, so often engages children in such activities in our wonderful outdoor spaces. These include our own planting area where children can grow vegetables! The setting is a first-class nursery and preschool in Streatham and may also suit families nearby in Furzedown, Tooting, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood. A full early years education is available here for babies and under-fives, who are given all the tools and guidance they need to thrive once they leave us to begin at school. Government-funded childcare schemes are supported and the nursery is rated by Ofsted as a ‘Good Provider’.

So, if you’d like to give your baby, toddler, or preschooler the best start in life in the Streatham region, please get in touch today:

Apply for a Place Arrange a Visit or Message Us 020 8677 9675

 

 

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Guide to National Offer Day for Primary School Admissions

Guide to National Offer Day for Primary School Admissions

What is National Offer Day in the UK?

National Offer Day is the day that parents receive confirmation of which school their child has been offered for the next academic year. For those with preschoolers who require primary school places starting in the September term, over 92% (2023: 92.5%) will typically get an offer from their first choice and over 98% (2023: 98.6%) usually receive an offer from a school within their top 3 choices. Out of 568,600 primary school applications made last year for the academic year 2023/24, only 8,000 (1.4%) didn’t receive offers for one of their preferred primary schools (statistics are lower for secondary school places).

In today’s guide, we outline how and when parents of under-fives should apply for primary school places, how places are allocated, what to expect on National Offer Day (a.k.a. Primary School Offer Day for preschoolers), and what your options are if you do not receive an offer for your preferred school.

When Will Your Child Receive Their Primary School Offer?

National Offer Day for primary school places falls on the 16th of April (for secondary school places it is the 1st of March). On the ‘offers’ day, those who applied for places online will receive an email* from their local council to confirm the offer. There are lots for the council to send out, so the time of day the email arrives with you will vary from location to location. Also note that, in years when those dates coincide with a Bank Holiday or a weekend, the offers will instead be sent during the next working day.

* Some local authorities also allow parents to view offers through the council’s admissions portal/system.

When is Compulsory School Age?

Although most children begin school in the September following their fourth birthday, they have the option to start a little later if preferred. Compulsory School Age, which is the age they must be when they begin full-time education by law, is whichever comes first of the 31st of December, March or August following their fifth birthday. In practice, though, most children in the UK begin school at the age of four and reach five during their first year at school.

When to Apply for Your Child’s Primary School Place

For primary school places, you must apply in advance when your child is 3 or has just turned 4 at the time of application, even for those wishing to start school later.

Applications for September Reception year primary or infant school places should usually be made no later than 15 January that year but can be made as early as September of the previous year.

Example:

For a child starting primary school at the age of 4 in September 2024, apply any time from 1 September 2023 to 15 January 2024.

‘In-Year’ Applications:

For one reason or another, for example after moving house, some families may have to apply for a primary school place for their child after the school year has started. Such ‘in-year’ applications will obviously not follow the usual dates outlined above and, once an offer has been received, the child will usually begin at the agreed primary school at the start of the next full term.

What If Your Application is Late?

“Your child is less likely to be offered a place at their chosen schools if you miss the deadline for applications.” (Gov.uk)

It’s worth noting that applications may not be processed until some time in May if they are received late. As May is long after the processing of all those that were received on time has occurred, the odds of getting a school place at your first choice are potentially reduced if you’re late. In other words, if you want to stand a better chance of getting your preferred school for your child, don’t be late with your application! Late applications may also require the use of a separate ‘late application’ form.

How & Where to Apply

Families should apply for school places for their children through their local council even if they are applying for a school in a different area. They should also still apply if they are applying for a school that’s linked directly to their child’s existing nursery/setting. When applying, you’ll be able to list your preferred schools in order and, subject to available places, this order will be taken into consideration when your application is being processed.

Applications for primary school places can be made online (start here) or via your council’s paper application form. Note, however, that those applying via a paper form may receive the outcome of their application a little later, probably via 2nd Class post, if they didn’t include an email address as part of their application.

Criteria for School Offers

As well as the timing criteria outlined above, other factors will influence how likely you are to receive an offer for your preferred primary school, although the exact factors vary from school to school. They may include how close your child lives to the preferred school, whether your child has a sibling there already, whether you as a parent have worked at the school for 2 or more years, whether it’s a faith school that matches your faith, plus other potential factors.

Accepting Offers for Primary School Places

Be warned that the offer you receive for your child’s primary school place will include a deadline and you will need to accept the offer by that deadline in order to secure your child’s place. If you do not accept it in time, the primary school place may instead be offered to another child.

What If Your Child Is Not Offered a Place at Your Preferred School?

For one reason or another, a small percentage of families (2023: 1.4%) will not receive an offer from a school within those they selected as ‘preferred’ during their application. If your local council is unable to offer your child a place at any of your preferred schools, the council will need to offer you a place at an alternative primary school. Usually, this will be the nearest primary school that has a place available.

Appealing Your Child’s Primary School Offer

If you do not receive an offer for one of your preferred schools for your child, you can appeal the decision if you so wish. The offer letter will give more details about how to do so. More information about the appeals process can be found here.

Note, however, that it may be wise to first accept the offer your child was originally given so that you have something to fall back on should your appeal be unsuccessful. Doing so does not, apparently, adversely affect your appeal. The same is true if you decide to ask to go on a waiting list for a preferred school, and we’ll come to that next.

Primary School Waiting Lists

In the unlikely event that no primary school place is available, or if you do not receive an offer at your preferred school for your child, you can apply for your child to be put on a waiting list. This would be done through your local council although you can also contact the school itself to enquire. Interestingly, you can also put your child’s name on a preferred school’s waiting list even if you have already received and accepted an offer elsewhere.

Good Luck!

We hope this guide has been useful and wish you good luck with your primary school applications. We hope that you receive the choices you hoped for once the primary school offers day arrives.

Little Cedars Nursery, Streatham

A High-Quality Nursery & Preschool in Streatham, near Tooting, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury & Colliers Wood

Little Cedars is a nursery & preschool offering high quality childcare in Streatham, near Tooting, Tooting Bec, Tooting Common, Tooting Broadway, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood.Ofsted rate Little Cedars Day Nursery as a Good ProviderLittle Cedars is a high-quality nursery and preschool in Streatham, SW16. Rated by Ofsted as a ‘Good Provider’ of early years childcare and education, children under our care receive a first-class start to life in our warm, loving, home-from-home environment. At Little Cedars, we bring out the best in every child to help them become school-ready by the time they leave us to begin school in their fifth year.

Get in touch today to learn more about a nursery place for your child at Little Cedars:

Apply for a Place Arrange a Visit or Message Us 020 8677 9675
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Free Wild Mammals Poster for Under-5s — Perfect for World Wildlife Day

Free Wild Mammals Poster for Under-5s — & World Wildlife Day

With World Wildlife Day falling on the 3rd of March and Spring virtually upon us, we thought it was a great time to produce another free wildlife poster for children and families to download. This one features 20 wild British* land mammals that children will love! Using the poster, they can learn to identify the animals shown and perhaps look out for them when out and about over the coming months and years. It’s a handy reference tool that can be used to get to know their furry neighbours, whether in local parks, on trips to the countryside, or whilst on holiday. While some creatures like grey squirrels are common to see, some of the others shown are more shy — but that just makes it more exciting when they are finally spotted!

Many of Britain's wild mammals are stunningly beautiful and children often have a natural interest in them.Getting children interested in nature, and spending time around it, is extremely good for them as we’ve reported before — the benefits of nature to children are simply huge. Today’s focus on British mammals will not only be a good way to encourage an interest in some of Britain’s wonderful creatures but may also help them understand more about the need to support conservation efforts and protect wildlife. It’s a great way to foster empathy in little ones too. We’ll tell you more about World Wildlife Day shortly but first, grab yourself and your children the free mammals poster — the creatures shown are stunningly beautiful and kids are bound to love displaying the poster.

Download, print out and feel free to share this British Wild Mammals poster. Click the bold blue link or the preview image below and save to your hard drive. Once opened in Acrobat Reader and printed out, children can see if they can learn the different animal names and even spot some of the beautiful creatures over coming years while outside, in the countryside, or on holiday.

Free Wild Mammals Poster for Under-5s — & World Wildlife Day

United Nations World Wildlife Day

World Wildlife Day - 3 MarchWorld Wildlife Day celebrates the world’s flora and fauna. It happens on the 3rd of March each year and is a way to raise awareness of the need to protect nature. That can be achieved by reducing harmful emissions, pollution, habitat loss, and the loss of biodiversity. By introducing children to the beautiful wildlife around them, children will naturally be more empathetic towards other creatures and even progress to learning about conservation matters and the impact of humans on the planet. In this way, little ones can grow into young stewards of the planet and have an active interest in protecting it going forward. Get them started today by downloading our free Wild Mammals poster — who knows where it could lead!

Parents, teachers and early years practitioners can learn more about the United Nations World Wildlife Day here.

Other Free Wildlife Posters Children Can Download

Don’t forget that this is just one in a series of several wildlife/nature-related posters. All of them are free, shareable, and will be both fun and educational for children. Choose from today’s British Mammals poster above, our British Birds poster, Minibeasts poster, or Butterflies poster. Follow the links for more details and the free downloads.

Exceptional Childcare in Streatham

Little Cedars: a high-quality childcare nursery in Streatham, London, SW16

Little Cedars is a nursery & preschool offering high quality childcare in Streatham, near Tooting, Tooting Bec, Tooting Common, Tooting Broadway, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood.Ofsted rate Little Cedars Day Nursery as a Good ProviderWe love nature and all the benefits it brings to children, so we’re lucky to be located close to Tooting Common at Little Cedars Day Nursery (Streatham, SW16). We also encourage children to get involved in planting and growing in our own garden at the setting as nature teaches them so much. It’s all part of the early years learning and development programme at the setting.

Contact Little Cedars Nursery today and explore the possibility of a nursery/preschool place for your child in Streatham:

Apply for a Place Arrange a Visit or Message Us 020 8677 9675

Based in Streatham, Little Cedars Nursery may also suit your little one if you are looking for a high-quality nursery or preschool near Tooting Common, Tooting, Streatham Hill, Streatham Park, Streatham Common, Furzedown, Tooting Bec, Tooting Broadway, Balham, Norbury or Colliers Wood.

* By ‘British’ we mean mammals that can be found and seen in Britain. We are keeping things simple for little ones but appreciate, of course, that some of the animals featured were not originally indigenous to Britain. Examples include the Muntjac Deer (originally from China) and the grey squirrel (originally from North America). Even some red squirrels that we see in parts of Britain may be descendants of some that were imported to boost our own declining populations. We also appreciate that there are several sub-species not shown, e.g. several types of mouse, shrew, vole and others. That, again, is to keep things simple for little ones.
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A Guide to January’s Big Garden Birdwatch – Children Get Ready!

A Guide to January's Big Garden Birdwatch – Children Get Ready!

The Big Garden Birdwatch takes one hour, is free, and is an extremely worthwhile activity for children and families to take part in.Parents and children, don’t miss this year’s incredibly important birdwatching activity for the RSPB — and the planet — which occurs from Friday 24th to Sunday 26th January. The Big Garden Birdwatch only takes one hour, is free, and is an extremely worthwhile activity for children and families to take part in. It’s a great way to introduce children to the concept of conservation as well as getting them interested in spending time in and around nature. And, as we’ve reported before, nature is extremely good for children! In today’s post, we explain how easy it is to get your little ones involved and why taking part is a win-win-win for families, birds and nature.

What is the Big Garden Birdwatch?

The Big Garden Birdwatch began in 1979 and happens annually. It is the biggest garden wildlife survey in the world, each year attracting hundreds of thousands of participants up and down the length of the UK. 9.1 million birds were reported in last year’s count.

In essence, people get involved simply by choosing an outdoor patch, and then counting birds that land there during the course of an hour. They then report their findings to the RSPB. We’ll cover a bit more detail on how to go about that later in this article.

Why Does the Big Garden Birdwatch Matter?

The Big Garden Birdwatch is a great way to introduce children to the concept of conservation as well as getting them interested in spending time closer to nature.Monitoring populations of bird species every year allows the RSPB and other conservation organisations to see how the various types of garden birds are faring. Whether or not they’re doing well will be a barometer of the state of nature itself as well as that of the individual bird populations. If the RSPB and other conservation organisations can see a problem, they can then mobilise to try to do something about it. Likewise, if they see a particular bird species doing well, they can learn from that and better understand what measures are helping that particular bird population to thrive.

Nature is also incredibly good for children, helping them cognitively, academically, spiritually, mentally, socially, creatively and physically. Spending time in nature has also been shown to improve test results, lower stress levels and even improve earning potential. Learn more about the amazing benefits of nature to children here or, better still, get them involved in the Big Garden Birdwatch this January!

What Sort of Discoveries Has the Annual Big Garden Birdwatch Uncovered?

Each year, the Big Garden Birdwatch uncovers intriguing and useful data about how bird species in the UK are faring. For example:

  • Song Thrush populations are 80% lower than they were when the survey began in 1979.In 2023, the bird species spotted the most was the House Sparrow, followed by the Blue Tit in second place, Starling in third, Wood Pigeon in fourth and Blackbird in fifth.
  • Despite that, historical data from the count shows that even House Sparrow numbers have significantly declined — by 57% — since the count began in 1979.
  • Song Thrush populations are 80% lower than they were when the survey began.
  • Indeed, during the last 6 decades, data suggests that bird populations in the UK have dropped by over 38 million, a huge and worrying number.

How Families & Children Can Take Part in the Big Garden Birdwatch

There are 4 simple steps required to take part in the Big Garden Birdwatch this January:

  1. Register free, via the RSPB website. By registering you'll get a free guide to taking part and visual reference for identifying different birds.By registering you’ll also get a free guide to taking part in the event, which includes visual reference to the birds to look out for, as well as other perks like a discount on bird food and other bird feeding supplies available from the RSPB’s online shop.
  2. Choose a suitable outdoor patch to monitor during the survey event. It could be your garden, patio, local park, or even a view from a balcony will do.
  3. Between Friday 24 and Sunday 26 January 2025, count how many birds of each species, actually land in your patch during the hour’s monitoring.
  4. Once complete, confirm the biggest number of each bird species that has landed at any one time to the RSPB, along with the location of your patch. Please still confirm your findings even if you saw no birds land at all. Make your submissions online here between 26 January and 23 February 2025 or, if sending in via post, your survey must arrive by 18 February.

Children can take part individually or as part of a group. They can also undertake more than one birdwatching hour, and submit more than one set of results, so long as they do so from a different location (‘patch’) in each case. The RSPB guide gives more details about each step, so do ensure you visit the RSPB’s Big Garden Watch web area to get familiar with what’s required and to access your free guide.

Keen to Attract More Birds for Your Count?

A great spotted woodpecker visiting a garden bird feeder.If you’re keen to attract as many birds as possible to your Garden Birdwatch count, the RSPB has you covered. As well as providing useful tips on how to attract birds on their website, they also offer those taking part in the Big Garden Birdwatch a discount on bird food and easy-to-clean bird feeders from their online shop. Delivery is also free to participants. Follow the bold links for more information.*

* (Details are given in good faith and are understood to be correct at the time of going to press. However, 3rd party offers are beyond our control and, as such, may be subject to change without notice).

Little Cedars Day Nursery in Streatham

High-Quality Childcare in Streatham, London, SW16

Little Cedars is a nursery & preschool offering high quality childcare in Streatham, near Tooting, Tooting Bec, Tooting Common, Tooting Broadway, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood.Ofsted rate Little Cedars Day Nursery as a Good ProviderWe hope your little ones have fun getting involved in this year’s Big Garden Birdwatch — they’re sure to enjoy the nature-based activity as they take their first step towards becoming little citizen scientists. It’s hugely worthwhile for the birds and ecology and, as we know at Little Cedars Day Nursery, nature is hugely beneficial to children too.

If you are looking for high-quality childcare services in or near Streatham, do consider Little Cedars Day Nursery. Ofsted rates us as a good provider of early years education and childcare and we represent a wonderful start to children’s early years. We bring out the very best in every child and prepare them well to ensure readiness for school when they leave us around the age of five. We support various childcare funding schemes too, making our childcare service even more affordable for eligible families.

To request a place for your child at Little Cedars Day Nursery in Streatham, or to find out more, please get in touch using one of the following options:

Apply for a Place Arrange a Visit or Message Us 020 8677 9675

Our Streatham nursery and preschool is close to Tooting Common, Tooting, Streatham Hill, Streatham Park, Streatham Common, Furzedown, Tooting Bec, Tooting Broadway, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood, so may also suit families in those nearby locations.

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Child Benefit: a Complete Guide (2023/24)

Child Benefit: a Complete Guide for Parents/Guardians (2023/24 Edition)

Today’s guide aims to explain everything you ever wanted to know about Child Benefit in the UK. This benefit could be a lifesaver with the current economy and interest rates being what they are. Learn the rules around eligibility, discover how much you can get, and see how many children you can claim for. We’ll also explain what impact your earnings may have, how long you can continue claiming for, and much more. So, if you’re responsible for bringing up a child, take a look!

What Is Child Benefit?

Child Benefit is a financial support scheme designed to help parents and guardians with the costs of raising children.Child Benefit is a financial support scheme, provided by the UK Government, that’s there to assist parents and guardians in covering the costs of raising children. It is an essential part of the social safety net in the United Kingdom and aims to help families with the financial responsibilities that come with bringing up children. Eligible families are free to spend Child Benefit however they like, whether that’s on children’s clothes, food, or something else.

Who is Eligible to Claim Child Benefit?

In the UK, Child Benefit is available to those primarily responsible for raising a child under the age of 16, or under 20 if they’re in approved education or training (N.B. that’s unless they get paid for working 24 or more hours per week instead, begin an apprenticeship, or claim certain benefits themselves).

Child Benefit is usually paid to the person who is primarily “responsible for the child’s care”.

To be eligible, you must be living in the UK, the child you’re claiming for must reside with you, and you must be spending at least the equivalent of the benefit you’ll receive on caring for your child (e.g. through food, clothes, etc.). Up to a certain level, income doesn’t affect eligibility (we’ll explain rules around income later in this guide*) and you do not need to be working. Note also that savings do not affect eligibility. Interestingly, you do not necessarily have to be the child’s parent in order to claim, although only one person can claim for a particular child.

More details about eligibility for Child Benefit can be found here, including some caveats, exceptions and special circumstances.

How Many Children Can You Claim For?

There are no restrictions on the number of children you can claim for, so each child in your care can be covered if you're eligible.You can claim Child Benefit for all of your children who meet the eligibility criteria. It may surprise some to learn that there are no restrictions on the number of children you can claim for (unlike with some other types of Government child support), so each eligible child in your care can be covered under this benefit.

How Much Do You Get?

For the 2023/24 tax year, the rates for Child Benefit have increased to the following levels:

• For the eldest or only child: £24.00 per week;
• For additional children: £15.90 per week for each additional child.

Example:

If you are responsible for looking after 3 eligible children, you will get 1 x £24 per week plus 2 x £15.90 each week. That amounts to £55.80 per week or £2901.60 per annum.

These rates can be a valuable contribution to your family’s finances and provide some relief from the costs associated with raising children. They are usually paid to you monthly, however, you may be able to arrange weekly payments in some circumstances. The money is paid directly to you and can be paid into most types of bank or building society accounts, with the exception of Post Office card accounts and Nationwide Cash Builder accounts with sort code 07 00 30 that are registered in someone else’s name.

* How Do Your Earnings Affect It?

Child Benefit can be affected by your or your partner’s individual income if either of you earns over £50,000 annually.Child Benefit can be affected by your or your partner’s individual income if either of you earns over £50,000 annually. In such cases, you may have to pay a ‘High Income Child Benefit Tax Charge’. This charge gradually reduces your Child Benefit entitlement if your income is between £50,000 and £60,000. Indeed, if your income exceeds £60,000, you’ll likely have to repay the entire amount through this tax charge. We’ll cover more of the detail in the next section below…

Is Child Benefit Subject to Income Tax?

Whether Child Benefit is subject to Income Tax depends on the level of you/your partner’s income:

  • If you or your partner earn less than £50,000 per year, Child Benefit is not subject to Income Tax, i.e. it is tax-free.
  • If you or your partner earn over £50,000 and no more than £60,000 per annum, you will need to repay 1% of your Child Benefit income for every £100 earned over the £50,000 threshold. This is done through a special kind of income tax called the ‘High Income Child Benefit Charge’.
  • Because that equates to 10% for every £1000 of Childcare Benefit received, 100% of Childcare Benefit has to be repaid through the special income tax charge if you or your partner’s income reaches the upper (£60,000) threshold.

Is Child Benefit Affected by Universal Credit?

No, child benefit is not affected by anything you receive through Universal Credit. As separate schemes in their own right, each is paid independently of the other.

Can Child Benefit Contribute Towards Your State Pension?

Child Benefit will count towards your state pension National Insurance (NI) contributions if the child you are claiming for is under 12 and you are either not in work or do not have sufficient earnings for NI contributions. However, should you not need the NI State Pension credits yourself, you may be able to ask for them to be transferred to your partner/spouse in some circumstances.

How Do You Claim Child Benefit?

Child Benefit can be claimed online or via downloadable paper forms.Claiming Child Benefit is a straightforward process:

  • You can apply online through the official Government website. Fill out the necessary details and submit the form, and you should start receiving your payments within a few weeks. Learn more about how to claim online and what information you’ll need by watching this video.
  • Alternatively, you can use a physical claim form. Two versions of the form exist: a CH2 form to use if you are claiming for up to two children and a CH2 (CS) form for any children in addition to those. Use the bold links to download and print out the forms if you decide to go with the ‘paper’ option.

Tip!

Payments can only be backdated by 3 months. It’s therefore wise to make any claim before your child reaches the age of 3 months.

How Long Can You Claim For?

You can usually claim this benefit until your child reaches the age of 16. However, if your child continues in approved education or training, you can still receive this benefit until they turn 20. As we said before, that’s unless they are paid for working 24 hours or more per week instead of their education or training.

Child Benefit is a crucial source of financial support, helping to ease the financial burden of raising children for eligible families. Be mindful of the income thresholds that may affect your entitlement, and ensure you claim it promptly to access the full value of this funding. Also, keep in mind that Government policies and rates may change over time, so it’s advisable to check the official Government website links above for the most up-to-date information on Child Benefit.

A Nursery Place for Your Child at Little Cedars Nursery, Streatham

Little Cedars is a Nursery & Preschool in Streatham, London SW16

Ofsted rate Little Cedars Day Nursery as a Good ProviderLittle Cedars is a nursery & pre-school offering high quality childcare in Streatham, near Tooting, Tooting Bec, Tooting Common, Tooting Broadway, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood.

At Little Cedars Nursery in Streatham, SW16, we are mindful of the significant costs associated with bringing up a child. We therefore support all Government-funded childcare schemes for eligible families. Parents/guardians can also rest assured that we’ll give babies, toddlers and preschoolers the very best start in life, in a warm, nurturing environment. And, as Ofsted agree, we are a good nursery and early years provider.

If you’d like to register your child for a nursery place, ask us a question or arrange a tour of the nursery/preschool with your little one, please get in touch — we’ll be delighted to help.

Apply for a Place Arrange a Visit or Message Us 020 8677 9675

Our childcare service is based in Streatham near Tooting Common and the A214. As such, it is also conveniently located for families in Streatham Hill, Streatham Common, Streatham Park, Furzedown, Tooting, Balham, Norbury, Colliers Wood, West Norwood, Wandsworth, Clapham and Brixton.

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Support for Children with SEND in Early Years Settings

Support for Children with Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (‘SEND’) in Early Years Settings

Today, we’re looking at what help is available for children under five with Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (‘SEND’, also sometimes referred to as ‘SEN and disabilities’). Good support for such children, particularly in their formative years, is of critical importance to their longer-term progress, well-being and success. Appropriate support, provided in a timely and tailored manner, can have a real, positive impact on outcomes for children’s lives.

An Environment of Inclusivity

It is important to foster an inclusive environment for children with SEND, including at childcare/early years settings like Little Cedars Nursery. Whatever their differences, we know it’s crucial for all children to feel safe, comfortable, valued, and loved, as well as being free to express themselves. It’s also important that all children, irrespective of ability/disability, are able to make friends and socialise freely. This is therefore nurtured at childcare settings like Little Cedars.

Changes can also be made to childcare environments like ours, where appropriate, to improve accessibility for children with special educational needs and disabilities.

Identifying SEND

Identification of a special educational need or disability is the first step to properly support affected children.Identification of a special educational need or disability is, of course, the first step in being able to properly support a child with SEND. For this reason, good early years providers like Little Cedars Nursery will, as a matter of course, watch out for signs of things that might be challenging for children. As prescribed by the EYFS approach to early years learning and development, such assessment will occur as part of the day-to-day activities at such nurseries, preschools and early years settings, as well as during more formal assessments like the Progress Check at 2. Childcare practitioners, the Key Person allocated to each individual child, and the setting’s Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) will usually all be involved in all assessment stages.

Parents will be alerted to any suspicions and indeed should alert childcare settings if they have a SEND-related concern regarding their child. After all, parents may well have more insight, as they know their child best.

External professionals including health visitors, paediatricians and professional specialists and therapists can also be brought in to help with assessments if deemed appropriate. Only once a possible special need or disability has been identified and evaluated is it possible to look at appropriate support options for a child.

Developing a Tailored Support Plan

External specialists/professionals may be involved in the support plan for children with SEND.Support plans for suspected or confirmed special needs or disabilities are then discussed and custom-designed for the child. Such plans will be agreed between the child’s parents/caregivers, staff at the early years setting itself and any external specialists or professionals involved in the child’s care. Such programmes will be customised to suit the individual child’s specific needs and may include tailored activities, strategies, resources and so on. Formalisation of the support programme will allow all parties to pull in the same direction, working cooperatively for the benefit of the child.

“Assess, Plan, Do and Review.”

Progress and the effectiveness of support plans will be evaluated continuously. Should the support plan require fine-tuning along the way, then adjustments will be made to suit the ongoing needs of the child. There is also possible recourse to request an Education, Health & Care (EHC) assessment of the child’s needs from the local authority if deemed appropriate and sanctioned by parents. Should one occur, then a new support plan may be devised.

Similarly, if the help of external experts is required, for example help from a speech and language therapist, this can be arranged as part of the support package for the child.

With the right support, “the great majority of children and young people with SEN or disabilities … can find work, be supported to live independently, and participate in their community.” (DfE)

Special Funding & the Area SENCo

Special funding might be available to fund things like additional one-to-one support, special resources, or activities.In parallel to the SENCo at the child’s early years setting, local authorities also have their own Special Educational Needs Coordinator, known as the Area SENCo. They will also be integral to a child’s SEND support plan, helping with coordination between the local authority, the various parties involved in supporting the child, and in relation to any special funding requirements. If approved, special funding might be required, for example, for an additional member of staff tasked with giving one-to-one support to the child, or to fund extra learning resources and activities for them.

Area SENCos also continue to coordinate support for children with SEND through the transition from early years settings to school.

The ‘Local Offer’ Information Portal

Every local authority publishes information that informs families about the support available in their area for children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities. This is encapsulated in what’s known as The Local Offer. A Local Offer example for Streatham may help to illustrate the kind of help and resources available. Little Cedars Nursery is in the part of Streatham that falls within the London Borough of Wandsworth, and their Local Offer for SEND can be found here.

Funded Childcare for Under-5s with SEND

Parents may be wondering whether any free childcare is available for children with SEND. Here’s a quick snapshot of some of the options:

  • There are several childcare funding options for children with SEND.All 3- and 4-year-olds living in England are eligible for a minimum of 570 hours of free childcare per annum, irrespective of whether or not they have SEND. This is known as Universal Free Childcare or their Free entitlement and is typically taken as 15 hours of childcare each week over 38 weeks of the year, but how it is taken can differ. Learn more here.
  • In some circumstances, the above entitlement for 3- and 4-year-olds may be extended to 1140 hours per annum, equivalent to 30 hours of free childcare over 38 weeks of the year. This is known as Extended Free Childcare or the 30 hours scheme but, unlike with Universal Free Childcare, is means-tested. Many more eligibility criteria also apply (learn more here).
  • 2-year-olds with SEND may also be eligible for free childcare hours if they fall within one or more specific categories (learn more here). These include:
    – Receiving Disability Living Allowance (‘DLA’);
    – Being subject to an Education, Health & Care Plan (‘EHC’);
    – Having received a referral via their local authority’s Portage Service.
  • Parents of disabled children may be able to claim for free childcare support valued up to £4,000 per year through the Government’s Tax-Free Childcare Scheme. Learn more here.

More information about various Government-funded childcare schemes is available in our rough guide to childcare funding here.

Nursery Places at Little Cedars Nursery, Streatham

Little Cedars is a Nursery & Preschool in Streatham, London SW16

Ofsted rate Little Cedars Day Nursery as a Good ProviderLittle Cedars is a nursery & pre-school offering high quality childcare in Streatham, near Tooting, Tooting Bec, Tooting Common, Tooting Broadway, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood.

We support all Government-funded childcare schemes for eligible families at Little Cedars. We also endorse all the above support measures aimed at helping children with special educational needs and disabilities. We are officially a good nursery, as benchmarked by Ofsted.  Our nursery and preschool are located in Streatham, London SW16 although we are also conveniently close by for families in Streatham Hill, Streatham Common, Streatham Park, Furzedown, Tooting, Balham, Norbury, Colliers Wood, West Norwood, Wandsworth, Clapham and Brixton.

If you would like to apply for a nursery place for your child, ask any questions or book a tour with your child, please select an option below:

Apply for a Place Arrange a Visit or Message Us 020 8677 9675
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Guide to the Progress Check at Two

The Progress Check at 2 – it's purpose, who & what are involved, etc.

At Little Cedars Nursery, we understand the importance of monitoring growth in children’s learning and development and ensuring they are reaching their full potential. With that in mind, today’s article is a detailed guide to the Progress Check at Two. An essential milestone in children’s early development, the assessment leads to profound benefits for young children. So, today, we will walk you through everything you need to know about the Progress Check at Two, its purpose, what to expect, and how parents* can actively participate.

The Purpose of the Progress Check at 2

The ‘Progress Check at 2’ is a comprehensive evaluation conducted for children who have reached the age of two. This assessment, completed prior to their third birthday, examines their progress across various essential areas of their learning and development journey. Its primary aim is to identify any areas where additional support or intervention1 may be needed. By closely monitoring children’s progress, early years providers can tailor their approach to meet each child’s unique needs and thereby ensure children’s optimum growth and success.

1. In cases where specific educational needs or disabilities are identified, a collaboration between the childcare provider’s Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) and relevant health professionals or specialists will be built into the support plan that’s tailored to the child’s requirements.

The Significance of the Age of 2

The age of two is a pivotal period in a child’s development. It is during this stage that a child’s progress in learning, speech, language, cognitive abilities, physical growth, and social-emotional development becomes increasingly clear. Ensuring that each area is developing optimally at this early stage will have long-term benefits for the child, so it is important to confirm that everything is on track. A solid foundation for the child’s long-term growth and success can then be built.

Key Areas of Focus

The Progress Check at 2 concentrates on children’s progress primarily in the three ‘prime’ areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework. These are:

  1. Communication and Language,
  2. Physical Development, and
  3. Personal, Social and Emotional Development.

However, those involved in conducting the assessment often also evaluate children’s progress in the remaining four ‘specific’ areas of the EYFS curriculum. These are Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding the World, and lastly Expressive Arts and Design.

Preparing Children for School

Initiating the Progress Check at 2 and providing early support increases the likelihood of children overcoming developmental challenges before starting school. This proactive approach prevents setbacks during this crucial period in children’s lives. Without such intervention, children may face difficulties at the beginning of their educational journey, potentially hindering their overall growth and learning long into the future. Without a doubt, the Progress Check at 2 is vital in facilitating a smooth transition into school and fostering children’s long-term success.

Who is Involved?

The Progress Check at 2 is a collaborative effort between a child’s early years childcare provider, their parents and, if applicable, their health visitor and any external professionals that may be involved in the child’s early years learning and development.

The Role of Parents in the Progress Check at 2

The importance of parental involvement during a child’s early years education cannot be overstated. Such involvement is particularly invaluable to early years educators and childcare providers during the progress check. Ultimately, it is also crucially important to the child being assessed. Parents are therefore encouraged to share any observations or concerns that they may have regarding their child’s development. Their insights, combined with those of the child’s childcare/early years provider and those of any external professionals (if applicable), create a holistic picture of a child’s growth and progress. It thereby enables providers like Little Cedars Nursery to organise tailored support to address children’s specific needs most effectively.

The Report

Following the assessment, parents will receive a written summary of the report. This outlines their child’s achievements, strengths, and any areas for further development. The report serves as a valuable tool that allows all involved parties to track a child’s progress over time and to devise a plan of action to support their individual growth trajectory. It also serves as a basis for ongoing communication and collaboration between the childcare/early years provider and the child’s family.

To Sum Up

The Progress Check at 2 is a significant milestone in every child’s early development journey. At Little Cedars Nursery, we are committed to fostering a supportive and engaging environment that nurtures each child’s unique abilities. By actively participating in the progress check process, parents are ensuring that their child receives the necessary support and resources to absolutely flourish. Together, we can help children reach their full potential and prepare them for a successful educational journey ahead.

Little Cedars Nursery, Streatham

Little Cedars Nursery is a ‘Good Provider’ of Childcare & Early Years Education in Streatham

Ofsted rate Little Cedars Day Nursery as a Good ProviderLittle Cedars is a nursery & pre-school offering high quality childcare in Streatham, near Tooting, Tooting Bec, Tooting Common, Tooting Broadway, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood.

Little Cedars is a good nursery — and that’s official, says Ofsted!  Our nursery and preschool are in Streatham, SW16 but are also conveniently close to Streatham Hill, Streatham Common, Streatham Park, Furzedown, Tooting, Balham, Norbury, Colliers Wood, West Norwood, Wandsworth, Clapham and Brixton. We may therefore suit families living or working in those locations.

At Little Cedars Nursery free childcare is available as all Government childcare funding schemes are supported for eligible families (follow the bold links for more information).

Please choose a button below if you’d like to apply for a nursery place for your child, ask a question or arrange a guided tour to see how well your child would fit in. We’ll be delighted to help!

Apply for a Place Arrange a Visit or Message Us 020 8677 9675

A Clarification:

The ‘Progress Check at 2’  is Different to the ‘2-Year Review’ — but they’re Intertwined

As well as the ‘Progress Check at 2’, there is another, related assessment called the ‘2-Year Review’. Although both occur around the same age, they each serve distinct purposes. In contrast to the Progress Check at 2, the 2-Year Review is more about the child’s health and well-being. It is undertaken by healthcare professionals such as health visitors and assesses overall health. This includes things like immunisation status, physical and mental development, well-being, and parental support. Although separate, the two reviews share overlapping areas and, for that reason, are often conducted simultaneously. The result is thereby a more comprehensive understanding of the child’s development at this key age.

* To avoid repetition in this article and for the sake of brevity, the term ‘parents’ is used as a placeholder for parents, guardians or caregivers.

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