Early Years Centre Services
Early Years Coordinator: Cynthia Painter
Early Years Team: Sandra Maloney, Alexandra Neophytou, Sadiqa Khan, Faiqa Malik, Luisa Edwards, Angela Flavia Margine, Melanie Landu, Katielee Sullivan-Ankrah.
Sidings’ Early Years Centre Services offers a range of high-quality Early Years provision which includes:
- Inclusive & flexible Early Years Childcare or free Early Years Childcare (2-4 yrs)
- Information about other services
- Adult learning opportunities
- Drop – ins for Parents & Toddlers
Our childcare & Early Years Educational Services are Ofsted Registered (No. 100559) and our last inspection rating (Jan 18) was “good”. Our Early Years Centre is committed to providing a service which contributes to Camden’s vision of enabling young children to have a sure start in life and that “all children and their families reach their potential”.
We offer accessible indoor and outdoor facilities, using a wide range of resources to enable all children to develop and reach their full potential within the current Early Years Foundation Stage curricula. Being on the edge of Maygrove Peace Park also provides a pleasant green backdrop to our accessible outdoor play space.
Our Team is qualified and highly experienced in delivering a multi-activity programme which is appropriate to children’s age and development. As key workers – all staff put an emphasis on building positive relationships with their key children, ensuring children feel safe, cared for, and encouraged to achieve to their full potential. Key Workers also keep parents closely informed of their child’s progress and well-being.
There are also regular Parent Forums where parents can raise issues, be consulted about the programme of activities on offer, share ideas and information, and are updated on any relevant local and government-led issues related to Early Years Services.
Our last Ofsted Inspection in particular noted some of the following:
Quotes
“Parents are impressed by the level of information they receive about their child’s progress”
“All children ……make good progress from their starting point and are well prepared for school”
“Children show a keen interest in musical instruments and enjoy exploring rhythm and sound”
“Arrangements for Safeguarding are effective…”
“Staff strongly focus on promoting children’s language. They use a variety of strategies to help children communicate and increase their attention skills”
“Promoting children’s personal, social and emotional development is a clear strength and children are happy and well settled”
“Parents feel the staff are extremely supportive of their personal circumstances and provide good care and support when they need it most”
“Staff give good one-to-one support to children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities to help close the gap in their learning”.
Our curriculum is strengthened by additional support from:
- Camden’s Integrated Early Years’ Service Training
- Teacher’s Advisory Team
- Inclusion/ Intervention Team
- Plus other outside professionals such as local Health Visitors and Speech and Language Therapists.
We are also a member of the Children Centre (Kilburn) Locality Partnership Board and support the ‘Forest School’ approach to learning. (Please inquire for further details).During 2019 we were extremely excited to be able to pilot use of a newly identified “small forest school wooded area” on the edge of Maygrove Peace Park, offering a great opportunity for a combined indoor and outdoor Forest School Training Venue in partnership with Camden’s Early Years Team.
Support for Parents
Sidings Early Years’ Service places particular emphasis on working holistically with families and be a support of advice and support to parents during the important early years of the children’s lives. Some feedback and comments from parents to show how we have helped:
“I remember stumbling into Sidings four years ago when I found myself in a new city, alone with 2 very small children and little idea about the future… Thank you for looking after my two so wonderfully and for helping me to retrain and giving me a fresh start”
“We cannot thank you enough for creating such a lovely environment for playing and learning… the kindness, care and attention you have shown….”
“…Sidings is a very special place and we feel very lucky to have been a part of it”
“…You really have given my child the best start to school life…..Thank you for everything!”
Early Years Childcare Services for children 2-4 years
Term-Time Monday to Friday 9am – 4pm (plus some school holiday provision)
Our Childcare Services operate on a combined basis of affordable fees and also free places where government funding applies – see below
Fee Paying: We offer childcare on a flexible fee-paying basis up to 5 days a week for 2-4 year olds. As well as offering a stimulating multi-activity programme for children, this also supports those parents who are currently working, studying, or trying to get back into the world of work. Registered childcare is offered on a minimum of a 3 hour session, 3 times per week, starting at the following times: 9am, 10am, 12 noon or 1pm. Parents can choose to add extra hours on a flexible basis for up to 7 hours per day.
FREE Childcare places: we offer FREE 15 hrs Pre-School places for 3 & 4 year olds, and also FREE places for 2 year olds for those families who qualify for Camden’s 2 year old Scheme. (Please inquire for further details).
For children aged 3 &4 years, we are a provider for the government funded 30 hrs extended FREE childcare (*for those working families who meet the criteria). As a Camden-based provider, there is also the additional “Enhanced offer” of 30 FREE hours to children whose parents meet Camden’s eligibility criteria.
COST: £4 per hr (minimum 3 hrs per day), £28.00 per full 7 hr day
(10% discount for parents using our services for 30+ hours per week).
Crèches for Classes (1-4 years)
The Early Years Centre offers limited crèche places for those parents/carers wishing to attend community education & parenting classes at the centre at certain times. Places must be booked in advanced – contact Early Years Centre Office for more information.
Drop-ins Adventure Soft Room (0-4 years)
Term time only. Bright, colourful soft-room for children aged 0 – 4 years with special baby corner area, on Tuesday mornings from 10am— 12noon. We provide play workers, but we do expect parents/carers to stay and play with their children. Subsidised fee £1.
A limit of 25 children allowed at a time.
Further information
For more information about our services please contact the Early Years Office:
Phone: 020 7624 0588
Email: early.years@sidings.org.uk
