Preschool Team & Partnership

Our Commitment 

We aim to work hand-in-hand with parents to provide the safest, happiest and most stimulating place for your children when you can not be with them yourself.

We set out to create an environment in which children will be safe, stimulated and challenged, a place where fun and enjoyment go hand in hand with learning and discovery.

We value our relationships with parents and we are committed to working in partnership with you by sharing information, listening to you and building good communication.

Our Preschool Early Years Team

Honor Oak Pre-school is situated in Forest Hill. It is an independent preschool that offers early year education in a small class size for children aged 2-5 years old.

Honor Oak Pre-school provides the highest standard of early year education for children attending the school. It is led by qualified early years teachers. Honor Oak Pre-school has a team of experienced early year professionals who are committed to provide the best standard of early year education for all the children attending. The pre-school teaching team is carefully selected through interviews that ensure every team member is chosen on the basis of their education, professional training, related experience and compassion for children’s care, learning and development. All pre-school members hold valid DBS, valid Educational Qualification Certificate with professional as well as personal references. 

Honor Oak Pre-school follows early years foundation stage curriculum. Through adult led structured and child initiated activities,  the children’s day is filled with wonderful experiences in achieving the Early Year learning goal including personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world, physical development, and creative development.  Most of all, Honor Oak Pre-school provides a safe, warm, stimulating and welcoming environment for children to learn, to play and to grow in confidence through a well-balanced curriculum and planned activities. It also offers optional Mandarin language lesson to all children attending the session as an extra-curriculum.

Working With Other Professionals 

Please Note: Please Note Our Preschool Do Not have Qualified SEN Specialist in House. Access to Kaliedoscope Lewisham Speech & Language Drop-in Clinic, Drumbeat ASD Information,  Lewisham Early Years SENCO development Officer are available for parents in needs of support. Lewisham Family Information Service supports search for suitable nursery placements in Lewisham, can be reach via - fis@lewisham.gov.uk

Lewsham Children & Family Cenrtre ( Preschool Early Years Alliance)

Lewisham Children and Family Centre offers support to children and families including parenting support workshop, free children activities opportunites, refuge advice, domestic, econmic & drug Sexual abuse support  and self referreal support. To find ou more about their sevice, please visit its website below: Lewisham Children and Family Centres - https://www.lewishamcfc.org.uk/

To make contact, on Facebook @lewishamcentrecentre 

Instagram @lewishamcfc 

or website at www.lewishamcfc.org.uk 

Early Years Alliance - www.eyalliance.org.uk/london-and-kent 

Childminder

Childminders play an important part in the the lives of many of our children and families, including many or our staff. Families eligible for 30 funded hours may wish to consider splitting the 30 hours between a part time morning or afternoon session at Honor Oak Preschool and the rest of the hours with your childminder. This can be particularly beneficial in giving your child the continuity they need, when they start nursery by continuing an already established secure relationship. This will also be important when they start Primary school and where working parents will no doubt need before and after school provision with your familiar  childminder.

Lewisham Council provide information for families seeking a childminder Where to find a Childminder ? it can be found here or via Lewisham Family Information Service  . Here is a useful leaflet  with advice for families on  How to Choose A Childminder.

Sitters for occasions

A nationa wide baby sitting service for family who requires flexible, weekend, evening, or emergency childcare for different purpose. For more information,please contact                    Tel: 08447367367  or Email to enquiries@sitters.co.uk or https://www.sitters.co.uk

Lewisham Safeguarding Children Board

If you are worried about the welfare or safety of a child or young person or you believe a child is at rick, please contact MASH Please contact:

MASH - Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub Email:mashagency@lewisham.gov.uk Tel: 020 8314 6660

I

f you believe a professional working with children poses a risk to children , please contact the LADO officer:

Email: LewishamLADO@lewisham.gov.uk Tel:020 8314 3114

However, if you believe that a child is at risk of immediate harm, please dial 999. 

Kaleidoscope Lewisham - Children's Speech & Language Theraphist 

Speech and language therapists work with children and young people from birth to 18 years

who have difficulties with speech and communication.The Speech and Language Therapy Service can help if your child has difficulties with any of the following:

• Paying attention and understanding what is said to them

• Expressing themselves, making sentences and talking

• Understanding the rules of conversation, social interaction and playing with others

• Forming words and speaking clearly

• Getting stuck on words/stammering

• Using their voices appropriately

• Eating and drinking

Referrals

Children and young people need to live in Lewisham or have a Lewisham GP to be referred to the service.

Parents/carers can make referrals by contacting the department or by coming to one of our drop-in clinics. At our drop-in clinics, parents, carers and people working with children can chat to a speech and language therapist or assistant. If a referral is needed, they will complete a referral form with you. Please note that, due to Covid-19, drop-in sessions are virtual for the time being.

GPs and health visitors can also refer children and young people to the service (with parental permission). The referral form will need to be signed by the parent/carer.

Once the speech and language therapy team have received your child’s referral, we will send an acknowledgement letter to the parent/carer and the person who made the referral. We aim to see children within 18 weeks.

Where will my child be seen?

If your child is under five, they are likely to be seen by our speech and language therapists based in one of our health centres (Downham Health and Leisure Centre, Honor Oak Health Centre, Sydenham Green Health Centre, Waldron Health Centre or Kaleidoscope).

If your child is over five, they are likely to be seen by our speech and language therapists who work in schools. The therapists will contact the school to arrange a time to visit your child at school. The therapist will also let you know when they plan to see your child so that you can attend the appointment too.

Initial assessment

Once your child has been referred, you will be sent a letter asking you to book an appointment for your initial assessment. This will establish whether speech and language therapy is appropriate and involves speaking with parent’s/carers about their child’s speech, language and communication needs. We may also (with parental permission) speak to other people working with the child, such as nursery and school staff, to find out how the child is communicating in nursery or school. We also carry out specialist tests to work out what kind of help the child may need.

Therapy sessions

Some children may need to see a speech and language therapist or assistant on a regular basis to learn and practise new skills. These sessions may be on an individual or group basis.

Some children may need to do speech and language activities in school, nursery and/or home. The therapists will show parents/carers and school staff how to perform these activities and will keep an eye on the child’s progress.

Some children may need to be referred to another professional, for example a paediatrician or audiologist, with parent/carer consent.

How can you get an appointment?

Parents/carers can make referrals by contacting the department or by coming to one of our Drop in Clinics. At our Speech and Language Therapy Drop-in Clinics parents, carers and people working with children can chat to a speech and language therapist or assistant -

 Speech and Language therapy drop in clinics

Professionals can also refer with parental permission. Please contact the Team for a referral form. The referral form will need to be signed by the parent/carer.

Once the speech and language therapy team have received your child’s referral we send an acknowledgement letter to the parents/carers and the person who made the referral. We aim to see the children within 18 weeks.

If your child is under 5 years of age they are likely to be seen by our therapists who work in the health centres. You will be sent a letter asking you to contact the team to book an appointment for your initial assessment.  This appointment will usually be at one of the health centres where we work from.

If your child is over 5 years of age they are likely to be seen by our therapists who work in schools. The therapists will contact the School to arrange a time to visit your child at school. The therapist will also let you know when they plan to see your child so that you can attend the appointment if you would like to.

Drumbeats school & ASD service is a 4-19 special needs school for autism in the London Borough of Lewisham and information Hub for ASD. Its website contains rich infomation for reference an dpointers -  https://www.drumbeatasd.org/website 

Autism Communication Clinic for children and Young People

contact us by phone on 020 713811000