Hillfields Early Years Centre

About the Centre:

Hillfields Early Years Centre was nominated by The DfEE as an Early Excellence Centre in December 1997, it was also the first Combined Nursery Centre in the country developed in the late 60’s and opened in 1971. Its aim was, and still is - to meet the needs of the Hillfields community.

Established in an inner city area of Coventry that had no nursery provision of any kind Education, Health and Department of Social Security planned a Combined Centre.

The Centre is open throughout the year providing extended day provision, currently the Centre is used by over 200 children a week and their families. We offer a flexible programme of nursery places and Family Support to meet the needs of local families, which includes:

• Nursery places for children age 2 - 4 +

• Family Support, including individual support for parents and carers

• Outreach support for families

• Contact visits

• Daily parent and toddler sessions

• Parent and baby groups

• A community toy library

• A number of adult groups including: informal adult groups, cookery groups, discussion groups, craft workshops, behaviour management, and accredited courses

• Weekly link medical meetings with Community Medical Officer and Health Visitors

• Speech therapy

• Links with local primary and secondary schools, Cornerstone Family Centre, Social Workers, Community Education, Educational Psychology Service and Child Development Unit

• Community links with the Hillfields Partnership and the Environment, Anti poverty and Health sub-groups

• Training for other providers

 The Centre is now jointly funded by Social Services and Education Departments and administered by the Education Department, the total budget is managed by the Head of Centre with support from the LEA and the Nursery Centre Management Committee. The Management Committee has representation from: parents, staff, Social Services, Education, Health, the local community, local providers and business links.

The Centre is staffed by a multi disciplinary staff team including nursery teachers, nursery and family support workers (who have NNEB or BTech qualification)

parents, employed as unqualified sessional workers in the Crèche and leading in parent Cookery groups plus an Admin and Clerical support team, all these roles are very important to providing a high quality service. In addition, we have weekly link meetings with a Community Medical Officer and Health Visitors and frequent contact with local Social Workers, Educational Psychologists, Speech Therapists and support staff from other disciplines.

To provide continuity and progression for children’s emotional and cognitive development some keyworkers move from Family Support provision into the Under 3’s unit and then into the Over 3’s unit with their keyworker group. At least once a term parents are invited to share their child’s Record of Achievement with their keyworker and parents are encouraged to spend sessions with their children in all areas.. A system of daily, weekly and termly planning for learning takes place in each team and the Centre is inspected by Social Services inspection unit using the Children Act guidance and by Ofsted. There is open access to all records and policy documents at the Centre and parents views are sought on the service provided. 

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©1998 - 2004. Coventry City Council (Neighbourhood Management);

31 Primrose Hill Street, Hillfields, Coventry, CV1 5LY

Telephone (+44) 024 7629 4429

Fax (+44) 024 7622 4893 

 

 

 

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