Seedlings

About Seedlings

Seedlings is an unregistered alternative provision setting, run by Brunel Education and based at the Shaw Farm Centre in West Swindon. Seedlings offers part-time placements (2 or 3 day placements) to children between the ages of 4 and 7 (Reception and Key Stage 1) with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), who are on the roll of a mainstream school within Swindon and are struggling to engage with learning and make progress within the mainstream setting.

Seedlings follows an Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Curriculum. The focus being Communication and Language, Physical Development, Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Understanding the World and Expressive Arts and Design. Some Maths and Literacy is built into the curriculum to support and consolidate the content being delivered by the mainstream school.

Seedlings staff work in partnership with families, schools and other professionals to ensure that children’s needs are met. Shared targets based on the outcomes in children’s EHCPs are written and worked towards.

Seedlings use a Total Communication approach to supporting and developing children’s communication and interaction skills and work closely with mainstream schools, parents and carers and Speech and Language therapist to develop children’s skills in this area.

Termly progress meetings are held between Seedlings staff and staff from the child’s mainstream school, to review progress, share strategies and resources that support the child and to plan next steps. Parents and carers also receive a termly progress report and have regular opportunities to discuss progress with Seedlings staff.

What does a day at Seedlings look like?

Seedlings is able to provide transport for children who need this. Children are collected from their home address by a driver and passenger assistant who know the child. They are returned to their home address at the end of the school day.

Children who attend Seedlings access a sensory enriched environment. They are encouraged to learn through play and through using their whole body and their senses to learn about the world around them. Daily routines are followed, allowing children to have continuity and to learn to cope with transitions and routine.

Children are supported by staff to take part in structured activities such as Bucket Group (Attention Autism), music, movement and dance sessions, fine motor dough activities, sensory stories and Sensology sessions. Daily small group activities help to support the development of children’s interaction skills with good role modelling to encourage playing and learning together.

Children are also be given the opportunity to have free flow time to explore resources and activities independently. Alongside their peers they are encouraged to share and take turns. Children have access to a large, safe outdoor area with a range of interesting resources such as climbing equipment, slides and wheeled toys and to an indoor soft play area and sensory cabin.

Accessing Seedlings

In Order to access a place at Seedlings, SENCOs will need to discuss with their EHCP co-ordinators. From there, Co-ordinators will need to follow the normal consultation process to apply for a place.

Contact Details

If you would like to arrange a visit, require more information about how to access Seedlings for your child or to discuss a placement, please contact: 

Christie Rees, Seedlings coordinator

on 07918555746 or email crees@brunel.org.uk

Location