DINGLEY’S PROMISE IN DROITWICH

Dingley’s Promise early years centre in Droitwich opens to families in January 2025 and will be providing a specialist enhanced provision for children under 5 with a range of special educational needs and disabilities.

Our dedicated and passionate staff team will work closely with children and families, within a holistic approach to provide a safe, nurturing and supportive space for our families. We will work with a range of external professionals to ensure children’s individual needs are met and take a celebratory approach to learning and development – sharing all children’s successes with their family.

We have two warm and welcoming play rooms. Our intent is to create an inclusive environment for our children where they can have fun and explore a range of diverse activities and opportunities. Each is created to encourage learning across 7 areas of the EYFS and nurture the 8 senses. Children have access to cosy areas, creative areas, malleable resources, sensory and messy play resources as well as books, small world and block play areas, where children can explore freely and learn through play. In addition to our play based approach, we implement our Dingley’s promise curriculum to provide enhancements to children’s play and further extend opportunities for them to learn and grow. The centre has a relaxing sensory den where children can self-regulate, exploring emotions with key people and a brand new free-flow sensory room is set to be installed in Spring 2025.

The centre has an outdoor play area, offering bikes, scooters and hands on natural experiences with the mud kitchen, loose parts, construction and is a developing play space. There is an all-weather playground, with a grassed area, offering children the opportunity to engage in outdoor play come rain or shine.

We work alongside the early years inclusion team and area SENCOs to identify children in need of a placement at our enhanced provision.

We work with other early years providers to provide outreach support, share best practice and practical strategies to help meet the needs of SEND children in mainstream provision.

Our focus is on breaking barriers and overcoming challenges that children with SEND may face.

Our Droitwich centre provides:

• Collaborative working in the WANDS family hub with Action for Children.

• Collaborative working with external professionals such as speech and language therapists, physiotherapists and occupational therapies. Hosting these professions and implementing strategies in session for individual children’s needs.

• Family support workers who are able to offer holistic support at home and a wide range of opportunities at the centre including stay & play sessions & coffee mornings, building a network of families sharing lived experiences and helping to improve support for families.

Centre Manager : Gemma Cook

Gemma is a dedicated professional with over ten years of experience in early childhood development, having worked across a variety of educational and nursery settings. She is deeply passionate about supporting children with SEND and additional needs, creating tailored strategies that encourage development while fostering an inclusive and nurturing environment.

Holding a Foundation Degree in Early Years, Gemma has now successfully completed her Degree in Integrated Working with Children and Families. She is strongly committed to continuous professional development and is always seeking opportunities to further expand her knowledge and skills through CPD training, research, and industry events, including the Autism Show and SENCO Training.

Gemma joined Dingley’s Promise in Droitwich as Deputy Manager in October 2024 and has recently been promoted to Centre Manager. She is a passionate advocate for children with SEND and enjoys working closely with families, supporting, and advocating for them when needed, while collaborating with other professionals to achieve the best possible outcomes.

Deputy Manager : Mark Moloney

Mark has worked across a range of education and SEND settings, with experience supporting children and young people with additional needs in both specialist school and early years environments. He is passionate about creating inclusive opportunities for children and developing strong relationships with families and professionals to ensure every child feels valued and supported.

Alongside his practical experience, Mark holds a First-Class Honours Degree in Early Childhood with a specialism in Inclusion and SEND, and is currently completing a Master’s degree in Inclusion and SEND at the University of Birmingham. He has also worked within further and higher education, supporting and teaching future professionals within the education sector.

Mark is particularly passionate about supporting children with SEND through child-centred approaches that celebrate each child’s strengths, interests and individuality. He believes that positive relationships, teamwork and understanding the unique needs of every child are at the heart of creating meaningful and inclusive early years experiences.

Family Support Worker : Jade Howell

Jade has a background of supporting children with various needs, working with children in primary schools since the age of 18. She holds certificates of higher education in Birth and Beyond as well as Primary Education, whilst currently working towards her degree in Early Years and Education. Jade has had the opportunity to work with schools in the area, and in Central Queensland where most of her professional development took place, and her desire to with with families of children with SEN was concreted. She has four of her own children and is a member of the Royal Artillery Reserve Armed Forces. Having a child with SEND, Jade is an advocate for all those who deserve the right to support, so that all children are celebrated and have the opportunity to thrive in their own unique way.