The Elizabeth Foundation

Listening and spoken communication give The Elizabeth Foundation its clear purpose: specialist early education for deaf children, with support for their families alongside it. Its purpose-built Family Centre in Portsmouth brings nursery education, speech and language therapy and hearing services into the same setting. For parents choosing an approach to their child's communication, that combination is the central consideration.

At the 16 March 2022 inspection, Ofsted rated the provision Outstanding and found that children made excellent progress, with especially effective teaching of listening and language. That judgement belongs to the nursery's work at that date. The current age range is three months to five years, with 16 places in total; this is whole-setting capacity, not the size of a teaching group.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the framework for children's learning, development and care, so communication sits alongside learning through play and growing independence. The Foundation adds its specialist emphasis on helping children with different degrees of deafness develop listening and spoken language. Teachers of the Deaf, teaching assistants and Speech and Language Therapists contribute to that work.

In March 2022, adult teaching and children's chosen play were connected through concrete examples. Children learnt vocabulary for young animals in a small group, then explored animal figures in the main play space. The toys gave them something tangible with which to revisit the language. Snack time also became a teaching opportunity, with conversations about food and the colours of plates.

Music made listening an active experience. In March 2022, children experimented with a xylophone and large drums, changing the volume of the sounds they produced. A sand timer signalled that drumming would soon finish. Elsewhere, dressing up as doctors prompted discussion about their work, while building a train track gave children an opportunity to exchange ideas and share materials.

Let’s Listen and Talk provides an additional route for families who cannot attend in person: an online programme of home learning and support. Its Preschool Programme includes practical activities and advice covering communication, early literacy and number learning, as well as social development and independence. It is a separate way to access the Foundation's support, rather than an attendance pattern at the nursery.

Relationships and Communication

Family involvement extends beyond receiving updates. In March 2022, parents could spend the day in a dedicated room for parents, either working or spending time with other families. They were included in their children's learning and gained ideas from staff to use at home. The practical value was continuity: families could understand the teaching and carry related activities into everyday life.

Current support includes specialist speech and language therapy at the Family Centre. The Foundation also works with Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust on children's hearing screening and testing. These are specific services around hearing and communication; their presence gives families more to consider than the nursery timetable alone.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

Regular Listen! Group sessions are intended for children with unaided deafness and children with additional or more complex needs. That gives the offer a defined audience beyond its baby, toddler and preschool education services. Matching the service to the child's communication needs matters more here than choosing solely by age.

At its March 2022 inspection, Ofsted found safeguarding effective and praised collaboration with other settings and professionals to address gaps in children's learning. In March 2022, children also practised everyday independence by cutting fruit with cutlery and cleaning their own hands and faces. Preparation for the next stage included waiting and lining up before lunch, alongside the listening and attention used throughout the day.

Sessions and Attendance

The Family Centre is on Southwick Hill Road, Cosham, Portsmouth, PO6 3LL. Opening hours are 9.30am to 2.30pm, Monday to Friday, during term time; the nursery closes for school holidays. The holiday calendar is therefore a significant part of how attendance fits family routines.

Paid toddler and preschool sessions are offered for children with hearing loss who are already enrolled in the relevant nursery provision. Online session payments can cover more than one session, and an invoice reference can accompany a payment made against an invoice. These payment arrangements apply to existing attendees. Enquiries can be made by telephone on 023 9237 2735 or by email to info@elizabeth-foundation.org.

Funding and Paid Extras

In March 2022, the setting received funding for free early education for children aged two, three and four. Families considering paid attendance should obtain a current written quotation from the nursery.

Moving on to primary education is also addressed through Foundations for communication, a collection of advice for families of young deaf children. Its Starting school guidance considers communication preferences, classroom acoustics and support needs. It also explains ways to prepare through familiar stories, vocabulary and everyday independence. This is guidance for making and preparing for a school choice, rather than a named onward-school arrangement.

• Communication approach. Listening and spoken language are the Foundation's central educational emphasis. During a visit, discuss how that approach fits your child's communication preferences and hearing needs.
• Term-time timetable. Attendance falls within a 9.30am to 2.30pm opening window, with school holidays excluded. Families need an arrangement that works around that calendar.
• Choosing the right service. Nursery education, regular Listen! Group sessions and online Let’s Listen and Talk support serve different purposes. A joining discussion should establish which service fits your child and how nursery attendance would be organised.

The Elizabeth Foundation suits families seeking specialist early education for a deaf baby, toddler or preschool child, with listening and spoken communication as the guiding emphasis. Speech and language therapy, hearing services and practical parent resources make it a substantial family offer. Its March 2022 Outstanding judgement adds a strong dated assessment of the nursery's teaching.

The practical fit is term-time attendance within a daytime opening window. Families who cannot attend the Family Centre also have the separate Let’s Listen and Talk home-learning route. The choice turns on the child's communication needs and whether the centre's timetable fits family life.