Where Everybody Shines

Sunbeams Pre-school

Welcome to

Where everybody shines.

School Lane

Radford Semele

Royal Leamington Spa

Warwickshire

CV31 1TQ

Telephone: 01926 470978

E mail:

Opening Hours

Morning Session: 8.50-11.50a.m (Pre-School aged children only).

Lunch club: 11.50-12.20 p.m (Pre-School aged children only).

Afternoon Session: 12.20-3.20p.m

Registered as company limited by guarantee in England & Wales
Registered office: Sunbeams Pre-School (Radford Semele), School Lane, Radford Semele, Royal Leamington Spa, CV31 1TQ
Registered No: 7258882

Registered Charity No: 1137023
Tel: 01926 470978

Welcome to Sunbeams Pre-school, (Radford Semele).

Our Aims

To provide a safe, secure, stimulating environment in which children can reach their full potential.

To enhance the development and education of children under statutory school age in accordance with OFSTED guidelines and the Children’s Act 1989.

To provide an environment where your child will receive equality of opportunity throughout, regardless of race, gender, faith or ability.

To develop positive relationships between parents and carers by recognising and valuing each individual’s opinion and contribution.

To maintain a friendly, welcoming atmosphere for children, carers and visitors at all times.

To provide opportunities for your child to make friends, but most of all to have FUN!

Starting Pre-School

We encourage parents to visit Pre-school with their child(ren) 2 or 3 times before the starting date. This will help your child to become at ease and familiar with the setting before having to make the separation from you. This settling in period takes longer for some children than others and parents should not worry if their child takes a while to settle. Pre-school staff will work closely with parents to ensure that the needs of individual children and families are met.

We strongly recommend that your child attends at least 2 sessions in the afternoon, and at least 3 in the morning. By attending at least these minimum sessions, your child will settle more quickly into Pre-school and form friendships more easily

Please contact the Pre-school by telephone to organise this and any initial visit you may wish to make whilst choosing a pre-school.

In order to guarantee a place at Sunbeams for your child, his/her name should be added to our waiting list. This will be done when we receive your Application Form .

You will then be informed when a place is available for your child.

Which sessions may my child attend?

Pre-school children ( THE ACADEMIC YEAR BEFORE THEY GO TO SCHOOL)

We offer great flexibility in our care for children in their pre-school year: your child may attend morning and/or afternoon sessions, and may stay for lunch after the morning session.

Your child is eligible for 15 hours of free nursery education per week. This is detailed below.

Please be aware that visits to the school hall and reception class will take place during a morning session.

There will still be the current 25p voluntary snack contribution.

Younger Children

Children may attend the afternoon sessions from the age of 2 years and 6 months.

Younger children in receipt of Nursery Education Funding ( see below) will be able to access afternoon sessions only.

There will still be the current 25p voluntary snack contribution.

Nursery Education Funding (N.E.F.)

The term after your child’s third birthday they will be eligible to receive the Nursery Education Funding. This entitles each child to 15 hours per week, taken in multiples of 3, for 38 weeks of the school year, of free Nursery Education.

Staff will apply for this termly, on your behalf and you will be asked to complete the Parental Declaration form.

(Please remember you can access your 15 hours using two providers.)

Anybody wishing to pay for additional sessions will be charged £13.50for a 3 hour session, inclusive of snack.

Funding for two year olds.

There is funding available for 2 year olds for up to 15 hours per week. This is means tested. You can see if you are eligible for it via this link:

If you would like any assistance with the application, then Sunbeams can provide that.

Fees

Sunbeams Pre-school is a registered charity and as such, totally relies on fees and fund raising to keep going. Fees are reviewed annually each September and are currently set as shown below:

Morning session/ afternoon session :

£13.50 inclusive of snack.

Those in receipt of Nursery Education Funding: zero charge, snack 25p per session.

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Lunch club (for pre-school children only.) £2.00-.you will need to provide a named packed lunch.

Fees are payable weekly, monthly or termly and MUST be paid even when children are absent. Your child’s Pre-school place will be at risk if payments are not kept up to date.

Areas of learning and development:

There are seven areas of learning and development that must shape educational programmes in early years settings. All areas of learning and development are important and inter-connected. Three areas are particularly crucial for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, and for building their capacity to learn, form relationships and thrive. These three areas, the prime areas, are:

1)Communication and language;

2)Physical development;

3)Personal, social and emotional development.

At Sunbeams we also support children in four specific areas, through which the three prime areas are strengthened and applied. The specific areas are:

4)Literacy;

5)Mathematics;

6)Understanding the world; and

7)Expressive arts and design.

• Communication and language development involves giving children opportunities to experience a rich language environment; to develop their confidence and skills in expressing themselves; and to speak and listen in a range of situations.

• Physical development involves providing opportunities for young children to be active and interactive; and to develop their co-ordination, control, and movement. Children must also be helped to understand the importance of physical activity, and to make healthy choices in relation to food.

• Personal, social and emotional development involves helping children to develop a positive sense of themselves, and others; to form positive relationships and develop respect for others; to develop social skills and learn how to manage their feelings; to understand appropriate behaviour in groups; and to have confidence in their own abilities.

• Literacy development involves encouraging children to link sounds and letters and to begin to read and write. Children must be given access to a wide range of reading materials (books, poems, and other written materials) to ignite their interest.

• Mathematics involves providing children with opportunities to develop and improve their skills in counting, understanding and using numbers, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems; and to describe shapes, spaces, and measures.

• Understanding the world involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment.

• Expressive arts and design involves enabling children to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials, as well as providing opportunities and encouragement for sharing their thoughts, ideas and feelings through a variety of activities in art, music, movement, dance, role-play, and design and technology.

Links with Radford Semele Primary School

As most of the children attending Sunbeams Pre-school move on to Radford Semele Primary School, we work closely with the school to make this transition as easy and painless as possible.

As parents/carers of a child in our Pre-school,you are very important:

To your child: providing a vital link between home and a whole world of new experiences, he/she needs your support and encouragement to succeed.

To the Pre-school: we rely on your help and support in whatever small way; from being an active committee member, mending broken equipment, washing toys or fund raising.

To the Community: as a member of Pre-school you will have the opportunity to make new friends, share experiences and take up new interests.

As parents you are automatically members of the Pre-school Learning Alliance (P.L.A.), with whom we are affiliated.

Staff/Parent Liaison

Your child’s progress will be monitored regularly by all staff within the Pre-school: socially, emotionally and educationally. Thorough observations and record keeping, we follow each child’s progress, meaning that your child’s particular needs will be identified and taken into account in future planning of the curriculum.

Parents’ evenings are held regularly during the school year. We operate a Key Worker system and each member of staff is “responsible” for a small group of children and from this, as a team, we can compile and keep confidential records that can be discussed with you at any time.

We operate an open access policy and, as such, please don’t hesitate to share any worries you may have concerning your child.

Newsletters are sent regularly to all parents/carers. We have a Parents’/Carers’ Notice Board inside the Pre-school, which informs you of our planning for your children. We also have our own website

Committee

As Sunbeams Pre-school is a Registered Charity, it is run entirely by volunteers serving on the Management Committee, elected at the Annual General Meeting. The Committee consists of 3 main officers: Chair Person, Secretary and Treasurer, and also any number of active members.

The role of the committee is vital to the running of the pre-school:- helping with fund raising, employing staff, accounts, fees etc. In order to comply with the P.L.A. Constitution, 70 of Committee Members MUST be parents of children currently attending the Pre-school.

Pre-school cannot function without the support of parents, therefore, during your child’s time at Sunbeams you will be expected to play an active role by supporting us.

If you are interested in joining the committee please speak to a member of the current committee or a member of staff, who will point you in the right direction. The current chairperson’s telephone number is displayed on the notice board.

Without YOUR help, Sunbeams will close!

Staff

Pre-School Leader:Tracy Owen

Level 5 Foundation Degree in Early Years

Responsible for Food Hygiene,

First Aid and Child Protection.

Senior Early Years Practitioner: Cheryl Teclaff

N.V.Q Level 3

Designated person for child protection

Senior Early Years Practitioner: Vicky Harwood

N.V.Q Level 3

Special Education needs Co-Ordinator

Early Years Practitioner: Natasha Toney

N.V.Q Level 3

Early Years Practitioner: Finance Officer:Heather Blackmore

Responsible for Admissions and Fees

Early Years Practitioner: Rosa Shepherd

Early Years Practitioner: Kate Squires Thornton

Bank Staff: Julie Maughn Smith,Tracy Pullen, Sabrina Moore, Sarah Williams

All staff and Committee are registered and approved by OFSTED and are DBS checked. They are experienced in caring for children and hold the relevant qualifications. Members of staff have completed First Aid, Child Protection, Health and Safety, Food Hygiene and Special Educational Needs Code of Practice courses all relevant to early years and continue to update their professional development.

Staff have designated responsibility for each area.

They are:

• First Aid – Cheryl Teclaff,Tracy Owen,
• Behaviour Management, Tracy Owen,
• Safeguarding- designated persons– Tracy Owen, Cheryl Teclaff,

Lucy Davidson (Committee Co-Chairperson).

• Food Hygiene – Tracy Owen, Cheryl Teclaff,
• Special Educational Needs – Vicky Harwood
• Admissions and Administration – Heather Blackmore
• Health and safety –Cheryl Teclaff,

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Domestic Arrangements

Staff are available at any time, particularly at the end of sessions for parent/key worker communication.

Staff ratios follow OFSTED guidelines, being 1:8 (1 adult:8 children) for children aged 3 years and over and 1:4 for children aged 2 years.

Arrival and Collection: Your child‘s safety is of paramount importance at all times. We would ask, therefore, that the Registration Sheet is completed correctly and promptly on arrival, indicating who will be collecting the child at the end of the session. If for any reason this person should change during the session, staff must be informed by telephone (01926 470978). Parents/carers will be invited into Pre-school to collect their child and asked to sign children out on departure.

Children will NOT be allowed to leave Pre-school with an un-named person.

We would ask that Parents/carers are not late when collecting children, as this can be distressing for the child concerned. Repeated late collection of children may result in additional costs at the discretion of the Pre-school Management. However, in the event of unavoidable delays, if possible please inform us on 01926 470978.

Clothes: Your child will have their own peg on which you can hang a change of clothes for the occasional “accident”. We do carry a small selection of spare clothes at Sunbeams.

We ask that Parents/Carers provide nappies, wipes and disposal bags should they be required for your child.

When necessary, please apply sun cream to your child prior to arriving at Pre-school. We ask that parents/carers provide children with a cap or sun hat to wear outdoors on hot sunny days.

Accident Book

If your child has any kind of accident (e.g. a bump on the head) during a session, we will record what has happened, what treatment was given and by whom. When you collect your child you will be informed and asked to sign our accident book to show you were informed of the accident. In the event of anyone other than a parent collecting their child, a copy of the accident form will be given to them to give to the parent. The parent will be telephoned and informed of the accident.

Existing Injuries

If your child comes to Pre-school with an injury, you will be asked to sign a form informing us that this happened out of our care.

Sickness

Please keep your child at home if they are ill.

In the case of sickness and/or diarrhoea please keep your child at home for a further 48 hours when the sickness/diarrhoea has passed. This will help us to protect all children and “contain” the problem.

Should any child be taken ill in our care, we will contact Parents/Carers to collect them.

If you require any advice regarding contagious illness (e.g. chicken pox, conjunctivitis) please see a member of staff who will do their best to assist you.

In the event of any person contracting a communicable disease (such as meningitis), we will inform all Parents/Carers immediately and give advice as to the symptoms, precautions etc. We will inform the necessary authorities (e.g. Public Health Officer) of any such disease, in accordance with guidelines provided by them.

Medication

We are happy to assist children to use inhalers if necessary. This is recorded in our Medication Book and signed by two members of staff and a parent/carer. Please be aware that staff will not administer any other medication other than life saving medication, such as insulin or adrenaline. Parents of children who may require administration of such medication must give clearly written instructions regarding dosage and administration, and permission for a member of staff to follow the instructions. If specialist knowledge is required, staff will receive the appropriate training from a health professional.

Head lice

Please notify us if your child has head lice, so that we may advise other parents to be vigilant. Advice on treatment will be displayed, when necessary and you may wish to keep your child at home until treatment has been given.

Refreshments

We operate an independent snack time during each session, where we offer milk, or water and a range of healthy snacks. Snacks include a wide variety of fruit/vegetables. However, we do rely on a 25p per session contribution in order to purchase the wide variety of fruit/vegetables we offer.

Please speak to a member of staff if your child has any food allergies and we will ensure that all staff are fully aware of the situation. Any allergies are displayed clearly for all staff and volunteers to see when preparing snacks. Fresh drinking water is available to the children at all times during Pre-school sessions.

Holidays

Our holidays run in conjunction with Radford Semele Primary School and are displayed on our notice board. Pre-school will also be closed to children on other days when the school is closed: teacher training days, snow days etc; details will be available on the parents’ notice board and on our website.

Insurance

We have the relevant insurance cover required for the Pre-school; the current certificate is displayed on the notice board.

Concerns and Complaints