Slinfold CE. Primary School

Prospectus

Slinfold CE. Primary School

The Street, Slinfold

West Sussex, RH13 0RR

Telephone: 01403 790253

E-mail:

Web site:

Ofsted registration No. 125995

Welcome

We hope the information in our booklet is useful in helping you to get to know more about the pre-school and the services we offer.

We aim to work in partnership with you to ensure your child has the very best start in life through the provision of a stimulating and exciting environment in which they can develop and thrive.

Our Aims

• To provide high quality care and education for children below statutory school age
• To create a welcoming, safe and stimulating environment
• To enable children to enjoy learning through play, to grow in confidence and to fulfil their potential
• To give generous care and attention to each child
• To provide children with the opportunity to join with others to play, work and learn together
• To take a child’s learning and development forward by helping them build on what they already know and can do
• To make sure each child makes satisfying progress
• To work in partnership with parents to help children learn to develop
• To offer a service that promotes equality and values diversity

Our approach to Children’s Learning and Development

The provision we make for children’s learning and development is guided by the Early Years Foundation Stage (DCSF, 2008 & 2012) which became law in September 2008. Our provision reflects the key themes and commitments of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).

Children start to learn about the world around them from the moment they are born. The care and education we offer helps children to continue to do this by providing interesting activities for the children that are appropriate for their age and stage of development.

A typical day in the pre-school

8.30 am

Children arrive

8.45am

Group time – This is a more structured element of the session which is led by the pre-school staff.

It enables children to develop a sense of belonging as a member of a small group, and is used to help develop social skills by sharing information, reading stories and singing together.

9.00 – 11.00am

Planned activity, free play or child led activity - children can choose from a wide range of experiences available throughout the pre-school and outside in the garden, some led by adults and some that the children will explore and develop themselves.

Snack is at 10am where the children can choose between a variety of fresh fruit and a plain biscuit, cracker or bread and butter etc.

11.00am

Group tidy - the children sing a ‘tidy up’ song before putting the toys away.

11.15am

Show and tell, story or singing

11.30pm

Home time or lunch

The afternoon session runs along the same lines with the all day children having the opportunity to access a different activity if they wish.

The above is an example – depending on the weather, the interests and needs of the children, birthdays, festivals, etc - we often change the routine to make the day as exciting and stimulating as possible.

Pre-School Staff

Bank staff– we also have access to a number of qualified and unqualified bank staff who are experiences in working with children.

We operate within the specified ratios set by The Early Years Foundation Stage of:

Children under 3 years = 1 adult to 4 children Children over 3 years = 1 adult to 8 children

All our staff have enhanced disclosure Police checks and our recruitment process follows OFSTED guidelines. All staff also have appraisals and a training plan to ensure we offer the best care possible for all our children using the latest resources and techniques.

Session Times

We are open for 38 weeks each year. We have five INSET days each year when the Pre-school is closed. We provide care and education for young children from the age of two years 3 months to statutory school age.

We will open on further afternoons should there be demand for the sessions.

Free Entitlement Funding (FE Funding)

This pays for a maximum of 15 hours per week of flexible early education and care. Your child becomes eligible for the FE funding from the start of the term following their 3rd birthday. The FE funding is available in 3 hour slots with the optional lunch half hour payable at £3 per session.

Morning Sessions 8.30 – 12pm

Your child may attend pre-school for the full session at a cost of £16 for an unfunded child or £3 (top up) for a child in receipt of the Government funding. Your child will need to bring a packed lunch which they will eat at 11.30am. Alternatively, if you are in receipt of the Government funding, you may collect your child at 11.30am and just access the Free Entitlement.

Afternoon Session 11.30 – 3pm

Your child may attend pre-school for the full session at a cost of £16 for an unfunded child or £3 (top up) for a child in receipt of the Government funding. Your child will need to bring a packed lunch which they will eat at 11.30am. Alternatively, if you are in receipt of the Government funding, you may bring your child at 12 midday and just access the Free Entitlement.

Full day sessions 8.30am – 3pm

Your child may attend pre-school from 8.30am – 3pm, the cost of this session would be £3 (top up) for a child in receipt of the Government funding or £29.75 for an unfunded child. If your child stays for the full day, they will need to bring a packed lunch which they will eat at 11.30pm.

Lunch

Children bring a packed lunch and a drink for lunch time to Pre-school which should be part of a healthy balanced diet.

Due to the increased risk of nut allergies, NO NUT products should be included in the children’s named lunch boxes. We would also strongly recommend that a cool pack in included with your child’s lunch to keep it cool and fresh.

Fees

To place your child’s name on the waiting list a non-refundable fee of £10.00 is required.

The fees are £17.00 for a 3½ hour session payable half-termly in advance. Fees are still payable if children are absent. For a child to keep their place at the Pre-School, the fees must be paid.

We are in receipt of Free Entitlement funding for two, three and four year olds: where funding is not received, then fees apply.

Starting at SlinfoldPre-School

We want your child to feel happy and safe with us. Your child will be offered two trial sessions before they start at Pre-School when you will have an opportunity to meet your child’s key person. She will work with you to decide the best way to help your child settle into Pre-School.

Key person

Each member of staff has a group of children for whom she is responsible. Your child’s key person will work with your child to make sure that we provide for your child’s particular needs and interests. When your child first starts at the Pre-School she will help your child to settle and then, throughout your child’s time at Pre-School, she will help your child benefit from the activities.

She is also responsible for observing, monitoring and planning the next steps in your child’s development.

Opportunities to discuss your child’s progress are given at regular intervals to suit individual parent’s needs.

Parental Involvement

Our Pre-School recognises parents as their child’s first and most important educators.

There are many ways in which parents take part in helping make the Pre-School a welcoming and stimulating place, such as:-

• Exchanging knowledge about their child’s needs, interests and progress
• Sharing their own special skills and/or interests with the children
• Building friendships with other parents in the Pre-School

Parents are regarded as members of our setting who have participatory rights. These include a right to be:-

• Valued and respected

• Kept informed

• Consulted

• Involved

• Included

Stay and Play Rota

We encourage parents to spend time with us during a session, this enables parents to see what the day-to-day life is like in the Pre-School and to have some fun by joining in. We welcome parents to drop into the Pre-School to see it at work or to speak to a member of staff at any time.

Learning Journals

A Learning Journal is kept for each child and this helps us to celebrate together their achievements and to work together to provide what your child needs for their well being and to make progress. Your child’s key person will work with you to keep this record, by collecting information about your child’s interests, achievements, needs and activities.

This information enables the key person to identify your child’s stage of progress and to support your child onto the next stage.

Curriculum

There are seven areas of learning and development within the EYFS. Each area has Early Learning Goals, these give us guidance as to what children are expected to know and be able to do by the end of the reception year in school.

We have regard to the likely stages of progress a child makes along their learning journey when we assess children and plan for their learning.

Each day we take care to provide activities, where we use equipment appropriate to the age and stage of development of the children, to stimulate their interests, encourage investigation skills and enable children to practise existing skills, to extend and acquire new skills.

Health and Hygiene

Parents are asked to keep their children at home if they have any infection and to inform the nursery as to the nature of the infection. This will allow the staff to alert other parents as necessary (e.g. chickenpox) and to make careful observations of any child who seems unwell.

Parents are asked not to bring in a child that has been vomiting for at least 24 hours after the last episode of vomiting and only once your child is eating and drinking normally. If a child has had diarrhoeawe ask that there is 48 hours from the last bout of diarrhoea before your child returns to pre-school.

Clothing

Learning and play can sometimes be messy! Although we provide aprons we advise you to dress your child in clothes that are easily washable. We also encourage independence; therefore simple clothing, which they can handle themselves, will enable them to use the toilet without being dependant on others.

A Pre-School tee-shirt is provided to each child when they start and you may purchase extra tee-shirts or sweat shirts from the school office.

We appreciate that not all children toilet train at the same time and that your child may still be in a nappy or pull-ups. Should this be the case we will support you and your child through this process as best as possible.

Please provide a spare set of clothes and where applicable changing accessories (pull-ups, wipes, nappy bags).

Equal Opportunities/Special Needs

We give equal opportunities to all children and adults regardless of race, religion, gender or special needs. We welcome diversity of backgrounds and aim to acknowledge any festivals celebrated by families involved in the pre-school. We recognise a wide range of additional needs of children and families in the community and will endeavour to meet those needs wherever possible.

As part of our policy to make sure that our provision meets the needs of each individual child, we take account of any special needs a child may have. We work to the requirements of the Education Act 1996, the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice 2001 and the Equality Act 2010.

Safeguarding

We have a duty under the law to help safeguard children against significant harm. Our employment practices ensure children against the likelihood of abuse in our pre-school and we have clear procedures for managing complaints or allegations against a member of staff.

Our way of working with children and their parents ensures we are aware of any problems that may emerge and we can offer support to help families in difficulty, including referral to appropriate agencies when necessary.

Policies and Procedures

Copies of our policies and procedures are available for you to see at the pre-school. They help us to make sure we provide a high quality service and that being a member of our pre-school is an enjoyable and beneficial experience for each child and parent. The staff, parents and governing body all have the opportunity to contribute to our policies and to take part in their annual review.

Fundraising

The Pre-School benefits from fundraising activities organised by the Friends of Slinfold School Association (FOSSA) who supply toys and play equipment etc. that fees and Free Entitlement funding cannot provide.

To maintain such a well equipped Pre-School it is essential that these activities continue and we welcome the support of parents and any other interested parties.

A committee of parents, friends and teachers meet regularly to plan and carry out social and fundraising events.

Organisation

SlinfoldPre-School is managed by an elected sub-committee of the Slinfold CE School governing body with a representative from the pre-school senior staff. This committee is responsible for employment and payment of staff, payment of bills and setting of fees to all manner of fundraising activities. Details of the committee members can be found on the information board in the front entrance of the school.

Complaints procedure

Parents should raise any concerns with their keyworker in the first instance. If they wish to pursue the matter further, it should then be referred to the pre-school supervisor in writing. The supervisor will take the appropriate action; you may also contact the school office and speak to the head teacher. If this is still not considered sufficient, parents can telephone Ofsted on 0300 1231231. All complaints are taken seriously.

Finally….

We hope you have found reading this information useful but realise it may not answer all of your questions.

We pride ourselves on being a very open and approachable pre-school, so please contact a member of staff as we are always willing to talk with you about your ideas, views or questions.

A great place to learn

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