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Playing, building, digging,
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About Waltham Chase
Pre-School
Admissions
We accept children from 2 years until compulsory school age. To reserve a place a registration form must be completed and returned. Where there is a waiting list, children are admitted in accordance with our Admissions Policy (copy available on request).
Opening Times
Monday: 8.30am – 3pm
Tuesday: 8.30am – 3pm
Wednesday: 8:30am - 3pm
Thursday: 8.30am – 3pm
Friday: 8.30am – 3pm
Within these opening times we offer a range of flexible collection and drop off times.
Children over 3 need to be at Pre-school for a minimum of 2.5 hours which can be either in the morning or afternoon. Children under 3 need to be at pre-school for a minimum of 1 hour.
Tuesday: 8.30am – 3pm
Wednesday: 8:30am - 3pm
Thursday: 8.30am – 3pm
Friday: 8.30am – 3pm
Within these opening times we offer a range of flexible collection and drop off times.
Children over 3 need to be at Pre-school for a minimum of 2.5 hours which can be either in the morning or afternoon. Children under 3 need to be at pre-school for a minimum of 1 hour.
Equal Opportunities
Our setting is committed to
anti-discriminatory practice to promote equality of opportunity and value
diversity for all children and families.
Supporting Children with Additional
Education Needs
We provide an environment in which
ALL children, including those with additional educational needs are supported to their full potential. We have a named
Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo).
Keypersons and Development Records
When your child begins pre-school they will be assigned a keyperson. We believe that children settle best when they have a keyperson to relate to. This will be someone who will get to know you and your child well and will meet your individual needs. This keyperson will give them support during the session and will be your main point of contact throughout your child’s pre-school life.
All parents / carers are asked to complete an Initial Entry Profile with the keyperson during the early stages of settling-in – this enables us to know how we can best tailor our induction program to suit your child’s individual needs.
The keyperson will also co-ordinate the link between pre-school, you as parents or carers and any other person involved such as childminders ensuring appropriate information about development is shared.
The keyperson is responsible for a child’s developmental records and for sharing information with you on a regular basis through informal chats or pre-arranged meetings. These records include personal information as detailed on their registration forms and the notes/observations (often including photos) made by the keyperson. These records are an important way to assess your child and help to plan for progress and development. Parents and legal guardians are welcome to see these records at any time and your input is also vital, as your child may well demonstrate different skills and abilities and interests at home to those seen at pre-school. With your permission, your child’s development record will also be shared with their next setting or school when they move on from us in their learning journey (i.e. reception class at primary school).
All parents / carers are asked to complete an Initial Entry Profile with the keyperson during the early stages of settling-in – this enables us to know how we can best tailor our induction program to suit your child’s individual needs.
The keyperson will also co-ordinate the link between pre-school, you as parents or carers and any other person involved such as childminders ensuring appropriate information about development is shared.
The keyperson is responsible for a child’s developmental records and for sharing information with you on a regular basis through informal chats or pre-arranged meetings. These records include personal information as detailed on their registration forms and the notes/observations (often including photos) made by the keyperson. These records are an important way to assess your child and help to plan for progress and development. Parents and legal guardians are welcome to see these records at any time and your input is also vital, as your child may well demonstrate different skills and abilities and interests at home to those seen at pre-school. With your permission, your child’s development record will also be shared with their next setting or school when they move on from us in their learning journey (i.e. reception class at primary school).
Settling Your Child into Pre-School
Prior to starting Pre-school we
recommend that you and your child visit Pre-school together and join in part of
a session. During the settling in period, your keyperson will help introduce
your child to the experiences and routines that are part of Pre-School life.
Parents and Carers are welcome to stay at Pre-School with their child until
you/they feel they are ready to stay on their own. If your child is unhappy at
being left, we are happy to telephone you to put your mind at ease once they
have settled into a session.
Registration and Arrivals/Departures
Upon arrival children are signed in on the daily attendance register sheet. Children not present 15 minutes after the start of their session time will be marked as absent. We politely request that you inform us of any absence where possible. We are legally obliged to record the time of arrival and departure of children, staff and visitors.
If someone other than you is collecting your child at the end of the session we ask you to write the information in the Arrivals and Departures Book, or in an emergency, telephone during a session. If it is someone who is not authorised to collect your child in their individual record, they will need to bring a form of photo identity and need to sign the Arrivals and Departures Book before we will release your child into their care.
When collecting your child they will need to be signed out on the daily attendance register sheet before collecting your child from the mat. Children leaving early need to be signed out by the person collecting them, and the time noted.
For safety and security the outer door is kept locked during session times. A member of staff remains at the door during arrival and departure times. Please help us to keep children safe by ensuring you close the outer door when entering/leaving pre-school. If you arrive outside of allocated arrival and departure times please ring the bell and a member of staff will let you in as soon as possible.
If someone other than you is collecting your child at the end of the session we ask you to write the information in the Arrivals and Departures Book, or in an emergency, telephone during a session. If it is someone who is not authorised to collect your child in their individual record, they will need to bring a form of photo identity and need to sign the Arrivals and Departures Book before we will release your child into their care.
When collecting your child they will need to be signed out on the daily attendance register sheet before collecting your child from the mat. Children leaving early need to be signed out by the person collecting them, and the time noted.
For safety and security the outer door is kept locked during session times. A member of staff remains at the door during arrival and departure times. Please help us to keep children safe by ensuring you close the outer door when entering/leaving pre-school. If you arrive outside of allocated arrival and departure times please ring the bell and a member of staff will let you in as soon as possible.
Accidents and Injuries
If your child has had an accident or injury prior to attending pre-school you will need to complete an entry in the Accident File for the purposes of safeguarding your child.
If you child receives a minor injury whilst at pre-school, appropriate action, care and comfort will be given. It will be noted on their accident record sheet, which will be shown to you at the end of the session and you will be asked to sign to acknowledge that you are aware of what has happened. If further medical support is required you will be contacted straight away.
If you child receives a minor injury whilst at pre-school, appropriate action, care and comfort will be given. It will be noted on their accident record sheet, which will be shown to you at the end of the session and you will be asked to sign to acknowledge that you are aware of what has happened. If further medical support is required you will be contacted straight away.
Food and Drink
Water is available to children to
drink at all times. During the morning session children are offered a snack and drink. We
respect healthy eating, so this comprises of fresh fruit and/or vegetables, a
biscuit or other similar item and a drink of either milk or water. Whilst we
receive funding for the milk provided, the food is a non-funded addition that
we know our children enjoy. We are always grateful for any donations of food
for snack-time. Including: Fruit (but not
kiwi), vegetables that can be eaten raw (carrots, cucumber, tomatoes etc),
bread, bread sticks, plain biscuits (sweet or savoury), cheese and butter. No
nuts please.
Lunchtimes
Any child remaining at pre-school after 12 noon needs to bring a healthy packed lunch with them. The children have their lunch seated at a large table with an adult present at all times, and enjoy having their lunch with their friends.
The lunch box and drink bottle need to be clearly marked with their name. It will also need to contain an ice pack as we do not have the facilities to refrigerate lunchboxes. We can offer water to drink at lunchtime, but if they prefer juice or squash you will need to supply this. Please do not send in fizzy or carbonated drinks.
The lunch box and drink bottle need to be clearly marked with their name. It will also need to contain an ice pack as we do not have the facilities to refrigerate lunchboxes. We can offer water to drink at lunchtime, but if they prefer juice or squash you will need to supply this. Please do not send in fizzy or carbonated drinks.
Uniform and Suitable Clothing
Whilst we do not have a compulsory uniform, we do offer t-shirts, sweatshirts, cardigans and hooded zip up jumper in red/blue/green all with the pre-school logo embroidered on. Wearing these not only saves home clothes from the wear and tear that Pre-School places on clothes (our uniform tops are very tough and durable), but also helps your child feel part of the group. A small percentage of any items sold go towards the running of Waltham Chase Pre-School. Please name any uniform clothing to avoid confusion. Also please name all shoes and wellies.
We use the garden everyday so please ensure your child has a coat. Spare wellies are needed as the garden can be muddy. However, indoor shoes must also be bought in as the children cannot wear just socks, as this is a slip hazard on wooden floors.
Sandals for summer are fine, but please ensure socks are worn. However crocs and flip-flops are not suitable because of the physical activities your child will take part in. In hot weather please supply a sun hat and ensure your child has sun-cream applied prior to arriving at Pre-School.
No jewellery is permitted to be worn in pre-school. Ideally this includes sleeper or stud earings.
We use the garden everyday so please ensure your child has a coat. Spare wellies are needed as the garden can be muddy. However, indoor shoes must also be bought in as the children cannot wear just socks, as this is a slip hazard on wooden floors.
Sandals for summer are fine, but please ensure socks are worn. However crocs and flip-flops are not suitable because of the physical activities your child will take part in. In hot weather please supply a sun hat and ensure your child has sun-cream applied prior to arriving at Pre-School.
No jewellery is permitted to be worn in pre-school. Ideally this includes sleeper or stud earings.
Outside Play Area
We have the advantage of offering both inside and outside play areas to both fulfil and extend the curriculum. The children will make use of the outside play area during each session. Please ensure your child has suitable clothing (see above).
Fees
All children are eligible for up to 15 hours FREE pre-school education from the term after their third birthday. In addition some children are eligible for up to 15 hours FREE pre-school education from the term after their second birthday. Until that time, or if your child takes more than 15 hours per week we charge per hour. Because our costs are constant, we charge for all sessions booked, even if your child does not attend. Fees are payable half-termly in advance upon receipt of an invoice. In special circumstances other payment options can be arranged – please talk to us. Please see our Payment of Fees policy for more information. We do accept childcare vouchers, please talk to a member of staff for more details.
Parental Involvement
You are your child’s first
educator. We want to work closely with you to provide the educational
opportunities your child needs. In order to achieve this we need you to share
as much information about your child with us as possible to enable us to plan
pre-school activities that will help your child to grow, learn and develop.
There are many ways that parents / carers can help and we value your support. Your involvement will contribute to the overall success of pre-school. We will always welcome any parent or carer in to join all or part of a session. This will give you a chance to understand a bit more about how your child learns through the various play activities we offer, see for yourself how they interact with others and develop their communication skills. In addition to this the children really enjoy the chance to share new activities – it enhances their pre-school experience! If you have any special skills that you could share with the children, e.g. cookery, artistic skills, gardening we would love you to join us for the occasional session. Please speak to a supervisor if you think you could help in this way.
If you are unable to stay and play there are many other things you could do to help... Washing painting overalls (this is done weekly), making play dough, or cutting the grass in the garden (this is done weekly during the spring and summer).
There are many ways that parents / carers can help and we value your support. Your involvement will contribute to the overall success of pre-school. We will always welcome any parent or carer in to join all or part of a session. This will give you a chance to understand a bit more about how your child learns through the various play activities we offer, see for yourself how they interact with others and develop their communication skills. In addition to this the children really enjoy the chance to share new activities – it enhances their pre-school experience! If you have any special skills that you could share with the children, e.g. cookery, artistic skills, gardening we would love you to join us for the occasional session. Please speak to a supervisor if you think you could help in this way.
If you are unable to stay and play there are many other things you could do to help... Washing painting overalls (this is done weekly), making play dough, or cutting the grass in the garden (this is done weekly during the spring and summer).