Welcome to Yatton Keynell Under 5's Pre-School

Contents

Welcome to Yatton Keynell Under 5’s ..............................2

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum ............. 4

Adult resources ............................................................. 8

Policies ................................................................... ......9

Safety and security at Yatton Keynell Under 5’s .............. 12

Management and administration ................................... 13

Starting at Yatton Keynell Under 5’s ............................... 16

How to find us ...............................................................17

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•  A safe, caring and stimulating environment for learning through play both indoors and outdoors, catering for every child’s individual needs.
•  Children learn and develop through a wide range of challenging activities which cover the objectives of the early learning goals within the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum.

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• The child is allocated a key person, who will guide and support them throughout their time at pre-school.
•  Parents are invited to twice-yearly meetings to discuss their child’s progress.
•  Numerous opportunities for parents/carers involvement and contribution to the group.
•  An opportunity for you and your family to be directly involved in the activities of the group and in your child’s progress.
•  Fun and friendship with adults and peers.
•  Opportunities to be involved in local community events e.g. the village fete.

Opening hours and core blocks

All children can attend mornings or mornings with lunch, afternoons or full days. Children usually benefit from attending a minimum of two core blocks per week to begin with, extending to full days after the initial settling in period. We do not provide lunch, so children attending over lunchtime will need to bring a packed lunch

Monday	9am to 12 noon	9am to 1pm	12noon to 3pm	9am to 3pm
Tuesday	9am to 12 noon	9am to 1pm	Closed	Closed
Wednesday	9am to 12 noon	9am to 1pm	12noon to 3pm	9am to 3pm
Thursday	9am to 12 noon	9am to 1pm	12noon to 3pm	9am to 3pm
Friday	9am to 12 noon	9am to 1pm	12noon to 3pm	9am to 3pm

Yatton Keynell Under 5’s offers education and care for children from the age of 2 to 5 years old. For children from 2 to 3 years old, the adult:child ratio is 1:4, and after the child’s 3rd birthday, the ratio changes to 1:8.

A typical day

We offer a wide range of activities aimed at giving all children equal opportunities to learn and develop intellectually, creatively, physically, socially and emotionally through play. A typical day can include:

Show and tell

This is where each child is encouraged to bring along and talk about something of interest to them, possibly beginning with the ‘sound of the week’. This helps with their communication skills and builds their confidence and self-esteem.

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Free-play activities

A whole range of activities are available to the children which include: role play in the home corner or through dressing-up; painting; modelling using play dough; cooking; puzzles and games; reading in the book corner; using the computer; story time, music and singing. These activities are usually centred around topics which have evolved through establishing an interest of a child, or group of children and cover the objectives of the early learning goals within the EYFS curriculum. The children are encouraged to express their ideas and feelings, to work independently and also within the group.

Break time

The children are provided with milk or water and a small selection of fresh fruit/vegetables, which is handed out by one of the children. Water is freely available throughout the course of the day.

Outside play

Children benefit from outdoor play sessions on the paved area at the front as well as a grassy area at the rear. There is a wide range of outdoor toys which encourage coordination, control and movement. Children are closely supervised whilst outside and enjoy the physical challenges and social interaction with one another. Wherever possible, we take children out for walks and nature trails to the surrounding fields and village pond.

Song and story time

The session ends with story time and action songs – all of which contribute to the child’s mathematical, communication and language development through repetitive rhythm and rhyme. It encourages children to become familiar with books and begin to develop a keen interest in early year’s literature.

Outings, visits and events

We arrange several outings throughout the course of the year, including trips to a local farm, the village pond, a walk to the shop etc. We also arrange for members of the local community and/or friends or relatives to visit the children and talk about their jobs e.g. nurse; dentist; farmer; fireman; etc. A regular newsletter informs parents of any forthcoming events that they may wish to attend.

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum

Every child deserves the best possible start in life and support to fulfil their potential. A child’s experience in the early years has a major impact on their future life chances. A secure, safe and happy childhood provides the foundation for children to make the most of their abilities and talents as they grow up. It is essential that early year’s provision will keep children safe and help them to thrive. The EYFS is the framework that provides that assurance.

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The overall aim of the EYFS is to help young children achieve the five Every Child Matters outcomes of staying safe, being healthy, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution and achieving economic well-being. The EYFS principles are grouped into four themes: A Unique Child; Positive Relationships; Enabling Environments and Learning & Development, the latter recognising that children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates and that all areas of learning and development are equally important and inter-connected.

The six areas of Learning and Development covered by the early learning goals are:

1) Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED)

Children are provided with experiences and support which will help them to become independent and confident children. They develop a positive sense of themselves and of others. They learn to respect others, develop their social skills and develop a positive disposition to learn.

2) Communication, Language and Literacy (CLL)

Children are encouraged to develop and extend their language and communication skills in small and large group activities. Story time, role play, and ‘show and tell’ help the children to develop a positive attitude to becoming competent communicators, through speaking and listening.

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3) Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numeracy (PSRN)

Children are supported in developing their understanding of numbers and simple mathematical problems through a wide range of activities, where they can explore, enjoy, learn, practise and talk about their developing understanding. Children are provided with opportunities to investigate number, shape, space and measures using a range of resources. They use a variety of objects to sort, order, classify and count; play games and puzzles to explore pattern and shape.

4) Knowledge and Understanding of the World (KUW)

Our pre-school provides a safe and stimulating environment which enables children to develop their understanding of the world around them. Visitors from the community, including the fire service, police and the dentist, have reinforced their understanding of their local surroundings and those who live in it. We also make trips to the local post office, duck pond, school and church.

Children are offered opportunities to encounter creatures, people, plants and objects in their natural environments and in real life situations.

Children begin to learn about their own cultures and beliefs and those of other people e.g. Diwali, the Chinese New Year, St David’s Day, etc.

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5) Physical Development (PD)

Children are encouraged to be active and interactive and improve their skills of coordination, control, manipulation and movement. Plenty of opportunity is available within the setting to enable children to achieve in this area of development. Slides, climbing frames, bikes, trampoline and large soft play shapes are some of the many pieces of equipment available.

Children are encouraged to develop their fine motor skills through a variety ways including threading, beading, scissor and pencil control. They are supported in using all of their senses to learn about the world around them, and developing an understanding of the importance of physical activity and eating a healthy diet.

6) Creative Development (CD)

Children are encouraged to express their thoughts, ideas and feelings and develop their imagination through art, music, dance, stories and role-play.

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There are permanent displays of the children’s creative work within the pre-school. Parents and carers can become involved in their children’s learning by bringing recycled materials from home for junk modelling.

Adult resources

The Early Years team:

Mrs Sandra Jennings – Pre-school Leader. BA (Hons) in Early Childcare and Education and working towards Early Years Professional Status (EYPS).

Mrs Tina Perry - Pre-school Assistant Supervisor, NVQ 3, SENCO, First Aider

Mrs Amy Parker – Pre-school Assistant Supervisor, NVQ 3, Child Protection, First Aider

Mrs Sue Robbins – Pre-School Administrator and Pre-School Assistant

The role of parents and the parent rota:

The Pre-School Learning Alliance (PSLA) recognises parents/carers as the first and most important educators of their young children. We aim to support parents and carers by welcoming you to:

a) Work in the pre-school with the children

b) Assist with fund raising

c) Take part on the committee of Yatton Keynell Under 5’s

Once your child has started we will keep you informed about forth-coming events and news through half termly newsletters. As a friendly, community based pre-school we invite parents to join our sessions on a regular basis. A rota is available at the beginning of each term (based on the 6 terms in the academic year). We would encourage you to join us as this helps to maintain a high ratio of adults to children as well as giving you an opportunity to take an active part in the group.

A guidance sheet on your role as a parent helper can be found in the kitchen. Please don’t worry if your child is clingy during your rota duties. This is quite normal and

doesn’t take long for them to get used to having you around. During the session please free to join in with the activities and ask a member of staff for guidance if you feel a little lost. An extra pair of hands is always appreciated. 

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Training:

As members of the PSLA, we receive monthly information offering practical and up to date advice and access to their range of professionally produced publications. In addition to the PSLA, Wiltshire County Council provides ongoing training to which all members of the group are welcome to attend.

Key Person:

Every child within the pre-school must be assigned a Key Person who has special responsibility for working with just a few children. This means that each small group of children has one special adult with whom they can relate to and this makes settling in much easier, giving them the reassurance of feeling safe and cared for.

The Key Person also provides a strong link between the pre-school and the child’s home. They talk to parents to discuss the child’s progress and development, to ensure that the needs of the child are being met appropriately. This feedback is given in line with the EYFS guidelines for children between the ages of birth and five years old. These meetings are extremely important to ensure that all children are supported appropriately and information is shared effectively.

Assessment:

Ongoing assessment is an integral part of the learning and development process within the EYFS. The Key Person will observe, assess and plan accordingly to enable the child to make progress in achieving the early learning goals and reaching their maximum potential.

A variety of different methods are used to gather information on a child’s learning and development:

•  Parental involvement
•  ‘Snapshot’ observations
•  Narrative observations
•  Examples of the children’s work
•  Taking photographs of the children at play

This information is all recorded in the child’s Learning Journal which is available for parents and children to view at any time, which can be arranged with the Key Person.

Policies

Our policies are designed to offer the best possible experience for the children and families in the group. They are reviewed on a regular basis and comments and

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suggestions from parents and carers are always welcome. The policies are available for you to read - please see a member of staff who will be happy to assist you.

1) Special Educational Needs (SEN)

We aim to provide equal opportunities for all members of our pre-school. This includes children with SEN. Each child is able to progress at his/her own rate in all areas of development. We work closely with professionals across the range of SEN and have the support of an Early Years Inclusion Advisor who regularly visits to offer guidance and advice. If you would like to discuss your own child’s special needs, please talk to our SENCO, Tina Perry.

If a member of staff should have cause for concern regarding a child’s development, the pre-school leader and SENCO will discuss this with the parents/carer to ensure that all appropriate action is taken to help the child to reach his/her full potential. All information is treated in the strictest of confidence.

2) Safeguarding and promoting children’s welfare

The welfare of the children in our care is of paramount importance to us. We have two Child Protection Liaison Persons (Amy Parker and Corinne Else) who work closely together to ensure that any matters concerning child protection issues are dealt with quickly and any information concerning the matter is recorded in a confidential incident file. Should the parents/carers need to be involved, they will be invited to discuss the issues with the Liaison Persons and Chairperson at the earliest convenience. Should it appear necessary, any concerns we have and any evidence collected, may be passed on to the relevant professionals, to ensure the well- being of all children is taken seriously. All staff are available to discuss any concerns you may have at any time.

3) Equal opportunities

We are committed to providing equal opportunities for all by providing a respectful and educational environment. The children will be provided with opportunities to explore and learn about different values and cultural diversity. We aim to provide high quality, multicultural toys and books and regular visitors to promote positive images from a variety of cultures and communities.

4) Accidents

If your child has an accident during the session it will be recorded in the accident book, which you will be asked to sign upon collection of your child. This records the 

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time, date, injury and circumstances along with information about the treatment given and by whom. At least half (usually more) of all staff on duty at each session have current first aid certificates updated every three years. Should your child need medical assistance you will be contacted to either collect your child, or to be informed of any assistance we have called upon (i.e. an ambulance). A member of staff will accompany your child to the hospital if you are unable to arrive before then.

5) Complaints procedure

If you have any concerns or queries about the pre-school please feel free to discuss them with us - the happiness of your child and yourself is extremely important to us and we will do our best to rectify any situation as soon as possible.

Your child’s key person should be able to reassure you in the first instance but you are free to speak to the pre-school leader if you prefer. If you still have concerns, the contact details for the chairperson of our committee can be found on the notice board. The chairperson will then discuss the issue with the relevant committee members and hopefully a solution can be reached.

Should you still have issues and wish to take the matter further you can contact OFSTED:

Ofsted Complaints

National Business Unit

Royal Exchange Buildings

St Ann’s Square

Manchester

M2 7LA

Telephone: 08456 404040

www.ofsted.gov.uk/parents

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Safety and security at Yatton Keynell Under 5’s

This is of great priority and the following steps are taken to ensure the safety and security of your child whilst at pre-school:

a) A signing in sheet is provided requesting the time of arrival, your signature and who will collect your child at the end of the session.

b) Visitors to the premises have a separate book to sign in and out.

c) The outside doors are permanently locked when the session has begun.

d) A daily register is taken.

e) At the end of a session a member of staff signs the children out, as they are collected and monitors who comes into the hall. The other staff supervise the children waiting to be collected.

f) We ensure that there is the correct and safe ratio of adults to children when going off the premises.

g) That your personal information forms are kept up to date and include at least two emergency contact names and telephone names.

h) A risk assessment is taken regularly and fittingly to ensure the children’s safety, security and well being.

i) All members of staff, committee and anyone who works closely with the group on a regular basis have police clearance from the Criminals Records Bureau endorsed by OFSTED. Suitable persons interview staff members and references are taken up and checked.

j) We operate a password system. Parents are required to choose a password, which will be recorded by us. If you have arranged for someone else to collect your child you must inform a member of staff as soon as possible. We will then ask that person for your password. We will not release any child without the correct password.

If your child is lost

In the unlikely event a child becomes lost, we would have a thorough search of the premises and surrounding areas. If this fails to locate the child we would continue to search whilst another adult contacts the police and parents by using the child’s personal information form. Should this contact break down we would then call the additional emergency contact number on the form.

If you fail to collect your child

We would contact the parent carer by using the child’s personal information form or register. If this fails, we then call the additional emergency contact numbers. Two police checked adults would remain on the premises until the child had been collected. As late collections may incur additional costs for the pre-school, parents/carers may be asked to make a contribution towards these.

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If your child is ill

If you are in doubt whether your child is well enough to attend, please let them have a day at home. If your child is ill at pre-school we will try to contact the parent first. Failing that we will use the emergency contact numbers given to us on your registration form. Please inform the pre-school leader in writing as soon as any of these details change.

If your child develops a contagious illness e.g. chickenpox, impetigo please keep your child away until clear under doctors advice. Parents are asked not bring into the pre-school any child who has been vomiting or who has had diarrhoea until at least 24 hours has elapsed since their last attack.

Please check your child’s hair regularly for the detection of head lice and their eggs. If you detect live lice then please treat your child before bringing them back to pre-school and inform the pre-school leader.

If your child is on medication while attending pre-school you will be asked to hand the medicine to a member of staff (please remember to label the bottle with your child’s name and dose). You will be asked to fill in a medication consent form allowing us to administer the medication at appropriate times and correct dosage. When administered the member of staff will sign the form and parents will be asked to sign the form again upon collection of the child to confirm that the child has received the requested dose(s).

Management and administration

1) Decision making

Yatton Keynell Under 5’s is run by an elected, voluntary committee, which ensures that major decision-making, is in the hands of the parents who use the group.

The committee and pre-school leader work closely together to review both policy and practise within the setting and for managing the employment and appraisal of members of staff.

Our AGM, at which the committee for the following year is elected, is held in September and parents/carers will be informed in good time so that they are able to attend.

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2) Admissions and booking policy

We endeavour to give you the core blocks that you would like for your child. However this is not always possible and some flexibility and compromise is required. We welcome all families regardless of where they live, their choice of primary school or if they attend another pre-school. We maintain close links with By Brook Valley School. However your attendance at Yatton Keynell Under 5’s will have no bearing on whether or not you will be offered a place at the school.

Pre-schools manage on a very tight budget and it is in the children’s interest to attend regular sessions. Therefore we:

a) Charge for every core block booked for that term, even if your child is unable to attend. From September 2010, children receive Free Entitlement funding for 15 hours of childcare a week from the term after their 3rd Birthday. Core Blocks booked additionally to the Free Entitlement are charged at £4 per hour.

b) Request that any change of core blocks must be made in writing and agreed with the pre-school leader a half-term in advance.

c) Require half a term’s written notice of terminating sessions otherwise fees apply as normal.

d) Children aged 2 years and until the term after their 3rd birthday, are not eligible for Free Entitlement funding, and a non-refundable deposit of £20 is requested at the time of booking to secure your child’s place. These children will be given a Yatton Keynell Under 5’s polo shirt.

3) Fees policy

Fees will be invoiced every half term, i.e. six times a year. All fees must be paid within 4 weeks of receiving the invoice and are non-refundable, regardless of the circumstances.

If fees are unpaid at 4 weeks, a reminder letter will be sent to you. Regrettably, if fees are still unpaid by the end of a further 4 weeks we may have to pass the outstanding fees on to a debt collections agency. At this stage you will be liable for any additional costs incurred and interest may be charged on the outstanding payment. If necessary we will take steps to recoup the fees via the courts, and you will also be liable for any court costs incurred. Your child’s place will be suspended pending full payment.

If you think that your fees invoice is incorrect, please do not hesitate to speak to one of the staff as soon as possible. If, due to personal circumstances, you are having any difficulty in paying the fees, please speak to either the pre-school 

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leader, the administration officer or the treasurer in confidence, and we will try to come to a mutually satisfactory arrangement for the fees to be paid in instalments.

Place(s) must be paid for during periods of sickness and any other non-attendance. Unfortunately we are not able to swap if you miss a core block, unless it is by prior arrangement with the pre-school leader.

Additional financial support available for childcare costs

From September 2010, all children are eligible to claim 15 hours of nursery education free from the start of the school term following their third birthday (see table below).They will be entitled to a maximum 15 hours per week during a 38 week year (570 hours per year). Wiltshire Council will pay the pre-school directly, you will be asked to sign a form confirming your child’s date of birth, postcode and number of hours that will be funded. You will be asked to sign a binding parental contract to state that you understand that your child is eligible for these free 15 hours. Any additional hours over the 15 hour per week entitlement will be charged at £4 per hour. Please direct any enquiries regarding this to the pre-school leader or administration officer.

Child’s Date of Birth	Funding can be claimed from
1st April 2007 to 31st August 2007	1st September 2010
1st September 2007 to 31st December 2007	1st January 2011
1st January 2008 to 31st March 2008	1st April 2011
1st April 2008 to 31st August 2008	1st September 2011

Phone 08457 585 072 for more details on any of the schemes below. Please ask your employer if you want more information on the salary sacrifice scheme.

•  The Social Inclusion Fund may be able to help with fees towards childcare costs for families who are disadvantaged or in cases of disability.
•  If it is applicable to you, ensure that you are claiming Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit.
• If you are employed, you can request to pay towards your childcare using childcare vouchers. Your employer may be willing to do this through a salary sacrifice arrangement. You should speak to your employer directly about this in order to understand the implications and possible advantages for you both.

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Starting at Yatton Keynell Under 5’s

The first days

We want to make leaving your child at Yatton Keynell Under 5’s a pleasant and rewarding experience for both you and your child. You will be invited for an induction session before your child is due to start, where you and your child can get a feel for the pre-school and routine and start to build relationships with the staff and other children. The allocated Key Person will spend some time with you and your child, getting to know you and finding out information about your child.

Once your child appears to be settled and joining in with the others, please feel free to leave them when you are ready to do so. If you or your child has a difficulty in being apart, the staff are there to help and make the experience as easy as possible. Please feel free to telephone should you have any worries.

Healthy Eating

Yatton Keynell Under 5’s is committed to encouraging young children to learn about the benefits of healthy eating. Therefore we like the children to come to pre-school with healthy packed lunches. Government guidelines suggest that children should have one item from each of the sections in the chart below, which we have put together to give you some idea of the variety of food available to encourage your child to enjoy a healthy and balanced diet.

Single portions of lean meat, ham, chicken & tuna

Sandwich, pitta pocket, chapatti, crackers

Water, fruit juice, milk

Fruit, vegetables, raisins, sultanas

Cheese sticks, Babybel, yoghurts 

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How to find us

From Chippenham take the A420 towards Bristol. Turn right following signs to Castle Combe. After entering Yatton Keynell turn left at the Post Office opposite The Bell Inn. Follow the narrow road until you get to the wide left turning into the Village Hall. Park in the car park.

From Castle Combe, turn right at the Post Office/ Church opposite The Bell Inn.

Follow the narrow road until you get to the wide left turning into the Village Hall. Park in the car park.