The Early Years team:
Sandra Mathias – Pre-school Leader and Early Years Professional (EYP). BA (Hons) in Early Childcare and Education, First Aid
Amy Parker – Deputy Leader, NVQ Level 3, Child Protection, First Aid, SENCo
Alison Eagles – Senior Assistant, EYP, NVQ Level 3, First Aid
Heidi Martin – Pre-school Assistant, NVQ Level 3, First Aid
Charlotte Whiston – Pre-school Assistant, almost completed Level 3 Diploma in Childcare and Education, First Aid
Caroline Draper – Pre-school Assistant, NVQ Level 3, First Aid
Mary Wild – Pre-school Assistant, First Aid
Sue Robbins – Pre-School Administrator
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:
- Work in the pre-school with the children
- Assist with fund raising
- 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 bi-monthly 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.
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.