First things first
FIRST THINGS FIRST
STAFF NAMES, OPENING HOURS, ARRIVAL AND COLLECTION OF CHILDREN
Manager
Deputy Manager
Senior Assistants
Admin Assistant
Child Support Assistants
Assistants
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Lynda Wilson
Denise Summerfield
Joanna Wright (3rd in charge), Victoria Bane, Maddie Golder
Michelle Teague
Emma Eltis, Maddie Golder, JiJi Lau
Michelle Teague
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Please ask to see the staff records file at pre-school for training/qualifications and enhanced disclosure and barring service checks, updated annually. The staff member with extra responsibilities in a particular area is referred to in our policies. Staff qualifications and extra responsibilities are also on our photographic board in the pre-school cloakroom.
Opening hours are 9:15am to 3:15pm, Monday to Friday. We offer a choice of 3 arrival times: 9:15am; 11:45am; 12:45pm and 3 collection times: 11:45am; 12:45pm; 3:15pm. If your child is at pre-school during lunchtime 11:45am – 12:45pm they will need to bring a healthy packed lunch containing an ice pack to keep the contents within temperature guidelines.
The purpose-built pre-school mobile classroom is located in the school grounds nearest to the village play park entrance on Egremont Road. For the 9:15am arrival you can access the pre-school via any school entrance. At 11:45am, 12:45pm, 3:15pm and for pre-school visits, the Egremont Road play park entrance is the only entrance into pre-school as all the school gates are locked during school hours.
Please do not bring pushchairs or prams into the pre-school building for safety reasons; smoking is not permitted on the school site; dogs are not allowed in the school grounds; and pushchairs/wheeled toys are not to be left on pre-school premises either indoors or outdoors. Pushchairs/wheeled toys can be left in a designated area just outside the back entrance gate - please ask any staff member.
Staff, parents, students, volunteers and visitors are required to lock mobile telephones, cameras and bags in the store cupboard or office during opening hours. There are designated areas to use mobile telephones during breaks.
If someone other than an adult named on your child’s registration form is to collect your child, please speak to a staff member so this information can be recorded.
It is parent’s responsibility to supervise their child in the pre-school playground area outside of pre-school hours and we will not accept liability for any accidents.
Please be on time to collect your child being late can cause them distress.
In the case of an emergency you can call the pre-school staff on 01954 212823.
If an authorised adult is ten minutes late collecting your child, and has not telephoned to explain the exceptional circumstance, there will be a £10 charge. This £10 charge will continue for every five minutes thereafter until your child is collected.
Uncollected children
In the event of your child not being collected on time, we will first call the emergency numbers listed on your child’s registration form – it is parent’s responsibility to inform pre-school staff of any changes to emergency contact details. If the call is unsuccessful we are obliged to wait for a specified time then call Cambridgeshire Social Services. We will wait for thirty minutes. Two staff members will remain with uncollected children at pre-school. We reserve the right to charge parents for additional hours worked by pre-school staff. If parents are over thirty minutes late, a full written report will be recorded of the incident.
NEW PARENTS MEETING
Before your child starts at pre-school you will be invited to attend a new parents meeting. At this meeting you will meet your child's key person, the senior staff and other parents. You will be shown various practical things that you will need to know about including how your child’s progress will be recorded throughout their time at pre-school. To find out more please see Educational programme and activities. You will also have a look around the pre-school.
YOUR VISIT TO PRE-SCHOOL
Please make every effort to bring your child along for this initial visit. A staff member will come and meet you at the Egremont Road play park entrance at the given time. At the visit your child will be looked after by their key person. They will have the opportunity to become familiar with their key person, the other children, the pre-school and the staff with the added security of knowing you are on hand.
In order for pre-school staff to learn about your child, their interests and achievements, please complete the 'About Me' page in your child's Tapestry online learning journal, prior to your child's visit.
You will need to be able to give your undivided attention to these matters and for this reason it is most important that you do not bring any other children with you, whether brothers and sisters or minded children.
If commitments make it impossible to come for your visit on the day and time offered, please get in touch with the Manager as soon as possible to rearrange.
KEY PERSON
Your child will be assigned a key person prior to starting at pre-school. Your child’s key person will help your child to become familiar with the pre-school and to feel confident and safe within it. Your child’s key person will aim to develop a close relationship with both you and your child to ensure the pre-school are providing appropriate care and learning activities for your child. Please help your child’s progress by sharing information (including photos, activities/events outside of pre-school and their progress at home) on Tapestry, your child's online learning journal. As the pre-school staff all work different hours, your child may also be assigned an additional staff member for when their key person is not at pre-school.
SETTLING IN PRE-SCHOOL
We recognise that children cannot play or learn successfully if they are anxious or unhappy, so we regard settling children into pre-school as very important.
Please discuss any worries you have with your child’s key person or the Manager at the new parents meeting or your visit.
When you go, please be positive – say goodbye, remind your child you will return and then leave. If your child becomes very upset then staff will telephone you.
We want children to feel safe and happy in the absence of their parents; to recognise other adults as a source of help, friendship and authority; and to be confident that their parent or carer will return.
PRACTICALITIES
CLOTHING
Please do not send your child to pre-school in their best clothes - the children can get messy!
Easily managed clothes are best so please try to avoid dungarees, belts and buttons.
Ideally coats and clothes should be named.
Shoes with Velcro fastenings are preferable to buckles or laces.
Children should not wear jewellery, excepting for religious reasons, but studs are acceptable with pierced ears.
SNACKS AND DRINKS
A healthy eating snack and drink is available both during the morning and the afternoon. A third pint carton of semi-skimmed milk is provided for each child every day they attend to drink with their snack, if they wish. Your child's water bottle is available at any time and as an alternative drink with their snack.
We would be grateful if you could provide a healthy snack, such as fruit, vegetables and mini breadsticks, which all the children share for their snack. Any staff member can advise you.
If your child has any special dietary requirements please discuss this with your child’s key person or the Manager.
All staff handling food have completed appropriate training.
PACKED LUNCH
Lunch is eaten at pre-school between 11:45am and 12:45pm. If you wish your child to have lunch at pre-school you will need to provide a healthy packed lunch - guidance can be found in our Healthy Lunch flyer. Your child's lunch box must contain an ice pack to keep the contents of the lunch box at an appropriate temperature.
HYGIENE
We encourage the children to manage the toilet on their own and insist on hand washing.
"Accidents" can happen so please send a spare set of clothes in your child's pre-school bag.
If your child is not toilet trained, please discuss this with your child’s key person or the Manager. Children's nappies are changed on a changing mat in the children's toilet area, usually by your child's key person. For further information please see Health and Hygiene policy and practice.
Tissues are readily available for your child to blow their nose.
SICKNESS
PLEASE DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD TO PRE-SCHOOL IF S/HE:
1. Has vomited and/or had diarrhoea in the previous 48 hours.
2. Feels sick.
3. Has any rash or other signs of illness.
Please inform the pre school staff of any infection or illness.
If your child becomes ill, you will be contacted and asked to collect your child via the Egremont Road play park entrance.
Your child will be taken by a staff member to a quiet area of the room away from other children until your arrival.
During pre-school hours, at least one staff member is trained in Paediatric First Aid. A list of staff trained in Paediatric First Aid is on the parents' notice board, on the First Aid cabinet in the main room and on the photographic board in the cloakroom.
For further information please see the Health and Hygiene policy.
P.E.
We have the use of the gymnasium at Hardwick and Cambourne Community Primary School, Hardwick Campus on Monday morning. If your child will be at pre-school on Monday morning, you will need to provide a small drawstring bag with named shorts and a named t-shirt. Shorts should not be long, baggy or made of slippery material as they may catch or slide on equipment. The children carry their own drawstring bag to the school changing room and are encouraged to change themselves as far as possible, so easy to manage clothing and footwear is essential.
Hair should be tied back if it is long enough so it does not catch on equipment. Jewellery should not be worn. Please speak to your child’s key person or the Manager if jewellery is worn for your child’s religion.
If your child needs to wear glasses, please discuss this with your child’s key person or the Manager.
VOLUNTARY ROTA
Every parent, guardian, carer or relative has the opportunity to help at pre school, when coronavirus restrictions allow. This enables them to see how the pre school is run and the various activities provided for children. If you have an interest or skill you’d like to share with the children, please speak to a staff member. A rota list is in the pre-school cloakroom – just put your name in the morning or afternoon slot of the date you wish to come in. A staff member will give you an information leaflet to read when you arrive at pre-school and will give you a brief explanation of the activities available. Regular volunteers will also have a formal induction. You will be required to put any belongings, including mobile telephones and cameras, into a locked area. You are very welcome to leave the pre-school telephone number, 01954 212823, as your contact number while you are at pre-school.
FEES
Fees are currently £5.75 per hour.
Fees are reviewed annually and any increase is announced at our Annual General Meeting in the Summer term. Payments are inclusive of all hours reserved for your child, so there are no refunds for hours missed through sickness, holidays or other reasons.
Prompt payment of fees is appreciated because the only income the pre school has is through fees, Early Years Funding and the profits from fundraising events.
You will receive one invoice per term. This can usually be paid in one, two or three instalments but should be settled by the end of each term. Invoices can be paid directly into our bank, by cheque, in cash or via childcare vouchers. Details of payment dates and methods will appear on each invoice.
If a cheque is returned unpaid to our bank and we are charged, this charge will be passed on to the parents involved.
If you experience any difficulties in paying the fees, please do not hesitate to contact the Manager, where all details are treated with the strictest confidence. If invoices are not settled by the end of the term, OR arrangements made with the Manager, you run the risk of losing your child's place at pre-school.
ADHOC HOURS
Parents may request adhoc hours for their child which were introduced to assist parents with childcare problems or emergencies. Adhoc hours can only be arranged with the Manager who will advise you if a space is available. This will depend on staffing ratios and number of children attending. Adhoc hours are charged at the usual hourly rate plus a £2 administration charge per day and must be paid for in advance.
EARLY YEARS FUNDING FOR THREE AND FOUR YEAR OLD CHILDREN
Early Years Funding is paid directly to pre-school by Cambridgeshire County Council for eligible children. This comes into effect in the funding period after the funding period in which your child's 3rd birthday falls. Funding periods are: 1st September-31st December, 1st January-31st March, and 1st April-31st August. 'Universal' Early Years Funding pays for your child's pre-school place for up to 15 hours per week for 38 weeks of the year. We also offer 15 hours of 'Extended' Early Years Funding with an Extended Entitlement Code; apply online via www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
We will give you a form on which you will be asked to confirm that your child is attending our pre-school, and to indicate how many hours your child is with us. We will then submit this information to Cambridgeshire County Council to claim the funding for eligible children.
FUNDED TWO YEAR OLD CHILDREN
We accept Early Years Funding for two year old children subject to our Admissions policy which states children can start pre-school when they are 2 1/2 years old. Children who meet the criteria will be given an Authorisation Code which pays for your child's pre-school place for up to 15 hours per week for 38 weeks of the year. Further information is available at: www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/children-and-families/childcare-and-early-learning/free-childcare-for-2-year-olds/
ADDITIONAL HOURS WITH EARLY YEARS FUNDING
Additional hours can be booked for your child over the Early Years Funding entitlements. The fees for additional hours are currently £5.75 per hour. Fees are reviewed annually and any increase is announced at the Annual General Meeting, which takes place in the Summer term.
You will receive one invoice per term. Depending on the number of additional hours you have booked, the invoice will be paid in one, two or three instalments spread over a maximum of three months. If a cheque is returned unpaid then all associated bank charges will be met by parents, not the pre-school. If you have any difficulties regarding the payment of your invoice please contact our Manager so that alternative arrangements can be made. All enquiries are treated with the strictest confidence.
The additional hours are charged if your child is unable to attend pre-school through sickness, holiday or other reasons. The additional hours are charged for the same number of weeks as Early Years Funding and therefore are charged if the pre-school is closed due to bank holidays, training days or unforeseen circumstances.
FUNDRAISING
Fundraising is a necessary part of pre-school. The fees and early years funding only cover some of the costs incurred by the pre-school, for example staff pay, utility bills and insurance. To enable us to buy and replace equipment we rely heavily on your support and generosity at the various fundraising events held throughout the year. Any new fundraising ideas are always most welcome.
COMMITTEE
Hardwick Pre-School is a voluntary organisation, operated by an elected voluntary committee who employ staff and carry out various tasks to ensure the smooth running of the pre-school.
The committee changes every year at the Annual General Meeting, when some members continue for a further year, some new members join and others step down. There is always a need at this time for new people and new ideas, so please consider whether you would like to join in with the running of this vital service in Hardwick.
Please speak to the Manager or any committee member if you would be interested in finding out more about joining the pre-school committee.
A list of the current committee members is on the parents' notice board, on the photographic board in the pre-school cloakroom and on our website.
HOME / PRE-SCHOOL AGREEMENT
With your registration documents you will receive a Home / Pre-School Agreement form. This details what we agree to do for you and what you agree to do for us.
This concludes your "practical guide" section.
Much of this information is expanded in the following pages.
Latest revision February 2024