General Information

Newton Solney Pre-School first opened in 1972 and is a voluntary group affiliated to the Pre School Learning Alliance. We are a registered charity and are managed by a committee and financed by fees and fund raising activities. .
We also receive childcare funding -each child is entitled to 15 hours free childcare from the term after the Childs third birthday . Funding is available cross county for children in Staffordshire. You can also apply for further funding by going onto childcarechoices .gov.uk where you may be eligible for further hours, this will also explain tax-free childcare options as well . Some families are also eligible for 2 year old funding . Please apply directly to Derbyshire County Council for 2 year eligibility.
Our pre school is now held in a unit at Newton Solney Infants school which consists of large brand new classroom with nursery size separate toilets and cloakroom .We have a brand new secure safe play area enabling a free flow system making as much use of our outside space throughout the year as we can also using our garden area We also have the use of the school playground, field and the school hall
We can accept children from 2 years 6 months until they go into reception class – please speak to the manager regarding our admissions and places available.
Our catchment area is quite large attracting children from a wide area and parent/carer involvement is very much encouraged and appreciated.
We are registered with Derbyshire County Council and OFSTED. We are inspected for both care and education and our last OFSTED report was excellent and full details are available to you on request and can also be accessed on line.
We work very closely with Newton Solney Infants School. We spend time in the school, the children taking part in the school worship and also with the reception class. We also have regular visits from the reception teacher and our manager is able to spend time with the reception class.
We all benefit from this close co-operation and interaction and we are sure this makes the transition from Pre School to school much easier and happier for all. We are also able to work closely with other schools, welcoming visits and exchanging information.

Settling into Pre School

The first days at pre school- some children are naturally overwhelmed and a child who is tense or unhappy will not be able to either play or learn. It is important to work together to help overcome this. Of course this can take longer with some children than others but don’t feel worried if your child takes a little while to settle please visit and initially stay a while with your child if they need you. This may be ten minutes or all session or even several sessions .Please rest assured that you would be contacted if you were needed once you have left. Please feel free to discuss this with the staff.

Your child will be in the care of a keyperson who gets to know your child and helps them settle into the pre school routine.
Each child has a detailed registration form for personal details contact numbers etc. Please make sure you also advise of any allergies or relevant experiences, which may affect the health or behavior of your child.
If you child is going home with anyone other than your self please advise in writing beforehand. This is very important.

The number of staff present at each session and our keyworker system enables us to get to know each child and family and provide individual attention for each child. Each child is able to progress at his/her own rate in all areas of development and this is true for children with or without disabilities or learning difficulties .We are experienced in working with professionals across the range of special needs and if you would like to discuss the groups ability to meet your child’s own special needs then please contact the manager.

If you are a parent or carer with a special talent then we would be pleased to know!!!! We have parents and grandparents who still come back to assist with certain projects and we would be only too happy to have input from you.

Staff Ratios

We currently have 4 members of staff who all receive regular in house training as well as attend relevant courses each year All are health checked and have DBS enhanced disclosure and have ongoing training in first aid, safeguarding, food hygiene and health and safety.

Our ratio is currently maximum of 1 adult to 6 depending on age of the children and each staff member is a keyworker to a number of children , this helps with settling in and can help maintain links with the Childs family parents carers etc. However please feel free to speak to any member of staff. There are always members of staff available before and after each session. If you wish to speak in confidence regarding your child please ask to speak to the manager who will make herself available as soon as possible. She can always be contacted by telephone 07788423171.

All of our policies are reviewed regularly and have been designed and developed to offer the best possible experience for the children and their families. Full policy statements are available to read on request and some of these will soon be available on this website.

Our setting aims to: provide high quality care and education for children below statutory school age; work in partnership with parents to help children to learn and develop; add to the life and well-being of the local community; and offer children and their parents a service that promotes equality and values diversity.

We are run by a committee, which is elected at the AGM. This ensures that everyone including parents and staff make all major decisions.

Clothing

In order to feel free to explore and experiment with all kinds of materials including messy ones it is wise to send children dressed in clothes which are easily washable.

In the winter we ask that all children dress warmly and bring a coat. Simple clothing is a must to enable children to visit the toilets easily. Clothing such as coats, sweat shirts etc. should also be marked with names to avoid confusion.

Please ensure that in the summer you supply the children with a hat and suitable shoes for playing and running (not flip flops) please also apply sun cream to your children when required

Opening Times

Monday ,Tuesday and Thursday 850 till 3pm Wednesday and Friday 850 till 12noon

We advise a minimum of two sessions to start with please however discuss this with the manager. Parents/carers are requested to bring children to the door where member of staff will escort the children into the classroom.

Please collect promptly at the end of the session the children will be escorted to the door by a member of staff when the parent/ carer collecting has been identified.

If you wish your child to stay from 850am till 3pm you need to provide a healthy packed lunch and drink .

Fees

The fees for Pre School are £12 per session of 3 hours .

If you are eligible for funding we will be in contact regarding this. This funding is for children and commences the term after their 3rd birthday .

We can claim your free 15 hour entitlement , or if you check with childcare choices .gov.uk you may be entitled to 30 hours.

Some parents are able to claim 2 year old funding , this needs to be done directly through the local authority, please ask for details We do also accept some childcare vouchers please ask for details.

An FE form needs to be filled in to enable us to obtain your funding from the local authority.

Any accounts for fees payable will be issued every half term and should be paid promptly. Each child’s attendance at the group is conditional upon continued payment of fees or appropriate funding.

Fees continue to be paid for holidays in term time or if child is absent for short-term illness. However for prolonged absence due to illness please consult the manager regarding payment of fees.

If you require any further help or information please do not hesitate to contact Gill Tel 07788 423 171.

Early years prospectus

Our setting aims to:

PLAY-THIS IS ESSENTIAL FOR CHILDRENS DEVELOPMENT IT BUILDS CONFIDENCE AS THEY RELATE TO OTHERS,LEARN TO EXPLORE, SET THEIR OWN GOALS, SOLVE PROBLEMS . THEY CAN LEAD THEIR OWN PLAY OR JOIN IN WITH ADULT LED ACTIVITIES. BOTH INDOORS AND OUTDOORS IT MAKES A POWERFUL CONTRIBUTION TO CHILDRENS WELL BEING DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING. WE PLAY TO HAVE FUN , IMMERSE OURSELVES IN OUR INTERESTS ,FIND OUT ABOUT THINGS, TAKE RISKS AND CHALLENGE OURSELVES . WE BUILD ON EXISTING LEARNING , MAKE NEW CONNECTIONS AND SUPPORT OUR OWN CREATIVITY. WE CAN CHOOSE WHAT TO PLAY WITH, WHERE TO PLAY AND HOW LONG TO PLAY , TO PLAY ALONGSIDE OTHERS, WITH OTHERS OR ALONE. WE CAN SHARE OUR IDEAS COMMUNICATE WITH OTHERS AND DEVELOP CONFIDENCE AND ABILITY TO MAKE CHOICES AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY.

we also

• provide high quality care and education for children below statutory school age;
• work in partnership with parents to help children to learn and develop;
• add to the life and well-being of the local community; and
• offer children and their parents a service that promotes equality and values diversity.

Parents

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

• valued and respected;
• kept informed;
• consulted;
• involved; and included at all levels.

As a community based, voluntary managed setting, we also depend on the good will of parents and their involvement to keep going. Membership of the setting carries expectations on parents for their support and commitment.

We aim to ensure that each child:

• is in a safe and stimulating environment;
• is given generous care and attention, because of our ratio of staff to children. has the chance to join with other children and adults to live, play, work and learn together;
• is helped to take forward her/his learning and development by being helped to build on what she/he already knows and can do;
• has a personal key person who makes sure each child makes satisfying progress;
• is in a setting that sees parents as partners in helping each child to learn and develop

Children’s development and learning

The provision for children’s development and learning is guided by The Early Years Foundation Stage

Our provision reflects the four key themes and 17 commitments of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

A Unique Child

Every child is a unique child who is constantly learning and who can be resilient, confident capable and self assured.

Positive relationships

Children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships

Enabling Environments

Children learn and develop well in enabling environments with teaching and support from adults who respond to their individual interests and needs and help them to build their learning over time .

Learning and development

All children develop ands learn at different rates and in different ways .

How we provide for learning and development

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

Areas of Development and Learning comprise:

• personal, social and emotional development; includes making relationships, self confidence and self awareness understanding emotions and managing feelings and behaviour
• communication and language development; includes listening and attention, understanding and speaking
• physical development; includes moving and handling and health and self care
• mathematics; includes numbers and shapes space and measure
• literacy includes reading and writing
• understanding the world; includes people and communities, the world and technology
• expressive arts and design ; includes exploring and using media and materials and being imaginative

For each area, the practice guidance sets out the Early Learning Goals. These goals state what it is expected that children will know and be able to do by the end of the reception year of their education.
The practice guidance also sets out in ‘Development Matters’ the likely stages of progress a child makes along their learning journey towards the early learning goals. Our setting has regard to these matters when we assess children and plan for their learning.

Personal, social and emotional development

Our programme supports children to develop:

• positive approaches to making relationships, playing cooperatively and taking turns.Taking into account others feelings and being sensitive to others needs.
• confidence in themselves and their ability to do things, and valuing their own achievements; Talking about their ideas and choose their own resources and ask for help if needed.
• their awareness of, and being able to keep to the rules which we all need to help us to look after ourselves, other people and our environment; ability to talk about their own and others behaviour and why this can be unacceptable sometimes.to work as part of a larger group and adjust to changes in situations and routines.

Communication and language

Our programme supports children to develop:

• conversational skills with one other person, in small groups and in large groups to talk with and listen to others;
• their vocabulary by learning the meaning of – and being able to use – new words;
• their ability to use words to describe their experiences;
• their knowledge of the sounds and letters that make up the words we use;
• their ability to listen to and respond to what they hear
• their ability to listen to stories making relevant comments and asking appropriate questions

Mathematics

Our programme supports children to develop:

• understanding and ideas about how many, how much, how far and how big;
• understanding and ideas about patterns, the shape of objects and parts of objects, and the amount of space taken up by objects;
• understanding that numbers help us to answer questions about how many, how much, how far and how big;
• understanding and ideas about how to use counting to find out how many; and early ideas about the result of adding more or taking away from the amount we already have.
• using mathematical language to describe shapes and other objects

Knowledge and understanding of the world

Our programme supports children to develop:

• knowledge about the natural world and how it works;
• knowledge about the made world and how it works.
• their learning about technology how to use it and what it can help us to do;
• their skills on how to put together ideas about past and present and the links between them;
• recognise similarities and differences in their own lives, others lives and their environment
• their learning about their locality and its special features; and their learning about their own and other cultures.

Physical development

Our programme supports children to develop:

• increasing control over the large movements that they can make with their arms, legs and bodies, so that they can run, jump, hop, skip, roll, climb, balance and lift;
• Independence skills including toiletting, handwashing and dressing.
• their understanding about the importance of, and how to look after, their bodies, this includes healthy diet, exercise, cleanliness,

Literacy

Our programme supports children to develop

• their knowledge of the sounds and letters that make up the words we use;
• use their phonic knowledge to decode words
• their ability to listen to, and talk about, stories demonstrating they understand the story
• knowledge of how to handle books and that they can be a source of stories and information;
• knowledge of the purposes for which we use writing; and making their own attempts at writing.

Creative development

Our programme supports children to develop:

• the use of paint, materials, music, dance, words, stories and role-play to express their ideas and feelings; and their interest in the way that paint, materials, music, dance, words, stories and role-play can be used to express ideas and feelings.

Our approach to learning and development and assessment

Learning through play- Play helps young children to learn and develop through doing and talking, which research has shown to be the means by which young children learn to think and develop their brain .Our setting uses the practice guidance Early Years Foundation Stage to plan and provide a range of play activities which help children to make progress in each of the areas of learning and development. In some of these activities children decide how they will use the activity and, in others, an adult takes the lead in helping the children to take part in the activity. In all activities information from the practice guidance to the Early Years Foundation is applied to obtain the best opportunities for the childrens learning and to extend their play opportunities.

Assessment

We assess how young children are learning and developing by observing them frequently. We use information that we gain from observations, as well as from photographs or videos of the children, to document their progress and where this may be leading them. We believe that parents know their children best and we ask them to contribute to assessment by sharing information about what their children like to do at home and how they as parents are supporting development.

We make periodic assessment summaries of children’s achievement based on our ongoing development records. These form part of children’s records of achievement. We undertake these assessment summaries at regular intervals as well as times of transition, such as when a child moves into a different group or when they go on to school.

Records of achievement

The setting keeps a record of achievement for each child. Staff and parents working together on their children’s records of achievement is one of the ways in which the key person and parents work in partnership. Your child’s record of achievement helps us to celebrate together her/his achievements and to work together to provide what your child needs for her/his well-being and to make progress.
Your child’s key person will work with you to keep this record. To do this you and she/he will collect information about your child’s needs, activities, interests and achievements. This information will enable the key person to identify your child\’s stage of progress. You and the key person will then decide on how to help your child to move on to the next stage.

Working together for your children

In our setting we maintain the ratio of adults to children in the setting that is set through the Welfare Requirements. This helps us to:

• give time and attention to each child;
• talk with the children about their interests and activities;
• help children to experience and benefit from the activities we provide; and allow the children to explore and be adventurous in safety.

Our setting believes that care and education are equally important in the experience which we offer children. The routines and activities that make up the day in the setting are provided in ways that:

• help each child to feel that she/he is a valued member of the setting;
• ensure the safety of each child;
• help children to gain from the social experience of being part of a group; and provide children with opportunities to learn and help them to value learning.

The session

We organise our sessions so that the children can choose from, and work at, a range of activities and, in doing so, build up their ability to select and work through a task to its completion. The children are also helped and encouraged to take part in adult-led small and large group activities which introduce them to new experiences and help them to gain new skills, as well as helping them to learn to work with others.