Prospectus 2017

Shipton Pre-SchoolForest of Galtres Anglican Methodist Primary School

Station LaneShipton-by-Beningbrough

YorkYO30 1AG

07546 571089

Shipton Pre-School OFSTED Ref: EY549859 Charity Number: 1024185

Welcome to Shipton Prechool. This prospectus aims to provide you with an introduction to our setting and explains our routines and practices to supporting your child’s learning and development and how we aim to work together with you to best meet your child’s individual need.

We have an open door policy so if you wish to visit at any time please feel free to pop in and meet the team and see how we operate.

Mission Statement

"Shipton Preschool aims to provide a child centred, welcoming and supportive environment where each child is valued and encouraged to explore, develop and learn through play. We provide stimulating age appropriate play and activities to promote children’s independence and creativity.”

Our Aim is: Provide high quality care and education of all children below statutory school age; Work in partnership with parents to help all children learn and develop; Provide a service that promotes equality and values diversity for all children and

families; Add to the life and well-being of the local community.

We aim to provide: Provide a safe, secure and stimulating environment; A specially tailored curriculum in line with the latest Early Years Foundation stage

according to their interests and needs. Individual care and attention made possible by a high ratio of qualified adults to

children. Opportunities to develop their learning and development building on what they

already know and can do. A key person who ensures they make good progress. Fun and friendship with children and other adults to live, play work and learn

together. Opportunities for children, parents and carers to be directly involved in helping

each child to learn and develop; Opportunities in which parents and carers help shape the service it offers

Our Pre-School meets at the following times:Day Age Group From ToMondayWednesdayThursdayFriday

Pre-School Group (2 - 5 yrs.)Lunch ClubAfternoon session

09.15am12.15pm12.15pm

12.15pm1.15pm3.15pm

Tuesday Parents, Toddlers and Babies 0-5 yrs.

09.30am 11.30am

STARTING PRE-SCHOOLThe First DaysWe wish for your child to feel happy and safe with us. So to ensure this the key person will work with you to decide on strategies that will help your child to settle into the setting. We encourage parents to stay with their child for a taster session prior to starting pre-school and for as long as necessary on starting the pre-school.The pre-school’s policy on the role of the key person and settling-in is in the policy folder situated on the registration table.

We hope that you and your child enjoy being members of our setting and that you both find taking part in our activities interesting and stimulating. Our dedicated staff are always ready and willing to talk with you about your ideas, views or questions.What to WearWe provide protective clothing for the children when they play with messy activities. We encourage children to gain the skills that help them to be independent and look after themselves. These include taking themselves to the toilet and taking off and putting on outdoor clothes. Clothing that is easy for them to manage will help them to do this. Children have free access to the outside area at most times throughout the session so please could you ensure you bring the following each day: A change of clothes (more if potty training), indoor shoes and raincoat. Please ensure that all clothing, shoes or personal belongings brought to the preschool are clearly labelledSun lotion is to be applied before the session by parents, unless children stay for full days where children must bring sun lotion (named) and given to a staff member. Staff will apply this after lunch before children access outside area.Arrival and Departure Procedure

1 A member of staff will greet you and escort you to hand over or collect your child.2 Registration : (self-registration.) In the main hall please assist your child to find

their name/picture from the board and place it the box. (Rainbow coloured)3 Please sign your child in and out of the registration book and assist your child to

place/collect all their belongings.4 Please do not leave medication or sun cream in the children’s bags. A

member of staff will advise you on our medication procedures.5 Named tray s : Please check their named tray for your child’s work, letters or

information about upcoming events. If your child likes to bring toys into preschool for comfort please try to make it one small toy.

6 If your child is to be picked up by anyone other than the designated adults (which must be put on the admissions form) or anyone the staff have not met, even if they are a close relative, we MUST be informed beforehand. This is extremely important and avoids confusion and delay, as we cannot release your child without confirmation from the parent/carer. We would like all children and their parents/carers to feel secure.

Snacks / Lunches:Children have a choice of fruit, vegetables and bread/crackers/rice cake during the day. The children are encouraged to help prepare snack and pour their own water or milk. Children staying for lunch should bring their own named lunch box and drink bottle. The setting makes snacks and meals a social time at which children and adults eat together. Water is available throughout the session. Packed lunches: please do not bring in any nuts, sweets, chocolate or fizzy drinks. Ideas to include: wholegrain bread, tortilla wraps or various bread, meat, fish or alternative, fruit, veg, portion of milk or other diary food, a drink. Please remember to place a cooling pack inside the lunch box and avoid food groups that need to be stored in fridge. For more ideas please visit www.nutrition.org.uk. Remember any food allergies or dietary needs must be stated on the admissions form. We provide pre packed foods that are labelled with information about their ingredients and staff can explain these to you if required.

Keyworker System and Record Keeping Each member of staff in the pre-school is a key person and has special responsibility for a group of children. Each key person will work with parents to ensure that the interests

and needs of each child are recognised and they benefit from the experiences the pre-school offer. They will assist the child in settling in, observe, monitor and keep records of the child’s progress and liaise with parents regularly. If the key person is not available a secondary key person will be allocated so that staff work together to ensure continuity of care and your child’s development needs are met. If you need to speak to someone other than your keyworker speak to the Deputy or Manager.Any information recorded on each child will be stored in a locked cupboard and will be confidential between staff and parents. Parents may ask to see any records kept on their children at any time.

TrainingAll staff have qualifications in early years care and education and attend courses in First Aid and Child Protection. Staff take part in further training to help them keep up-to-date with new thinking about early years care and education.The preschool keeps itself up-to-date with best practice in early years through the Pre-School Learning Alliance's magazine, Under Five and the Department of Education publications.

The session:We organize the sessions so that the children can choose from a range of activities to aid 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 activity which introduce them to new experiences, help them to gain new skills and learn to work with others.We have a large garden to play in as well as visit the local play park and surrounding fields to explore wildlife, woodlands and growing crops. These activities promote a healthy lifestyle, physical development and their knowledge of the world around them.

The Role of Parents.We recognise parents are the first and most important educators of their young children. Our pre-school aims to support parents as partners in providing care and education for their child. We understand that parents have a right to be valued, respected, consulted, involved and kept informed.Ways in which parents can take part in making the setting warm and welcoming:

1 Exchange knowledge about your children’s needs, activities, interests and progress with staff.

2 Contributing to the 2 year old progress check 3 Help out at sessions. 4 Share your own special interests with the children.5 Help to provide, make and look after the equipment and materials used in the

children’s play activities.6 Take part in the management of the pre-school. The day to day responsibility of

the settings is with the Manager (Please speak to a committee member if you are interested in joining,).

7 Take part in events and activities organised and the curriculum provided by the pre-school.

8 Assist with fundraising and other community activities the pre-school takes part in.

9 Build friendships with other parents/carers.Parent helpers

Helping at the session enables parents to see what the day-to-day life of the setting is like and to join in helping the children to get the best out of their activities. Parents can offer to take part in a session by sharing their own interests and skills with the children. Parents have visited the setting to play, show their animals, and help with gardening and outings. We welcome parents to drop into the setting to see it at work or to speak with their key person.Things we need to knowPlease remember to inform staff of any changes in contact numbers especially emergency numbers, who can collect your child, any changes in medical conditions or if your child has any fears/phobias/started potty training please let your key person know.We want your child to be happy at pre-school. Additionally please inform us of any circumstances which may affect your child’s feelings or behavior e.g. death (including pets), family break-up, house move or anything else which may cause upset (all information given is confidential) even if it is something we cannot change it is helpful for us to be aware of it.Illnesses and absencesIf your child is unwell please keep him/her at home. Although they may say they want to come, children who are ill can feel very unhappy quite suddenly. For children with infectious or contagious diseases they will be excluded for the periods laid down in our exclusion times notice (see staff.) For children who become ill within the session parents will be contacted via telephone. Please inform the session or manager of any absences or contagious illnesses a.s.a.p.

ANY CHILD WHO HAS DIARRHOEA OR VOMITING MUST NOT ATTEND SESSIONS for 48 HOURS AFTER THEIR LAST ATTACK.

Special NeedsAs part of the preschool’s policy to make sure that its provision meets the needs of each individual child, we take account of any special needs a child may have. Every child is enabled to progress at their own pace in all areas of development, regardless of disability or learning difficulty. The setting works to the requirements of the Special Education Needs and Disability Code of Practice (2015).Our Special Needs Co-ordinator is:Sarah Martin.If you would like to discuss the pre-school’s ability to meet your own child’s special needs, please talk to the pre-school manager. Our special needs policy is in the policy folder.Safeguarding childrenOur Preschool has a duty under the law to help safeguard children against suspected or actual ‘significant harm’. Our employment practices ensure children against the likelihood of abuse in our setting and we have a procedure for managing complaints or allegations against a member of staff.Our way of working with children and their parents ensures that we aware of any problems that may emerge and can offer support, including referral to appropriate agencies when necessary, to help families in difficulty. Management and AdministrationThe pre-school is a charity run by an elected voluntary committee whose members are elected by the parents and carers of the children who attend the preschool. The committee make up the registered person with Ofsted and are responsible for managing the pre-schools finances, employing and managing staff, reviewing policy and practice and ensuring we work in partnership with parents. The committee employ a manager who has day to day responsibility to ensure the statutory requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage are met which includes:

1 Ensure policies help to provide a high quality service2 Manages budgets set by committee.3 Line manager to staff4 Ensure the setting works in partnership with the children’s parents.5 Ensure the staffing ratios, training requirements are met.

Our Annual General Meeting is open to all parents and carers of children who attend the preschool. It is our shared forum for looking back over the previous year’s activities and shaping the coming year, at which the committee for the following year is elected. PoliciesOur staff can explain our policies and procedures to you. Copies are available on the registration table and website. All our policies are designed to offer the best possible experience for the children and families in the group. Our policies are reviewed yearly by staff and parents. Comments and suggestions from parents are always welcome as this helps us ensure that the policies are enabling the setting to provide a quality service for its members and the local community.We always inform parents of any changes made to the documents but ask that parents make it their responsibility to keep them informed by reading the policies when they are changed.FeesNon-funded children: £11.70 per 3hr session payable monthly. An invoice will be issued every month. Fees must still be paid if children are absent for a short period of time as it is the place you are booking for not the amount of sessions attended.If your child has to be absent over a long period of time, talk to the manager. We accept childcare vouchers and payment can be by bank transfer, cheque, or cash placed in a sealed envelope. Cash payments must be given to a member of staff.Funded children: Parents/carers will be required to sign a declaration form stating how many hours your child attends and where. Funding is for 15 hours for 2 years if applicable and 30 hours for 3 years a week up to 39 weeks of the year. Where funding is not received, or entitlement is above the 15 hrs for 2 years, then fees apply. Snack: we do ask for a voluntary contribution of 50p per session payable monthly. Cheques payable to; Shipton Pre-schoolWe would ask that all fees are paid within 28 days of receipt of invoice. If you have any difficulties in paying please see Caroline. If fees are not settled within 30 days, and after discussion with parents, we reserve the right to suspend your child’s attendance at pre-school until the withstanding fees are settled or (at the discretion of the Committee) an arrangement made to pay by instalments.

Toddler GroupThe Toddler Group meets on a Tuesday morning. The group is led by the pre-school staff and parents / carers are required to stay. It is a place for parents / carers to meet whilst their children have fun and learn to socialise. Children are the responsibility of their parents and carers.The Toddler session has a more relaxed structure than the pre-school sessions. There are always a wide variety of carefully chosen activities which include a messy/ sensory activity and a singing/music time. There is also a time for the children to experience physical play in and out doors (weather permitting) on large play equipment.At each session the children sit together to have a drink and a snack - this encourages

good social skills. The toddler group is a good introduction to the playgroup and can make the transition to Pre-school easier for some children.

Children’s development and learningThe provision for children's development and learning is guided by The Early Years Foundation Stage. Our provision reflects the four overarching principles of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (DfE, 2014). A Unique Child

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

Positive RelationshipsChildren learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships.

Enabling EnvironmentsChildren learn and develop well in enabling environments, in which their experiences respond to their individual needs and there is a strong partnership between practitioners, parents and carers.

Learning and DevelopmentChildren develop and learn in different ways and at different rates. The framework covers the education and care of all children in early years provision including children with special educational needs and disabilities.

How we provide for development and learningChildren 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. The Areas of Development and Learning comprise: Prime Areas

- Personal, social and emotional development.- Physical development.- Communication and language.

Specific Areas- Literacy.- Mathematics.- Understanding the world.- Expressive arts and design.

For each area, the level of progress that children are expected to have attained by the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage is defined by 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 Early Years Outcomes (DfE, 2013) guidance sets out 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. Our programme supports children to develop the knowledge, skills and understanding they need for:Personal, social and emotional development making relationships; self-confidence and self-awareness; and managing feelings and behaviour.

Physical development

moving and handling; and health and self-care.Communication and language listening and attention; understanding; and speaking.Literacy reading; and writing.Mathematics numbers; and shape, space and measure.Understanding the World people and communities; the world; and technology.Expressive Arts and Design exploring and using media and materials; and being imaginative.Learning through playBeing active and playing helps young children to learn and develop through doing and talking. This is how young children learn to think about and understand the world around them. We use the Early Years Foundation Stage statutory guidance to plan and provide a range of play opportunities which help children to make progress in all areas of learning and development. This programme is made up of a mixture of activities that children plan and organise for themselves and activities planned and led by practitioners.Characteristics of effective learningWe understand that all children engage with other people and their environment through the characteristics of effective learning that are described in the Early Years Foundation Stage as: playing and exploring - engagement; active learning - motivation; and creating and thinking critically - thinking.

We aim to provide for the characteristics of effective learning by observing how a child is learning and being clear about what we can do and provide in order to support each child to remain an effective and motivated learner.

AssessmentWe assess how young children are learning and developing by observing them frequently, we use information that we gain from observations, photographs and parents/ carers to document their progress and where this may be leading them. We believe that parents know their children best and we ask you to contribute to assessment 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 Learning Journeys. We undertake these assessment summaries at regular intervals as well as times of transition. E.g. moving to another setting or school.

The progress check at age twoThe Early Years Foundation Stage requires that we supply parents and carers with a short written summary of their child’s development in the three prime areas of learning and development - personal, social and emotional development; physical development; and communication and language - when a child is aged between 24 - 36 months. Your child’s key person is responsible for completing the check using information from on-going observational assessments carried out as part of our everyday practice, taking account of the views and contributions of parents and other professionals.

Parental communicationsThis is a vital area from initial registration where the individual needs of you and your child will be discussed to the information on the notice board, communication is essential. We will endeavour to keep you informed at every level and will provide each child with a daily diary, staff will write in this to help you to share in your child’s day. You are also encouraged to write in this diary to tell us anything, which may help us meet your child’s needs. A full handover of information is encouraged by staff at the beginning and end of your child’s session.

OrbitNew in 2016, we have started using a digital assessment program called Orbit. This program allows us make and collect observations of each child digitally, assess their learning, and then over the year evaluate and track progress made. One part of this package is for families to access your child’s learning journey at home through the Orbit Family website. Parents can send in ‘postcards’ of children’s learning and achievements at home which we use in our assessments. It is an easy system to use which enables better communication with parents and keeps families updated and contribute to your child’s learning.

This helps us to celebrate together their achievements and to work together to ensure your child’s well-being and development needs are met so that they continue to make progress. We would appreciate it if you could add your own comments, photos and observations about your child’s needs, activities, interests and achievements to the Learning Journey folder. The keyworker will help you do this. This information will enable the key person to identify your child’s stage of progress and together decide on how to help your child move on to the next stage for their future learning.