| Term Dates 2023/2024 |
Introduction Booklet
Welcome to Abbotsham and Alwington Pre-school
As a member of Abbotsham and Alwington Pre-school, your child:
Working together for your children
Pre-school has a high ratio of adults to children in the setting. This helps us to:
The staff who work at Abbotsham and Alwington Pre-school are:
Session times
We run on - Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, during term time only.
sessions run between the times of 8am and 4pm.
You can choose to do morning sessions, afternoon sessions or all day sessions
Mornings
8am, 8,30am or 9am until 12
Afternoons
12.25pm until 3.25pm or 4pm
All day
8am, 8.30am or 9am until 3.25pm or 4pm
8am start - Breakfast club. We serve healthy cereals and toast.
8.30am start - Breakfast club (no breakfast, this is served at 8am)
The 3.25pm until 4pm slot is known as our after school club.
We provide Care and Education for children between the ages of 3 and 5, term time only.
We are members of the Pre-school Learning Alliance and are also a registered charity.
The Pre-school's timetable and routines
Abbotsham and Alwington Pre-school believes that care and education are equally important in the experience which we offer children. The routines and activities that make up the pre-school's session/day are provided in ways that:
The session
The pre-school organises its 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.
Outdoor activities contribute to children's health, their physical development and their knowledge of the world around them. The children have the opportunity - and are encouraged - to take part in outdoor child-chosen and adult-led activities, as well as those provided in the indoor playroom.
Starting at Abbotsham and Alwington Pre-school
Children may start Pre-school from the age of three, funding will be available from the term after they are three. Funding is available for up to 15 hours per week. More than 15 hours may be available depending on numbers of children. For anything over 15 hours you may be entitled to apply for the 30 hour funding.
Fees - £6.00 per hour
The first days
We want your child to feel happy and safe at the pre-school. To make sure that this is the case, the staff will work with you to decide on how to help your child to settle into the pre-school. The pre-school has a policy about helping children to settle into the pre-school. (See Settling in Policy)
Clothing
The pre-school provides protective clothing for the children when they play with messy activities. Alhough please do not send them in with their best clothes on.
The pre-school encourages children to gain the skills which 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 which is easy for them to manage will help them to do this.
The Education provided by Abbotsham and Alwington Pre-school
Children start to learn about the world around them from the moment they are born. The care and education offered by Abbotsham and Alwington Pre-school helps children to continue to do this by providing all of the children with interesting activities that are right for their age and stage of development.
For children between the ages of 3 and 5 years, the pre-school use the Early Years Foundation Stage Document
There are seven areas of learning and development that must shape educational programmes in early years settings. All areas of learning and development are important and inter-connected. Three areas are particularly crucial for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, and for building their capacity to learn, form relationships and thrive. These three areas, the prime areas, are:
Providers must also support children in four specific areas, through which the three prime areas are strengthened and applied. The specific areas are:
Educational programmes involve activities and experiences for children, as follows.
• Personal, social and emotional development involves helping children to develop a positive sense of themselves, and others; to form positive relationships and develop respect for others; to develop social skills and learn how to manage their feelings; to understand appropriate behaviour in groups; and to have confidence in their own abilities.
• Communication and language development involves giving children opportunities to experience a rich language environment; to develop their confidence and skills in expressing themselves; and to speak and listen in a range of situations.
• Physical development involves providing opportunities for young children to be active and interactive; and to develop their co-ordination, control, and movement. Children must also be helped to understand the importance of physical activity, and to make healthy choices in relation to food.
• Literacy development It is crucial for children to develop a life-long love of reading. Reading consists of two dimensions: language comprehension and word reading. Language comprehension (necessary for both reading and writing) starts from birth. It only develops when adults talk with children about the world around them and the books (stories and non-fiction) they read with them, and enjoy rhymes, poems and songs together (EYFS 2023)
• Mathematics involves providing children with opportunities to develop and improve their skills in counting, subitising, understanding and using numbers. It is important to develop thier spatial reasoning skills across all areas of maths including shape, space, and measures. We support children to develop positive attitudes and interests in mathematics, look for patterns and relationships, spot connections, ‘have a go’, talk to adults and peers about what they notice and not be afraid to make mistakes.
• Understanding the world involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment.
• Expressive arts and design involves enabling children to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials, as well as providing opportunities and encouragement for sharing their thoughts, ideas and feelings through a variety of activities in art, music, movement, dance, role-play, and design and technology.
Snacks and meals
The pre-school make snacks a social time at which children eat together in their key person groups. We provide a drink of milk or water, a variety of fruit/veg and crackers/breadsticks etc.
Do tell us about your child's dietary needs and we will make sure that these are met. If your child is staying for the day you will need to provide them with their own lunch and a drink.
How parents take part in the pre-school
As a member of the Early Years Alliance, Abbotsham and Alwington Pre-school recognises parents as the first and most important educators of their children. All of the staff see themselves as co-workers with you in providing care and education for your child. There are many ways in which parents take part in making the pre-school a welcoming and stimulating place for children and parents, such as:
No-Smoking policy
Parents/ Carers are not permitted to smoke in any of our rooms, or the outside playground or waiting areas, at any time.
Key persons
The pre-school has a key person system. This means that each member of staff has a group of children for whom she is particularly responsible. Your child's key person will be the person who works with you to make sure that what the pre-school provides is right for your child's particular needs and interests. When your child first starts at the pre-school, she will help your child to settle and throughout your child's time at the pre-school, she will help your child to benefit from the pre-school's activities.
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.
The management of Pre-school
A parent management committee - whose members are elected by the parents of the children who attend the pre-school - manages the pre-school. The elections take place at the pre-school's Annual General Meeting which is held each year. The committee is responsible for:
Annual General Meeting (AGM)
The Annual General Meeting is open to the parents of all of the children who attend the pre-school. It is their forum for looking back over the previous year's activities and shaping the coming year's activities. The AGM is normally held in October.
Special needs
As part of the pre-school's policy to make sure that its provision meets the needs of each individual child, we take account of any special needs which a child may have.
The pre-school works to the requirements of the 2011 Education Act and The Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice (2015). The pre-school's Special Educational Needs and Disability Co-ordinator is Janine Shambrook.
Policies
Copies of the pre-school's policies are available upon request. There is also a copy of the Policies on our website.
The pre-school's policies help us to make sure that the service provided by the pre-school is a high quality one and that being a member of the pre-school is an enjoyable and beneficial experience for each child and her/his parents.
The staff and parents of the pre-school work together to adopt the policies and they all have the opportunity to take part in the annual review of the policies. This review helps us to make sure that the policies are enabling the pre-school to provide a quality service for its members and the local community.
Abbotsham and Alwington Pre-school hopes that you and your child enjoy being members of the Pre-school and that you both find taking part in our activities interesting and stimulating. The staff are always ready and willing to talk with you about your ideas, views or questions.
If you wish to contact me by email abbotshampreschool@outlook.com, I check my emails most days so will endeavour to get back to you asap. The Pre-school landline is 01237 478175 and is on during opening hours only.
(The word parents is used to refer to mothers, fathers, legal guardians and primary carers of the children within our care.)
Abbotsham and Alwington Pre-school
The Old School Rooms
Abbotsham
Bideford
North Devon
Phone - 01237 478175
As a member of Abbotsham and Alwington Pre-school, your child:
- is in a safe and stimulating environment;
- is given generous care and attention, because of our high ratio of adults 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 your child makes satisfying progress;
- is in a pre-school which sees you as a partner in helping your child to learn and develop; and
- is in a pre-school in which parents help to shape the service it offers.
Working together for your children
Pre-school has a high ratio of adults to children in the setting. 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.
The staff who work at Abbotsham and Alwington Pre-school are:
- Janine Shambrook, Pre-School Leader, Special Educational Needs and Disability Co-ordinator (SENDCO) and safeguarding officer, CCLD Level 4, Portage, British Sign Language, Safeguarding, PECS, Makaton, First Aid
- Corrina White, Pre-School Deputy, designated first aider and key person, NVQ level 3, First Aid
- Karen Cadogan, Pre-School assistant and key person, NVQ Level 3, First Aid, Portage, PECS
- Angela Colley, Pre-School assistant, deputy safeguarding officer and key person, NVQ level 2, Safeguarding, First Aid
- Michelle Stewart, Pre-School assistant and key person, NVQ level 3, First Aid
- Shauni Cannon, Pre-School assistant, NVQ level 3, First Aid
Session times
We run on - Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, during term time only.
sessions run between the times of 8am and 4pm.
You can choose to do morning sessions, afternoon sessions or all day sessions
Mornings
8am, 8,30am or 9am until 12
Afternoons
12.25pm until 3.25pm or 4pm
All day
8am, 8.30am or 9am until 3.25pm or 4pm
8am start - Breakfast club. We serve healthy cereals and toast.
8.30am start - Breakfast club (no breakfast, this is served at 8am)
The 3.25pm until 4pm slot is known as our after school club.
We provide Care and Education for children between the ages of 3 and 5, term time only.
We are members of the Pre-school Learning Alliance and are also a registered charity.
The Pre-school's timetable and routines
Abbotsham and Alwington Pre-school believes that care and education are equally important in the experience which we offer children. The routines and activities that make up the pre-school's session/day are provided in ways that:
- help each child to feel that she/he is a valued member of the pre-school;
- 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
The pre-school organises its 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.
Outdoor activities contribute to children's health, their physical development and their knowledge of the world around them. The children have the opportunity - and are encouraged - to take part in outdoor child-chosen and adult-led activities, as well as those provided in the indoor playroom.
Starting at Abbotsham and Alwington Pre-school
Children may start Pre-school from the age of three, funding will be available from the term after they are three. Funding is available for up to 15 hours per week. More than 15 hours may be available depending on numbers of children. For anything over 15 hours you may be entitled to apply for the 30 hour funding.
Fees - £6.00 per hour
The first days
We want your child to feel happy and safe at the pre-school. To make sure that this is the case, the staff will work with you to decide on how to help your child to settle into the pre-school. The pre-school has a policy about helping children to settle into the pre-school. (See Settling in Policy)
Clothing
The pre-school provides protective clothing for the children when they play with messy activities. Alhough please do not send them in with their best clothes on.
The pre-school encourages children to gain the skills which 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 which is easy for them to manage will help them to do this.
The Education provided by Abbotsham and Alwington Pre-school
Children start to learn about the world around them from the moment they are born. The care and education offered by Abbotsham and Alwington Pre-school helps children to continue to do this by providing all of the children with interesting activities that are right for their age and stage of development.
For children between the ages of 3 and 5 years, the pre-school use the Early Years Foundation Stage Document
There are seven areas of learning and development that must shape educational programmes in early years settings. All areas of learning and development are important and inter-connected. Three areas are particularly crucial for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, and for building their capacity to learn, form relationships and thrive. These three areas, the prime areas, are:
- communication and language;
- physical development; and
- personal, social and emotional development.
Providers must also support children in four specific areas, through which the three prime areas are strengthened and applied. The specific areas are:
- literacy;
- mathematics;
- understanding the world; and
- expressive arts and design.
Educational programmes involve activities and experiences for children, as follows.
• Personal, social and emotional development involves helping children to develop a positive sense of themselves, and others; to form positive relationships and develop respect for others; to develop social skills and learn how to manage their feelings; to understand appropriate behaviour in groups; and to have confidence in their own abilities.
• Communication and language development involves giving children opportunities to experience a rich language environment; to develop their confidence and skills in expressing themselves; and to speak and listen in a range of situations.
• Physical development involves providing opportunities for young children to be active and interactive; and to develop their co-ordination, control, and movement. Children must also be helped to understand the importance of physical activity, and to make healthy choices in relation to food.
• Literacy development It is crucial for children to develop a life-long love of reading. Reading consists of two dimensions: language comprehension and word reading. Language comprehension (necessary for both reading and writing) starts from birth. It only develops when adults talk with children about the world around them and the books (stories and non-fiction) they read with them, and enjoy rhymes, poems and songs together (EYFS 2023)
• Mathematics involves providing children with opportunities to develop and improve their skills in counting, subitising, understanding and using numbers. It is important to develop thier spatial reasoning skills across all areas of maths including shape, space, and measures. We support children to develop positive attitudes and interests in mathematics, look for patterns and relationships, spot connections, ‘have a go’, talk to adults and peers about what they notice and not be afraid to make mistakes.
• Understanding the world involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment.
• Expressive arts and design involves enabling children to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials, as well as providing opportunities and encouragement for sharing their thoughts, ideas and feelings through a variety of activities in art, music, movement, dance, role-play, and design and technology.
Snacks and meals
The pre-school make snacks a social time at which children eat together in their key person groups. We provide a drink of milk or water, a variety of fruit/veg and crackers/breadsticks etc.
Do tell us about your child's dietary needs and we will make sure that these are met. If your child is staying for the day you will need to provide them with their own lunch and a drink.
How parents take part in the pre-school
As a member of the Early Years Alliance, Abbotsham and Alwington Pre-school recognises parents as the first and most important educators of their children. All of the staff see themselves as co-workers with you in providing care and education for your child. There are many ways in which parents take part in making the pre-school a welcoming and stimulating place for children and parents, such as:
- exchanging knowledge about their children's needs, activities, interests and progress with the staff;
- sharing their own special interests with the children;
- helping to provide, make and look after the equipment and materials used in the children's play activities;
- being part of the management of the pre-school;
- taking part in events and informal discussions about the activities and curriculum provided by the pre-school;
- joining in community activities in which the pre-school takes part; and
- building friendships with other parents in the pre-school.
No-Smoking policy
Parents/ Carers are not permitted to smoke in any of our rooms, or the outside playground or waiting areas, at any time.
Key persons
The pre-school has a key person system. This means that each member of staff has a group of children for whom she is particularly responsible. Your child's key person will be the person who works with you to make sure that what the pre-school provides is right for your child's particular needs and interests. When your child first starts at the pre-school, she will help your child to settle and throughout your child's time at the pre-school, she will help your child to benefit from the pre-school's activities.
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.
The management of Pre-school
A parent management committee - whose members are elected by the parents of the children who attend the pre-school - manages the pre-school. The elections take place at the pre-school's Annual General Meeting which is held each year. The committee is responsible for:
- managing the pre-school's finances;
- employing and managing the staff;
- making sure that the pre-school has - and works to - policies which help it to provide a high quality service; and
- making sure that the pre-school works in partnership with the children's parents.
Annual General Meeting (AGM)
The Annual General Meeting is open to the parents of all of the children who attend the pre-school. It is their forum for looking back over the previous year's activities and shaping the coming year's activities. The AGM is normally held in October.
Special needs
As part of the pre-school's policy to make sure that its provision meets the needs of each individual child, we take account of any special needs which a child may have.
The pre-school works to the requirements of the 2011 Education Act and The Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice (2015). The pre-school's Special Educational Needs and Disability Co-ordinator is Janine Shambrook.
Policies
Copies of the pre-school's policies are available upon request. There is also a copy of the Policies on our website.
The pre-school's policies help us to make sure that the service provided by the pre-school is a high quality one and that being a member of the pre-school is an enjoyable and beneficial experience for each child and her/his parents.
The staff and parents of the pre-school work together to adopt the policies and they all have the opportunity to take part in the annual review of the policies. This review helps us to make sure that the policies are enabling the pre-school to provide a quality service for its members and the local community.
Abbotsham and Alwington Pre-school hopes that you and your child enjoy being members of the Pre-school and that you both find taking part in our activities interesting and stimulating. The staff are always ready and willing to talk with you about your ideas, views or questions.
If you wish to contact me by email abbotshampreschool@outlook.com, I check my emails most days so will endeavour to get back to you asap. The Pre-school landline is 01237 478175 and is on during opening hours only.
(The word parents is used to refer to mothers, fathers, legal guardians and primary carers of the children within our care.)
Abbotsham and Alwington Pre-school
The Old School Rooms
Abbotsham
Bideford
North Devon
Phone - 01237 478175