Starting & Settling In
We want you and your child to be happy within 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 settle. In our experience we have found that it is best for your child to start independently at Pre-School. To ease the transition into Pre-School we start with a period of settling in sessions usually over the first few weeks.
We encourage children to wear old clothes that can get dirty and messy. Beaches has a uniform available to buy, this is not compulsory.
Our Pre-School Day
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 they are 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.
Staff members will be outside to welcome parents and children at the beginning of the day and are available to relay any information to.
Children arrive at Pre-School, placing lunch bag on the trolley and entering Pre-School.
Children will enter Pre-School independently and find their peg to place their coat and belongings on, continue to find their name card which they self register on to the white board.
Free choice/flow play for the morning session with indoors and outdoors both available. A variety of activities are available to choose from.
A rolling snack is offered at the start of the morning with children choosing cereal and/or toast, along with a selection of fruit and milk or water.
Children attending only the morning session will get ready to depart for 11.30am.
At the end of free-choice time children are encouraged to help with tidy up time.
Mat time activity, which may be music and movement, dancing, yoga, story time, parachute play or educational screen time relating to our weekly theme.
Getting ready for lunch.
Toothbrushing at a relevant time after lunch.
Free choice/flow play for the rest of the afternoon session with indoors and outdoors both available. A variety of activities are available to choose from.
At the end of free-choice time children are encouraged to help with tidy up time.
Mat time which leads in to children being collected for the end of day.
Children staying for the extended day will be offered snack.
Staff members will be available outside at the end of the day.
Snacks and Lunch
Snack is provided for the morning session. Children staying for a full day will need to bring in a packed lunch, as all children will sit down for lunch at 12.00pm. We are a nut aware Pre-School. We adopt the “you provide, they decide” lunchbox strategy. Therefore, we advise you to please supply items your child will consume and refrain from supplying too many sugary treats.
Collections from Pre-School
We ask that parents/carers collecting children are prompt and on time. We have a late collections policy that is followed for late collections. Safety is our top priority, only adults named on the collection form are able to collect. Any changes must be notified as soon as possible.
Learning Journal and Communication
Beaches uses software called Eyworks for learning journals and communication.
Beaches will use this to create a learning journal where you can view photos of your child’s time at Pre-School.
Parents can access this through an app called Eyparent.
Keeping in touch
As part of our partnership with parents we welcome any feedback or suggestions you might like to make. This can be either in person, email or an anonymous letter.
Our Facebook page is used as an additional communication between Pre-School and home. We will put on reminders for events and activities, as well as any weather-related closures.
Children’s photos are never shared on Facebook and as this is an open page we ask that you also do not post photos of your own children. Any photos that you may like to share can be done so through Tapestry. We very much like to see what your child gets up to during special occasions and visits.
How parents take part in the setting
Our setting recognises parents as the first and most important educators of their children. All staff see themselves as partners with parents in providing care and education for their child. We ask parents to share knowledge about their children’s needs, activities, interests and progress with the staff. To add comments and posts to their child’s Tapestry journal.
As a registered charity we regularly hold fundraising events and activities. For these to be successful we need the involvement of all our families. This can be by volunteering to help on event days, source donations or even just sharing our events with the wider community.
Families that feel they can contribute to the learning of our children by sharing interests or specific job roles. Please contact us as we welcome visitors that can develop and widen our children’s knowledge.