Parents Handbook

Welcome to Castle Keep Pre-school Ltd

Castle Keep Pre-school was formed as a trading arm of Allesley Park Community Association Ltd in September 1994 and became a Limited Company in April 2010.  From small beginnings, we have now grown and in November 2014 we opened our new extension which increased our number of children to 50 per session.

Our aim is to provide your child with an enjoyable, stimulating, and educational time and to teach them a variety of skills and social graces to help them follow on to their next big adventure – school!

Our setting consists of different activities each day and we have a wide and varied program over the week.  Whenever possible activities are linked to our current topic, details of which will be displayed on our noticeboard and through newsletters.  The topics are changed each term.  Whether your child attends five sessions or two sessions per week, each day will be different.  We work to achieve the current Early Learning Goals as set out in the Early Years Foundation Stage guidance as well as within the Every Child Matters framework.  We are subject to regular Ofsted inspections and visits from Coventry City Council Early Years and Childcare Service.    We received our most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2022 at which we received a grading of Good under the new inspection framework, a copy of our most recent report is available in the entrance hall or by entering our postcode at www.ofsted.gov.uk.

Please remember we operate an open house policy and staff are available for consultation at the beginning and end of every session.

This handbook is designed to give you both an overview of our policies and some information you may find useful during your child’s time with us.  Full copies of our policies are available in the entrance hall at all times, or you may request a hard copy from the Pre-school office.  Your opinions and feedback are appreciated and if you feel that there is any additional information which you would be useful if included or you have any questions, please do not hesitate to let us know.

“All children deserve the care and support they need to have a better start in life.  Children learn and develop at a faster rate from birth to five years old than at any other time in their lives, so their experiences in early years have a major impact on their future life chances. A secure, safe and happy childhood is important in its own right.  Good parenting and high-quality early learning provide the foundation children need to fulfill their potential.”

(Early Years Foundation Stage Framework, 2025)

Our aims for your child

Our aims are:

• To provide each child with a warm and loving environment where they feel a sense of belonging and can learn to be strong and independent.
• To provide a sound beginning to school life from the age of two years.  Your child will be encouraged to start looking at numbers, colours, shapes and the world around us in a variety of ways.
• To provide a stimulating environment within which your child will learn how to use a pencil, how to look at a book and use lots of different textures and materials, and will begin to experience crafts, art, cookery and music.
• To provide each child with a warm and loving environment where they feel a sense of belonging and can learn to be strong and independent.
• To ensure that no child will be disadvantaged or excluded.

We will offer your child:

• Especially tailored curriculum leading to approved Early Learning Goals.
• Individual care and attention are made possible by a high ratio of adults to children.
• Fun and friendships with children and adults.
• Opportunities for you and your family to be involved in the activities of the group and in your child’s own progress.

Parents as partners

Castle Keep Pre-school recognises parents/carers as their children’s first and most important educators.  There are lots of ways in which you can help your child to get the most out of their time at Pre-school.

• Always praise your child’s efforts and the work they bring home, even though it may be immature at first.
• Remember that Pre-school can be tiring at first, so ensure that your child has plenty of rest.
• Encourage your child’s independence by letting them try to hang up their coat, recognise their name etc.
• Although they may need support or assistance, you will be surprised how quickly your child will develop these skills.
• Support your child in bringing in items for the interest table, nature table or to support our topics.
• Have a chat at the end of the session about what they have done and what did they enjoy, but be prepared most children’s usual response is ‘nothing’; this is usually followed by them wanting to discuss every detail, usually at the most inconvenient moment!.
• Remember that every child is an individual, and each child will settle into Preschool differently.  You may need to stay with your child for a short time or your child may settle quickly if you are not there.  Our children know that we love them, and if you are upset about leaving them, this may cause them to feel anxious. But remember they very quickly become distracted and realise that you will be back when they have had a play with their new friends.

For a partnership between a parent and our setting to be successful, there needs to be a meaningful exchange of knowledge and information. Working with children and families will sometimes bring us into contact with sensitive and confidential information. Every adult in Pre-school, including students, is made aware of this policy and is required to respect it.

Our aims are to:

• To inform parents of areas in which they can become involved in their child’s education and achievements via newsletters, curriculum planning, photos, displays, notices and verbally, where appropriate. Allow parents access to their child’s records and/or photos, videotapes, etc., through a staff member.
• Liaise with parents via a key person system.
• To hold a one-to-one meeting within the first two weeks to enable us to discuss your wishes for your child, any issues you may have and where we feel your child’s starting points are.
• Provide time and privacy, wherever possible, to talk and listen to parents. This will be achieved at the beginning and end of the sessions and by arrangement.
• Only discuss confidential matters on individual children with the parent concerned or for purposes of individual educational planning.
• Discuss any early indicators for additional provision or modification in the child’s educational needs with parents.
• Retain information specified by the LEA for up to 21 years 3 months and will only share this on a ‘need to know’ basis.
• Follow the complaints procedure as outlined later in this document.

While it is harder to keep our website up to date, we do have a Facebook page on which we post events (with reminders), copies of newsletters and photos where children are not identifiable.   Please like the page to receive our updates.

www.facebook.com/castlekeepcoventry

What do we want to achieve?

• Parents to be more involved in and have a say in the day-to-day of Pre-school.
• Parents’ social events enable parents to get to know each other as it is felt that there is only a short window of time to chat when dropping off or collecting children, and in many cases, the children will be going to school together for many more years.
• Parents to be more involved in suggesting and deciding on fundraising events.
• Parents to suggest facilities or resources they feel would enhance their child’s time at pre-school, which we can then fundraise for.

WE WANT YOUR INPUT AND SUPPORT!!

What will my child need?

• Sensible shoes/sandals for outdoor play, please do not send your child to Pre-school wearing heels, open-toed sandals, or flip flops as this causes a hazard when playing on the climbing equipment
• Appropriate clothing, your child may get messy and although we provide aprons for messy activities such as painting, children do have the tendency to find the only bit of clothing not covered.  We do like to encourage the wearing of Pre-school sweatshirts and/or polo shirts which are available from the office.  As well as developing your child’s sense of belonging these are easily washable and leave your child free to explore and experiment.
• A change of clothes, children quite often have accidents in a new environment as they become engrossed in activities and forget to go to the toilet. Also, a spare t-shirt may come in handy if your child becomes wet when playing in the water.
• Clothing that is easy for your child to manage when toileting i.e. no belts or braces.
• They should not wear unnecessary jewelry. Jewelry is not our responsibility and can be dangerous to your child or other children (bulky or sharp or liable to be caught or pulled off and scatter beads that could be swallowed.
• The children are taken outside to play on a daily basis, weather permitting, so please ensure that during the summer your child brings a sun hat and is wearing sun cream, and during the colder weather your child has a coat and if needed a hat/gloves.
• If your child needs to bring a particular toy as a comforter, these can be kept during the session in their drawer. Please do not allow them to bring in money or any item which is fragile or valuable.

ALL REMOVABLE ITEMS OF CLOTHING SUCH AS SWEATSHIRTS, JACKETS, HATS, AND GLOVES ETC. MUST BE NAMED.

Opening and Collection Times

Our Pre-school meets from Monday to Friday during term time only and we hold a breakfast club plus two sessions per day, as well as full daycare.  The breakfast club runs from 8.30 am to 9 am, the morning session runs from 9 am until 12 noon and the afternoon session runs from 12.30 pm until 3 pm, full days run from 8.30 am till 3 pm including a lunch session.  We are also closed on Bank Holidays and on limited occasions to coincide with local teacher training days.

Once your child has settled into Pre-school a member of staff will take your child from you at the front door at the start of the session where you will be asked to sign them in, the entrance door will then be locked during the session. At the end of the session, the front door is unlocked and all parents are asked to queue in the hall until their child is released and they have been signed out.

In the event that your child is late in being collected where we have not been notified, a charge of £1 per minute will be made to cover the cost of the two members of staff required to supervise your child.  Should your child not be collected within 30 minutes of the end of the session we are required to contact social services in line with the procedure below.

PROCEDURE TO BE FOLLOWED IN THE EVENT OF A PARENT FAILING TO COLLECT A CHILD

1. Attempt to contact the parent.
2. Check with other members of staff to ensure they have no knowledge of any late collection.
3. If unsuccessful, try emergency numbers.
4. If still unsuccessful, wait 10 minutes and try all contact numbers again.
5. Continue trying for 30 minutes.
6. If still unable to contact anyone, ring the Social Care Office local to the child’s home address.
7. At least two members of staff to stay on-site with the child until they are collected.
8. Complete incident report including times of contact.
9. Notify Ofsted so that they are aware of the situation.

Please remember if you are not collecting your child we MUST be notified before the end of the session.  If you have nominated another family member to collect who is not known to us YOUR CHILD WILL NOT BE RELEASED unless we have spoken to you and you have given them our daily password.

Under our Safeguarding policy we will not release your child to any person under the age of 16 years.

Term Dates 2025 – 2026

Autumn Term 2025

Thursday 4^th September – Friday 24^th October

Half term

Monday 3^rd November – Friday 19^th December

 

Spring Term 2026

Monday 5^th January – Friday 13^th February

Half term

Monday 23^rd February – Friday 27^th March

 

Summer Term 2026

Monday 13^th April – Friday 22^nd May

Half term

Monday 1^st June – Friday 17^th July

Bank Holiday: Monday 4^th May

Any changes to these dates will be notified in advance

Summer Holiday Play Scheme

 

Each year we run a play scheme for four weeks of the summer holidays, which will help your child maintain their routines and can avoid your child having to resettle again in September – six weeks is a long time for a child (and you!).  Each child can attend as many or as few of these sessions as you may need although numbers of children are limited for these weeks.  No nursery education funding is available during this time, so fees are payable unless your child has accessed the 30 hours Extended Entitlement and has banked hours.

 

Summer 2026 Playscheme

Monday 20^th July 2026 to Friday 14^th August

Staff and Staff Training

The regular staff in the Pre-school are:

Pam Halligan – Manager
NVQ 3 Childcare, Learning & Development
NVQ 3 Leadership and Management

Nicola Bennett – Deputy
NVQ 3 Childcare, Learning & Development

Tracie Burdett – Team Leader SENco
NVQ 3 Childcare, Learning & Development
NVQ2 Team Leading

Estelle Browne – Assistant
Working towards NVQ2

Jemma Cherry – Assistant

NVQ3 Early Years Care & Education.

Lorraine Holloway – Assistant
NVQ3 Childcare, Learning & Development

Georgia James – Assistant
NVQ3 Diploma in Early Years Education & Care

Amanda Leek – Assistant
NVQ3 Childcare, Learning & Development

Tracy Merrett – Assistant
NVQ 3 Childcare, Learning & Development

Gemma Smith – Assistant
NVQ 3 Early Years Educator

Jemma Stockhill – Assistant
NVQ 3 Early Years and Childcare

Emma Townsend – Assistant
NVQ 3 Childcare, Learning & Development

 

Our staff also hold current First Aid certificates, Level 2 Food Safety in Catering, and fire safety and have completed current Child Protection Training. Copies of staff training certificates are available in the folder in the entrance hall. We are proud of the high levels of training carried out by our staff to keep us constantly in touch with new thinking and development in the field of childcare and child education.  All staff complete at least 12 ½ hours of training per year consisting of a combination of professionals visiting our setting to carry out training with the whole team, online training, and also training delivered by the Coventry Early Years Development and Childcare service off-site.

Disclosure and Barring Service Checks

All members of staff, volunteers, and students are subject to a successful DBS check.  In the case of adults who are awaiting the return of their certificate, we ensure that they are supervised at all times with the children.

Admissions

As a community-based preschool, we welcome children and families from all sections of the community, linking with other services provided on the Allesley Park Community Centre site and local schools.

We aim to admit all children of Pre-school age with regard to the following:

• Accept children from 2 years old, subject to places being available.
• If more requests for places are received than there are places available, places will be allocated in the following order:
  • children who at the time of admission are in the care of the local authority
  • age at the time of admission
  • date placed on the waiting list.

We will:

• Send offer letters to parents from which they must return the reply slip to accept the place.
• Invite parents on a pre-start visit in the weeks prior to planned admission.
• Supply parents with essential information through the parent handbook.
• Send to parents before the start date compulsory registration forms including medical forms, contracts, consents, consent for observations, and starters background information which must be completed and returned prior to admission. Offer assistance if required.
• Support parents in encouraging independence with their child, all children will be allocated a key person on admission and ensure ratios are maintained in accordance with Ofsted guidelines.
• Parents are invited to be involved with the settling in process.
• Ensure a register is maintained and kept in accordance with Ofsted, with appropriate information on emergency contact numbers and fees paid.
• Administer payment of fees and Government funding arrangements. We agree to have our financial details audited annually in compliance with Companies House guidance, and our Nursery Funding monitored by Coventry City Council.

Fees and Funding

Our current fees are as follows:

Breakfast Club (0.5 hours) – £3.33

(plus £1.50 payment for breakfast if required)

Morning sessions (3 hours) – £19.98

Afternoon sessions (2.5 hours) – £16.65

Full days (6 hours) – £39.96

Hours taken for children receiving nursery education funding in addition to 15 hours entitlement – £6.66 per hour

These fees are subject to review in September 2027 subject to increases in the National Living Wage set by the government.

Fees are payable on a weekly or monthly basis.  All parents of fee paying children will receive a letter during the first week of each month informing them of how many sessions their child is due to attend and what fees are due for the full month, no fees should be carried over to the following month.  Any missed sessions during term time, due to sickness, holidays, etc must be paid for.  Each child’s attendance is conditional upon payment of necessary fees and/or Nursery Grant eligibility (please see further information about this below)  Should you wish to terminate your child’s place it is necessary to give Castle Keep Pre-school one month’s notice and all outstanding fees must be paid in full.

Working Family Tax Credit

If you work more than 16 hours each week and use childcare registered with Ofsted, such as ourselves you may be eligible to claim the childcare element of Working Family Tax Credit which can cover up to 80% of weekly childcare costs.  To find out if you are entitled to claim go to www.hrmc.gov.uk/taxcredits or call the tax credits help line on 0845 300 3900.

Nursery Education Grant for 3 and 4-year-olds

All children are be entitled to LEA funding for 15 hours per week from the start of the term following their 3^rd birthday, the LEA provides funding for up to 38 weeks per year.  The school year is in most cases 39 weeks induration so it may necessary for us to charge top up fees for the remaining sessions.  In this event you will be notified at the beginning of the term of the fees payable, these can be paid in installments if necessary over this period but must be paid completely during that term.

During the first few weeks of each term, the Pre-school will receive a grant application from Coventry City Council and will make the application for all eligible children within the Pre-school.  It is a statutory requirement that you complete a parent pro-forma which must be returned to Pre-school with proof of your child’s date of birth.  It is important that you inform us if your child‘s funding is being claimed at another setting.

Child Birth Day	Eligible for funding from
1st April to 31st August inc	1st September
1st September to 31st December inc	1st January
January to 31st March	1st April

2-Year-Old Entitlement (Tuning into Two’s)

There are two types of 2-year-old entitlement, Tuning into Two’s is not a universal entitlement but is a targeted entitlement for eligible two-year-olds to access free 15 hours of early education.  This is part of the Government’s aim to improve life chances for children and families.  Not all two-year-old children are entitled to the Free Early Education Entitlement; eligible places are determined by the Local Authority following a completed and approved two-year-old funding application form, which meets the required criteria listed.

• Guarantee Element of Pension Credit (GPC)
• Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 (IAA) Support
• Universal credit – this includes:
  • Working Tax Credit earning less than £16,190 a year
  • Working Tax Credit relating to a disability
  • Income Support (IS)
  • Job Seekers’ Allowance (Income-Based)
  • Income Related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA-IR)
  • Child Tax Credit (CTC) with a household income of less than £16,190

Or do you have or care for a child who falls into one of these categories?

• Is in the care of the local authority.
• Has left care through special guardianship, adoption or residence order.
• Has a current statement of Special Educational Need or an Education, Health and Care plan
• Attracts disability living allowance.
• Has a Child Protection plan
• Is being supported through the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) process.

If the answer to any of these questions is yes you could receive the funding starting the term following your child’s second birthday:

We are now able to check eligibility for 2-year funding within the Pre-school via the Local Authority portal.  To do this we require the parents National Insurance number and date of birth.

Working Families Funding Entitlement

From September 2025 the government has increased the entitlement from 9 months old to 30 hours funding. Funding this will start from the start of the term following their 9 months, the LEA provides funding for up to 38 weeks per year.

Whilst it is not compulsory for Pre-schools and Nurseries to provide any of the new 30 hours entitlement for children, after consultation with parents, staff and the local authority we have decided this funding will be delivered by ourselves under certain conditions, these are that it will be provided under what the Local Authority refer to as the ‘stretch model’ this mean that the funding will cover the 39 weeks term time and also the four weeks summer scheme.  The total funded hours entitlement for the year ‘stretched’ over the year is equal to 26.5 hours per week.  This will be shown on your monthly invoice.

Not all children will be eligible for the full entitlement; it is also the parent’s responsibility to check every 3 months if they are still eligible.  Please also be aware that this may affect your family tax credits if you currently claim the childcare element.

Age		2023	Apr 2024	Sept 2024	Sept 2025
9-23 months	Working Families	N/A	N/A	15	30
2 Years olds	Tuning in Two’s	15	15	15	15
	Working Families	N/A	15	15	30
3- & 4-year-olds	All	15	15	15	15
	Working Families	30	30	30	30

How do I know if I am eligible?

HMRC are creating a joint application for 30 hours and tax-free childcare where parents will enter their information online and find out if they are eligible.  This will be available via http:/GOV.uk

Eligible parents will receive a code that they will need to provide to Castle Keep receiving a free place, if this code is not provided parents will be liable for all fees accrued.

Eligibility Criteria

• Both parents are working (or the sole parent is working in a lone parent family), and each parent earns, on average: a weekly minimum equivalent to 16 hours at national minimum wage (NMW) or national living wage (NLW), and
  • less than £100,000 per year.
  •  At present, the living wage is £12.71 an hour. Therefore, the minimum income requirement for a parent (over the age of 23) is £203.36 a week.
• A parent expects (on average) to earn this amount over the coming three months. The eligibility criteria have been designed to accommodate parents with fluctuating incomes and those who are about to start working or increase their hours.
• For example, a parent who is on a zero-hours contract will get work some weeks, but not others, and may not know in advance if they will have work in any given week. If, on average they work two weeks out of every three, and when they are working, they get 25 hours of work at the minimum wage, their child will qualify for 30 hours of free childcare.
• Families where one parent does not work (or neither parent works) will not usually be eligible for the extended entitlement EXCEPT where:
  • Both parents are employed but one or both parents is temporarily away from the workplace on parental, maternity or paternity, adoption leave, or on statutory sick pay
  • One parent is employed and one parent either has substantial caring responsibilities based on specific benefits received for caring, or is disabled or incapacitated based on receipt of specific benefits
• A child and parent must be resident (living) in the Local Authority, as evidenced by the parent’s proof of residency
• The person applying for the childcare (usually the parent but could be their partner) is ‘resident in the UK’.
• Parent means a person who has parental responsibility for the child or care of the child. In cases where a parent has remarried or is living with a partner, the stepparent or partner must also meet the earnings threshold.
• Foster carers are eligible for the extended entitlement for their own children if they meet the criteria, however they are not eligible for the extended entitlement for the children that they foster.

Healthy Early Years

In September 2011 we were one of the first Pre-schools in Coventry to be awarded a CHEYSA (Coventry Healthy Early Years Setting Award).

We do operate a policy of healthy eating, all children have access to fresh drinking water at all times and are encouraged to use the water dispenser at any time.

Snack Time

Snack time is a social time of the day for us, a staff member will sit at the table with a small group of children to have a snack this encourages sharing, talk, social skills, good eating habits and also enables the adult to act as a positive role model and encourage conversation.  This also helps us to understand which foods are popular with the children and ensure that all the children have had a drink and snack. Your child will be given a choice of drinks including, water, milk, or freshly made smoothies at snack time these are served along with a selection of fruit and a small snack such as crackers or breadsticks.

Please encourage your child to bring a piece of fruit along with them to each session, which can be placed in the fruit bowl by the front door.

Celebrations and Special Occasions

It is important that children are given the opportunity to celebrate special occasions and cultural events, and food and drink is often used to mark these occasions.  If your child would like to bring in a small gift to celebrate their birthday we would encourage parents to bring in non-food items such as stickers.

Special Dietary Needs

If your child suffers from food allergies or intolerances it is important that you inform pre-school when your child starts with us.  Some children with additional needs may also not be able to tolerate particular textures or food preferences may be due to religious grounds.  Children’s dietary requirements are displayed in the main pre-school room and kitchen so all staff and students are aware and are able to ensure that all dietary requirements as observed.

Fussy Eaters

Many young children can be fussy about what they eat, or how they eat.  Fussy eaters can be helped over their fears and habits in a number of ways.

• Sitting fussy eaters with good eaters at mealtimes, it has been shown that children will adopt the food preferences of their peers if they eat together regularly.
• Staff sit with the child while they eat and talk enthusiastically about the taste and texture of the food.
• Giving your child regular and repeated chances to taste new foods as this increases their liking for and eating of new foods.
• Give your child small tastes and making sure the child maintains control of the situation.
• Praise your child for trying new foods.
• Favourite foods should not be used as a reward to encourage your child to eat foods they do not like.
• Give small servings at first with the opportunity to have second helpings if they finish the first serving as they may find larger portions off-putting.

Learning about and through food

Learning about food is integrated into many areas of our curriculum these include;

• Personal, Social, and Emotional Development – Snack times offer children experiences to taste different foods, overcome dislikes and learn how to share.
• Physical Development – Fine and gross motor skills can be developed through activities such as gardening, using cutlery, and cooking activities.
• Literacy – Many stories involve food.  Language can be developed and senses explored through discussing and describing the taste, texture, size look and smell of food.
• Mathematics – Activities such as counting out pieces of fruit, sorting and matching foods into different types.
• Communication and language – Food tasting activities teach children about ingredients, the seasons, and where food comes from including food from different cultures.  Growing vegetables and fruit teaches children about where food comes from, about life cycles, about gardening, and how to look after plants.
• Creative Development – Art activities can engage children with food and alert them to colours and shapes.

Services for Parents

We are a breastfeeding friendly pre-school, if you would like a private area to feed your child or a younger child while visiting please let us know.  As part of our award members of staff attended UNICEF breastfeeding training and may be able to assist you if you are still breastfeeding or are experiencing any problems.

If any parents of family are thinking about or trying to give up smoking we hold information about stop smoking services available with Coventry and the UK.  Please ask.

Meals

Breakfast

Parents can chose to either provide their child with a packed breakfast or Castle Keep will provide a breakfast for a nominal charge of £1.50.  Breakfast choices include wholemeal toast, fruit, cereals along with milk and water.

Lunches

Children are able to stay for lunch sessions whether they are attending for full days or just for a morning or afternoon.  They are required to bring a packed lunch which is stored in the fridge until lunchtime.  The children sit together at lunchtime and are assisted and encouraged by the staff.

As we are a Healthy Early Years Setting would encourage parents to ensure that their child’s lunchbox is as healthy as possible.

Please find below guidance issued by the Eat Well, Start Well intuitive for healthy lunchboxes.

Choking hazards:

Please ensure that fruit such as grapes are sliced into quarters length ways to prevent choking.  Your child will be sat at a table and supervised by a member of staff when eating snacks and lunch to prevent choking incidents.  Should a choking incident occur all staff are training in the use of the medivac which is situated on the wall next to the snack table and parents will be notified of an incident.

Please find below guidance issued by the Eat Well, Start Well intuitive for healthy lunchboxes.

Foods to provide	Examples of food that could be provided
A portion of starchy food (provide a variety of different starchy foods each week, including a wholegrain variety for lunch and tea once a week)	White or wholegrain bread, roll, pitta bread or wraps. Chapattis Plain naan bread Bagels Cooked pasta, rice, noodles, couscous or potato.
At least one portion of fruit and/or vegetables	Carrot, cucumber, pepper or celery sticks. Lentils included in daal. Grated carrot in sandwiches or wraps. Fresh fruit such as sliced apples, banana, grapes, mixed chopped fruit or strawberries. Dried fruit such as raisins or apricots. Fruit juice (diluted half juice, half water).
A portion of meat, fish, eggs beans or other non-dairy sources of protein.	Sliced meat, poultry or fish in sandwiches, rolls or wraps, or by itself. Sliced egg in sandwiches, rolls or wraps. Meat alternatives such as tofu in salads. Pulses such as kidney beans, chickpeas, lentils as part of bean salads.
A portion of milk or dairy food	A pot of yogurt or fromage frais. Cheese in sandwiches or wraps. Whole milk (for children aged one or two) or semi-skimmed (for children two and over) to drink.
Desserts, cakes, biscuits and crisps	Desserts, cakes and biscuits made with cereals, milk or fruit. Avoid salty snacks such as crisps. Limit confectionery such as chocolate chips or hundreds and thousands and use only as part of cakes or desserts.
A drink	Fruit juice (diluted half juice, half water). Plain Milk Water.

WE ARE A NUT FREE PRE-SCHOOL. 

ANY ITEMS CONTAINING NUTS WILL BE RETURNED UNOPENED IN YOUR CHILDS LUNCHBOX.

Health and Safety

Child/Adult Ratios:

To ensure adequate supervision of the children at all times our minimum levels of staffing are for 2yr olds – 1 member of staff to 4 children and for 3yr and 4yr olds – 1 member of staff to 8 children.

It is our policy at Castle Keep that to ensure the quality of care and supervision our staff number always exceeds Ofsted’s minimum requirements.

Fire Drills

Fire drills are displayed and practiced regularly with all the children.  The fire exits are clearly marked and are kept accessible at all times.

Food Hygiene

Within our setting food is only provided through snack time, cookery, exploration activities, and parties.  We aim to provide and educate an awareness of health and nutrition while having regard to the dietary and religious wishes of each child and family and encourage good hygiene standards.  All staff are made aware of any allergies, religious or parental preferences you may have with regard to your child’s food or drink.

A supply of fresh drinking water is available on-demand via the water dispenser and the children are encouraged to obtain water independently.  We provide suitable, hygienic work areas and equipment for snacks and cookery.  All milk and perishable items are kept refrigerated and the temperature is checked daily.  All staff are required to complete the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, Level 2 award in Food Safety in Catering.

All the children are taken by a member of staff to wash their hands before any snacks or cookery activities take place.

Insurance

We hold adequate insurance including public liability.  A copy of our current certificate if displayed within the Pre-school room.

Lost Children

Obviously, we take every precaution to ensure that our environment is secure but in the event of a child being lost, we would follow the following procedure.

1. Alert staff and check premises.
2. Maintaining emergency ratios leave the children supervised and enlist the assistance of the Community Centre staff – do not create panic
3. Notify police.
4. Check everywhere – a surrounding area including the route home.
5. Notify parents sensitively and calmly informing them of the incident and what action has been taken; ask that they join you at Pre-school. Support parents and comply with the instructions given by police.
6. As soon as possible notify Ofsted, carry out a full investigation and inform the parent (including in writing) of the findings and actions to be taken.
7. Send a follow-up letter to Ofsted.

Risk Assessments

We carry out risk assessments on a daily basis both of our surroundings, equipment and activities.  It is not our aim to necessarily remove all risks, but to minimise them.  Children grow and learn through taking a managed risk, for example, a child climbing up the steps to a slide may fall but by ensuring that all climbing equipment is kept on the soft fall surface and the children are supervised we can ensure that they will not become hurt.

Security

The safety of your child is upmost at all times.  To ensure this we take a number of steps:

• All external door are kept locked during session times, (fire exits are unlocked but secured with a hook and not accessible by the children or from the outside).
• The children are signed in and out of the building by their parent or carer.
• All visitors must sign in at the door and are not left unsupervised at any time.  Where possible and appropriate, ID and clearance is checked in advance.

Toilet facilities and hand washing

Each child is provided with clean water, liquid soap and a disposable towel to help prevent the spread of infection.  We have designated children’s toilets with cubicles to give the children privacy and they are encouraged to be independent in this area, we also have a changing area within the children’s bathroom where children who are not yet dry are able to be changed in comfort.

1st Aid and Sickness:

Our preschool has a duty to promote a positive approach to health care and, as far as possible, provide a safe environment for children and adults by preventing the spread of infection.

Our aims are to:

• Ensure that each session has a qualified 1^st aider holding an up-to-date certificate.
• Notify parents if there is an emergency. In the event that a parent can’t be contacted, consent is need for to us to proceed in with appropriate medical treatment and to accompany the child to the hospital. Inform Ofsted/RIDDOR.
• Notify you if your child becomes ill during the session unless considered mild and ask that they are collected as soon as possible.
• Use the supplied Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) at appropriate times.
• Maintain the settings accident and incident forms, inform parents in a calm and reassuring manner of any occurrences and support any children affected by an injury or illness; ensure parents sign the accident book.
• Use records on ‘near misses’, along with other reoccurring accidents from accident forms, to formulate a report for risk assessment and appropriate control measures- monitored annually.
• Advise parents of confirmed infectious diseases and respond appropriately by seeking relevant medical information and, when a notifiable disease including meningitis or food poisoning, inform Ofsted, HPA (Health Protection Agency) and/or RIDDOR.
• Before administering medicine to your child ensure you to complete a parental agreement form.

All reasonable precautions will be taken to guard against infection; you can help us by observing the following exclusion periods to prevent the spread of any illness your child may be suffering.

Ailments	Exclusion Periods
Chickenpox	At least 5 days after spot develops or until the spots have crusted
Conjunctivitis	until the eye no longer appears affected
Covid	At least 5 days or until the child tests negative whichever is the latest. If a member of the household tests positive, a daily test must be taken for at least 5 days.
Diarrhoea & vomiting	until symptom free for 48 hours
Glandular fever	until the child feels well
Hand, foot and mouth	until the child feels well
Impetigo	until responding to treatment and the spots have dried up
Measles	until 4 days after the onset of the rash and the child feels well.
Mumps	at least 9 days after the onset of swelling and the child feels well
Ringworm	until the rash has cleared
Rubella	until 4 days after the onset of the rash and the child feels well
Slap cheek	until the child feels well
Threadworm	until treatment started
Whooping cough	5 days after treatment with antibiotics has started
Removal of Tonsils	10 days after they leave hospital.

Children’s Absence

Regular attendance and punctuality have many positive benefits for children. It builds good habits for the next steps in children’s education and supports children to develop secure relationships and to build self-esteem.

As part of our safeguarding and welfare policy we are required to keep a record of child absences. While we appreciate that while your child is younger you may wish to take them on holiday out of term time, we need to ask that you inform us of these times.

Young children can also be very generous with their germs and while they are building immunity you may find that they seem to catch everything. By informing us of your child’s illness this will also help us to spot trends and inform other parents and carers to be vigilant of symptoms, helping to stop the spread.

If your child is absent without notice we will in the first instance attempt to contact parents, if no answer is received, on the second day without contact we will then contact your child’s emergency contacts. If your child has a sibling in school and we are not able to contact any of your emergency contacts, we may also contact the school to enquire about their sibling’s whereabouts.

If at this time in our judgement your child’s absence is prolonged without explanation, we are required to complete a ‘children absent and missing from education referral’ which is reviewed by the local authority.

If we feel that your child may be at risk of harm, we will contact Coventry MASH (Children’s Social Care)

Children relocating or leaving Castle Keep
Following withdrawal of a child from pre-school staff will contact parents to obtain:
• A forwarding address in the event of the family moving house
• A name or address for the child’s new pre-school or setting. This will also allow us to forward on your child’s assessment records.

HELP
If we at pre-school identify your child’s levels of absence to be above an accepted level or patterns of attendance begin to appear you will be asked to discuss this with our Manager. We are here to help and if possible, adjustments may be made to assist you in improving attendance. Assistance may also be offered through the Early Help Partnership by our Early Help coordinators Pam and Nicola. If you would like help, please just ask!

Contacting us to report an absence
If you would like to take your child out of pre-school during term time for a holiday or special occasion, please inform a member of staff or the Manager. However, if your child is sick or you have an unexpected emergency please either:
– message via our app,
– call the office on 02476 713248 and leave a message on the answering machine
– email: castlekeeppreschool@gmail.com

Library Service

A library service is provided free of charge at Pre-school to encourage a love of reading from an early age.  Reading with your child encourages their development in a large number of ways including speech and language, social skills, and extended concentration to name but a few. Your child is able to borrow up to two books or resources at a time for up to two weeks. Books for this service have been purchased via donations made by local businesses, parents, the commission raised from School Link orders and Nestle Box Tops. During 2010 we also received a donation for our Local Extended Services Cluster to enable us to extend these resources to include story sacks and games. Please ensure that all books and resources are returned promptly and in good condition to enable us to build and maintain this service for all.

Safeguarding and Welfare

“We all share responsibility for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All members of the community can help to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people if they are mindful of their children’s needs, and willing and able to act if they have concerns about a child’s welfare”.                                                                                                                                Working Together, 2006

Child abuse is the deliberate or unintentional due to lack of understanding, mistreatment of children. This is applicable to EVERYONE who comes into contact with our children.

Our Safeguarding officer is Pam Halligan; Deputy Safeguarding Officer is Nicola Bennett.

All staff undergo training by the Safeguarding Children Partnership to ensure they are knowledgeable about the sign and symptoms of all types of child abuse, and the actions and steps that should be taken in any suspected case.

A copy of our full safeguarding policy is available on request or in the entrance hall, this includes:

• The action to be taken when there are safeguarding concerns about a child.
• The action to be taken in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff.
• How mobile phone, cameras and other electronic devices with imaging and sharing capabilities are used in the setting.
• Procedures to follow to check the suitability of new recruits
• Details of how safeguarding training is delivered and how practitioners are supported to put this into practice.

CCTV

Castle Keep Pre-school is monitored by a secure CCTV surveillance system. The Pre-school Manager is responsible for the operation of this system and for ensuring compliance with this policy and all relevant data protection legislation.

We ensure the use of surveillance systems is lawful, fair, transparent and meets the other standards set in data protection law to respect the rights and privacy of those individuals whose images are recorded. All footage falls within the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 2018).

Cameras are strategically located throughout the premises. No cameras are hidden and none are placed in private areas such as toilets or nappy-changing facilities. Clear signage is displayed at all entrance and exit points informing staff, parents, children and visitors of CCTV usage.

Purpose of CCTV Use
• We will use CCTV to review minor accident and incidents this will allow us to check exactly what happened before and after to ensure the information we give to families is accurate and complete. Please note that due to the limited scope of the system, it may not capture every incident occurring on-site.

• Promote the health and safety of children, staff and visitors

• Protect the Pre-school buildings and resources

• Develop best practice

Use Restrictions
• The system does not record audio

• Images are not streamed online or shared publicly

• This is not a “webcam” system – parents do not have access to CCTV footage

Recording and Retention
The digital recorder is motion activated so does not run 24 hours per day. Recordings are stored for 30 days after which they are automatically overwritten unless required for investigation or prosecution purposes.

Access and Viewing
Access is restricted to:
– The Pre-school Manager,
– Designated staff when necessary for the specific purposes outlined above,
– Law enforcement agencies to assist with any investigations or prosecutions.

Subject assess requests (SAR) can be made by individual with regard to footage relating to themselves under the Data Protection Act and GDPR. Requests will be responded to within 14 calendar days with measure taken to protect third-party identities. The Pre-school Manager has the right to refuse a request for a copy of the data, particularly where such access could prejudice the prevention or detection of crime or the apprehension or prosecution of offenders.

Equal Opportunities

Recognising and providing a commitment to the importance of an Equal Opportunities and Anti-bias approach will be the basis of Castle-Keep Pre-school’s ethos. Treating everyone the same is not treating them equally, we all have differing needs and different approaches and responses.

Our aims are to provide an environment that celebrates the diversity in our society through taking positive action to ensure that all adults and children are entitled to equal respect and acceptance regardless of age, gender, disability, race, sexual orientation or differing opinion. This is expected of all users of our setting.  We work to ensure Equal Opportunities and access is an integral part of the Pre-school’s ethos, environment, curriculum, and procedures through our anti-bias strategy.

We expect all parents, children, staff, students, and associated professions to adopt a respectful attitude and tolerance towards each other.

Data Protection and Privacy

Sharing information with others

As a preschool it is necessary for us to collect personal information about you and your child. Sometimes we have to confirm or share information with other organisations. If we need to do this, we will make it clear to you on the forms you complete giving us the information. We will inform you before sharing any of yours or your child’s information.

In some cases, a third-party organisation, such as a funding body, may require you to sign an agreement to allow your information to be shared e.g. on a funding form. Please read all paperwork thoroughly before signing, so that you know exactly how your information will be used.

Information

We will make sure that the information about you is accurate and up to date when we collect or use it. You can help us with this by keeping us informed of any changes to the information we hold about you.

Information security

We will keep information about you and your child secure. We will protect your information against unauthorised change, damage, loss or theft.  All information collected on paper forms is kept locked away. Our computer, and tablets are password protected.

Keeping information

We will hold information about you and your child only for as long as the law says. After this, we will dispose of it securely.

Openness

We will tell you what kinds of information we hold and what we do with it.

Access and correctness

Whenever possible, we will let you see the information we hold about you and correct it if it is wrong.

In general

We will comply with the Data Protection Act 2018 and any subsequent legislation on information handling and privacy.  We will do this through Red Barn Preschool’s Data Protection Policy.  We will help you with any questions or problems that you may have with the Data Protection Act 2018, the Human Rights Act 2018 or the Freedom of Information Act 2000.  If we cannot help you, we will give you advice on where to write to get the information you may need.

Our Commitment

We will only collect information that is necessary for what we do. We will be fair in the way we collect information about you. We will tell you what we intend to do with the information about you. Where practicable, we will collect information directly from you. If we collect information about you from someone else, we will make sure you know that we have done this whenever possible. 

Types of information we collect

Yours and your child’s full names; Your child’s date of birth; Your address; Your contact numbers and those of your emergency contacts; Your email address; Your child’s medical conditions; In some cases, your National insurance number.

While your child is with us, we store information regarding:

Their ongoing progress and development; photographs of them; Accident records; medication records.

Outings

Outings and trips off site provide the children with enriching learning experiences.  Ensuring that the children have the opportunities to visit a community venue provides them with first hand experienced that will support project work undertaken in the Pre-school.

We aim to ensure that a parental consent form is signed for each child when they start at the setting for short outings, such as to the local shops, park or church.  We will endeavour that parents accompany their own children where possible on all day trips to help staff meet the necessary ratios and check a minimum of two staff from the setting accompany children on outings.  When going off site we will ensure children are taken out on a ratio of 1:2 for 2-year-olds and not more than 1:4 for 3- & 4-year-olds depending on the trip and staff awareness of the children.  We will carry out a risk assessment prior to the visit, identifying any potential hazards and on day trips obtain a copy of the venues own risk assessment. All staff will be aware of emergency procedures and carry at least one fully charged mobile phone, a small first aid kit, any prescription medication, spare clothes and plastic bags and where a member of staff is not left behind at Pre-school carry a copy of emergency contact details for the children.

Promoting British Values

We ensure that British values are embedded into our everyday life at Castle Keep in a number of ways.

Promoting the understanding that we have to follow rules and that they are there for a reason, by having routines and boundaries in place.  Having our Pre-school rules that are written by the children, also a behaviour management policy, and agreed responses which are used by all staff.

Giving children choices and showing them that their views and opinions are valued and taken into account.  The children are given choices of activities and resources as well as being free to play inside or outside.  Resources follow the children’s interests and the children are encouraged to suggest further resources.  The children are encouraged to express their feelings and use visual resources to communicate these.

Creating self-esteem and self-worth in our children is achieved by positive reinforcement of behaviour and children are given lots of praise.  Your child’s voice is heard through their learning journals and they are encouraged to contribute to these.  Each child’s work is displayed on the notice boards around the preschool giving the children a sense of pride and accomplishment.

Mutual respect and tolerance is promoted as each child’s opinion is valued, they are given opportunities to express themselves both verbally and through visuals and Makaton for those who do not use speech to communicate.

The Pre-school is inclusive of all cultures, religions, ages, genders, and abilities, and these are reflected in our resources such as books, roleplay, and the occasions we celebrate.  Children’s perceptions are also challenged eg; pink is for girls, blue is for boys.

Setting arrangements to support children with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND)

Name of Setting SENCo’s:    Tracie Burdett | Jemma Cherry

How does the setting collect information about my child’s development before starting at the Pre-school?

At Castle Keep, we collect information in various ways about children’s development.  Before starting pre-school we will invite you to attend with your child for settling sessions.  You will be asked to complete a form about your child’s previous experience; this gives parents an opportunity to ask practitioners any questions and to share relevant information about their child.  At Castle Keep, we reinforce the partnership with parents and try to share as relevant information as possible.  Parents are asked if their child has Special Education Needs, Medical Needs, Allergies, or any other concerns a parent may have.  We will also, with parental permission, contact any previous settings and any other agencies involved, to support the transition.  You will be introduced to your child’s key person who will support them in the setting.

How does the Pre-school collect information about my child’s development once started at the Pre-school?

All children are valued as individuals at Castle Keep.  We will observe children as they play and gather information about what they like or dislike.  These observations also help us to look at the children’s development and where they are in terms of Early Years Outcomes of the Early Years Foundations Stage.  We complete a progress check between the age of two and three and review progress with parents.  We make sure that parents are fully involved and informed.  As a setting, we also use a tool called Wellcomm which tells us a lot about the children’s speech and language skills and will help us decide if a referral to Speech and Language Therapy is advised.  Where a child has identified Special Educational Needs we work closely with specialist agencies to gather information and review progress.

What should I do if I think my child has Special Educational Needs?

Talk to your child’s Key Worker to share your concerns.  The setting will be able to share these concerns with the SenCo and arrange a meeting with you to discuss what support may be available.  Talk with your Health Visitor or GP who could make further referrals to other health professionals if needed.

What will the Pre-school do if they feel my child may have Special Educational Needs?

At Castle Keep where progress checks suggest that your child may be experiencing some difficulties or delays in their development information is shared with parents/carers and next steps discussed.  For some children, the next steps may involve the Key Person and SENCo targeting a specific area of development through planning that is regularly reviewed.  If the review suggests further interventions are needed we can contact our Area SENCo for advice and support. This may include writing a targeted support plan that is informed by discussions with you.  At this point, we may want to refer to other agencies for example Speech and Language Therapy for more specialist advice.  Parents are involved in every part of the process and referrals are always made with parental permission.  We achieve this by using a cycle – assess, plan, do and review.

How will the Pre-school put plans into practice to meet my Childs Special Educational Needs?

At Castle Keep, we ensure that we know our children well including their strengths and interests.  This informs our targeted plans and enables us to put them into place through individual, small group, or whole room everyday activities.  We ensure that the children’s developmental needs are reflected in both long and short term plans.  All staff will be aware of these plans so that suggested strategies are applied consistently and are part of everyday practice.

How will plans be reviewed to ensure that my child’s needs continue to be met?

Staff will collect observations about what your child can do focussed on the intended outcomes in the plans.  The review will consider how the activities and strategies in the targeted plan have supported your child’s learning.  We invite parents to review the plan with us to celebrate and plan the next steps; this may include a referral to specialist services as needed.  The setting will continue the process to assess, plan, do and review.  If appropriate an Educational Health Care Needs Assessment can be requested from the Local Authority.

How are staff trained to support children with Special Educational Needs?

We access training through the Area SENCo Team and other Early Years Training Providers.  We work alongside other professionals, learning from the strategies they have modelled and explained to us.  The setting SENCo attends regular training and will share this information with the staff team.

How accessible is the Pre-school environment to children with SEND

We make all reasonable adjustments to be able to meet the needs of everyone.  The building is and doorways are wheelchair accessible.  We recently underwent some refurbishment and have chosen contrasting colours to support children with visual impairments.  Height appropriate furniture and assessable toilets are available.  We use augmentative communication systems including the visual structure and makaton signing.

How will the Pre-school prepare and support my child for transfer to a new setting or into school?

At Castle Keep, we plan transitions carefully both within our own setting and to other settings to include schools.  Arrange a flexible transition to meet each child’s needs.  This will take the form of both visits to the new setting and visits from practitioners at the new setting to Castle Keep, we may also make the child a transition book including photos of their new setting.  With parental permission, we will share information from our preschool to the new setting.  If a child has a targeted plan we will invite staff from the new setting to a joint review with parents to plan the next steps.

How are parents involved in the Pre-school? How can I be involved?

Castle Keep sends out newsletters to let parents know what is happening at the Pre-school.  Parents/Carers are welcome to visit using our open-door policy.  We have regular parent’s evenings with your child’s Key Person to share information.  A meeting can be arranged at a time that is convenient to discuss any queries.  We welcome any involvement of parents to share their talents with our children e.g. cooking, painting, dance.

What other services can the setting contact for support?

Area SENCo team  |  Pre-school Education Service

Speech and Language Therapy Service |  Early Years Support Team

Occupational Therapy |  Physiotherapy

Early Support |  Coventry Autism Support (CASS)

Minority Group Support Services

Behaviour Management Policy 

Adults are responsible for the overall conduct of the group and will ensure that the behaviour of some children doesn’t spoil the pleasure and learning of others. Unacceptable behaviour is outlined further in this policy. However, we want our children to grow up with understanding and judgment and with the confidence to say “no” in some instances.

At no time is physical punishment used; restraint by ‘holding’ is only ever used for the protection of the child, other children or adults and for short periods. All such incidents are to be recorded and parents informed.  Staff and parents need to have a consistent approach.

We aim to produce an environment that creates mutual courtesy, respect, kindness and provide a good role model and encourage behaviour they want the children to learn. We will ensure that our children know what is expected of them by keeping guidelines/rules constant and informing the children of behaviours that are unacceptable.

The child needs to know that:

• The behaviour is not acceptable and why.
• That the child is still valued and that such feelings are normal but are better expressed in other ways.
• If things go wrong an adult will intervene.

Very young children are still developing and learning the social boundaries that adults see so clearly. We have to be careful not to be judgemental with children at such an early stage and allow for change.

WE NEED PARENTAL SUPPORT!

If you feel that your child has experienced any repeated unwanted behaviour, please tell us and keep it confidential. We can’t see everything that happens but if we are alerted to a possible situation we will observe the children involved and act on any issues. We will also report back to you. DO NOT voice opinions that might be inaccurate, create prejudice, and do nothing to resolve the situation. Please be polite, respectful, and courteous towards other adults and children.

Unacceptable behaviour is defined as:

• Consistent harmful behaviour
• Consistent verbal abuse or undesirable language
• Consistent unsafe use of equipment and space

Pre-school Rules

Our rules were written by the children of Castle Keep and they are encouraged to observe them:

• Be kind and care for each other.
• Always try your best
• Share and take care of our toys
• No shouting
• Do not take things from other children’s drawers.
• HAVE FUN

Good behaviour will be rewarded with praise, stickers, and certificates.  Where appropriate reward systems are used in conjunction with the parents to maintain a consistent approach with preschool and home at all times.

Complaints

We work in partnership with parents and believe that everyone is entitled to expect courtesy and special attention to their needs.

We have a responsibility to keep a log of all complaints whether written or verbal, which is available to all parents, external agencies, and Ofsted

Not happy? If you have any concerns about any aspect of the group, talk it over first with any member of staff who will endeavor to resolve the matter informally.

Still not happy? Try the Pre-school Manager. All complaints will be logged, investigated and you should receive a reply detailing how the complaint has been dealt with any actions taken within 28 days.  If for any reason it is not possible for a full investigation to be completed within the 28 days you will be notified in writing as to the reason.  Any complaints will be taken seriously and dealt with fairly in a way that respects confidentiality on both sides.

Still not satisfied? Then …………

Request a formal meeting with the Pre-school and Community Centre manager, putting the complaint in writing and having a friend present, if required; this can be written by an independent person if required. Hopefully, now matters can be settled.

We hope you would be able to talk to us and resolve any problems but you do have the right to go directly to Ofsted at any point during the procedure.

Ofsted’s contact details:  0300 1234666

Address: Ofsted Early Years, National Business Unit, Piccadilly Gate, Store Street, Manchester, M1 2WD

Email: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk

A log of any complaints is available to all parents and childcare professionals in the pre-school office. 

Complaint forms are also available from the complaints folder or in the sleeve behind this policy in the entrance hall.

Our Curriculum

The curriculum is child-orientated and focuses on learning through play. It is planned to allow for new opportunities and experiences as well as supportive guidance and extension of existing learning. It generally takes the form of selected themes, some of which the children have lent themselves through observation of their play.

The teaching of the curriculum involves the coordination and participation of all members of staff as a supportive team. The children play and learn in a variety of ways and groupings; individually, as pairs or small groups, in larger groups, and as a whole group. The teaching strategies and sessions reflect this and are organised to allow for child-directed free play and choice in activities, structured play, set tasks, and adult-directed activities; encompassing visual, auditory, and kinetic strategies. Attention is given to supporting the diverse and differing specific needs of all children through both a key working system and as a common ‘inclusive’ and valued approach.

Planning

The curriculum is planned to meet the needs of all children. It is based around themes that incorporate the progression of ‘Long Term’ development within the child’s education, leading to the Early Years Foundation Stage at the end of the Reception year.

Long Term learning objectives are planned within termly assessments. Through this, monitoring and informal observations, staff ensure that individual progress and key skills are assessed and then built upon. The purpose of activities will be clearly identified and discussed with all staff involved.
After monitoring the children’s progress, additional support in any area of the curriculum is strengthened through a ‘key person’ system and In the Moment planning.

‘Short Term’ planning is achieved on an ongoing basis through ‘in the moment planning’ where evaluation is carried out and focuses on areas of the week that need repeating, new areas that need promoting, or progressing, and they will also include ‘child-initiated activities’ that have been requested or were enthusiastically received. In the moment planning shows our aims and Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), whether the child or the adult directs the play, resources required and what the adults’ role is (plus any vocabulary and differentiation for abilities/SEN/stage of development).

Parents will be asked to complete a sheet once a term which will give us up to date information on what your child’s interests are at home and any interesting activities they have done/places they have been.

The curriculum is evaluated for achievement of the aims and to smooth out unforeseen problems for future reuse next time around.

A copy of our long term planning is displayed on the notice board in the entrance hall for your information.

Curriculum Areas

From Easter 2023 we have transitioned over to Birth to Five Matters as our chosen method to assess and record our children’s progress, this sets the standards for learning, development and care for children from birth to five.

The EYFS has four themes, and each theme has an overarching principle, these principles underpin everything we offer your child.

The four themes and principles are.

A Unique Child

Every child is a unique child who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident 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, in which their experiences respond to their individual needs and there is a strong partnership between practitioners and parents and carers.

Learning and Development

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

Practitioners teach children by ensuring challenging, playful opportunities across the prime and specific areas of learning and development.

Each area of Learning and Development is divided into three Prime areas and four Specific areas; these areas influence our planning and curriculum.  What the curriculum means for your child:

Prime Areas

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Children’s personal, social and emotional development is crucial for children to lead healthy and happy lives and is fundamental to their cognitive development.  Strong, warm and supportive relationships with adults enable children to learn how to understand their own feelings and those of others.  Children are supported to manage emotions, develop a positive sense of self, set themselves simple goals, have confidence in their own abilities, to persist and wait for what they want and direct attention as necessary.

Communication, Language and Literacy

The development of children’s spoken language underpins all seven areas of learning and development.  Children’s back-and-forth interactions from an early age form the foundations for language and cognitive development.  The number and quality of the conversations they have with adults and peers throughout the day in a language-rich environment is crucial.  Through conversation, storytelling and role-play, where children share their ideas with support and modelling from their teacher, and sensitive questioning that invites them to elaborate, children become comfortable using a rich range of vocabulary and language structures.

Physical Development

Physical development is vital in children’s all-round development, enabling them to pursue happy, healthy and active lives.  By creating games and providing opportunities for play both indoors and outdoors, adults can support children to develop their core strength, stability, balance, spatial awareness, co-ordination and agility.  Gross motor skills provide the foundation for developing healthy bodies and social and emotional well-being.  Fine motor control and precision helps with hand-eye co-ordination, which is later linked to early literacy.  Repeated and varied opportunities to explore and play with small world activities, puzzles, art and craft and the practice of using small tools with feedback and support from adults, allow children to develop proficiency, control and confidence.

Specific Areas

Literacy

It is crucial to develop a life-long love of reading.  Reading consists of two dimensions: language comprehension and word reading.  Comprehension only develops when adults talk with children about the world around them, the books they read, songs, rhymes and poems together.  Skilled word reading is taught later.

Mathematics

Developing a strong grounding in number is essential so that all children develop the necessary building blocks to excel mathematically. By providing frequent and varied opportunities to build and apply understanding of number to ten children will develop a secure base of knowledge and vocabulary from which mastery of mathematics is built.  In addition, it is important that children are provided with rich opportunities to develop their spatial reasoning skills across all areas of mathematics including shape, space and measure.  It is important that children develop positive attitudes to mathematics, ‘have a go’, talk to adults, and peers about what they notice and not be afraid to make mistakes.

Understanding the World

Understanding the world involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community.  The frequency and range of children’s personal experiences increases their knowledge and sense of the world around them.  As well as building important knowledge, this extends their knowledge and understanding of our culturally, socially, technologically and ecologically diverse world.

Expressive Arts and Design

The development of children’s artistic and cultural awareness supports their imagination and creativity.  It is important that children have regular opportunities to engage with the arts, enabling them to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials.  The quality and variety of what children see, hear and participate in is crucial for developing their understanding, self-expression, vocabulary and ability to communicate through the arts.

You are welcome to look at our guidance pack at any time, please ask in the office.

Observations, Assessment, and Your Child’s Key Person

When your child starts pre-school they will be allocated a Key Person who will work with your child to ensure that they feel secure and settle quickly.

The Key person will make an assessment when your child first starts to form a basis to grow on.  Ongoing assessments and observation are then done on a regular basis to identify amongst other things how your child interacts with other children and adults, any problems and difficulties, and also to enable us to plan and extend your child’s development to his/her full potential at their own pace.

Your child will have a learning journal to which we add any observations and photographs, these will come home at least every half a term unless you request it.  We would encourage you to contribute to this book and add photos of holidays, days out, family celebrations, and comments on your child’s achievements.  We would also like you to share this book with any other people who care for your child including child-minders, other childcare settings, and family.  On the days your child attends Pre-school please bring back the book, this is important if we are to keep your child’s records up to date.

We use many methods of observation we however do not want to take away from the time we spend playing and scaffolding the childrens learning by doing excessive amounts of paperwork. All assessments link to government guidelines including the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). To explain our methods further:

Snap Shots

Many of your child’s learning moments will be unplanned we will do snapshot observations to record these and plan for their next steps.

Narrative

As we get to know your child the key person will make notes about how your child has settled and any activities and events they enjoy.

It is important to remember as with all assessments and observations that there are many factors that may have an effect on how your child behaves on a particular day, they may feel tired or ill or may just be distracted.  It is for this reason that we do observations on a regular basis to get a true picture of your child’s ability and progress.

All observations are used in our planning of activities on a weekly basis to help move your child’s learning forward.

Next Steps

Each term we will assess where we feel your child is within the Development Matters and set the next steps which we would like your child to achieve, your child’s keyworker will then spend one-to-one and small group time with your child to help them achieve this goal.  A copy of these next steps will be put into your child’s profile book for you to see and comment on.