The Gutterscroft Centre, Haslington, Crewe, Cheshire CW1 5RJ
Early Years Prospectus
Telephone Number: 07790 793 353
Website: www.thecroftpreschool.co.uk
Email:
Charity Number: 1041035
Ofsted Number: 305366
The Croft Pre-school is situated in the village of Haslington in South Cheshire. The pre-school opened in 1981 and is situated in the Gutterscroft Centre, in the heart of the community. Our ethos is based firmly in our strong community roots, which we are keen to strengthen and maintain. We serve a diverse population stretching to Crewe and the nearby villages of Winterley, Wheelock and Sandbach. All children between the ages of 2 – 5 years; and you are free to choose as many sessions as you prefer for your child to attend.
Our Setting Aims to:
· Provide high quality childcare and education below statutory school age
· Work in Partnership with parents to help children learn and develop
· Add to the life and wellbeing of the local community
· Offer children and their parents a service that promotes equality and values diversity.
Outdoor Activities
This is a selection of just some of the activities children can take part in outdoors.
Indoor Activities
This is a selection of just some of the activities children can take part in indoors.
We aim to ensure that each child:
· Is in a safe and stimulating environment;
· Is given generous care and attention, because of our ratio of qualified staff to children, as well as volunteer parent helpers;
· Has the chance to join with other children and adults to live, play, work and learn together;
· Is helped to take forward their learning and development by being helped to build on what they already know and can do;
· Has a personal key person who makes sure each child makes satisfying progress;
· Is in a setting that sees parents as partners in helping each child to learn and develop; and
· Is in a setting in which parents help to shape the service it offers.
Parents
Parents are regarded as members of our setting who have full participatory rights. These include a right to be:
· Valued and respected;
· Kept informed;
· Consulted;
· Involved; and included at all levels
Opening Hours
Monday: 09:00-15:00
Tuesday: 09:00-15:00
Wednesday: 09:00-15:00
Thursday: 09:00-15:00
Friday: 09:00-12:00
Sessions
Morning: 09:00-12:00 (Registration 09:15)
Lunch Club: 12:00-12:30 (Please bring along a healthy packed lunch)
Afternoon: 12.30-15:00
Morning Routine
09:00- The Croft opens
09:15- Registration
09:30- Small group work with child’s key worker
09:45- Child initiated play; children can access a variety of activities.
10:00-10:30 -An optional healthy snack for all children
11:20- Everyone helps to tidy away
11:30- Rhyme time – songs, music and number rhymes
11:45- Story time – Small groups of 6-8 enjoy a story together.
12:00- End of morning session – The going home song and home time.
Fees
£4.00 per hour payable at the beginning of each half term
(Payment plans available, just speak to a member of staff)
By cash, cheque BACs transfer or Accor childcare vouchers & early education government entitlement (ask a member of staff to find out if you are entitled)
Sickness
If your child is unwell then please contact us at your earliest convenience during opening hours, to inform us that they will not be attending. We enforce a strict exclusion policy for illnesses such as vomiting and diarrhoea. Children suffering from these symptoms are asked to stay at home for 48 hours from the last episode.
Children start to learn about the world around them from the moment they are born. The care and education offered by our setting helps children to continue to do this by providing all of the children with interesting activities that are appropriate for their age and stage of development.
The early year’s foundation stage is organised into the following seven sections of learning:
Communication and Language
Personal, social and emotional development
Literacy
Mathematics
Understanding of the world
Physical development
Expressive arts and design
Modelling
Learning is carefully planned and structured with an emphasis on fun activities relevant and motivating for each child. Le
Playing in the sand Cosy Reading Corner
Building tracks A small selection of our many reading books
Key Person
Our key person system gives each member of staff particular responsibility for a small group of children in keeping observational records up-to-date. Key workers also maintain links with home, and other staff members and record keeping is shared with parents to ensure that all children are supported in reaching their full potential. The Key Person will work closely with their group of children to plan activities based on each child’s stage of development and interests. They also observe and record the children's learning and development through written observations and photographs. These observations are transferred to a Learning Journey document.
Learning Journey and Portfolio.
Every child has a learning journey; these are a valuable resource for monitoring each child's progress across all areas of learning and development. It highlights the next steps available to develop their learning, which are incorporated into the Pre-school's weekly planning, providing opportunities to extend and move a child onto the next stage in their learning. Parents are encouraged to provide information for their child's Learning Journey. This information could be anything from learning a new skill, naming a new colour, weekly activities or spending the day with Grandparents or special moments and events in their lives. Learning Journeys are available for parents to look at following each session and are encouraged to take them home.
Rising 4s
On specfic afternoons we have sessions for our Rising 4 children. These are the children that will be attending primary school the following september. These sessions are very beneficial and support children in making the transition between pre-school and starting school. The staff to child ratio is increased to enable us to plan activies which encourage independence skills i.e. Changing for P.E and helping prepare a snack.
Clothing
The Croft provides protective clothing for messy activities; nevertheless you may wish to send a change of clothing with your child, in a bag marked clearly on the outside with your child’s name. If parents wish, a pre-school polo shirt and sweatshirt can be purchased through us. This saves you worrying about what to put on each morning! However, The Croft encourages children to gain the skills that help them to be independent and look after themselves. These include taking themselves to the toilet and taking off, and putting on, outdoor clothes. Clothing that is easy for them to manage will help them to do this.
Messy Play
The Croft polo shirt and sweatshirt
Snacks and meals
The setting makes snacks and meals a social time where children and adults eat together. We plan the menus for snacks so that they provide the children with healthy and nutritious food. Do tell us about your child's dietary needs and we will make sure that these are met. Parents are asked to provide a healthy packed lunch for those staying for the lunch club.
Snack Time
Lunch Club
Policies & Procedures
The croft Pre-school policies are available at all times for your inspection; please take the time to read them. Our policies are designed to offer the best possible experience for all children and families connected with our Pre-school. Policies are reviewed on a regular basis; any comments and suggestions from parents are always welcome.
The current list of policies is as follows:-
1. Accident and Incident
2. Administering Medicines
3. Admissions
4. Adverse Weather
5. Anti-bullying
6. Arrival and Departure of Children
7. Babysitting
8. Behaviour Management
9. Child Protection
10. Complaints
11. Confidentiality Agreement
12. Confidentiality
13. Equal Opportunities
14. Festivals
15. Food and Drink
16. Health and Safety
17. Home Working
18. Illnesses and Communicable Diseases
19. Information and Records
20. Internet (personal use)
21. Nappy Changing
22. No Smoking
23. Non Collection of a Child
24. Non Payment of Fees
25. Outings and Visits
26. Parental Involvement
27. Photographic Images
28. Promoting British Values
29. Risk Assessment
30. Safeguarding
31. Safety and Security
32. Special Educational Needs
33. Students Placements
34. Two year old progress check
35. Whistleblowing
Staff
All of The Croft staff hold a Childcare qualification at Level 2 or above and have been subject to a criminal records check.
NAME / JOB TITLE / CHILDCARE QUALIFICATIONJoanne King / Pre-School Manager / NNEB
Julie Moses / Deputy Manager / NVQ Level 3
Natalie Hulse / Pre School Assistant / Currently training towards NVQ Level 3
The Croft Pre-School Management
The Croft Pre-school is run by a voluntary committee of parents and carers. The Committee is responsible for setting the pre-school's policies, managing and engaging staff, fundraising and organising social events. It is not responsible for day-to-day operations: that responsibility lies with the staff. The Committee meets monthly, in the evenings usually from 8pm onwards at a chosen venue. The way we run ourselves as a committee is governed by our Constitution which is on the notice board outside pre-school. Being a member of the pre-school committee is an enjoyable and worthwhile experience, giving you as a parent/ carer a greater involvement in the vitally important early stages of your child/ children's education. If you think you may like to join the committee at any stage in the year, please speak to a member of staff or committee member. Our Annual General Meeting is held in the autumn term and this is when the committee for the following year is elected. Parents/ carers will be informed in good time so they are able to attend.
More about Us and Our Charity Status
Our registered charity name is The Croft Pre-School Haslington and being a charity means that we are unable to make any profit and all money is spent on the development and day-to-day running of the pre-school. By law we must have an independent committee which is made up of parents who volunteer their time to meet and discuss pre-school and its activities.
We also hold regular fundraising events, to raise money and maintain our charity status, details of which can be found on The Croft Notice Board.
The Committee
Many of our committee members are parents who have children at The Croft. To date we have numerous members each taking of roles such as Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary etc., Each member is CRB checked and brings a set of skills and knowledge to help keep our charity status and running of the pre-school.
If you would like to volunteer as a committee member just speak to a member of staff, to find out when our next meeting is and come along.
CHILDRENS GARDEN AND PLAY AREA
The Croft mud kitchen provides an incredible range of opportunities for children’s learning.
Children are early explorers, scientists and artists. Curiosity, fascination and the pleasure of finding things out are fundamental to children’s early development.
Language development
Playing in a mud kitchen will encourage the most amazing conversations between children. They may recall a real life muddy event, they will use imaginative words to describe the muddy textures and sounds and it’s the perfect opportunity to make up stories, songs and rhymes before, during or after their muddy experience!
New vocabulary
Moulding, whisking, patting, smoothing, sticky, mushy, squelchy, oozy, splat, gathering, and garnishing.
Mark making
Writing menus, making signs and labels.
Imaginative play
The mud can become anything from coffee to soup, spaghetti bolognese,
a birthday cake with grass sprinkles or magic potions.
Social play
Children learn to co-operate and share their ideas, plan together and help each other. Sharing out as they “serve their dishes “
Physical skills
An extensive range of actions are involved from pouring, blending, smoothing, scooping, sieving, picking, chopping as they learn to manipulate different tools.
Maths
Weighing, measuring, adding, comparing, fitting together, Counting, sorting, classifying.
Learning about the world
Children are involved in a range of sensory experiences as they explore the properties of the mud. Is it dry, wet, clumpy, rough, smooth?
Does the mud blend or mix with other substances?
The Gutterscroft Centre, Haslington, Crewe, Cheshire, CW1 5RJ
Charity Number: 1041035
Telephone Number: 07790 793 353
Email:
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Updated February 2017