Cowplain Community Pre-School
The following documents are the draft policies and procedures of CowplainCommunityPre-School and were approved by the pre-school committee at a meeting held on Tuesday 9th January 1997.
They were formally adopted by the pre-school as a whole at the Annual General Meeting in June 1997.
They were updated in 1998 and approved at the AGM in May 1998
They were updated in 1999 and approved at the AGM in May 1999
They were updated in 2002 and approved at the AGM in May 2002
They were updated in 2003 and approved at the AGM. In May 2003
They were updated in 2004 and approved at the AGM in May 2004
They were updated in 2005 and approved at the AGM in May 2005
They were updated in 2006 and approved at the AGM in May 2006
They were updated in 2007 and approved at the AGM in May 2007
They were updated in 2008 and approved at the AGM in May 2008
They were updated in 2009 and approved at the AGM in May 2009
They were updated in 2010 and approved at the AGM in May 2010
They were updated in 2011 and approved at the AGM in June 2011
They were updated in 2012 and approved at the AGM in June 2012
They were updated in 2013 and approved at the AGM in June 2013
They were updated in 2014 and approved at the AGM in June 2014
They were updated in 2015 and approved at the AGM in June 2015
……………………………………………………
Signed on behalf of CowplainCommunity Pre-School
CONTENTS
- Introduction
- Starting Pre-School
- Management and Administration...... 8
- Training and the Role of Parents
- Early Years Foundation Stage...... 10
- APPENDIX
- Staff Training Record as at 17th June 2015
- Illness exclusion guidelines
- POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
- Equal Opportunities Policy
- Special Educational Needs/Disability Needs Policy
- Admissions Policy
- Settling in Procedure
- Fee Policy
- Parental Involvement Policy
- Complaints Procedure
- Record Keeping Policy
- Health and Safety – Policy and Practice
- Behaviour Management Policy
- Safeguarding Policy and Procedure
- Confidentiality Policy
- Staffing and Employment Policy
- Staff and Volunteers Induction and Training Policy
- Student Placement Policy
- Unaccompanied Child Policy
- Uncollected Child Policy
- Sick Child Policy
- Critical Incident Policy
- Physical Handling Policy
- Intimate Care Policy...... 46
- Intruder Policy ……………………………………………………...... ……47
- Alcohol, Drugs and Solvent Abuse policy …………………………………..……….48
- Whistleblowing Policy...... 49
- Camera and Mobile Telephone Policy………………………………………...……….50
- Fire Safety and Emergency Evacuation Procedure…………………………………51
- Health, Hygiene, Healthy Food and Drink Policy ……………………………………52
The Youth Wing, Cowplain School
Hart Plain Avenue, Cowplain
PO8 8RY
Tel: 023 9226 1822
Registered Charity Number: 1023014
Introduction
Cowplain Community Pre-School is an equal opportunities group, open to all children and families in the Cowplain area.
The pre-school has been open since 1975. We currently offer places to approximately 60 children – a maximum of 24 children per session.
We are a community Pre-School, run by our members (all parents/carers of the children attending the group) through an elected committee of volunteers.
We are a non-profit making registered charity.
We are active members of the Pre-School Learning Alliance and adopt their guidelines of good practice and parent participation.
The pre-school is registered annually by OFSTED. We are fully insured (through Sun Alliance) for all times children attend.
We are registered to accept nursery funding.
Aims
We aim to provide a high ratio of trained, experienced and dedicated staff who offer a curriculum, which works towards approved learning outcomes.
We aim to support the important role of parents in the education of their young children and to directly involve the parents in the activities of the group and in their own child’s progress.
We aim to make the pre-school a secure and welcoming place with opportunities for fun and friendship in a caring environment where children can learn through play.
We aim to work within a framework, which ensures equality of opportunity for all children and families in our local community.
We are committed to placing the UNICEF UN Convention on the Rights of the Child at the heart of our ethos and becoming a rights-respecting school.
Where to Find Us
The pre-school is situated in the Rose Building at Cowplain School.
Hart Plain Avenue / Silvester RoadPre-School
Cowplain School Site
Cowplain Shops
Waterlooville / / London Road / / Horndean
Session times.
Our Pre-School meets at the following times:
Monday to Friday 8.15am – 12:00pm
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday12:30pm – 3:30pm
We offer a breakfast club where parents can drop their children off between 8.15am-9.00 at a cost of £2.00 we also offer a lunchtime period between 12.00pm-12.30pm again at a charge of £2.00.
AgeRange
We are registered to accept children between the ages of 2 years to 4 years old, subject to OFSTED restrictions.
Fees
Fees are £10.50 per session.
PLEASE NOTE: The Government funds children for 38 weeks from the term after their 3rd Birthday. We run for 38 weeks each year. Any fees due, prior to funding, are normally payable half-termly in advance, unless other arrangements are made with the Treasurer. Please see our Fees Policy for further information.
Premises
We have a large open-plan, indoor play area – part of which is carpeted. We have wheelchair access and disabled toilet facilities. We have an outdoor play area, which is securely fenced and a fenced allotment area which the children access to grow fruits, flowers and vegetables.
Curriculum
The curriculum is the sum of all the areas of learning and experience provided for children within the pre-school, enabling them to work towards the desired learning outcomes, as set out in the Early Years Foundation Stage Guidance. Within the group, all children are supported in developing their potential at their own pace. We aim to build each child’s confidence and build good social skills. These basic skills help to prepare them for the future and to ensure we have happy confident children. Children need to acquire an open-ended enquiring approach, which will enable them to adjust throughout their lives to changing situations and new ideas. These factors influence the pre-school curriculum by making us look at each child’s individual needs and development. Our key person system enables us to ensure a planned curriculum tailored to the needs of each individual child.
Key person
At each session a key person is responsible for each group. This system gives each member of staff a particular responsibility for just a few children. Each child in the group has one special adult to relate to, which can make settling into the group very much easier. In addition, the key person is in a position to tailor the group’s curriculum to the unique needs of each individual child, through constant observations throughout the session. The key person maintains links with the child’s home setting, working with parents through shared record keeping to ensure that all children are supported in reaching their full potential.
Record Keeping
As so many adults help in the group, we are able to implement an excellent record-keeping system in which observations of the children in the group and at home are used as a basis for drawing up a curriculum for each child. Our record-keeping policy can be found later in the prospectus.
Starting Pre-School
The First Days
A child who is tense or unhappy will not be able to play or learn properly, so it is important for parents and pre-school staff to work together to help the child to feel confident and secure in the group. This takes longer for some children than others and parents should not feel worried if their child takes a while to settle. The pre-school’s policy on settling is enclosed with this prospectus.
What to Wear
In order to feel free to explore and experiment with all kinds of materials, including messy ones, it is best to send children dressed in clothes, which are easily washable or not too new. We have basic uniforms for sale – non-statutory –available at the pre-school.
It is good for children to practice the skills, which will make them independent. Simple clothing, which they can handle themselves, will enable them to go to the toilet when they want to and to put on and take off their outdoor clothes without being too dependent on other people’s help.
To protect both equipment and children, no metal buckles may be worn in pre-school.
Weather permitting; the children will use the outdoor play area throughout the year. Appropriate clothing and footwear should be provided, according to the time of year (e.g. sun-hats in the summer and coats in the winter). Please ensure that coats, hats etc. are clearly labelled.
Arrival and Departure Procedures
It is important to arrive promptly for each pre-school session. It can be very disruptive if a child arrives late, particularly for any new children who are trying to settle in. The child may also find it overwhelming to enter pre-school when all the other children are already playing together.
Each child has a named coat peg in the foyer for their coats, shoe-bags etc. Nothing should be brought to pre-school in plastic bags, as these represent a safety hazard.
Arrival
At the start of each session, the pre-school supervisor welcomes each child individually, while another member of staff marks them present in the attendance register, whilst the child self-registers using their photo image. If any child is unsure or upset, parents may wish to stay and settle them for a time. Alternatively, they may be immediately engaged in an activity by their key person.
Departure
The children sit in a circle at the end of each session and wait to be collected individually by their parent/carer. This is primarily for safety reasons, but also very useful discipline for the children. Any paintings etc. the children have done may be collected by the parents from the bar on the way into collect their child.
A member of staff stands at the door at the end of each session to ensure the safe exit of all children and parents. However, once children have been handed over to parents/carers at the end of a session, their safety, both in the pre-school and the car park, then becomes the parent’s/carer’s responsibility and is no longer the responsibility of the pre-school staff.
If you are not collecting your own child, please advise the staff and introduce, if possible, the person who may collect in an emergency or other times. Children will NOT be allowed to leave with anyone who has not been authorised to collect them.
Interest/Celebrations
We send out an ‘Information to Parents’ letter every term in their home link books to let parents know what we will be basing our learning on during the following weeks, so that parents can carry on the theme/interest at home, through conversation or hands-on activity.We celebrate their birthdays and any special achievement from outside activities.
Drinks/Snacks
Milk or water is provided for every child, along with a healthy snack such as fruit or vegetable and a bread stick, in a café style, where children are encouraged to pour their own drinks and select their own snack. If you have any special dietary requirements, please inform your key person or the pre-school supervisor. Children are offered water as and when required throughout the session.
Illness
If your child is unable to attend any session for any reason, please let the Supervisor know as soon as possible.
Young children often pick up infections. To prevent the spread of infectious diseases, we follow exclusion guidelines issued by the Portsmouth Healthcare N.H.S. Trust. See Appendix for Illness Exclusion Guidelines. We also have a list of illnesses in the foyer.
A child must stay away from pre-school for at least 24 hours after any bout of vomiting and/or diarrhoea.
Important Information
We must have an emergency contact number for every child.
Please inform your child’s key person of any allergies or fears you may have.
We hope that your child’s time at CowplainCommunityPre-School will be very happy and productive. Should you have any queries, or if we can be of any help, please feel free to contact the staff or committee.
Management and Administration
Decision Making
The pre-school is run by an elected committee, which ensures that major decision making is in the hands of the parents who use the group. The committee is responsible for reviewing both policy and practice and for the employment and appraisal of member of staff. Our Annual General Meeting, at which the committee for the following year is elected, is held in June and parents will be informed in good time so they are able to attend.
Policies
Our policy statements are enclosed with this prospectus in the appendix. All our policies are designed to offer the best possible experience for the children and families in the group. Our policies are reviewed on a regular basis and comments and suggestions from parents are always welcome.
Fundraising
The committee is dedicated to raising additional funds for the benefit of the group. This is a very important function, as the pre-school is non-profit making and self-supporting. To improve the condition of the pre-school, please support the schemes and offer suggestions to the committee.
Training and the Role of Parents
Training
Our membership to the Pre-School Leaning Alliance ensures that we are constantly in touch with new thinking in the field of child education and care. We have access to a range of professionally produced publications. Parents may ask to see any of these. In addition, on-going training is available through Services for young children courses, which welcome both staff and parents. Informal training is available through local meetings and conferences and parents will always be informed about these. We also receive Early years Training from the Early Education Care Unit (EECU). See Appendix for Full List of Training.
The Role of Parents
We recognise that parents are the first and most important educators of their young children. Our pre-school aims to support parents. Parents are always welcome to come into group, to chat informally with their keyperson. We also have a homelink book which allows dialogue between parents and their childs keyperson on any activities or achievement that have happened in the home or at preschool.Parents are welcome:
- To work in the group with the children
- To liaise with keyperson about their child’s interest/progress
- To work together with keyperson on their child’s record of achievement
- To assist with fundraising
- To take part in the management of the pre-school
The Parents/Carers Rota
Research shows that children learn better when their parents are involved. All parents, carers or family members are welcome to join a session each half term or more frequently if they wish. The children enjoy having their special adult in the group and are responsible for ‘helper’ tasks. The rota also helps to maintain the high ratio of adults to children in our pre-school, guaranteeing individual care and attention for each child.
Please sign the rota in the foyer if you are able to attend – all help is gratefully accepted and it is a very enjoyable way of sharing your child’s time at pre-school.
Early Years Foundation Stage
The aim of the Early Years Foundation Stage which covers the ages from birth to five years is to help young children achieve the best possible start in life and provide support to fulfil their potential. It recognises that a secure, safe and happy childhood is important in its own right, and it provides the foundation for children to make the most of their abilities and talents as they grow up. Our pre-school endeavours to keep children safe, helping them to thrive. The Early Years Foundation Stage is the framework that provides that assurance, and working with parents as partners the results have a positive impact on children’s development and learning.
Each child is allocated a key person who has special responsibilities for:
- Giving them reassurance to feel safe and cared for
- Building relationships with their parents / carers
- Keeping careful records of the child’s development and progress.
The principles which guide the work of all early-years practitioners are grouped into four themes:
- Unique child – every child is a competent learner from birth who can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured
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- Positive relationships – children learn to be strong and independent from a base of loving and secure relationships with parents and / or a key person
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- Enabling Environments – the environment plays a key role in supporting and extending children’s development and learning
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