Key Information

Management

Sutton St James Playgroup is managed by a voluntary committee group mainly made up of parents. It meets at least once a term to discuss matters arising such as fundraising, fees, training and the way forward.

The Playgroup is a registered charity.

A list of committee members can be found on the notice board in the entrance porch of the Playgroup and on the website.

Fees are paid monthly; cheques should be made payable to ‘Sutton St James Playgroup’. The price of a session at pre-school is currently £11.70.

As our costs are ongoing, fees must still be paid if your child is not present, as we have reserved a place for your child.

Sutton St James Playgroup runs for 38 weeks of the year, term dates are available on the parent information board and on our website.

We are registered with Ofsted and in receipt of the Early Years Educational Entitlement, therefore we offer funded places for 3­- and 4- year-olds. The pre-school will apply for your child’s funding the full term after their 3^rd birthday on your behalf. Funding is available as long as a contract and declaration are completed each full term.

Policies

Copies of the policy statements, Conditions and Ofsted Reports are available for you to read. The recent Ofsted report is located on the parent’s information board and all policies are available in a folder in the entrance porch. In the registration pack you will find some policies for your reference and some are available on our website. The original signed policies can be found in the Operational Plan.

Special Needs

The number of adults present in the Playgroup enables us to provide a high adult/child ratio so that each child is able to progress at their own rate in all areas of development. This is also true for children with disabilities or specific learning difficulties. We have a designated Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) who is experienced in working in close liaison with outside agencies across the range of Special Needs. If you would like to discuss our group’s ability to meet your child’s needs, please speak to the Playgroup Leader/SENCo. If, after consultation with the Leader/SENCo and Committee, it is decided that one to one support is necessary, the Committee would need to seek outside funding to achieve this.

Health and Safety

Parents are asked to keep children that are unwell at home. If your child needs regular medicine, for example Calpol, they should be kept at home.

Any children who have had vomiting and diarrhoea are asked not to attend the Playgroup for at least 48 hours after symptoms have elapsed.

Whilst at Playgroup your child has fresh water available throughout the session, to encourage independence each child has their own named water bottles to drink from. We would therefore request that you supply your child with a bottle to keep at the Playgroup.

Whenever possible, medicines should be administered by the child’s parent. Any medication brought to the Playgroup must be clearly labelled with the child’s name, dosage and any other necessary signed instructions.

The Playgroup offers free flow between indoor and outdoor areas, enabling the children to choose their own learning opportunities. Please supply a pair of wellies to be kept at Playgroup and appropriate clothing (dependent on the weather) in order that we can take full advantage of this.

Out of Hours Accident Book

It is now a requirement for the Playgroup to keep an out of hours accident book. Any accidents your child may have had outside the normal Playgroup hours should be noted in this book. Please inform staff on arrival of any bruises etc so they can be noted and you will be asked to sign. It is often busy first thing in the morning and it is easy to forget these things, so if later in the morning a member of staff notices something they will make a note and ask you to sign when you collect your child.

Starting Playgroup

A child who is unhappy will not be able to play or learn, so it is important for parents and Playgroup staff to work together to help the child feel confident and secure in the playgroup. This takes longer for some children than others. Parents/Carers are always welcome to stay with their child at Playschool until they are happy and settled.

Assessment and Monitoring

Throughout their time with us at the pre-school the children are split into key groups, each child having their own key person who takes responsibility for your child’s observations and record keeping. Their learning journeys are updated daily via Tapestry, an online assessment tool.