Parent Handbook

Welcome to Allendale Pre-school Playgroup....All the staff and committee welcome you to Allendale Pre-school Playgroup. When we established in 1970 we decided that our ultimate objective, and one that we have never wavered from, would be to:

“Provide childcare of the highest standards in a safe, homely and stimulating environment.”

Essential to our success is the relationship between the Pre-school and parents and carers. This relationship is crucial to the well being, development and progress of your child. During your time here at Pre-school we will encourage and promote a two way flow of information, knowledge and expertise. The more we know about you and your child and the more you know about us, the more successful we will be in fully supporting your child.

To make sure this happens, a considerable amount of information needs to be collected, documented, reviewed and measured. So how will we share and exchange this information with you?

This parent handbook The parent/carer notice board in the foyer. Feedback from your child’s keyworker Progress summaries ‘Tapestry’- The Online Learning Journal Pre-school Policies and Procedures available in our reception area (a copy can be

provided if requested). The Pre-school newsletter Email updates and letters General notices and signs around Pre-school Social and fundraising events such as Christmas Fair and Halloween Party Suggestion board in the foyer Complaint Procedure (on parent notice board) Links with schools, health centres and local businesses It is essential we establish an environment that makes it easy to exchange

information and views. We also want to make it easy for you and your child to have new experiences and make new friends, so we will provide lots of opportunities for this to happen. Once again, welcome to our Pre-school!

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Table of Contents

Pre-school Overview..........................................................................................................4Our Team...........................................................................................................................................4

Staffing Structure………………………………………………………………………….……………………….………………………7

Opening Hours...................................................................................................................................7

Contact Details..................................................................................................................................7

What We Do......................................................................................................................................8

Fees………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….9

Funding……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………9

Admissions and settling in policy……………………………………………………………………………………10

Important things you need to know..............................................................................11Key person system..........................................................................................................................12

Your Child’s Records……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……12

Healthy Eating………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….....13

Collection Procedure……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………13

Tapestry…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………14

Safeguarding Children and Child Protection................................................................................144

Equality of opportunity………………………………………………………………………………………………..………………15

Complaints Procedure……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…16

OFSTED Contact Details………………………………………………………………………………………………….16

Policies and Procedures.................................................................................................................166

Website address……………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……16

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Pre-school OverviewAllendale Pre-school Playgroup is a registered charity and has been providing care and early years education for children in the Allen Valleys and beyond for over 40 years. Managed by a voluntary Committee, supported by parents and friends, it is very much part of the community, with strong links to local first schools. Children are welcomed from two and a half years of age into a relaxed, safe environment with experienced staff who build confidence and engage in fun and stimulating activities both in the building and outside.

It is our aim to positively contribute towards your child’s development, and to help them achieve confidently and enjoyably, and transition to school successfully.

Our TeamOur staff members are selected very carefully, not only for their qualifications and experience but also for their love of working with young children. We understand that continuity of care for the children is paramount and for that reason we are committed to investing in excellent staff and developing their skills.

The majority of our staff have level 3 qualification or higher. We also conduct ongoing training.

Dani HendersonPre-school Leader and Early Years Professional (EYP)

Dani has worked at Pre-school since 2002. During this time she has completed various childcare and education qualifications, this culminated with gaining Early Years Professional Status in 2012. As EYP, Dani is the lead practitioner for the curriculum at Pre-school, ensuring we provide a high quality, effective and enjoyable

experience for the families at Pre-school.

As leader she is responsible for managing and supporting all staff, collaborating with the committee to ensure all legal requirements are met and continually working with parents and families to create an effective setting that is welcoming and responsive to individual needs.

Dani is usually available at the beginning and end of sessions or via appointment.

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Jodie NicholDeputy Pre-school Leader & Inclusion Co-ordinator

Jodie joined the Pre-school team in September 2012.

Jodie previously worked as a private nanny for three years and has also had experience working as a nursery nurse with babies and children aged 0-3 years.

As Inclusion Co-ordinator Jodie works to ensure the diverse individual needs of all children are met and catered for.

Jodie has a level 3 qualification in Childcare and Education.

Helena CastleDeputy Pre-school Leader & Designated

Safeguarding Person

Helena has worked at Pre-school since November 2012 after moving to the area from Yorkshire. Helena has a level 3 qualification in Childcare and Education

Helena previously worked in a private nursery for eight years as deputy manager where she cared for children from 3 months to 4 years.

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Hayley RichardsonLevel 3 Pre-school Assistant

Hayley has worked at Pre-school since May 2013.

Prior to joining the team Hayley was a private nanny for three years, and she runs the local youth club in Allendale.

Hayley has a level 3 qualification in Childcare and Education.

Diane NicholLevel 2 Pre-school Assistant

Diane has been with Pre-school since 2005, initially as bank staff and providing one to one support for a child with additional needs.

Prior to joining us Diane was a childminder for several years. Diane has a level 2 qualification in Childcare and Education.

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Jane PrydeAdministrator

Jane joined the Pre-school team in May 2013.

Jane previously worked as a volunteer youth worker, Employment advisor and administrator in Edinburgh.

As administrator Jane works to ensure smooth running of working systems and procedures to ensure delivery of an efficient and effective service.

Jane has a Degree, PG dip and has recently completed a crèche worker’s course.

Opening HoursMonday - FridayMorning: 09.00 – 11.45Lunch: 11.45 – 12.45Afternoon: 12.45 – 15.15

If Pre-school cannot open due to bad weather conditions, the Pre-school leader will contact you by phone. A decision would be made by 08.30.

Contact DetailsAllendale Pre-school Playgroup Tel: 01434 683042Happy Days Email: allendalepreschool@google.comShilburn Road Mobile: 07932542456 Allendale (this is for when we are on outings)Hexham Website: www.allendalepreschool.co.uk Northumberland, NE47 9PT

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Pre-school Leader & Early Years Professional

DANI HENDERSONPre-school Deputy & Inclusion

Co-ordinatorJODIE NICHOL

COMMITTEE

Pre-school AssistantDIANE NICHOL

CleanerDIANE NICHOL

Pre-school AssistantHAYLEY RICHARDSON

Deputy & Safeguarding Person

HELENA CASTLE

BANK STAFF

Office AdministratorJANE PRYDE

STUDENTS & VOLUNTEERS

PARENTS

What we doThe staff at Allendale Preschool Playgroup work hard to ensure that children are offered a wide range of activities to enhance their learning and play. We work with the EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) to plan activities, assess children’s developmental age and identify the next steps of their learning. (You can learn more about the EYFS from our Policies and Procedures document or from the government website.) We believe the children learn best when experiences are presented following their individual interests and the staff work to this ethos.

We try to keep our daily routines flexible in order to follow the children’s suggestions and interests which often results in naturally occurring activities and events, however a sample of a daily routine is as follows:

Registration/circle time Snack – although available at all time Free play- indoors/outdoors with a mixture of child-led and adult-led activities based upon

next developmental steps and current interests. These may include seasonal crafts, show and tell, letter-of-the week or baking.

Outing where appropriate Story/song/music and movement Lunch Afternoon repeats morning.

We love outdoors learning and experiencing the world around us. We go for walks beside the river, explore woodland, have small bonfires and visit the local parks to learn about nature in all weathers and seasons. All outings are risk assessed and closely supervised with strict safety guidelines. We try to fit regular outings into our flexible routine as we believe the children learn best first hand with real world experiences. We aim for pre-school to be an active part of the community and work with community groups and individuals to broaden their experiences and learning opportunities.

Indoors we have a ‘mark making’ area for drawing and painting, maths area, an ICT and music area, small world construction, role play, malleable materials, creative area, snack bar, creature corner and a quiet reading area. Outside the building there is an enclosed play area with water wall, mud kitchen, sand area and interactive role-play equipment. All of these areas are available at all time to access independently.

You and your family members can come and join us for a session, share a skill you have such as music, art, cooking, reading stories, outdoor learning etc, or just to play alongside your child. We welcome volunteers into Pre-school so if you ever have a spare hour or so and you would like to come in then please speak to a member of staff.

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FeesWe currently charge £3.50 per hour for three and four year olds, with a one off registration fee of £20.00 which is added to the first bill. We also charge 50p per session for consumables and £2.00 per optional hot lunch. Morning sessions start at 9.00 and end at 11.45 costing £9.63, lunch session runs from 11.45 until 12.45 at a cost of £3.50 and the afternoon session starts at 12.45 and the day ends at 3.15 costing £8.75. One full day costs £21.88.

For two year olds the cost is £4.50 per hour, with a one of registration fee of £20.00 which is added to the first bill. We also charge 50p per session for consumables and £2.00 per optional hot lunch. Morning sessions start at 9.00 and end at 11.45 costing £12.38, lunch session runs from 11.45 until 12.45 at a cost of £4.50 and the afternoon session starts at 12.45 and the day ends at 3.15 costing £11.25. One full day costs £28.13.

Each half term you will be supplied with a bill detailing your child’s sessions and the amount owed. You will be given a date 2-3 weeks after the invoice has been issued to pay. Fees may be paid by cash, cheque or our preferred choice of payment which is BACS transfer and all the relevant information is on the invoice. We also accept payment through the childcare voucher scheme. If payment is not received by the date stated on the bill, a letter will be sent reminding the parent of the amount owed and a late fee of £5.00 will be applied to the outstanding balance. There may also be a risk of losing a funded place at the preschool.

FundingThe term after your child turns three, they will be eligible for 15 hours per week of funded childcare and education from the government. This is the maximum amount of funding that is available per child; it can be shared between settings if your child attends more than one setting; however the county council makes the decision on how this is divided.

Some two year olds will be eligible for 15 hours of funded childcare and education; you may have received a postcard from Northumberland County Council highlighting your eligibility. If not, it is worth checking their website and searching for ‘free childcare for two year olds’ or phoning 01670 623592 to check their criteria and apply. Once you have your letter confirming your eligibility please bring it to Pre-school so sessions can be sorted.

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Admissions and ‘Settling in’ Policy

We realise that whether you are coming to the Pre-school for the first time or transferring from another setting, it is a significant transition for your child and you, and one that needs to be handled with care and sensitivity. It is our intention to make our setting accessible to children of all abilities, and families from all sections of the local community through using open, fair and clearly communicated procedures. We ensure that information about our setting is accessible in written and spoken form and where appropriate, in more than one language. Where necessary we will try to provide information in Braille or through British Sign Language. We will provide translated written materials as well as access to an interpreter where language needs of families suggest this is required. We advertise widely and keep the Families Information Service informed of vacancies and we arrange our waiting list according to date of birth.

Your child may attend paid sessions at preschool from the age of 2 and a half, and we are in receipt of government funding for 3-4 year olds and for some 2 year olds where applicable. It is our aim to make our fees as affordable as possible for all families.

We understand that starting to attend Pre-school is a big step for child and parent, and therefore we encourage parents to ring or email us to discuss vacancies and organise a trial visit before enrolment whereby a parent may stay to observe their child settling in to the environment if they wish. Once admitted, parents are issued this Welcome Pack and a letter confirming their place and the sessions they have requested. We are flexible about attendance patterns providing that these do not disrupt the pattern of continuity in the setting that provides stability for the children. Parents are obliged to complete our registration form and to provide us with the required details which are checked by our key person before the child can be left in our care.

The first few months here at the Pre-school are crucial to establishing the ongoing rapport between staff, parents and children. For that reason we will put together an individualised plan to settle you both into the routines of the Pre-school as well as providing us with the opportunities to gather the information we need before your start date. Of course, over time, information often changes and we also need to ensure we have procedures in place to keep our records up to date.

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Important things you need to know...

Sickness - We ask that you do not send your child to Pre-school if they are sick. If we have to contact you because your child is unwell we ask that you respond immediately. We operate a 48 hour exclusion policy if your child has diarrhoea or sickness, as recommended by the Environmental Health Department, to prevent infecting other children and staff.Infections – If your child has had an infectious disease e.g. chickenpox, we ask that they are completely free of infection before they return.Medication – If your child is on a prescribed medication then we will be able to give this on your behalf, subject to you signing the medication consent form.Missing Child- Children’s safety is maintained as the highest priority at all times both on and off premises. Every possible consideration is made through carrying out the outings procedure and the arrival/departures procedure to ensure the security of children is maintained at all times. In the unlikely event of a child going missing, our missing child procedure is followed. Please see full policies and procedures. Accident in Pre-school – If your child has an accident whilst at Pre-school we will tell you what happened and what action was taken. If the accident is of a serious nature you will be contacted immediately.Accidents at home – If your child has an accident at home, we ask that you tell us so that we are aware of the nature and extent. Under the Safeguarding Children procedures, if a significant injury is noticed, then we have a duty to inform the relevant department at the Local Authority. At all times the welfare of the child is our primary concern.Fundraising – Allendale Pre-school is a registered charity and we rely heavily on the support of parents and the community. We hold a number of fundraising events, i.e; Halloween Party, Easter and Summer Fair. We would be grateful if you could support these events. We are always looking for volunteers to help too!Committee – Without parents volunteering to become members of the committee, Pre-school could not continue. Please tell the Leader or Deputy if you are interested.

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Key Person SystemThe purpose of our key person system is to:

Ensure that all children receive consistent and continual care in all aspects of their development

Provide an environment where children can feel safe and secure and also gain confidence in themselves and others.

The planning carried out will be to:

Assess the needs of individual key children and incorporate parental requirements as requested

Devise written short and medium term plans in conjunction with the Early Years Foundation Stage

Allow written plans to inform individual development needs

The key person’s role it to:

Ensure that the health and well-being of the child is prioritised, and that individual caring and development needs are met

Ensure that parents are kept informed of all aspects of their child’s care and development

Ensure the implementation of all short and medium term plans Ensure a smooth and positive settling process for all individual children Ensure parents requests are accommodated and understood

Your Child’s RecordsAll children’s personal records are kept safely locked away, however, you are welcome to look at these whenever you like, please ask.If there is a safeguarding issue (see: Safeguarding Children and Child Protection section), there may only be some information disclosed to you, to protect children.Detailed records are kept in both paper format and on our databases.

A data-base system is used to generate fees, however, no personal or developmental information is stored here.

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Healthy EatingWe believe that eating healthily is extremely important particularly in the development of young children. We recognise that children should be able to enjoy eating, preparing and sharing food as well as learning good behaviour.

At Pre-school we encourage healthy eating. We do this by:

Providing a healthy snack such as a selection of fruit, toast and water or milk to drink in the morning and afternoon sessions

Encourage healthy packed lunches – you to provide Provide hot school dinners from Allendale First School at a small charge

Collection ProcedureParents of children starting at the setting are asked to provide specific information which is recorded on our registration form. This information will identify adults who are authorised by the parents to collect their children from the setting, for example a childminder or grandparent. It is imperative that prior notice is given by the parent or carer if somebody else is collecting your child at the time of signing the child into their session. On occasions where a parent is unable to provide written details (for example a last minute change of plan) they are able to telephone pre-school an proved a password agreed with the person named to collect the child. A password is always used if the person collecting is unknown to the setting.

At the end of the session parents/carers will collect from the main door and sign the signing in book stating collection time. We will only ever release a child to someone when we are absolutely sure is the person they are authorised to leave with. Our systems prevent unauthorised access to the building and also prevent children from leaving the premises unnoticed.

Late collection policy – bearing in mind that the Pre-school will need to retain at least two members of staff whilst children are on the premises after the Pre-school closes, we ask that parents and guardians be punctual, we have a late collection fee of £5.00 which is applied after attempts have been made to contact the parent and after 10 minutes past the normal Pre-school closing time. In exceptional circumstances this can be waived, at the discretion of the Leader.All reasonable attempts are made to contact the parents or nominated carers, however if no one collects the child after an hour and there is no one who can be contacted to collect the child we apply the procedures for uncollected children:

We contact our local authority children’s social services team The child stays at the setting in the care of two fully-vetted workers until the child is

safely collected by parents or social care worker Social care will aim to find the parent or relative and if unable to do so the child will

be looked after by the local authority.

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A full written report of the incident is recorded in the child’s file. In certain circumstances we reserve the right to charge parents for the additional

time worked by our staff and OFSTED may be informed.

TapestryLearning journals have grown in popularity over the last decade, offering settings a way to record the special moments of children in the setting.

At Pre-school we believe by using Tapestry, a secure online journal, we keep parents involved and work together in a strong partnership as your child grows and develops.

Tapestry makes it possible to create records and observations instantly. We can add notes, images and EYFS points and have them immediately available to any authorised people.

Authorised people; such as parents, carers, grandparents, family friends, are able to view and comment on these special moments and are able to contribute their own stories of the child’s life outside of Pre-school.

As parents, you can nominate other family members or friends to be part of the service. All we need to add them to the secure system is their name and email address.

The learning journals on Tapestry can be accessed at anytime online or printed if you prefer. When your child moves on from Pre-school a copy of the whole journal can be printed or it can be put onto disc for you to treasure.

If you do not have access to a computer, we hope you will still like to use this service. With prior arrangement, we can provide a computer for you to use a Pre-school to view your child’s learning journal.

Any questions about this service, then please speak to you child’s keyworker.

Safeguarding Children and Child ProtectionPre-school will work with children, parents and the community to ensure the rights and safety of children and to give them the very best start in life. Our safeguarding policy is based on the three key commitments of the Pre-school Learning Alliance Safeguarding Children Policy.

Key Commitment 1The Alliance is committed to building a ‘culture of safety’ in which children are protected from abuse and harm in all areas of its service delivery.Key Commitment 2The Alliance is committed to responding promptly and appropriately to all incidents or concerns of abuse that may occur and to work with statutory agencies in accordance with

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the procedures that are set down in ‘What to do if you’re worried a child is being abused’ (HMG 2006).Key Commitment 3The Alliance is committed to promoting awareness of child abuse issues throughout its training and learning programmes for adults. It is also committed to empowering young children, through its early childhood curriculum, promoting their right to be strong, resilient and listened to.

Equality of OpportunityWe will ensure that our service is fully inclusive in meeting the needs of all children. We recognise that children and their families have different backgrounds and that all families have needs and values that arise from these social and economic, ethnic and cultural or religious backgrounds. We recognise that some children have needs that arise from disability or impairment, social exclusion or severe hardship and may have faced discrimination and prejudice as a result of their ethnicity, religion, gender or impairment. We understand that these factors affect the well-being of children and can impact upon their learning and attainment. Our setting is committed to anti-discriminatory practice to promote equality of opportunity at the same time valuing diversity for all children and families. We aim to do this by:

providing a secure and accessible environment in which all of our children can flourish and in which all contributions are considered and valued.

Include and value the contribution of all families to our understanding of equality and diversity

Provide positive non-stereotyping information about gender roles, diverse family structures, diverse ethnic and cultural groups and disabilities

Challenge and eliminate discriminatory actions Foster good relationships between all communities

The curriculum offered in the setting encourages children to develop positive attitudes about themselves as well as to people who are different from themselves. It encourages children to empathise with others and to begin to develop the skills of critical thinking.

We believe that all children, parents, carers and staff have an equal right to be listened to and valued in a setting.We have an ‘Inclusion Co-ordinator’ – Jodie Nichol, who will be happy to help with any queries/questions you may have.

Complaints Procedure15

Our setting believes that children and parents are entitled to expect courtesy and prompt, careful attention to their needs and wishes. We welcome suggestions on how to improve Pre-school and will give prompt and serious attention to any concerns about the running of Pre-school. In the first instance any concerns about the setting are to be discussed with the team leader. If the concern is about the team leader, this should be discussed with either the deputy leader or the committee chairperson whose contact details can be obtained from staff or in the foyer. We anticipate that most concerns will be resolved amicably and informally at this stage. However if this does not achieve the desired result, we have a set of procedures and a formal escalation of complaint for dealing with concerns. We aim to bring all concerns about the running of our setting to a satisfactory conclusion for all of the parties involved.

Alternatively parents can make a formal complaint to OFSTED should they wish:

Ofsted contact details:

By post:OfstedPiccadilly GateStore StreetManchesterM1 2WDBy telephone: 0300 123 1231By Email: enquiries@ofsted.gov.ukThere is a step by step guide of the Complaints Procedure in the full Policies and Procedures.

Policies and ProceduresA successful Pre-school is a combination of skilled and caring people with efficient and effective policies. We acknowledge that our policies and procedures are fundamental to ensuring that we maintain the highest standards at all times. There are many policies and procedures that govern the way we operate our Pre-school and these are openly published to both parents and OFSTED alike.

Our key policies include health and safety, equal opportunities, child behaviour, parent partnership, staffing, Pre-school operations and safeguarding children. Our full policies and procedures are emailed to parents of all new starters and are available on our website and on the notice board in the entrance lobby. Any further copies can be emailed on request.

Please visit our website:

www.allendalepreschool.co.uk

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