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The management of Pre-school

A parent management committee - whose members are elected by the parents of the children who attend the pre-school - manages the pre-school. The elections take place at the pre-school's Annual General Meeting, which is held in the Summer Term each year. The committee is responsible for:

  • managing the pre-school's finances;
  • employing and managing the staff;
  • making sure that the pre-school has - and works to - policies which help it to provide a high quality service; and
  • making sure that the pre-school works in partnership with the children's parents.

The Annual General Meeting is open to the parents of all of the children who attend the pre-school. It is their forum for looking back over the previous year's activities and shaping the coming year's activities.

The committee works on a completely voluntary basis. There must be a Chairperson, Treasurer and Secretary and as many other members as possible. All members are required by Ofsted to have health and police checks. The pre-school has an inspection by Ofsted where the premises and the general running of the pre-school are inspected. All staff members also have the above-mentioned checks. It is the responsibility of the Committee to ensure that the pre-school adheres to all new regulations and guidelines.

The committee is also responsible for ensuring the financial security of the pre-school and organising fundraising events.

Being on the committee means that you have a chance to have your say and contribute to the running of the pre-school.

Fees

A £15 registration fee is payable with your application which will entitle you to a school hat and bag when your child starts. Children receive the Nursery Education Grant (NEG) from the term after their 3rd birthday.  You can claim up to 5 FREE sessions per week. Prior to receiving the NEG our fees are £7.50 per session. Fees are payable to assure the child’s place for the half-term and are not redeemable in the event of any absences. There is a 10% discount for a second child when you have two fee-paying children at Pre-school. Fees are payable half-termly within two weeks from the date of the invoice. A full half-terms notice is required in advance on leaving Pre-school or fees will be incurred.

Starting at Stoke Goldington Pre-school

The first days

We want your child to feel happy and safe at the pre-school. To make sure that this is the case, the staff will work with you to decide on how to help your child to settle into the pre-school. The pre-school has a policy about helping children to settle into the pre-school: a copy is enclosed in this prospectus.

You will be offered a visit before your child starts, where you will both be introduced to the staff and your child will be given time to familiarise themselves with the surroundings.

At pre-school your child will learn to play with other children, trust new adults, experiment in all sorts of ways and become more independent.

Please do not be discouraged if your child does not bring activities home immediately. Your child may need time to gain confidence and with this, their skills will grow.

Clothing

The pre-school provides protective clothing for the children when they play with messy activities.

The pre-school encourages children to gain the skills, which 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 which is easy for them to manage will help them to do this. If your child is still in nappies, please ensure there is a spare nappy in their bag. Please ensure that coats, hats, shoes, plimsolls etc are all clearly named. We require all children to change into plimsolls before each session.

In summer, please make sure your child has a sunhat and adequate sun protection at all times, as we make the most of our outside play area and toys.

Leaving pre-school

Most children leave pre-school as they move up to school, but if you need to take your child out of pre-school earlier than this you must inform us immediately. We require 4 weeks written notice. This allows the pre-school to be as effective as possible in the allocation of places.

What to tell us:

Please notify the staff immediately if:

  • Your child is unable to attend pre-school - please telephone
  • You change address/telephone number
  • A different person is collecting your child (password may be given)
  • You will be late collecting your child - please telephone as soon as possible on the mobile xxxxxxxxx
  • Intend to be on holiday - please write a letter to the pre-school
  • There are any allergies we need to know about e.g. plasters, milk etc.
  • Your child catches any infectious illnesses e.g. German measles, Chickenpox, Head lice etc.
  • Sickness and Diarrhoea - children must wait 48 hours from the last attack before returning to Pre-school

Please note: Your child cannot attend Pre-School if they have been unwell the previous night, even if they seem better in the morning.

Northern Pastures Pre-school hopes that you and your child enjoy being members of the pre-school and that you both find taking part in our activities interesting and stimulating. The staff and committee are always ready and willing to talk with you about your ideas, views or questions.