Chipping Sodbury Pre-school

Affordable and flexible childcare

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Fridays
Term Time, 8.45am - 3.45pm

Chipping Sodbury Pre-School has been establised for nearly 40 years and is situated in the Baptist Church Centre close to the primary school in Hounds Road. We have grown from strength to strength with each year and continue to provide a friendly and fun-to-learn atmosphere for children aged two and a half to four years old.

Pre-School follows the Foundation Stage curriculum and is able to offer free places to children in the term after their third birthday, as set by South Gloucestershire Council.

Pre-School sessions offer a variety of activites, all designed to encourage and develop skills in the 6 areas of learning:

• Personal, Social & Emotional Development
• Communication, Language & Literacy
• Mathematics
• Knowledge & Understanding of the World
• Physical Development
• Creativity

Our fully qualified staff encourage each child to share and play with others and to develop self-control and confidence

Chipping Sodbury Pre-School is the ideal first step for your child away from home, starting his or her education. Come and visit us and see fro yourself the wide range of topics, trips, visits, talks, activites and visitors.

Our Pre-School is a registered charity and therefore we do not run for profit. In order to keep our fees low we rely on parents to assist with a parents rota and to help with fund-raising throughout the academic year.

Chipping Sodbury Pre-School is a community based group with charitable status. We are affiliated to the Pre-School Learning Alliance and abide by its Pre-School Constitution. Our Pre-School is registered with South Gloucestershire Council's Social Services and inspected by OFSTED.

Our aim is:

•	To enhance the development and education of children under statutory school age in a parent-involving, community-based group.
•	To provide a safe, secure and stimulating environment.
•	To work within a framework which ensures equality of opportunity for all children and families

We offer your child:

•	A specially tailored curriculum leading to approved learning goals.
•	Individual care and attention made possible by a high ratio of adults to children.
•	Fun and friendship with children and other adults.
•	The support of a personal keyworker.
•	Opportunities for you and your family to be directly involved in the activities of the group and in your own child's progress.

We are proud of the high ratio of adults to children in our group. There is at least one adult to each six children in our main Sessions and one adult to each four children in our 2 years 6 months session. On a school starter session there are at least three staff for eighteen children. This ensures individual attention to the needs and development of each child.

The Pre-School Rota

To enable costs and fees to be kept to a minimum, we operate a parents' rota. We require one parent in attendance at each Pre-School session. The rota drawn up by the Pre-School Leader is displayed on the notice-board in the hall and is circulated to parents.

Research shows that children learn better when their parents/carers are involved. Our rota system involves all parents/carers in helping in the group on a regular basis. This helps maintain the high ratio of adults to children in our Pre-School. guaranteeing individual care and attention for each child. It also gives parents/carers the opportunity to take an active part in the group, to see what happens there and to talk about it afterwards with their child. In addition, the rota-system' provides a valuable opportunity for all children to see their own parents/carers in a new role.

If parents/carers are not able to help with parents rota a fee will be charged per half term.

Parental Involvement

Parents/carers are the' first educators of their young children. The aim of the group is to support their essential work, not to supplant them.

We will:

•	Make all new parents/carers aware of the group's systems and policies.
•	Encourage parents/carers on an individual basis to play and active part in the management of the group.
•	Ensure that parents/carers are informed on a regular basis about their child's progress.
•	Ensure that all parents have opportunities to contribute from their own skills, knowledge and interests to the activities of the group.
•	Involve parents/carers in shared record keeping about their own child, either formally or informally.
•	Consult with families about the times of meetings to avoid excluding' anyone.
•	Hold meetings in venues, which are accessible and appropriate all.
•	Welcome the Contributions of parents/carers, whatever forms these may take.
•	Make known to all parents/carers the systems for registering queries, complaints or suggestions.The role of Parents/Carers

The Pre-School Learning Alliance recognises parents/carers as the first and most important educators of their young children. Our Pre-School aims to support parents/carers.

Parents/carers are welcomed:

•	To work in the group with the children
•	To assist with fund-raising
•	To take part in the management of the Pre-School
•	To represent the Pre-School at branch and county activities of the Pre-School Learning Alliance
•	To attend open meeting of the Pre-School Learning Alliance
•	To attend training courses, workshops and conferences organised by the Pre-School Learning Alliance &/or South Gloucestershire council.Keyworkers.

Our keyworker system gives each member of staff 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 much easier. In addition, the keyworker maintains links with the child's home setting, working with parents/carers through shared record keeping to ensure that all children are supported in reaching their full potential.

Record Keeping

Because 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 the children. All records remain confidential and are available at any time for a child's parents to see. When a child leaves Pre-School all observations and assessments, with parents consent, are forwarded on to the child's next settings. No copies are retained.

Opportunities to Discuss Your Child's Progress

Staff are always available to discuss with parents their child's progress or any concerns. An appointment with staff can be made at an arranged time should they wish to talk in confidence. Through the year parents are kept informed of their child's progress. During the last term of the school year Progress Reports are sent home and parents/carers offered the opportunity to discuss their child's progress.

Special Needs

The number of adults present in the Pre-School enables us to provide individual attention for each child. Each child is able to progress at his/her own rate in all areas of development, and this is true for children with and without disabilities or learning difficulties. We are experienced in working in close liaison with professionals across the range of special needs. If you would like to discuss the group's ability to meet your own child's special needs, please talk to the Pre-School Leader.

Staff Training

Our membership of the Pre-School Learning Alliance ensures that we are constantly in touch with new thinking in the field of child education, and care. We receive a monthly magazine offering practical advice and up-to-date information, and have access to a range of professionally produced publications. Parents/carers may ask to see any of these. In addition, on-going training courses are available via the Pre-School Learning Alliance &/or South Gloucestershire Council, which welcome both staff and parents/carers. All permanent staff are NVQ Level 3 qualified in Early Years Care and Education.
All staff hold current First Aid and Child Protection certificates.

Pre-School Administration

The Pre-School is run by an elected committee, which ensures that the major decision making is in the hands of the parents/carers who use the group. The committee is responsible for reviewing both policy and practice and for the employment and appraisal of members of staff. Our Annual General Meeting, at which the committee for the following year is elected, is held in July and parents/carers will be informed in good time so they are able to attend.
Our complete prospectus giving details of all our policy statements, is available for your information at the Pre-School's premises. 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/carers are alwavs welcome.