Pre-School (Dormice)
Our pre-school (Dormice class) is an important part of our school. It is a home from home environment which provides a nurturing environment where all children are challenged to achieve their very best.
Children can join our pre-school from the term after they turn 2.
We accept 3-year-old funding and 2-year-old funding for those that are able to access it.
We also offer wraparound care (Breakfast and After School Club) open to
children from the age of 3 to 11 years old.
Note These hours can form part your child’s funded entitlement.
The pre-school opened in September 2008, on the grounds of the primary school. It is a large and bright building with its own playground and garden, directly accessible from our playroom, enabling all children to access a secure outdoor environment at any time of the day.
Our pre-school has the same ethos as the main school and all our children wear school uniform. We believe that quality Early Years education is essential to enhance children’s learning and development and offer a caring, happy, secure and stimulating learning environment.
Quality interactions are at the heart of our teaching in the EYFS. This includes communicating and modelling language, showing, explaining, demonstrating, exploring ideas, encouraging, questioning, recalling, providing a narrative for what the children are doing and facilitating challenge. The environment and the continuous provision, designed by the adults in the setting, also acts as a teacher to the children. Each area of learning and development is implemented through play and a mix of adult-led and child-initiated activities. Our outdoor environments offer our children a wide range of learning opportunities including weekly Forest School sessions. Our practitioners know what they want children in their setting to learn, and facilitate the most effective ways to teach it. They provide inspiration to stimulate children’s interests, responding to each child’s emerging needs and guiding their development through warm, positive interactions coupled with secure routines for play and learning.
The children are also helped and encouraged to take part in adult-led activities in small and large groups to introduce them to new experiences and help them to learn to work with others.
Our children can decide when they have a drink or snack and they are able to help themselves throughout the session.
We are open daily during term time, and operate the following hours:
Morning
9:00am – 12:00pm
Lunchtime
12:00pm - 12:30pm
Afternoon
12:00pm - 3:00pm
Breakfast Club
Breakfast club is available for all children attending the school or pre-school from the age of 3 years.
7.30am - 8.50am Monday to Friday (term time only)
The cost per session is £6.00
This includes a healthy breakfast
After School Club
After School Club is run by qualified staff and is available for all children attending the school or pre-school from the age of 3 years.
3.20pm - 5.30pm Monday to Friday (term time only)
The cost is £6.00 an hour or part thereof
Healthy drinks and snacks are offered
We do lots of fun and messy activities as well as outdoor activities, weather permitting
Admissions
We would love to show you our pre-school because we know how important it is to see a setting to check if you feel it is right for your child.
Children can join us from the term after their second birthday. Childcare funding is currently expanding. To see the childcare funding options that may be available to you please check the government website https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/
Children can move on to Hedgehogs Class in the September after they are four. It is essential that the school place is applied for and our office staff can support this process. Please note that a place in main school cannot be guaranteed. The children are well prepared for this by the range of different activities provided in the Pre-school and moving up with the friends that they have made.
We have regular contact with parents and carers and involve them in their child’s learning. Parents are invited to attend an open session each term. This ensures an opportunity to see the children in their preschool environment, discuss progress and next steps and share any concerns they may have.
Our current session fees are
- 2 year olds: £6.50 per hour
- 3+ year olds: £6.00 per hour
Please contact the school office to arrange a viewing and to discuss spaces available within our pre-school.
Weekly Calendar
| PE Lesson | Tuesday |
|---|---|
| Forest School | Monday |
Dormice Class (Pre-School) Staff
Mrs H. Burrows
Pre-School Lead
Forest School Lead
Mrs S. Bettess
Family Support Worker
ELSA Lead
Mrs L. McGovern
Teaching Assistant
Mrs K. Hornsey
Teaching Assistant
Forest School Lead
Mrs N. Harris
Teaching Assistant
Miss S. Partridge
Teaching Assistant