A Good Bit About Us and What the Children Do…

We have a good team of friendly staff. They are all experienced in childcare with various appropriate qualifications. The children call the staff by their first names – Bev, Becky, Check, Laura, Sarah and Charlotte. Please ask if you are unsure who is who.

At Fence Pre-School we follow a simple but flexible routine.

We open at 8.00am in the morning until 4.30pm in the afternoon.
For the first half an hour we have ‘settling in’ time when the children are free to play. Parents are also free to play, chat to staff or get to know other parents.

Next, we do register time. All the children assemble in the physical/library area to answer to their names. This is followed by ‘news time’ when the children recall events from home and share them with the group, or show an item of interest that they have brought in. We also sing our days of the week song, do the weather and tell the children about special activities taking place that day.

Then it is time to play. There are adult led activities and lots of free play choices both indoor and outdoor, with toys and equipment selected for the day. We change most of the toys on a daily basis, to provide and maximise a range of opportunities for learning.

At 9.30am and 1.30 pm we have self service snack. Milk and water, fruit, toast and crackers are provided. We work on a Smile for Life theme, which encourages children only to eat sugary foods at mealtimes. Please see the notice board for more information, or just ask. Snack time is self service. We encourage and supervise the children as they wash their hands, get their cup and plate, and pour their drinks.

This is followed by singing and rhyme time. The children are encouraged to take part either in groups, pairs or individually.

After this, we continue with free play indoors/outdoors.

We tidy up at 11.50am and 3.25pm in preparation for music or story time, sometimes we group the children together other times they are split into younger and pre-school children.

Finally, the children all sit together and collect anything they have made to take home. Those children that are staying for dinner wash their hands collect their lunchboxes and sit at the tables. Parents are admitted at 12.00pm and 3.00pm onwards.

We value all the children as individuals. Each child is special. We aim to create a positive environment for them all. The children’s creations are displayed on the boards around the pre-school. They will also bring home things that they have made- they will be very proud of their creations! Please talk to your child about what they have done at pre-school and listen to what they have to say.

We do lots of crafts, painting and messy play. Although protective aprons are provided, accidents can happen. It is advisable not to dress your child in anything special.

All the toys, equipment and activities are chosen to meet the different educational needs of your children. We send out activity sheets so you know what your child will be doing that day, our aims and activities vary to meet the needs of each individual child following the government’s guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage 2012. The staff have a planning meeting every month of which we incorporate your child’s learning and plan new experiences that will encourage your child along his/her learning journey.

Once your child as settled in, simple observational assessments will be carried out. These are done by each member of staff, your child will have a key person of whom is responsible for creating a file of your child’s learning journey up to going to school, and this helps us to understand where your child’s strengths are and which areas of development we can help them with. We plan a range of activities to further their development in all areas and also of which are initiated by your child.

If you have any concerns about your child, or anything you wish for us to know, please speak to myself or any other member of staff. Complete confidentiality id maintained.

As an educational provider, we are inspected by Ofsted, Our most recent report is available on request.

We are inclusive to all children within our pre-school environment. To see the local offer click here.

Nappies are changed when needed, and at dinnertime for those children who attend for a full day. Otherwise, children will not be changed.

Your help and suggestions are always welcome. We would like to invite you to help out occasionally on the parents rota once you child is settled in. This makes your child feel special and helps you to get to know us better.

We are flexible with the 15 hour ‘early years’ funding entitlement for both 2 and 3 year old children. (2 year old funding is only available for children that fit the criteria. Please ask).

Fees are paid on a weekly/monthly basis and must be paid even if your child is unable to attend.

For more detailed information about Fence Pre-School, we have a policies and procedures booklet available to al parents on request.

You are more than welcome to call in and see us in the weeks leading up to your child starting pre-school. A form can be downloaded on our ‘Registration’ page. We ask that you complete this form and bring it along with you on your child’s induction or first day.

Access to the indoor area is easy to access with a wheelchair via a ramp and the doors are widened. The nursery can be flexible in the set up to accommodate a child / adult with a wheelchair / walking frame.

The Extent to Which Children Develop

We are looking forward to seeing you and your child at Fence Pre-School and we hope that your child’s time with us is extremely happy.