10.1 Early years prospectus

Kingfisher Pre­School at

Brentwood Baptist Church

Kings Hall, Kings Chase,

Brentwood CM14 4DP

Telephone 01277 224326

Email kingfisher.bs@live.co.uk Website www.kingfisherspreschool.co.uk

Registered Charity No. 1138147

We are Registered to take children from the age of 2yrs

Sessions: Mondays & Thursdays

9.30 – 12.00am or 12.30 – 3.00pm

Tuesdays 9.15 – 12.15

Fridays

9.15 – 1.15 (with a packed lunch)

We are open 38 weeks per year

We are Ofsted Inspected

Free funding for 2yr (if applicable) and for 3&4 yr olds Childcare vouchers accepted

Member of the Pre­School Learning Alliance

Our setting aims to: The aim of the Pre-School is to advance the development and education of children below compulsory school age by:

(a) providing for all children without discrimination a safe and satisfying pre-school within a Christian environment

where Christian beliefs and values are promoted and upheld.

(b) work in partnership with parents to help children to learn and develop

(c) encouraging other charitable activities through which parents may help the children and families

(d) furthering the aims of the Pre-School Learning Alliance

(e) furthering the aims of the Brentwood Baptist Church, referred to as ‘the Church’ which seeks to provide services

to the community and to promote Christianity within it.

About us: Our Pre-School has been meeting here since JANUARY 1986. We are situated roughly between Brentwood High Street and Brentwood Station. Our indoor premises consist of a spacious Main Hall, with an adjoining room to the side which can be screened off if necessary (this is used as our ‘Messy Room’). We have use of the kitchen and toilet facilities and there is a ‘quiet area’ should you want to talk more privately to your child’s Key Person SENDCo and/or Supervisor. We use the church for special occasions e.g. Christmas Nativity and Leavers Assembly. Pre-School families are welcomed at any of the church activities that are going on too. You may receive invitations to special events happening at the church e.g. quizes, barn dances, special Sunday Services – However if you want to know more about what’s going on in the church life here – please ask the Pre-School’s Supervisor. We also rent an outdoor play area, which is a very short distance from the building. As this area is not attached to the building, this activity is classed as an ‘outing’ – so we follow the necessary requirements regarding safety. You can find out more later in the Prospectus under ‘Outdoor Area’.

Waiting List / Admissions / Visits - (we do have an Admissions Policy) Waiting List - Parents can contact us by phoning 01277 224326 or emailing kingfisher.bs@live.co.uk to put their child’s name on our waiting list. We require your child’s name, date of birth and your contact details (including an email address if you have one) and please give an indication on when you would like your child to start. Admissions - We are registered to take children from the age of 2 years (please refer to ‘Fees and Funding’ further on). We try to do this as fairly as possible by taking into account the age of the child, siblings already attending. Visits - The Supervisor will get in touch with you as soon as your child is of age of start and/or places are available for your child to start. We advise you to come along for visit before you decide on registering your child with us. This is the time when the Supervisor will give you an induction and talk with you about your child needs, sessions and starting date etc. and the visit also helps you and your child see how the setting works. Should you wish to accept the place for your child then…… Registration Form - When the child has been given a place, sessions and starting date, then Parents/Carers are required to return a completed Registration Form before they leave their child in our care. We also require to see proof of the child’s date of birth – this helps when Free Funding is claimed for the Local Authority by the pre-school. Please note that until this form is completed and returned, then their child’s place is not secure.

A completed Registration Form shows that the parent complies to the Pre-School’s Policies and Procedures (all of which are available for parents to see at any time and are kept in our ‘Operational File’). Once the Registration Form is completed / returned and you are given the official starting date for your child, then you are required to give SIX WEEKS (during pre-school term time) cancellation notice – or any loss of fees for that time will be required. If, at any time, the information given by the parent on the Form changes e.g. contact number, address, authorised persons collecting child etc – then the parent must inform the pre-school in writing as soon as possible.

The Management of our setting: The Pre-School is a Committee run activity of the Brentwood Baptist Church and you can find the Constitution on our Notice Board in the Side Room. As stated in ‘Our Settings Aims’ above please note that we plan some activities around stories in the Bible and children make crafts relating to that story to take home. The Committee who manages the setting, includes up to three parent representatives – who are elected by the parents of the children who attend the setting. The elections take place at our Annual General Meeting (A.G.M) – which is sometime in November. The Committee normally comprises of:

Chair Person (member of the church) Treasurer (member of the church) Secretary (member of the church) Up to three parent representatives

All persons are required to become Trustees / Officers as we are a charity in our own right. The Supervisor, although not a Trustee, also joins the Committee for Meetings. The committee are responsible for:

Managing the settings finances; Employing and managing the staff; Making sure that the setting has, and works to legal requirements and policies that help provide a high

quality service and; Making sure that the setting works in partnership with the children’s parents

The Annual General Meeting: This Meeting is open to all parents who attend the setting – and this is when new persons may be elected onto the Committee. Parents/Carers will be notified at least two weeks prior to the date when this Meeting will occur and be given an Annual Report which looks back over the previous year’s activities and accounts. It is important that you make every effort to attend this meeting as it is a legal requirement to hold this Meeting with a certain number of parents present. If you think about becoming a Parent Representative/Trustee, please speak to the Supervisor who will be only too happy to inform you of the role.

Staff We have SIX members of staff in our team. All staff are DBS checked and approved for Safeguarding requirements.

STAFF QUALIFICATIONS AND CONTINOUS PROFESSIONAL TRAINING (CPD) IN THE LAST THREE YEARS

Brenda Smith Supervisor Designated Person for Health & Safety

Jane Garner Deputy Designated person for SAFEGUARDING

Maddie Nagarur SENDCo Designated person as Special Needs & Disabilities Co-Ordinator.

Karen Farrington ENCo Designated person as Equality and Diversity Co-ordinator

Sara Taylor

Charlene Moore

Qualification LEVEL 3

November 1997

Qualification LEVEL 3

August 2011

Qualification LEVEL 3

August 2008

Qualification LEVEL 3

April 2007

Qualification LEVEL 2

August 2011

Qualification LEVEL 2

April 2013 CPD Training

Health & Safety

Level 3 March 2012

First Aid

July 2012

Safeguarding Level 1 & 2

Oct 2013

Food Safety Level 2

Feb 2014

Team Management BTECH Level 2

June 2014

CPD Training

Health & Safety Level 3

March 2012

First Aid July 2012

Safeguarding

Level 4 Nov 2012

Food Safety

Level 2 Feb 2014

CPD Training

Safeguarding Level 1 & 2 Nov 2012

First Aid

July 2012

Health & Safety Level 2

Feb 2014

Food Safety Level 2

Feb 2014

Completed the ‘Early Years overview of

SEND Code of Practice 2014

June 2014

CPD Training

ENCo March 2013

First Aid July 2012

Food Safety

Level 2 Feb 2014

CPD Training

Safeguarding Level 1 2012

First Aid July 2012

CPD Training

Safeguarding Level 1 & 2

Oct 2013

Food Safety Level 2

Feb 2014

Quality Matters – Important information for parents about staff qualification and training

Minimum qualification standards are set by Ofsted (www.ofsted.gov.uk) (please refer to our individual Staff’s Qualifications above)

LEVEL 1 Equivalent to GCSE’s at GRADE

D-G

LEVEL 2 Equivalent to 5 GCSE’s A-C

LEVEL 3 Equivalent to A levels

Level 1 gives a basic understanding of childcare but does not offer the breadth of knowledge required for a ‘Qualified’ practitioner.

Level 2 gives a broad outline of early years, the childcare sector and working with children. This level of qualification is for practitioners working as assistants within a childcare setting. A practitioner with a full, relevant level 2 qualification is recognised by Ofsted as ‘Qualified’

Level 3 gives an in-depth understanding of early years, the childcare sector and working with children. The courses are designed to prepare practitioners to work at a supervisory level. A practitioner with a full, relevant level 3 qualification is recognised by Ofsted at ‘Qualified’

What is Continuous Professional Development (CPD) and why is it so important ? CPD ensures practitioners keep up to date with current legislation and good practice and allow practitioners to widen their knowledge and should be undertaken regularly. CDP should be an important part of every practitioner’s training and development, regardless of their qualification level. This could include attending short course like Paediatric First Aid or conferences. CPD can also be used to update existing qualifications ensuring that knowledge and skills are kept up to date.

Operational File / Policies & Procedures Copies of the setting's policies and procedures which are kept in our OPERATIONAL FILE and are available for you to see at the setting – please ask a member of staff.

The setting's policies help us to make sure that the service provided by the setting is a high quality one and that being a member of the setting is an enjoyable and beneficial experience for each child and her/his parents. The staff and parents of the setting work together to adopt the policies and they all have the opportunity to take part in the annual review of the policies. This review helps us to make sure that the policies are enabling the setting to provide a quality service for its members and the local community. Complaints We have a Policy and Procedure for complaints and a copy of this is kept on the Side Room’s Notice Board for easy referral. However, we do suggest that if you ever have a problem, please speak to the Supervisor first, and as quickly as possible, so you don’t ‘stew’ on the problem and she will informally discuss with you how the problem can be resolved, and/or what further action to take if necessary. Times and Sessions: Kingfishers Pre-School is open for SIX sessions per week. However, there are two sessions on Mondays & Thursdays (9.30 – 12.00am or 12.30 – 3.00pm) and children are expected to attend either the morning or afternoon session only. Tuesdays (9.15 – 12.15am) and Fridays 9.15 – 12.15 or 1.15) We offer an extended time on Fridays to include lunch time so that children bring along their own packed lunch. How sessions are offered: Children who are going to be with us for two school years, are normally offered 2 sessions per week (Monday and Thursday mornings). Children who are with us for one school year (before school intake), are normally offered Monday and Thursday afternoons and given priority to Tuesday and Fridays sessions too – depending on availability. We try and work with the parent as much as possible to suit their needs. However, once session/s is offered by the Supervisor but declined by the parent, then the session/s may be given to another child and (subject to availability) may not be offered again. WE ARE CLOSED ON WEDNESDAYS because of a church activity meeting in the hall for:-

PARENT / CARER & CHILDREN (0-5yrs) GROUP Wednesdays (during School Term Time)

This group is run by volunteers and is an activity of the Brentwood Baptist Church

and welcomes parents etc with babies/children below school age.

Time: 10am to 11.30 £1 covers your admission and refreshment

No need to book – just come along and meet friends for you and your child

Fees & Free Funding Fees – For parents not receiving free funding, our fees are £3.80 per hour. So, for example, if your child attends Monday & Thursday sessions (2.5 hourly sessions each), you will pay £19.00 per week. We offer parents a flexible choice of payment, either each half term or WEEKLY in advance. If you do pay weekly, then we require you to pay for the whole week’s sessions in advance/on the first session your child attends. Parents that fail to do this puts pressure on the pre-school to continue to offer this service and could result in us terminating this type of

provision altogether, which also affects other families finding this way of payment so helpful, so please pay promptly. Payment arrears - Please don’t allow fees to mount up. If you are having difficulty in paying your fees then speak to the Supervisor as soon as possible, and hopefully an arrangement can be made to help both parties. However, if no reasonable explanation is given by the parent/carer for unpaid fees, or if no payment has been made over three consecutive weeks, then this may result in the child’s place being terminated. We accept cheques or cash – Please make cheques payable to ‘Kingfishers Pre-School’. If your child’s surname is different to that of the payee, then please write the child’s name on the back of the cheque. Thank You, this helps the Treasurer. How to pay & proof of payment- The Supervisor is available to take your fees at the start of the session. On payment, you will receive a receipt as PROOF OF PAYMENT. It is advisable to keep this receipt for 3 months, just in case a query should arise. The Pre-School will accept NO responsibility without proof of receipt being shown. The parent/carer of an unfunded child is responsible to PAY FOR ANY ABSENCES DUE TO SICKNESS OR HOLIDAYS TAKEN DURING THE PRE-SCHOOL TERM DATES.

Free Entitlement Grant – We require to see proof of your child’s date of birth. 2 year Free Funding - You will need to contact your local Children’s Centre to see if you are entitled to

this type of funding. Contact either: Larchwood Gardens Children’s Centre – Larchwood Gardens, Pilgrims Hatch CM15 9NG on 01277 374912 Cherry Trees Children’s Centre – Knights Way Centre, 32A Nights Way, Ingrave CM13 2AZ on 01277 229510 Please phone the Pre-School (01277 224326) and speak to the Supervisor if you need to know more. 3 & 4 year Free Funding – All children are entitled to this funding A TERM AFTER their 3rd Birthday. Please phone the Pre-School and speak to the Supervisor if you want to know more. The maximum grant available is FIFTEEN HOURS PER WEEK. For 3 & 4 year funding, you can use more than one provider – but make sure you know exactly what hours each will be claiming. Should you use another Provider to use these entitled hours then it is up to you to inform and reach an agreement with both Providers as to how you wish your grant to be split. Any shortfall of fees owing to Kingfishers Pre-School will be the responsibility of, and charged to the parent AT THE RATE OF THE FREE ENTITLEMENT due. Parent Declaration Form - When funding applies, you will be required to fill and sign this form EACH TERM to agree the amount of hours Kingfishers Pre-School is claiming for. You can find out information about GUIDANCE FOR PARENTS COMPLETING THIS FORM on our Side Room’s Notice Board. DATA COLLECTION - We are the Date Controller for the purposes of the Date Protection Act. We collect information about your child and use this personal data because we are required, by law, to pass some information to Essex County Council as the Local Authority and the Department of Education through the annual Early Years Census. More information is on the Notice Board in the Side Room or go to http://www.essex.gov.uk

TERMINATION - We require SIX WEEKS NOTICE (during term time) from the parent who wants to terminate their child’s attendance/registration with us. This should

be made in writing and given to the Supervisor. Fees for that period of time (6 weeks) will be required from the parent, whether the child attends the Pre-school for the period or not.

The first days

Settling-in – We want your child to feel happy and safe with us. The settling-in stage is a difficult time for young children and their parents – so please talk with the staff who will be ready to help your child settle into his/her new environment. Some parents are happy to leave their child very quickly, especially if they see their child happily participating in activities, while other parents feel more comfortable to stay with their child for a few sessions before attempting to leave them in our care. We do have a ‘Settling-in Policy and Procedure for parents to read more. We will work with you, and hopefully the ‘separating’ period is as painless as possible for you and your child. Bringing in a comforter e.g. special blanket, toy etc. can help the child to settle too.

Visiting or Staying during a Session (at any time) - Whenever Parents/Carers stay, they are required (for fire regulations) to sign in/out of the Visitors Book. There are certain rules in which we require you to follow for the safety of the group too, so please :-

Please do not take any child to the toilet yourself Do not put yourself in a situation where you are alone with a child at any time. Do not open the doors to anyone and If you leave the premises – please ensure that there is a member of staff to lock up behind you. Do not take hot drinks out of the kitchen Do not use your mobile phone in the setting to ensure that….. No photographs to be taken – you need the Supervisor’s permission to do that. Do not leave your bag on the floor – ask a member of staff to put it in a safe place Follow the Fire Drill – this is written on front cover of the Visitors Book

We do allow parents into the setting on arrival and at collection time – enabling you to speak to staff/key person on how their child has been during the session as well as other things you may want to speak about.

Child’s bag – It is very helpful for your child to bring his/her own bag with a change of clothes, nappies etc. Please name the bag clearly as some children may have the same make. Please never leave medication in your child’s bag. Medication should be given to a member of staff to put in a safe place.

Uniform & What to Wear – We do have our own logo printed sweatshirts, polo shirts and sun caps. We normally have a stock of these ready for parents to purchase – please speak to Supervisor. However, parents are not obliged to purchase - but please be aware that clothes can get spoilt while children play at certain messy activities. If you prefer not to use our ‘uniform’ – then please dress your child in clothes that you do not mind getting spoiled (paints and glue etc). To enable your child learn to be independent, please send your child in clothes that they can manage themselves e.g. elasticated trousers.

Sensible footwear please – We offer large physical activities that involves running, dancing, climbing, balancing etc., so please ensure your child can fully participate in these type of activities. Outdoor clothing - We try and make use of our outdoor garden area as much as possible so your child needs suitable clothing for all types of weather. The weather can change very quickly, so please have a waterproof jacket at all times. In the hotter weather we advise children to wear a sun hat/cap. In the colder months it is advised to have hat, gloves, scarf and a warm waterproof jacket – It can get very muddy too, so wellington boots are good to wear. Sun Block Protection - In the hotter weather we advise parents to put sun block on their child for our outdoor activity Pre-School Practitioners do not apply sun block to children – It is the responsibility of the parent to do this before the session starts – and it is not the responsibility for pre-school to remind parents to do this. Name Board – On arrival all children have a name label (with their photo) which they place on the board. This helps them recognise their name in writing and gives them a sense of belonging by self registering themselves – although we obviously have our own registering system too.

Home Tray - This is for children to placing their toys/ items from home. Each week we have a colour, letter and topic of the week for home involvement. If you can send in an object that relates to the colour and/or the letter of the week and/or topic, this would be appreciated and gives your child the opportunity to show and talk about these at ‘circle time’. You will be advised about what’s planned in the Newsletter given to you each half term. Newsletter - At the start of each half term, you will be given a Newsletter. This advises you about what’s going on, news, trips planned, changes to policies, weekly topics, dates to remember etc. If you do not receive one of these (which can happen if your child has been ill and not around when we give these out) – please ask.

Notice Boards - We have two Notice Boards. One is in the Main Hall and informs parents about what is going on e.g. Parents Rota, Newsletter. The other Notice Board is in the adjoining Side Room and displays contact numbers and information about Ofsted, Safeguarding, Insurances, Registration, Ofsted Report, Complaints Policy & Procedure.

Food, Drink & Dietary Needs If your child has a dietary need regarding foods that need to be avoided because of ALLERGIES OR CULTURAL BELIEF – then please speak to the Supervisor as soon as possible so we can take action. The Registration Form asks details about this. Water is available at all times. We also offer Refreshment (free of charge) which normally consists of a choice of water, milk and a piece of fruit/vegetable and breadstick. We also do cooking activities and cater for children’s individual needs. For health and safety reasons please do not allow your child to come to pre-school with sweets or food in their pockets – they can easily give to another child that may have a severe allergy reaction, choke etc.

Medication If your child is on any type of medication, please let us know. We have a Policy and Procedure regarding the administering medicines - we do not administer medicines to children unless that of a life threatening nature e.g. Inhalers, Epipens. Parents of children who are prescribed INHALERS or EPIPENS are advised to give a supply to the Pre-School to keep on our premises, should an attack occur during the session without warning. This saves worry that the medication has been left at pre-school at the start of the session and then taken home again at the end of the session.

Special Needs and/or Disabilities As part of the setting's policy to make sure that its provision meets the needs of each individual child, we take

account of any special needs and/or disabilities a child may have. The setting works to the requirements of the

Special Educational Needs &/or Disabilities Code of Practice 0­25yrs (2014).

At induction with the Supervisor, please discuss any individual needs your child may have. You will be introduced to our Pre-School’s Special Needs and Disabilities Co-ordinator (SENDCo). With your permission, we work with Outside Professionals to meet the needs of your child in the best possible way.

Safeguarding children Our setting has a duty under the law to help safeguard children against suspected or actual ‘significant harm’. Our employment practices ensure children against the likelihood of abuse in our settings and we have a procedure for managing complaints or allegations against a member of staff. Our way of working with children and their parents ensures we are aware of any problems that may emerge and can offer support, including referral to appropriate agencies when necessary, to help families in difficulty. If you ever have a concern about a child you can speak to the Pre-School’s Supervisor in our ‘quiet area’ for advice, but if you prefer there are contact numbers displayed on our Notice Board in the adjoining side room of organisations that will help you. The Pre-School has a designated Safeguarding Officer (Jane)

Equality and Diversity We have an Equality and Diversity Policy in place. We have a designated member of staff who is our Equality and Diversity Co-ordinator (ENCo). We encourage parents to join our Equality Working Group – and you can find out more about this by speaking to our ENCo (Karen).

Accidents and Incidents Should your child have an accident during a session, then we make and keep a record of this. This shows the date and time of the accident; gives a brief explanation of how it happened; the part of the body your child was hurt; and what treatment was given and by who. A member of staff will speak to the person collecting the child – who will be given a copy of the record. If the person collecting the child is not the parent, then that person will need to pass the record onto the child’s parent.

Parking - We ask parents when using our limited amount of parking space at the end of the building to

show respect for other parents using this too. Please move right up so others can park behind you. The Car Park is only to be used to drop off and collect your child. Please be aware that Church users have priority of this car park – not us. Parking restrictions - Please be aware of these and never park up on the pavement – as traffic wardens will give you an instant ticket.

Parents involvement Parents are regarded as members of our setting who have full participatory rights. These include a right to be: valued and respected; kept informed; consulted; involved; and included at all levels. As a community based, voluntary managed setting, we also depend on the good will of parents and their involvement. Membership/Trustees of the setting carries expectations on parents for their support and commitment. Kingfishers recognises parents as the first and most important educators of their children. Our staff see themselves as partners with parents in providing care and education for their child. There are ways in which parents can take part in making the setting a welcoming and stimulating place for children and parents, such as:

Exchanging knowledge about their children’s needs, activities, interests and progress with Key Person Sharing their own special interests with the children Helping to provide, make and look after the equipment and materials used in the children’s play Being part of the management of the setting – Parent Representative / Trustee Being part of the Equality Working Group Team (EWG) Taking part in events Joining in community activities in which the setting takes part Building friendships with other parents in the setting

Our setting has a Parents Rota (displayed on Notice Board in Main Hall) for parents to come along and

stay for a session. Helping out enables parents to see what the day-to-day life of the setting is like and to join in helping children to get the best out of their activities. Please not that for new children still settling-in, it is sometimes best for parents to wait a while until their child has settled properly before volunteering, as it may unsettle the child again by you staying – speak to your child’s Key Person about this. Joining the rota is not the only means of taking part in the life of the setting. Parents can offer to take part in a session by sharing their own interest and skills with the children. Parents/families have previously visited the setting to play musical instruments, entertain with puppets, showing a pet, sharing a craft activity, talk about their occupation, etc. So, if you or you know someone who would be interested to be involved in this way, please speak to a member of staff.

Timetable and Routine of a typical session:

The setting's timetable and routines

Our setting believes that care and education are equally important in the experience which we offer children. The routines and activities that make up the day in the setting are provided in ways that: help each child to feel that she/he is a valued member of the setting; ensure the safety of each child; help children to gain from the social experience of being part of a group; and We organise our sessions so that children can choose from, and work at, a range of activities and, in doing so build up their ability to select and work through a task to its completion. Children are helped and encouraged

to take part in adult-led activities which introduce them to new experiences and helps them learn new skills, as well as helping them learn to work with others. Our OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES contribute to children’s health, their physical development and their knowledge of the world around them. Children have the opportunity, and are encouraged to take part in outdoor child-chosen and adult-led activities, as well as those provided indoors. 9.15 / 9.30 (start of session) - Parents/Carers and children enter setting. Children place their name label on Name Board and hang up their coat and bag before saying good-bye to parent/carer. 10.00 - 10.15 Bell rung to call children to ‘Circle Time’. This is when we look at the HOME TRAY and talk about what the children have brought in to show. Colour, Letter and Number of the Week. 10.30 Refreshment Time – Normally done in small groups. Children go to the toilet and/or wash hands before sitting at table to have a choice of Milk or Water and Vegetables/Fruit and Breadstick 11.00 If weather permitting, we get ready to go to the Outdoor Garden. If no outdoor activity… 11.30 Bell rung to call children to join large group activity 11.45 Rhymes and Story 11.55 / 12.10 Children get their coats and bags. Children's development and learning We aim to ensure that each child:

is in a safe and stimulating environment;

is given generous care and attention, because of our ratio of qualified staff to children, as well as volunteer

parent helpers;

has the chance to join in with other children and adults to live, play, work and learn together;

is helped to take forward her/his learning and development by being helped to build on what she/he already

knows and can do;

has a personal key person who makes sure each child makes satisfying progress;

is in a setting that sees parents as partners in helping each child to learn and develop; and

is in a setting in which parents help to shape the service it offers.

The Early Years Foundation Stage The provision for children's development and learning is guided by the Early Years Foundation Stage (DfE

2012). Our provision reflects the four overarching principles of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years

Foundation Stage.

A Unique Child

Every child is a unique child who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident and self

assured.

Positive Relationships

Children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships.

Enabling Environments

Children learn and develop well in enabling environments, in which their experiences respond to their

individual needs and there is a strong partnership between practitioners, parents and carers.

Learning and Development

Children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates. The framework covers the education and

care of all children in early years provision including children with special educational needs and disabilities.

How we provide for development and learning Children start to learn about the world around them from the moment they are born. The care and education

offered by our setting helps children to continue to do this by providing all of the children with interesting

activities that are appropriate for their age and stage of development.

The Areas of Development and Learning comprise: Prime Areas

Personal, social and emotional development.

Physical development.

Communication and language.

Specific Areas

Literacy.

Mathematics.

Understanding the world.

Expressive arts and design.

For each area, the level of progress that children are expected to have attained by the end of the Early Years

Foundation Stage is defined by the Early Learning Goals. These goals state what it is expected that children will

know, and be able to do, by the end of the reception year of their education.

The Development Matters Statements for Learning Journeys which has been adapted from Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2012 guidance sets out the likely stages of progress a child makes along their learning journey towards the Early Learning Goals. Our setting has regard to

these matters when we assess children and plan for their learning. Our programme supports children to

develop the knowledge, skills and understanding they need for:

Personal, social and emotional development

making relationships;

self confidence and self awareness; and

managing feelings and behaviour.

Physical development

moving and handling; and

health and self­care.

Communication and language

listening and attention;

understanding; and

speaking.

Literacy

reading; and

writing.

Mathematics

numbers; and

shape, space and measure.

Understanding the world

people and communities;

the world; and

technology.

Expressive arts and design

exploring and using media and materials; and

being imaginative.

Our approach to learning and development and assessment Learning through play

Play helps young children to learn and develop through doing and talking, which research has shown to be the

means by which young children learn to think. Our setting uses the Development Matters to plan and provide a

range of play activities, which help children to make progress in each of the areas of learning and development.

In some of these activities, children decide how they will use the activity and, in others, an adult takes the lead

in helping the children to take part in the activity. In all activities, information from 'Development Matters' has

been used to decide what equipment to provide and how to provide it.

Characteristics of effective learning We understand that all children engage with other people and their environment through the characteristics of

effective learning that are described in the Development Matters guidance as:

playing and exploring ­ engagement;

active learning ­ motivation; and

creating and thinking critically ­ thinking.

We aim to provide for the characteristics of effective learning by observing how a child is learning and being

clear about what we can do and provide in order to support each child to remain an effective and motivated

learner.

Assessment We assess how young children are learning and developing by observing them frequently. We use information

that we gain from observations, as well as from photographs, to document their progress and where this may

be leading them. We believe that parents know their children best and we ask them to contribute to

assessment by sharing information about what their children like to do at home and how they, as parents, are

supporting development.

We make periodic assessment summaries of children’s achievement based on our ongoing development

records. These form part of children’s records of achievement/learning journal. We undertake these

assessment summaries at regular intervals, as well a short written summary given to parents after the first few

weeks of the child starting and at times of transition, such as when a child moves into a different group or

when they go on to school.

The progress check at age two The Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage requires that we supply parents and carers with a short written summary of their child’s development in the three prime areas of learning and

development: personal, social and emotional development; physical development; and communication and

language; when a child is aged between 24 ­ 36 months. The key person is responsible for completing the

check using information from ongoing observational assessments carried out as part of our everyday practice,

taking account of the views and contributions of parents and other professionals. We normally give parents

this written assessment as the child reaches 36mths.

Records of achievement / Learning Journal The setting keeps a record of achievement/learning journal for each child. Your child's record of achievement

helps us to celebrate together her/his achievements and to work together to provide what your child needs for

her/his well­being and to make progress.

Your child's key person will work in partnership with you to keep this record. To do this you and she/he will collect information about your child's needs, activities, interests and achievements. This information will enable

the key person to identify your child's stage of progress. You and the key person will then decide on how to help

your child to move on to the next stage.

Working together for your children We maintain the ratio of adults to children in the setting that is set by the Safeguarding and Welfare Requirements. We also have volunteer parent helpers, where possible, to complement these ratios. This helps us to: give time and attention to each child; talk with the children about their interests and activities; help children to experience and benefit from the activities we provide; and allow the children to explore and be adventurous in safety. Key person and your child Our setting uses a key person approach. This means that each member of staff has a group of children for whom she/he is particularly responsible. Your child's key person will be the person who works with you to make sure that the childcare that we provide is right for your child's particular needs and interests. When your child first starts at the setting, she/he will help (*) your child to settle and throughout your child's time at the setting, she/he will help your child to benefit from the setting's activities. (*) please note that our practitioners also work as a team – helping any child when and where necessary. Learning opportunities for adults As well as gaining childcare qualifications, our staff take part in further training to help them to keep up-to date with thinking about early years care and education. The setting also keeps itself up-to-date with best practice, as a member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance, through Under 5 magazine and other publications produced by the Alliance. The current copy of Under 5 is available for you to read. From time to time the setting holds learning events for parents. These usually look at how adults can help children to learn and develop in their early years. provide children with opportunities to learn and help them to value learning. . We hope that you and your child enjoy being members of our setting and that you both find taking part in our activities interesting and stimulating. The staff are always ready and willing to talk with you about your ideas, views or questions.

Thank You Kingfishers Pre-School