Terms & Conditions
Opening Times
The pre-school is open between the hours of 9.00am -4.00pm.
We also offer a lunch time session where the children can bring a pack lunch along from 12 – 1pm at a charge of £3.50. This can be added to an am or pm session to make a full day or a session with lunch.
Fees
There is a non-refundable registration fee of £15.00.
The Fee is £ 10.50 per session, payable in advance, this is charged even if your child is absent, for any reason, including holidays taken during term time. The agreed amount must be settled at the beginning of each week/ month or you may forfeit your child’s place.
One months notice and payment is required in the event that your child should leave the pre-school. This termination should be made in writing.
Age of Admission
St Mary’s pre-school caters for children from the age of two to five years old.
Arrivals and departures
The children are your responsibility until handed to a recognised member of staff and each child must be entered onto the daily register. At the end of each session they will be handed back to you or your named trustee after they have been ticked off the register. Each parent must sign his or her child in and out of the pre-school.
Written consent will be needed if the parent /carer is not collecting their child
To ensure that all children are collected on time, a charge of £2.00 for each five minutes over the stipulated finish time will be made.
Lateness causes undue distress for the waiting child.
Please advise the pre-school if your child cannot attend for any reason.
In cases of emergency you may use our mobile phones to contact us.
Please keep your child at home if they are suffering from any of the following: - Diarrhoea, nausea, conjunctivitis, any unknown rashes, coughs, runny noses or ears combined with a temperature. Their absence should be until all symptoms have disappeared or until discharged by G.P or hospital. Please check that we have your correct numbers so that we are able to contact you.
St Mary’s reserves the right to refuse acceptance of a child who is thought to be unfit to attend.
Personal Property
No responsibility can be accepted for loss or damage to clothing and for this reason we recommend suitable clothing should be worn when painting etc.
If possible please discourage children form bringing their favourite toys and valuables into pre-school as we cannot accept responsibility for them should they get lost or broken. Comforters are welcome.
When bringing in drinks, nappies, wipes etc. please have them clearly marked with the child’s name.
Photographs
With your permission, we may take photographs of your child at play these may be used in the child’s records or used in students portfolios and will be protected by confidentiality. Please note that we have access to one of 'Leicestershire's top photographers' who's website can be found here.
Medication
The Manager or Deputy will only administer this, if it has been prescribed by a doctor, is in its original container, and there are signed, clear instructions on dosage and times. All parents must leave a number where they can be contacted.
Should your child become unwell at pre-school every effort will be made to contact the parents.
Accidents
There is a first aider present at each session. Some accidents are unavoidable but should one occur, you will be informed and it will be entered into the accident book, and on an accident sheet, you will be asked to sign them and be given a copy of the details.
Students
We do have a number of students within the pre-school setting and we encourage them to take part in all activities concerning your child’s welfare.
These students are under supervision at all times.
Complaints
There is a complaints procedure for you to use should the need arise, the manager and deputies take each one seriously and will listen and reply to all your concerns. There is also a parental questionnaire for you to use as constructive way for us to improve our services and where parents can suggest their ideas.
All staff are encouraged to update their self-development skills through training courses relating to child care and we also offer “in house training”.
Key worker system
We operate a key worker system where each member of staff is responsible for an allocated amount of children, this is to ensure that the needs of each child is recognised within the pre- school and if necessary individual play plans will be drawn up to meet these needs. A record of your child’s skills and development are kept on our files and they are for you to keep as a memento, or to present to your child’s school. You may ask to see these at any time, but please try to make it at a convenient time when your child’s key worker will be able to spend some time with you i.e. at the end of a session. You will also receive written and verbal report of their progress.
Early Learning Curriculum
We offer a six-week rota to cover the early learning curriculum giving every child the opportunity to us our extensive range of equipment. During each six-week period each child will be observed at play.
We follow the Early Years Foundation Stage and planning is done for each session to cover a variety of topics. Audio and videotapes are used to enhance your child’s learning.
Funding
The DCFS will fund children after their 3rd birthday for five three hour sessions (term time only).
Outings
We have a number of trips out during the year where parents, grandparents and friends are all welcome to join us. Each child must be accompanied and parents /carers must be responsible for their own child.
Child Protection
There is a child protection policy in place; the child protection officer is Ros Johnson.
All staff will have had police checks via social services or a CRB police check and our main priority is for the safety and the health and well-being of your child and we will endeavour to protect the children in our care from all forms of abuse.
It is made clear to all new applicants for work that positions are exempt from the provisions of the Rehabilitations Of Offenders Act 1974.
Changes in children’s behaviour will be monitored.
The pre-school will liase with outside agencies and other professionals where necessary and keep parents informed.
Information
In order to provide your child with equipment, materials and a high ratio of good quality staff, we would ask that fees be settled promptly at the beginning of each session, or each new month. Some children from the age of three may be eligible for government funding but there are times when sessions will need to be paid for and the pre-school will keep you informed.
Our term times run in line with the local schools.
Details of opening times are displayed on the board, on the bills and on our newsletters. All holiday periods will need to be paid for.
In the main hall each morning we have 26 children and at least 5 members of staff. In the cottage room, we have two staff members for 12 children.
All our activities are appropriate for the age range and development of the children
We offer a free choice group where the children decide their own activities and are encouraged to do them for themselves while being supported by the staff. However we do enjoy coming together as a group for snacks and games and at circle time for singing and story time.
We would like to extend a warm welcome to all parents / carers and extended family etc and wish to invite you all to actively take part in any of our sessions. We would like you to discuss with us your child’s likes, dislikes, comfort toys, health problems and stability for your child being away from you.
If you have any special requirements that you would like us to follow, or any suggestions to contribute to your child’s well being, we would like to hear from you, there are many ways this can be done. If you would like us to celebrate any festivals or have any cultural requirements please let us know.
Birthdays are celebrated here in pre-school, and we ask you if your child would like to bring something special to help us celebrate this occasion i.e. a special cake or biscuits (please be aware of nut allergies) but if there are financial difficulties please let a member of staff know so that we can make alternative arrangements.
Refreshments
Milk or water is provided throughout the morning as liquid refreshment but if your child would rather have an alternative you may bring them one in a named container. We also offer a range of snacks in the form of toast, fruit or biscuits (all vegetarian) at break time. It is a great help if parents could provide one or two pieces of fruit for the children to share.
Within the pre-school there is a comprehensive range of policies to help guide us in our day-to-day dealings with the children. They are under constant review and you may ask to see them at any time, (please try not to make it at the end of the session) and one of the managerial staff will be happy to go through them with you to explain their aims.
Occasionally parents may need to change their session (in an emergency for example) and if we have the space the pre-school is more than happy to oblige, but unfortunately these are considered as extras and will be charged for.
Should you wish to enrol your child with us you will find a registration form and contract for you to sign and complete by clicking here.
And Ofsted Report here: