Poulton Pre-school & Toddler Association
Providing high quality care and education
for children aged 2 – 4 years
Pre-school address – Methodist Church, Queensway, Poulton-le-Fylde, FY6 7ST
Tel. 01253 884937
Registered Charity Number 1021675
email: [email protected] website: www.queenswaypreschool.co.uk
member of
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Poulton Pre-school and Toddler Association was formed in 1966 and is a non-profit making, non
denominational organisation. It is a registered charity (Number 1021675) and a member of the
Pre-school Learning Alliance.
The association is managed by a parent committee, who employ highly qualified, dedicated staff.
Our Pre-school is registered and inspected by OFSTED to provide childcare and education for
children over 2 years of age. The inspection report is displayed on our notice board or available
to view at: http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/inspection-reports/find-inspectionreport/provider/CARE/309436
We are registered as an eligible provider of Nursery Education, which offers 15 hrs of free
child care for all 3 and 4 year olds and 2 year olds subject to eligibility. We also accept
employer’s childcare vouchers.
The Pre-school is situated inside the Methodist Church, Queensway, Poulton-le-Fylde where we
have a self contained unit with its own facilities. We have two play rooms and two outdoor play
areas – an undercover area accessed from the pre-school rooms where free-flow play is
available every day. This area is linked to a large fenced garden area.
OUR AIMS
To provide high quality care and education for children primarily below statutory school age in a
parent-involving community group.
To provide a safe, nurturing, stimulating and challenging environment for children to learn
through play.
To work in partnership with parents/carers to help children to learn and develop.
To offer children and their parents/carers a service which promotes equality and diversity.
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.
 has the chance to join with other children and adults to play, work and learn together;
 is helped to take forward her/his learning and development by being encouraged to build on
what she/he already knows and can do;
 has their own key person who ensures each child makes good 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/carers help to shape the service it offers.
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What are the
Pre-school
opening
times?
Pre-school is open term time only and a list of holiday dates is provided.
The times of opening are as follows:
Monday
9.00 am – 12.00 noon
12.30 pm – 3.00 pm
Tuesday
9.00 am – 12.00 noon
12.30 pm – 3.00 pm
Wednesday 9.00 am – 12.00 noon
12.30 pm – 3.00 pm
Thursday
9.00 am – 12.00 noon 12.30pm – 3.00 pm
Friday
9.00 am – 12.00 noon
Lunch club – Monday- Thursday – 12.00pm – 12.30 pm (Children to bring a
packed lunch.)
Fees are payable by cash or cheque half termly in advance (if there is a problem – contact us
for details of flexible payment terms.) Invoices are issued the first week of each half term.
£12 per morning session for children aged 2 – 3 years (3 hours)
£11 per afternoon session for children aged 2 – 3 years (2½ hours)
Lunch club (Mon – Thurs only) £2 (Bring own packed lunch)
What fees
do you
charge?
Nursery Education funding is available for eligible 2 year olds and all children from the term
following their 3rd birthday for up to 15 hours per week for 38 weeks per year.
Any extra sessions to this will be charged at the above rates.
A registration fee of £30 is payable at your child’s first session. This is to
cover administration, insurance and Pre-school Learning Alliance membership. One pre-school
sweater is included in the registration fee.
Employers Childcare Vouchers are accepted.
Do I still have
to pay if my
child is absent
due to illness?
Fees must be paid if children are absent due to illness or away on holiday.
If your child has to be absent for a long period of time due to illness or
injury then please speak to the supervisor. For your child to keep his/her
place at the pre-school you must pay the fees or we must receive nursery
education funding for your child.
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Are the Staff suitably qualified?
Queensway Playgroup is run by a team of friendly, qualified and experienced staff. Our team
members are:
Heather
Sheldon
Supervisor
BA (Hons.) in Early Childhood
Studies (Level 6)
NNEB National Diploma (Level 3)
Carol
Cardwell
Deputy Supervisor
B-Tech Nat. Nursery Nursing
(Level 3)
Playgroup Leadership Course
Rebecca
Bateson
Early Years Practitioner
(Joint dep.suopervisor)
Clare
Moran
Early Years Practitioner
Susan
Allen
Early Years Practitioner
Pam
Ogden
Admin Officer
BA Hons Degree in Early Childhood
Studies (Level 6)
B-Tech Nat Dip Childhood Studies
(Level 3)
Dip. In Childcare and Education
(Level 3)
NNEB Diploma (Level 3)
Advanced
All staff attend ongoing training courses provided by Lancashire Sure Start Early Year &
Childcare Partnership – Lancashire Education & Pre-school Learning Alliance keep them up to
date with current legislation. We encourage and support early years students in our setting.
Details of whom are displayed on our ‘Meet the team’ board.
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We also ask that you provide nappies and wipes for
your child. Your child’s ‘supply’ will be kept in a
labelled basket in the bathroom. A member of staff
will inform you when it is time to replenish them.
My child is still in
nappies. Do I need to
supply these?
Children who are toilet trained will need to bring a
spare set of clothes in case of accidents. These can
be brought to pre-school in a fabric bag which can
be hung on your child’s coat peg.
Please remember
to clearly label everything as we often have several
children with similar items.
To keep children safe, we ask all parents and carers to
sign their child in and out of every session. The signing
Will I need to
sign a register?
in book is located on the registration table.
We also
have a system of self registration for the children.
The children are encouraged to find their name card as
they come in and place it inside the name box.
The safety and security of your child is of paramount
importance to us. Policies and procedures are in place
to ensure children are safe and happy. A copy of these
is displayed on the information desk or can be available
on request. Daily risk assessments are carried out
before each session.
All policies are reviewed
regularly. All staff and volunteers have enhanced DBS.
clearance.
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What security
measures do you
have in place?
If someone else needs to collect your child please
ensure that you inform a member of staff and
complete the Child Collection Book on the registration
table. If there is an emergency and you need to send
someone unauthorised to collect your child, please
What if I am
unable to collect
my child?
contact us. You will be given an agreed password to
pass on to the person collecting your child. Please also
provide a description and contact telephone number
for this person.
Yes. Please ring us on 01253 884937 or email us at
[email protected] Please
inform us if your child will be absent from preschool. We have a duty to follow guidelines set by
the Dept. of Health with regard to children and
adults with infectious diseases or with sickness
and diarrhoea. If your child has been sick or has a
tummy upset they should be kept at home until 48
hours have elapsed since their last bout to reduce
the spread amongst other children, families and
staff. If your child becomes unwell whilst at preschool we will contact you to collect them.
Therefore, it is important that contact details are
kept up to date.
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Do I need to
inform you if my
child is ill/absent?
Yes.
At each session our ‘Snack Corner’ is opened where
children are encouraged to come along and choose snacks and
Do you
provide a midsession snack?
drinks (milk/water). The children are encouraged to be as
independent as possible e.g. choosing their own equipment,
pouring out their own drink/spread butter on toast and
crackers When each child has finished his/her snack they
are encouraged to find their photocard and post it in the box
and tidy up after themselves.We promote healthy eating by
providing a variety of healthy foods from all around the
world. Children are asked to bring in a piece of fruit to each
session to be shared amongst the group.
Please indicate on the Registration Form if your child has any
allergies/intolerances/cultural/dietary
requirements.
All
staff are made aware of children’s individual needs. We also
have a ‘No Peanut’ policy.
Yes – all lunches are stored in the fridge, so please use a
small lunch box or plastic container. It is very important
that all boxes are clearly labelled with your child’s name.
In line with our healthy eating policy, lunchboxes should
Will my child’s
lunch box be
stored in a fridge?
contain healthy food.
What should my
child wear?
We encourage the children to gain the skills which help them to be
independent. These include taking themselves to the toilet and taking off and
putting on outdoor clothes. Clothing which is easy for them to manage will
help them to do this.
We do have a pre- school sweater for parents to
purchase if they wish, though this is not compulsory wear.
We provide
protective clothing for when the children play with messy activities e.g.
sand/water/paint/glue etc.
However accidents happen so we recommend
that children wear ‘play clothes’.As the children have access to outdoor play
at all times, could you please ensure that your child has appropriate outdoor
clothing and wellington boots. Again, it is important that these are labelled,
as we often have children with similar coats/boots/hats
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Children can often be apprehensive about new/unfamiliar surroundings and
people. This takes longer for some children than others .We want your child
Starting at
Pre-school
to feel happy and safe with us. The staff will work with you to decide on how
to help your child to settle into the setting. The setting has a ‘key
person/settling in’ policy about helping children to settle into the setting
(Available for you to see on the parents information desk) Our ‘All About Me’
book which we ask you to fill in with your child before you come gives us
information about the background, needs and interests of your child so we
can build on these with him/her. Parents are also asked to fill in a baseline
assessment with their key person so they can plan challenging activities to
help them make good progress in their learning and development.
Through continuous provision, 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.
The children are supported and encouraged to take part in
some adult-led small and large group activities. This
introduces them to new experiences, enabling them to gain
new ideas and skills, as well as helping them to learn to work
with others.
Outdoor activities contribute to children’s health and well
being, their physical development and their knowledge of
the world around them.
children
opportunity to
Our free-flow provision gives
access
the
outdoor
learning
environment for the duration of the session. Children are
encouraged to tidy up at the end of the session before
sitting down for circle time. This is when we discuss
children’s ‘news’, celebrate birthdays, achievements, listen
to stories and join in songs and rhymes.
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How are
sessions
organised?
We have a Key Person system which means that each member of
staff has a group of children for whom she is particularly
responsible. Your child's key person will be the ‘Special Auntie’
Key
who works with you to ensure we provide challenging and
Person
stimulating activities and experiences to meet your child's
individual interests and developmental needs . When your child
first starts at the setting, your key person will get to know you
and form a trustful bond with your child, so they will have a
secure attachment in pre-school from which they can gain
independence, play and learn.
Yes. Queensway pre-school follows the Early Years Foundation
Stage (EYFS, 2014).
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 experiences and activities that are
appropriate for their age and stage of development.
A parent’s guide to the Early Years Foundation Stage will be given
to you during your first visit.
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Do you have
a
curriculum?
Please try to dissuade your child from bringing their own
Is there anything
that my child
should not bring
with them?
toys to pre-school as loss or damage to a prized possession
can be upsetting and some toys may not be appropriate for
our younger children.
We welcome comforters and items
for ‘show and tell’.
Each child has a ‘Learning Journey’ file.
How do you
monitor my
child’s
progress?
Staff and
parents work together to contribute to this. Through
playful
interactions,
observations
and
informal
assessments, the learning journey records their
experiences,
challenges
and
achievements,
their
learning through play and developmental progress.
Parents are encouraged to contribute to their child’s
learning journey as much as possible. We invite parents
to regular ‘parent’s pop ins’ each term where you can
speak to your key person and plan next steps together.
Your child’s learning journey is always available for you
to view at any time.
Not necessarily.
There are many forms of learning
activities at pre-school which do not end with a finished
product - exploration of materials is a learning
experience in itself! Please trust us, your child’s time at
pre-school will be full of valuable
learning experiences
whether through play or practical activities.
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Will my child be
bringing home
lots of work?
There are opportunities for daily discussions at the
beginning and end of each session. We understand
How will I know
what my child has
been doing in preschool?
that these times can be very busy and therefore
each child is provided with a ‘to and fro’ book. This
book should be brought with you to each session
and placed in the box on the registration table.
They are read daily and are useful in conveying
messages, sharing family news, events, concerns
and achievements.
The staff can use the
information you provide to share with the group at
‘circle time’ and to input our planning. Your child’s
Key Person will
use
it to
share
significant
comments, learning milestones, etc. with you as well
as replying to any messages.
We welcome input
from other carers and childcare providers too!
Our ‘next steps learning tree’ is displayed on the
wall, along with our weekly planning sheet. Preschool has an ‘open door’ policy and parents are
welcome to pop in at any time.
We pride ourselves on our parent partnerships.
Working together is our core value. We invite you to
join our parent management committee where you can
gain insight and shape pre –school. We want to work
as closely as possible with parents and therefore
value all input and contributions from home. Please
take time to get to know us, especially your key
person and let us know about any special interests,
achievements or events in your child’s life.
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What can parents
do to help our
children?
As a member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance we recognise parents as the
first and most important educators of their children. All of our staff see
themselves as co-workers with you in providing care and education for your
child. There are many ways in which parents take part in making the preschool a welcoming and stimulating place for the children and parents, such
as:

Exchanging knowledge about their
interests and progress with the staff;
children’s

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 activities;

Being part of the management of the pre-school

Taking part in events and informal discussions about the activities and
curriculum provided by the pre-school;

Joining in community activities in which the pre-school takes part;

Building friendships with other parents in the pre-school.
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needs,
activities,
Are there any
ways I can be
involved?
The pre-school is managed by a parent management committee
whose members are elected by the parents of the children who
attend. The elections take place at the pre-school’s Annual General
Meeting which is held each year usually in the Spring.
Can you tell me
more about the
management
of the preschool?
The committee is responsible for managing the pre-school’s
finances; employing and managing staff; making sure that the preschool has, and works to, policies which help it to provide a high
quality service; and making sure that the pre-school works in
partnership with you, the parents.
The Annual General Meeting is held once a year, is open to the
parents of all children who attend the pre-school and our Toddler
Group and we request that you attend this if possible. It is your
forum for looking back over the previous year’s activities and the
coming year’s activities.
Do you have a Toddler Group?
THE TODDLER GROUP
Yes. Our Toddler Group is held in the large hall on Wednesday
mornings, term time only, between 10 am and 11.30 am for all
parents/carers and their babies and toddlers.
Fees are £2 per session for adults and one child.
Additional children are charged at 50p each. Additional
children under one year old are free.
healthy snacks are included.
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Refreshments and