This is a brief summary of our policy statements.
Full copies of all the policies are held at Pre-School
and can be found in the 'A Parents Guide' folder.
Equipment and Resources Policy
Non-collection of Children Policy
Special Educational Needs/Disability Policy
It is our intention to make our Pre-School genuinely accessible to children and families from all sections of the community. We arrange our waiting list in order of date of birth and application received. We request that each child attends for a minimum of two sessions per week and highly recommend increased sessions for children over three years of age.
We believe that children and adults flourish best in an ordered environment in which everyone knows what is expected of them and children are free to develop their play and learning without fear of being hurt or hindered by anyone else. We aim to work towards a situation in which children can develop self-discipline and self-esteem in an atmosphere of mutual respect and encouragement. All adults will try to provide a positive model for the children with regard to friendliness, care and courtesy and to offer strategies for handling any conflict. When children behave in unacceptable ways, they will be given one-to-one adult support in seeing what was wrong and how to cope more appropriately. This might be accomplished by a period of 'time out' with an adult. Children will never be sent out of the room by themselves. Physical punishment, such as smacking or shaking, will be neither use nor threatened. In any case, of misbehaviour, it will always be made clear to the child or children in question that it is the behaviour and not the child that is unwelcome.
We comply with the procedures approved by the Area Child Protection Committee. We intend to create in our Pre-School an environment in which children are safe from abuse and in which any suspicion of abuse is promptly and appropriately responded to.
As a member of the Pre-School Learning Alliance, we aim to provide the highest quality education and care for all our children. We aim to offer a warm welcome to each individual child and family and to provide a warm and caring environment within which all children can learn and develop as they play. We believe children and parents are entitled to expect courtesy and prompt, careful attention to their needs and wishes. Our intention is to work in partnership with parents and the community generally and we welcome suggestions on how to improve our group at any time. Many concerns can be resolved quickly by an informal approach to the appropriate member of staff, but if this is not satisfactory, we provide clear guidance on how to complain.
It is our intention to respect the privacy of children and their parents and carers, while ensuring that they access high quality pre-school care and education. We aim to ensure that all parents and carers can share their information in the confidence that it will only be used to enhance the welfare of their children.
In order to run safely and efficiently and to comply with various regulations, including those of Ofsted, the Pre-School has to have certain records. The Pre-School keeps personal information about staff and children, e.g. the children's registration forms with details of medical problems, dietary requirements and emergency contact numbers. The Pre-School is exempt from having to register under the Data Protection Act 1998. However, after a child or staff member leaves, we will not retain information save to the extent that we are entitled to do so under the Data Protection Act.
Our aim is to show respectful awareness and welcome the diversity of backgrounds of the children and families in the Pre-School and in our society as a whole. All children will be respected and their individuality and potential recognised, valued and nurtured. Activities and the use of play equipment offer children opportunities to develop in an environment free from prejudice and discrimination. Management of resources within the Pre-School will ensure that both girls and boys have full access to all kinds of activities and equipment and are equally encouraged to enjoy and learn from them. Resources will be chosen to give children a balanced view of the world and an appreciation of the rich diversity of our multi-racial society.
Equipment and Resources Policy
We believe that high quality care and education is promoted by providing children with safe, clean, attractive, age and stage appropriate resources, toys and equipment. We aim to provide children with resources and equipment that help to consolidate and extend their knowledge, skills, interests and aptitudes.
This Pre-School regards snack and meal times as an important part of the Pre-School's session/day. Eating represents a social time for children and adults and helps children to learn about healthy eating.
We provide a snack of either fruit, vegetables or biscuits and offer a drink of either milk or water on each session and we pay due attention to children's particular dietary requirements.
For children who attend our lunch clubs, we encourage healthy foods for lunch and support healthy eating practices in our on-going provision. We would prefer that children are not sent with chocolate bars, sweets and high sugar drinks.
We aim to make children, parents and staff aware of health and safety issues and to minimise the hazards and risks to enable the children to thrive in a healthy and safe environment.
We promote a healthy lifestyle and a high standard of hygiene in the day-to-day work with children and adults. We provide a snack of either fruit, vegetables or biscuits and offer a drink of either milk or water on each sessions and we pay due attention to children's particular dietary requirements. For those children staying on for lunch club a packed lunch is required [due to the increase in allergies, no nuts/peanuts or products that may contain nuts/peanuts are permitted]. This needs to be provided in a suitable container with a cool-pack if desired. We encourage healthy foods for lunch and support healthy eating practices in our on going provision. We would prefer that children were not sent with chocolate bars, sweets and high sugar drinks.
Parents are asked to keep their children at home if they have any infection and to inform the Pre-School as to the nature of the infection. This will allow the Pre-School to alert other parents as necessary and to make careful observations of any child who seems unwell. Parents are asked not to bring into the Pre-School any child who has been vomiting or had diarrhoea until at least 48 hours has elapsed since the last attack.
Steeple Aston Pre-School is committed to ensuring that all staff responsible for the personal care of children will undertake their duties in a professional manner at all times. The Pre-School recognises that there is a need to treat all children with respect when dealing with a child's personal care needs. No child will be attended to in a way that causes distress or pain, or provoked embarrassment. All children who require personal care are treated respectfully at all times; the child's welfare and dignity is of paramount importance.
Non-collection of Children Policy
When a child is not collected at the end of a session and no contact can be made with either a parent/carer or emergency number given, the Pre-School's responsibility is to inform Social Services.
We want children to feel safe, stimulated and happy in the Pre-School and to feel secure and comfortable with staff. We also want parents to have confidence in both their children's well being and their role as active partners with the Pre-School. We aim to make the Pre-School a welcome place where children settle quickly and easily because consideration has been given to the individual needs and circumstances of children and their families.
Special Educational Needs/Disability Policy
We aim to provide equality of opportunity for all members of our group, and this includes children with special educational needs. The number of adults in attendance in the Pre-School enables us to provide individual attention for each child. Each child is able to progress at his/her own rate in all areas of development, and this is true for children with and without disabilities or learning difficulties. We are experienced in working in close liaison with professionals across the range of special needs, and we operate in accordance with the Government's Code of Practice on special educational needs. We work to the requirements of the 1993 Education Act and The Special Educational Needs Code of Practice 200 (as amended). If you would like to discuss the Pre-School's ability to meet your own child's special needs please contact us.