Acorn Pre-School Prospectus

Manager: Sam Clover-Dawson

Committee: Lisa Hollis

Acorn Pre-school aims to

• Provide high quality care and education for children primarily below statutory school age
• Work in partnership with parents to help children learn and develop
• Add to the life and well-being of the local community
• Offer children and their parents a service that promotes equality and values diversity

Parents

Acorn pre-school is a community-based setting and is a member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance. All parents are regarded as members who have full participatory rights.

These include a right to be:

• valued and respected
• kept informed
• consulted
• involved
• included at all levels

We depend on the good will and involvement of parents to keep us going. Membership of the setting also carries a level of expectation of support and commitment from parents. Acorn Pre-school cannot run without a Parent Committee. Please speak to Sam, or Chairperson Lisa Hollis, to find out how to join, if you wish to do so. Everyone is welcome!

We aim to ensure that each child

• Is in a safe and stimulating environment
• Is given generous care and attention – we have a high ratio of qualified staff to children
• Has the chance to join with other children and adults to live, play, work and learn together
• Is helped in taking forward their learning and development by building on what they already know and can do
• Has a personal key person who makes sure each child makes the best progress possible
• Is in a setting that sees parents as partners in helping each child to learn and develop
• Is in a setting in which parents help to shape the service it offers

Children’s Development and Learning

Acorn Pre-school believes that every child deserves the best possible start in life and will provide support to fulfil their potential. A child’s experience in the early years has a major impact on their future life chances. A secure, safe and happy childhood is important in its own right, and it provides the foundation for children to make the most of their abilities and talents as they grow up. When parents choose Acorn Pre-school they want to know that we will keep their children safe and help them to thrive. The revised 2021 Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is the framework that provides that assurance. You can be confident that your child will receive a quality experience that supports their development and learning.

The revised 2021 EYFS is based on principles of inclusion which means that Acorn Pre-school oppose discrimination and prejudice and welcome all families and children. We provide care and education for a wide range of children in an environment that enables children to feel safe and supported and which extends their learning and development.

Close working between Acorn Pre-school staff and parents is vital for the identification of children’s learning needs and to ensure a quick response to any particular difficulty. We believe that parents and families are central to a child’s well-being and we support this important relationship by sharing information and offering support to learning in the home.

To ensure effective practice within Acorn Pre-school we have committed, enthusiastic and reflective staff members with a breadth and depth of knowledge, skills and understanding. Our effective staff members use their own learning to improve their work with young children and their families in ways which are sensitive, positive and non-judgemental.

The revised 2021 EYFS enables Acorn Pre-school to reflect the rich and personalised experience that many parents give their children at home. Like parents, we deliver individualised learning and development and care that enhances the development of the children in our care and gives those children the best possible start in life. Every child is supported individually to make progress at their own pace and children who need extra support to fulfil their potential receive extra consideration.

Throughout the revised 2021 EYFS, stress is placed upon understanding each child and their family as unique, with different needs and concerns. Children’s development is presented under seven overlapping phases. This overlap is intended to emphasise the fact that there can be big differences between the development of children of similar ages. Acorn Pre-school understands that children need to be stretched, but not pushed beyond their capabilities, so that they can continue to enjoy learning.

For each early learning goal, the guidance sets out broad development goals under the heading of ‘A Unique Child’. This describes the stages in which children are likely to pass as they move to achievement of the goal.  We use the ‘Unique Child’ statements that lead to the early learning goals. These help us to trace each child’s progress and enables us to provide the right activities to help all of the children to achieve and progress.

There are seven areas covered by the early learning goals. These are broken down into three ‘Prime Areas’ and four ‘Specific Areas’.

The British Values out lined in the “Prevent Duty” guidelines, are embedded throughout the EYFS. These are Democracy, Rule of Law, Individual Liberty and Mutual Respect and Tolerance, and are part of Acorn Pre-School’s routine.

Prime Areas

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

This area of children’s development covers:

• Making Relationships
• Sense of self
• Understanding emotions

Communication and Language

This area of children’s development covers:

* Listening and attention

* Understanding

* Speaking 

Physical Development:

This area of children’s development covers:

• Moving and handling
• Health and self-care

Specific Areas

Literacy

• Reading
• Writing

Mathematics

Covers all areas of Mathematics development

Understanding the World

This area of children’s development covers:

• People and communities
• The World
• Technology

Expressive Arts and Design:

This area of children’s development covers:

• Creating with materials
• Being imaginative and expressive

The Prime Areas are fundamental; they work together and move through to support development in all other areas of children’s learning. The Specific Areas include essential skills and knowledge for children to participate successfully in society.

At Acorn Pre-school your child’s Key Person will focus on the three prime areas of learning but also incorporating the four specific areas as your child becomes developmentally ready.  All of the areas are delivered through planned, purposeful play, with a balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities in the indoor and outdoor environment.

Ongoing assessment is an integral part of the learning and development process. We ensure that our staff are observing children and responding appropriately to help them make progress from entry age towards the early learning goals. Assessments are based on our observations of what children are doing in their day-to-day activities. As judgements are based on observational evidence gathered from a wide range of learning, trained personal judgement and teaching contexts, it is expected that all adults who interact with your child should contribute to the process, and that account will be taken of information provided by you as a parent.

An essential feature of parental involvement is an ongoing dialogue, building on the partnership. Acorn Pre-school reports on the progress and achievements to parents throughout the EYFS through the Famly App and regular parent’s evenings.

The overarching aim of Acorn Pre-school is to help young children achieve the five outcomes.

• Being healthy
• Staying safe
• Enjoying and achieving
• Making a positive contribution
• Economic well-being

Children learn best when they are healthy, safe and secure, when their individual needs are met and when they have positive relationships with the adults caring for them. The Ofsted safeguarding and welfare requirements that Acorn Pre-school adheres to are designed to support us in creating a pre-school which is welcoming, safe and stimulating, and where children are able to enjoy learning through play, to grow in confidence and to fulfil their potential.

Working together for your children:

The daily experiences of your child at Acorn Pre-school and the overall quality of the pre-school depends on practitioners having appropriate qualifications, training, skills and knowledge.

At Acorn Pre-school all staff are qualified well above Ofsted requirements which state;

The Supervisor/Manager must have a Level 3 qualification in childcare and at least half of all the staff must be trained to level 2.

At Acorn Pre-school we are not only well qualified, but we maintain generally a higher ratio of adults to children than that is set though the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage.  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
• Allow the children to explore and be adventurous in safety

Your Acorn Pre-school team are;

Samantha Clover-Dawson – Manager

Gemma Farrell – Deputy Manager

Anne Cook– Pre-School Practitioner

Chloe Nelson – Pre-School Practitioner

Sophie Ruskin – Pre-school Practitioner

Hayley Brimicombe– Bank Staff

Name	Job Title	Qualifications and Experience
Samantha Clover-Dawson	Manager Senco Deputy Child Protection Officer Communication and language practitioner 1st aider	NVQ4 – Children’s Care, Learning and Development. Started working in a nursery in 1998
Gemma Farrell	Deputy Manager Behaviour Management Co-ordinator Child Protection Officer 1st aider	NVQ 3 Cache Started working in childcare 2003
Anne Cook	Preschool Practitioner   Equal Opportunity Co-ordinator 1st aider	NVQ3 – Diploma in pre-school practice
Chloe Nelson	Preschool Practitioner   Health and Safety Officer 1st aider	Level 3 in childcare   Started working in childcare 2019
Sophie Ruskin	Preschool Practitioner   Senco Assistant   1st aider	Level 3 diploma in childcare.   Started in childcare 2004
Hayley Brimicombe	Bank Staff   Phonics Co-ordinator   1st aider	Betec Level 3 Diploma in childcare.     Started working in childcare 2012

Opening Hours

Acorn Pre-school is open term time for 38 weeks a year, following the Lincolnshire County Council school holidays.

The sessions are: Monday – Friday; 9.00am – 12.00pm / 12.00pm – 3.00pm; or full time 9.00am-3.00pm

We provide care and education for children aged from 2 to 5 years.

Fees

The fees are £18.00 per 3 hour session or £35.00 for a full day for children aged 2-3. £16.00 per 3 hour session or £31.00 for a full day for children aged 3 and over, payable in advance. You will be invoiced monthly but it can be paid weekly if this is more convenient – speak to Sam, the manager, to arrange this.  In any month, if you pay weekly the first two weeks must be paid in advance. Fees must still be paid if children are absent for a short period of time, this does include holidays that are taken in term time and if your child is ill. If your child has to be absent over a long period of time, please speak to Sam.

For your child to keep her/his place at Acorn Pre-school, you must pay the fees.

If you are to leave Acorn Pre-school with an outstanding debt, we will communicate this to other pre-schools and nurseries in the area.

We are in receipt of Nursery Education Funding for two, three and four year olds, this applies to the term after their birthday. Where funding is not received, fees apply. Please speak to Sam regarding the criteria for two-year-old funding.

How parents take part at Acorn Pre-school

As a member of the Pre-school Learning Alliance, Acorn Pre-school recognises parents as the first and most important educators of their children.  All of the staff see themselves as partners with you in providing care and education for your child. There are many ways in which parents take part in making Acorn Pre-school a welcoming and stimulating place for children and parents, such as:

• Exchanging knowledge about their children’s needs, activities, interests and progress with the staff
• 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 Committee of Acorn Pre-school;
• Taking part in events and informal discussions about the activities and curriculum provided by Acorn Pre-school
• Joining in community activities in which Acorn Pre-school takes part
• Building friendships with other parents within Acorn Pre-school.

Key persons and your child

Acorn Pre-school operates a Key Person system. This means that each member of staff has a group of children for whom they are particularly responsible. Your child’s Key Person will work with you to make sure that what we provide is right for your child’s particular needs and interests. When your child first starts at Acorn Pre-school, the Key Person will help them to settle and throughout their time at pre-school, they will help your child to benefit from Acorn Pre-schools activities. Your child will also be allocated a second Key Person in case of absences.

Records of achievement

Acorn Pre-school keeps a record of achievement for each child – we collate your child’s observations, photographs and relevant art work into an “All about me” folder. Staff and parents working together on their children’s records of achievement is one of the ways in which the Key Person and parents work in partnership. Your child’s record of achievement helps us to celebrate together their achievements and to work together to provide what your child needs for their well-being and to make progress.

Your child’s Key Person will work with you to keep this record. To do this you will both 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.

Parents Evenings

Acorn pre-school holds parents evening three times a year, normally in November, March and June. This allows parents the opportunity to speak to their child’s Key Person in more depth about their child’s learning and progress through the revised 2021 EYFS.

Learning opportunities for adults

As well as gaining qualifications in Early Years Care and Education, Acorn Pre-school staff participate in further, additional training, to help them to keep up to date and current.

The setting’s timetable and routines

Acorn Pre-school believes that care and education are equally important in the experience which we offer children. The routines and activities that make up the session/day in the setting are provided in ways that:

• Help each child to feel that they are a valued member of Acorn Pre-school
• Ensure the safety of each child
• Help children to gain from the social experience of being part of a group
• Provide children with opportunities to learn and help them to value learning

The session

We organise our sessions so that the 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 also helped and encouraged to take part in adult-led small and large group activities which introduce them to new experiences and help them gain new skills, as well as helping them learn to work with others.

Outdoor activities contribute to children’s health, their physical development and their knowledge of the world around them. The children have the opportunity and are encouraged to take part in outdoor child-chosen and adult-led activities, as well as those provided in the indoor room.

Snacks and Meals

Morning Session

Acorn Pre-school has achieved the ‘Healthy Childcare Award’ and has completed the ‘Eat Better, Start Better’ programme. During the morning session there is a 45 minute healthy rolling snack. In these 45 minutes your child has the opportunity to choose if they would like a snack, and when they would like to eat it within this time frame. We plan the snacks so that they provide the children with healthy and nutritious food, it should be noted that it is not a substitute for lunch. This is also a time on occasion for the children to try new and interesting foods.  Please tell us about your child’s dietary needs and we will make sure that these are met.

Afternoon session or all day

You are required to provide a healthy packed lunch which should NOT include any type of; sweets, fizzy drinks and for allergy reasons nuts and seeds – this includes peanut butter and chocolate spread. For ideas of a healthy packed lunch please see the ‘Healthy Eating’ Leaflet.

Policies

A copy of Acorn Pre-school’s Policies and Procedures is displayed in the porch. There are also copies for you to take away and read, then return. Should you like a copy to keep, we are happy to provide you with one at request.

Acorn Pre-school policies help us make sure that the service provided by Acorn Pre-school is of a high quality and that being a member of Acorn Pre-school is an enjoyable and beneficial experience for each child and their parents. Regular reviews ensure that this is maintained.

Special needs

As part of the Acorn Pre-school policy to make sure that its provision meets the needs of each individual child, we take account of any special needs that a child may have.

The setting works to the requirements of the 1993 Education Act and The Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice (2014).

Our Special Educational Needs and Disability Co-ordinator is:

Sam Clover-Dawson and Sophie Ruskin

 Acorn Pre-school Committee

A Parent Committee supports Acorn Preschool. The elections take place at our Annual General Meeting in March. The committee is responsible for:

• Managing the Acorn Pre-school finances
• Fund raising ideas and support
• Making sure that Acorn Pre-school has, and works to, policies that help it to provide a high quality service
• Making sure that Acorn Pre-school works in partnership with the children’s parents

The Annual General Meeting is open to the parents of all children who attend Acorn Pre-school. It is our shared forum for looking back over the previous year’s activities and shaping a plan for the coming year.

Starting at Acorn Pre-school

The first days

We want your child to feel happy and safe with us. To make sure that this is the case, your child’s Key Person will work with you to decide how to help your child settle into Acorn Pre-school.

Clothing

We provide protective clothing for the children when they play with messy activities.

We encourage children to gain the skills that help them to be independent and look after themselves. These include taking themselves to the toilet and taking off and putting on outdoor clothes. Clothing that is easy for them to manage will help them do this.

If you could please take time to take on board the points mentioned in the “Please be aware of: ” on the last page, we are sure that you and your child will enjoy being members of Acorn Pre-school and that you will 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 to answer any questions.

Thank you for taking the time to read about how Acorn Pre-school operates.

Your Acorn Pre-school Team:

 Sam, Gemma, Anne, Chloe, Sophie, and Hayley

Please be aware that

• If someone other than yourself or your husband/wife/partner is to collect your child, please fill in the collection book upon arrival of that session.  Please inform the person collecting your child from Acorn Pre-school of your password, this applies to husbands/wives/partners if we do not see them on a regular basis.

•  Parking is prohibited on the yellow zigzag lines around the school.

• Please do not bring your child to Acorn Pre-school if they are unwell, as this causes unnecessary upset to the child, and possible increase of infection to the other children and staff. In cases of sickness and/or diarrhoea, please allow 48 hours after the last episode before returning your child to Acorn Pre-school. Please notify Sam or Gemma of any infections/illnesses your child has contracted, i.e. chickenpox, measles, etc.

• Please phone pre-school on 01406 373400 Mob: -07436273487 or through the Famly App to let us know if your child is not going to be at their session for any reason.

• The school grounds are a designated non – smoking area.

• Parents may NOT take photographs of their child/children on Acorn Pre-school/school premises without prior consent and filling in a photograph permission slip

• Mobile phones are not to be used on the premises of Acorn Pre-School.

What to bring to school on the first day

• A change of clothes that can be left in individual personalised drawers
• Slippers that can be left at school
• Appropriate clothing for the time of year. E.g coats, gloves, scarves, sunhats and suncream.
• Any medication needed. Prescription medicines need to be kept in the labelled box with child’s name and dosage on. If your child has an inhaler, please speak to your doctor and collect an inhaler and spacer that can be kept at preschool
• A drinks bottle
• A comforter if your child has one
• Nappies and wipes if your child uses them
• Healthy lunch if attending A full day or the PM session

We are all looking forward to meeting you and your family and having you join us at Acorn Preschool!

You can download the Acorn Pre-School Prospectus