ABOUT US - Sherwood Pre-School

We are situated within the grounds of Howard Primary School (Nottingham Road entrance) and have been established at this location since 2004. Our friendly and experienced staff work hard to meet the needs of each child, encouraging individuality within a safe and stimulating environment. We pride ourselves on providing an environment for the children which is like a “home from home”.

Sherwood Pre-school is run by a manager and her management team. As the pre-school is a charity, its work is overseen by a group of trustees who are responsible for ensuring that the pre-school is run efficiently, cost-effectively and to the highest possible standard. The charity’s focus is on local children and so we encourage all our parents and carers to be as actively involved in supporting the pre-school as possible.

Statement Of Purpose.

At Sherwood Pre-school we see our core purpose as being:

We do this by:

Fostering open communication, where the views of all are listened to and respected
Working in equal partnership with families and carers to meet the needs of individual children, sharing our professional understanding and their particular knowledge of their children’s development explore through a rich, stimulating, challenging and balanced curriculum based
Planning learning experiences which allow freedom to on the Early Years Foundation Stage 2021 (EYFS)
Providing a happy, friendly, secure and stimulating environment where everyone is welcome
Developing positive relationships with adults and children as learning is a shared experience
Encouraging and enabling children to experience fun and enjoyment as they learn through play
Ensuring we identify and make provision for the needs of all children in our care and monitor their progress in all areas of learning
Respecting and promoting understanding and knowledge of our varied religions, cultures and languages so that children develop a sense of wonder together with a spirit of tolerance and understanding
Developing our own professional skills and knowledge so we are informed about all current aspects of working with young children and families
Working in partnership with other agencies and professionals to support parents and carers respectfully and effectively.

Our pre-school is open for 38 weeks of the year in line with Government funding. Our term dates follow those of Croydon Council with our five staff-training dates published termly (in line with Howard Primary School). We are open every day 7.45am – 6.15pm. Details are as follows:

7.45am-9.00am	Breakfast Club	£4.75	To include cereal, toast fruit & a drink
9.00am-12.00pm	Morning Session	£13.00	To include a drink and a healthy snack
12.00pm-12.30pm	Lunch Club	£3.25	Packed Lunch (Please no nuts as we have children with nut allergies, or sweets). We can reheat homemade food.
	School dinner	£1.00	Healthy Cold food e.g. sandwiches, wraps etc.
12.30pm-3.30pm	Afternoon Session	£13.00	To include a drink and snack
3.30pm- 4.30pm	Afterschool Club	£6.50	To include a drink and snack
3.30pm- 5.00pm	Afterschool Club	£9.00	To include a drink and snack
3.30pm-6.15pm	Afterschool Club	£13.75	To include a light tea served after 4.30pm

Every child is automatically entitled to 15 hours’ free childcare from the term after they turn 3. This can be used flexibly. You can request morning or afternoon sessions or a combination of both, with or without lunch club or a full day session. We also provide breakfast and after-school club facilities. You may also purchase further unfunded sessions, in addition to your 15 hours, which will be invoiced at the rates shown above.
You may qualify for an additional 15 hours if you are a working parent. Please refer to the website https://www.gov.uk/30-hours-free-childcare to confirm your eligibility. The additional 15 hours is a joint offer with the Tax Free Childcare – please see www.childcare.tax.service.gov.uk for further details.
Your child may qualify for 2 year old funding. Please contact see https://www.familyspacecroydon.co.uk/CMS/CMSDetail.aspx?Category=2%20Year%20Old%20Funding&Id=1023 for more information.

If you need any assistance, please do not hesitate to ask.

We are able to accommodate up to 40 children from the age of 2 up to school entry age. We always maintain an excellent child/staff ratio which is always in line with the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (2021).

Uniform

Uniform is available for any parents who would like to choose this option:

THE STAFF IN THE SETTING
Manager/SENCO	Rebecca Bloomfield (Senco, First Aid, Food Hygiene, Designated Safeguard lead)
Deputy Manager / Family Support	Lisa Wright (First Aid, Food Hygiene, Designated Safeguard lead)
Early Years coordinator/2nd Deputy	Jade Godden (First Aid, Food Hygiene)
Wellbeing coordinator/ Assistant Senco	Sharlene Stewart
Early Years Practitioners-	Claire Bryant (First Aid, Food Hygiene) Charlotte Cofie (First Aid, Food Hygiene) Mobina Mirza (First Aid, Food Hygiene) Helena Killeen (First Aid, Food Hygiene) Vidya Potter (First Aid, Food Hygiene) Nasiya Shajahan (First aid) Olivia Duffell (First Aid) Nicola Chisholm (First Aid) Janice Rosato (First Aid)
Afterschool practitioners	Angela Cooper (First Aid, Food Hygiene) Jennifer Staple (First Aid, Food Hygiene) Mobina Mirza (First Aid, Food Hygiene) Charlotte Cofie (First Aid, Food Hygiene)

The Pre School Session Generally Follows This Routine

Morning Session	Afternoon Session
9.00 am	12.30 pm	The Pre-school opens and the children settle; registration
9.15 am	12.45 pm	Table Time for 3 & 4 year olds. Free play for 2 year olds.
10 am	1.30 pm	The garden is opened up for children to move freely between playroom and garden Snack bar is available – children take turns to visit the snack bar and are encouraged to wash their hands
11.15 am	2.45 pm	Tidy up time
11.30 am	3.00 pm	Story and/or circle time
11.45 am	3.15 pm	Free play in garden or ring games in the case of rain
12 pm	3.30 pm	Home time / lunch time / After school session begins

Your Child’s First Day

Your child’s key-person will work with you to plan an appropriate settling-in process to meet your child’s individual needs.

On your child’s first day, please ensure that they are in comfortable clothing that will allow them to participate in activities such as climbing, outdoor and messy play. The children enjoy getting messy at Sherwood Pre-school; we do provide aprons for the children, however they will get messy sometimes. We ask you to provide a named bag with a complete change of named clothing, nappies, wipes and nappy bags if appropriate.

Your child’s key person will help to settle your child. We suggest that you settle your child at an activity and say a positive good bye, allowing the key person to interact and take over. If your child does become upset we will endeavour to settle them through distractions and comforting ways. If we cannot settle your child we will contact you to ask you to return to the pre-school.

Please remember that each child is different and some may settle more quickly than others and some may need more time and support. It does not matter how long your child takes to settle as long as they feel safe and secure and are happy.

Your Child’s Key Person

Your child’s key person will get to know you and your child and is the person who will help your child settle into pre-school, forming a very important attachment for your child. This provides a secure base for your child to feel confident to explore and investigate the pre-school environment. The key person will complete your child’s learning journals (which are available for you to see at any time) and will observe, assess and plan for your child’s learning development and, if appropriate, will complete your child’s two-year assessment. They are there to answer any concerns or questions you may have.

Keeping The Pre-School up to Date

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Statutory Framework 2021

What is it and why do we have one?

The EYFS framework sets the standards that all Early Years providers must meet to ensure that children, from birth to five, learn and develop well and are kept healthy and safe.
The EYFS framework exists to support all professionals working in the Early Years environment. It was developed by a number of early years’ experts and parents. In 2021, the framework was revised to make it clearer and easier to use, with more focus on the things that matter most. The EYFS reflects the ethos and importance of children learning through play. This new framework also has a greater emphasis on your role in helping your child develop. Every child deserves the best possible start in life and the support that enables them to fulfil their full potential. Children develop quickly in the early years and child’s experience between birth and age five have a major impact on their future life chances. A secure safe and happy childhood is important in its own right. Good parenting and high quality early learning together provide the foundation children need to make the most of their abilities and talents as they grow up.
At Sherwood Pre-school, we follow the EYFS, providing opportunities for children in our care to develop in a way that will have a direct impact on their future. Our Ofsted reports demonstrate that we continue to provide our children with a safe, secure and educationally rich environment in which they thrive and grow. We believe that allowing children access to good quality pre-school education enhances their future life-chances.
More information on the EYFS can be found at www.foundationyears.org.uk or you are welcome to talk to any staff member about the curriculum at any time.

How and what your child will be learning

Your child will be learning skills, acquiring new knowledge and demonstrating their understanding through seven areas of learning and development. Children will mostly develop the three PRIME AREAS first:

Communication and language
Physical development
Personal, social and emotional development

These prime areas are essential for your child’s development and future learning. As your child grows, the prime areas will help them to develop skills in four SPECIFIC AREAS:

Literacy
Mathematics
Understanding the world
Expressive arts and design

These seven areas are used as the basis for planning your child’s learning activities. The key person supporting your child, with the other staff, will make sure that the activities are suited to your child’s individual needs and in line with the EYFS. Our activities are designed to be flexible so that staff can follow your child’s unique needs and interests. Children in the EYFS learn by playing and exploring, being active, and through creative and critical thinking; all these take place both indoors and outside.

When your child is between two and three

At some point after your child turns two, the professionals working with your child must give you a written summary of how your child is progressing against the three PRIME AREAS of learning:

Communication and language
Physical development and
Personal, social and emotional development

This is called the Progress Check at age two. This check will highlight areas where your child is progressing well and any areas where they might need some extra help or support – and how mums and dads, other family members or carers can work with the key person to help. You might find it useful to share this information with other professionals such as a health visitor, who can use it as part of the health and development review.

At the age of 2, your child may be able to:

Communication & Language	Listen with interest to the noises adults make when they read stories Understand simple sentences and begin to ask simple questions
Physical Development	Walk upstairs holding someone’s hand Begin to show awareness of needing a wee or poo
Personal, Social and Emotional Development	Want to do things independently – may begin to say “no” Respond to a few rules with support Play alongside their friends

At the age of 3, your child may be able to:

Communication & Language	Show an interest in play with sounds, songs and rhymes Understand more complex sentences Learn new words and use them to communicate
Physical Development	Turn the pages in a book Kick a ball Help dressing and undressing
Personal, Social and Emotional Development	Separate from main carer, with support and encouragement from a familiar adult Show understanding of and co-operate with some rules and routines Start to join in with their friends’ play
Literacy	Have some favourite stories or songs Distinguish between the marks they make
Mathematics	Say some number names in sequence Begin to use language for size – i.e. big, small
Understanding the World	Begin to ‘pretend play’ – imitating life – i.e. making and drinking tea Enjoy playing with small world toys i.e. farms, garages Operate mechanical toys – i.e. Wind-up toys
Expressive Arts & Design	Join in with favourite songs Begin to ‘make believe’ by pretending

At the age of 4, your child may be able to:

Communication & Language	Listen to others, one to one or in small groups, when conversation interests them Respond to simple instructions e.g. to get or put away an object Re-tell a simple past event in correct order e.g. went down slide, hurt finger
Physical Development	Use one-handed tools and equipment e.g. make snips in paper with child’s scissors Gain more bowel and bladder control and attend to toileting needs most of the time themselves
Personal, Social and Emotional Development	Welcome and value praise for what they have done Begin to accept the needs of others and take turns and share resources, sometimes with support from others Initiate play, offering cues to their friends to join them
Literacy	Join in with repeated refrains and anticipate key events and phrases in rhymes and stories Sometimes give meaning to marks as they draw and paint
Mathematics	Recite numbers in order to 10 Show an interest in shape and space by playing with shapes or making arrangements with objects
Understanding the World	Remember and talk about significant events in their own experiences Show care and concern for living things and the environment Know how to operate simple equipment
Expressive Arts & Design	Enjoy joining-in with dancing and ring games Engage in imaginative role-play, based on their own first-hand experiences

Please remember that children are all individuals – and they all learn different skills at different rates. If you are ever concerned about your child’s development please talk to your key person.

Promoting British Values

The Department for Education has promoted the need “to create and enforce a clear and rigorous expectation on all schools to promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.”

At Sherwood Pre-school these values are reinforced regularly and in the following ways:

Democracy

We listen to children’s and parents’ voices. As part of our Managing Behaviour Policy we expect children to contribute and co-operate, taking into account the views of others.

The Rule of Law

We consistently reinforce our high expectations of children. Children are taught the value and reasons behind our expectations (rules): that they are there to protect us, that everyone has a responsibility, and that there are consequences when rules are broken.

Individual Liberty

Within the pre-school, children are actively encouraged to make choices, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. We educate and provide boundaries for young children to make choices safely, through our provision of a safe environment and empowering teaching. Children are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms.

Mutual Respect

Part of our ethos and the managing of behaviour revolves around Core Values such as ‘respect’. Staff help children to understand how to respect others by modelling, through their own behaviour, and talking about how their actions/words can affect others.

Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs

We aim to enhance children’s understanding of different faiths and beliefs by participating in a range of celebrations throughout the year. Children have the opportunity to dress-up in clothes and try different foods from other cultures and we encourage parents/carers to participate and support our multi-cultural events.

Health and Hygiene

Our policy is to promote a healthy lifestyle and a high standard of hygiene and we encourage the children to uphold the same standards.

We operate a policy whereby we do not allow children to attend pre-school when they are infectious, in line with the health protection agency guidelines. Therefore, in the event of your child suffering from sickness or diarrhoea they cannot return to pre-school until 48 hours has elapsed following the last bout of sickness or diarrhoea. Any open sores and cuts must be covered with a plaster or dressing.

To ensure that the pre-school is hygienic, and also that the children are aware of the necessity of hygiene, we always ensure hands are washed after using the toilet and before eating. Tissues are always available and the children are taught always to cover their mouths when coughing and sneezing.

The pre-school observes current legislation regarding food hygiene, registration and training.

There is a strict no smoking, alcohol or illegal drugs policy, which is strictly adhered to and this includes the outdoor garden and surroundings area of the premises.

Slippers (hard sole please)

We have a “NO SHOE” policy within the Playroom. We feel that not only do the children feel more comfortable and help them become more independent by being able to put on / take off their shoes but it has been shown to benefit the children as:-.

toes grow straighter allowing children to better spread and push whilst walking improving balance and movement
Stronger muscles on the feet again improving many gross motor skills
Wider range of hip movement
Improved flexibility in legs creating and improving children’s natural manner of walking.
Sensory development – allowing children to directly feel what they are walking on allows stronger messages to be sent to the brain about exactly how is best to walk on certain types of surfaces

It also prevents a) contaminated items from being walked into the playroom where the children play on the floor and b) injury to the children from visitors/staff or other children standing on fingers or toes.

During outdoor play the children are encouraged to find their own shoes and put them on, however staff are always on hand to help them. Please could you ensure that all slippers have hard soles (in the unlikely event of fire evacuation) and name all shoes and slippers. Staff also follow the no shoes policy.

Behaviour Management

We believe that children and adults flourish in an ordered environment in which everyone knows what is expected of them. Within this context, children are free to develop their play and learning. We teach that inappropriate behaviour is not tolerated; we normally find that diverting the child’s attention is sufficient with explanations of why certain behaviour is not acceptable. Persistent difficult behaviour is discussed with the parent/carer. Please refer to our Managing Behaviour Policy for further information.

Safety

The safety of the children is of paramount importance. Children must wait in the porch with their parents/carer until the door is unlocked and opened by a staff member, and should be collected promptly at the end of the session. There is a late collection fee that will charged if parents persist in collecting their child late (please refer to the Late Collection Policy);

Changes in collection of your child

The staff must be informed if you have arranged for someone else to collect your child. The children will not be handed over to another person (not even the child’s other parent if they are not known to the pre-school) if the person collecting does not know the child’s password, unless you have informed the Room Leader in advance, in person.

Fire regulations are strictly observed including ensuring clear access to the fire doors, maintenance of extinguishers, regular fire drills and preserving layout and space ratios.

A register of both adults and children is completed each day so that a complete record is available in an emergency. Main doors will remain locked during the sessions. Equipment is regularly checked for safety and replaced as required.

Evacuation procedures in an emergency are in place. Children will be evacuated to the upper garden by Nottingham Road.

Covid-19

(THESE REGULATIONS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANCE IN ACCORDANCE WITH GOVERNMENT GUIDELINES)

The government has made it a national priority that education and childcare settings should continue to operate as normally as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Measures affecting education and childcare may be necessary in some circumstances, for example:

to help manage a COVID-19 outbreak within a setting
if there is extremely high prevalence of COVID-19 in the community and other measures have failed to reduce transmission
as part of a package of measures responding to a Variant of Concern (VoC)

We have an outbreak management plan (sometimes called contingency plan) outlining how we will operate if any of the measures described above were recommended for our setting or area. This includes how we will ensure every child receives the quantity and quality of education and care to which they are normally entitled.

Sherwood Preschool was able to return to our usual practice without limiting group sizes. This is due to the fact that the prevalence of the virus has fallen, the NHS Test and Trace system is up and running, the vaccination rate is high and the scientific evidence shows that coronavirus (COVID-19) presents a much lower risk to children than adults. In addition, we are on average much smaller than schools, allowing a less restrictive approach to mixing than in schools. Beyond this change to groups, we will be following the same protective measures as schools.

Read more about these protective measures in the actions for schools during the coronavirus outbreak guidance. This includes cleaning hands more often, enhanced cleaning of frequently touched surfaces and ensuring good respiratory hygiene, as well as ensuring that anyone with symptoms themselves or in their household does not attend.

Attendance at Sherwood Preschool remains optional, but we strongly encourage you to take up a place for your child. Preschools, nurseries and childminders are wonderful places for children to learn and have fun with friends, which supports their development and their overall wellbeing. Attending childcare can be an exciting and joyful experience for children and can also help provide a routine as they develop their social skills. Early years education is an important stage for children where they can flourish and get the best start in life.

Anyone displaying symptoms of coronavirus (a temperature, new continuous cough and/or a loss of taste or smell) must self-isolate for 10 days.

Those living with someone displaying coronavirus symptoms or have been identified as a close contact of someone diagnosed with Covid-19 are still required to self-isolate for 10 days.

More information is available on the NHS website

Safeguarding Children

Our setting has a duty under law to help safeguard children against suspected or actual ‘significant harm’. All our staff are trained in Safeguarding.

Our employment practices ensure that children are protected against the likelihood of abuse in the pre-school and we have a procedure for managing any 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.

Our Designated Safeguarding Leads are Lisa Wright, Jade Godden and Emma Crockett.

If you would like a copy of our Safeguarding policy, please ask.

Home School Partnership

We aim to establish close relationships with all our families. Children enter the Pre-school with rich and varied earlier experiences. As your child’s first and most important teacher, you will be able to help us understand their learning needs and preferences. We value this information and will work with you to build on the learning experiences you have already given.

Communication

A member of staff is available to talk to you each day, but an appointment may be necessary if you need to discuss anything at length. We have a meeting for new parents in September as well as other parents’ information sessions during the year, to discuss different aspects of the children’s learning.

Each term, a member of staff meets with parents to discuss their child’s development and progress at home and at the pre-school. Reports will be written and there will be an opportunity to comment upon these.

Reading

Children are encouraged to take books home on a regular basis. They have their own book bag, and we expect parents to share books with their children. This encourages a love of literacy. Books may be borrowed at any time.

Involvement

We hope families will become involved in as many ways as possible and hope you will attend our various events, or maybe help with fund-raising. Help on a regular or occasional basis is always very welcome.

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

We operate our Special Needs Policy within the framework of the SEND code of practice and relevant legislation. We believe that all children have an entitlement to the Early Years Foundation Stage and we aim to help every child achieve his or her potential. There are particular groups of children who will benefit from extra help and we strive to identify these at an early stage and make appropriate provision to meet their needs.

The advice and support of other professionals, including a Speech and Language Therapist and Educational Psychologist, is given on a regular, planned basis. Parents are always involved in discussions and reviews.

Our Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo) is Rebecca Bloomfield.

Jade Godden is Our Special Educational Needs Co-Ordinator (SENCo) and Sharlene Stewart is the assistant SENCo.

Equal Opportunities

The Pre-school observes current legislation regarding equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory practice.

Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP)

This extra funding is provided by the London Borough of Croydon; it is available to children aged three and four years whose parents or carers are in receipt of certain benefits or for children who have been in care or have left care through adoption or child arrangement orders.

How can the extra funds help my child?

This extra funding can be used in lots of ways to give your child the best start in life and prepare them for full time school.
For example, the funding can be used to provide:

specialist training for staff e.g. speech and language development
extra or individual support in a particular learning area
extra equipment to support particular development
additional staffing or staff hours to enable further support for your child.

Do I qualify for EYPP?

All early years providers who deliver Government funded early education can claim the early years pupil premium for three and four year old children whose parents are in receipt of one or more of the following benefits:

Income Support
Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
Universal Credit
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
the guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
Working Tax Credit run-on

Three and four year olds will also be eligible if:

They are currently being looked after by a local-authority in England or Wales
they have left care in England or Wales through an adoption

they have left care in England or Wales through a special guardianship order or a child arrangement order aid

What do I do next?

If you think you may qualify, please complete an application form. These are available from the pre-school.

Complaints Procedure

If you should ever have cause to complain about any aspect of the Pre-school or a member of staff, in the first instance, please raise your concern with the Pre-school Manager. If the concern is regarding the Manager, please contact the Chair of Trustees whose name and number is on the notice board in the Pre-school porch.

You may do so verbally or in writing.

Any complaints that are still unresolved after this stage may be referred to OFSTED, which is the Pre-school’s regulating body.

They can be contacted in the following ways:

by writing to OFSTED complaints, investigation and enforcement team, Piccadilly Gate, Store Street, Manchester M1 2WD
by telephoning 03001231231

by email to enquires@ofsted.gov.uk

Securing Your Place

In order to put your child’s name on the waiting list, please fill in and return the form attached to this prospectus. This does not guarantee a place, but expresses your interest.

Once we have contacted you offering your child a place, to secure this you must fill out a registration form. Sight of your child’s birth certificate is also required. A non-refundable deposit of £30 will be required which will secure your child’s place, you will also receive a uniform starter pack. We will invite you and your child for a Pre-school visit prior to your child starting.