Call Us: 07906 344227
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This version October 2021.
Zebedee Pre-school
Community Hall
Bruce Grove
Wickford
Essex
SS11 8QZ
Telephone: 07906 344227
Email: carrie@zebedee-preschool.co.uk
Our setting aims to:
- provide high quality care and education for children below statutory school age;
- work in partnership with parents to help children to learn and develop;
- offer children and their parents a fully inclusive service that promotes equality and values diversity.
Parents
Parents are regarded as valued partners of our setting. We believe they have a right to be:
- respected;
- kept informed;
- consulted;
- involved; and
- included at all levels.
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 fulfil their learning and developmental potential by being helped to build on what they already knows and can do;
- has a key person who makes sure each child makes satisfying progress;
- attends a setting that works with parents and carers as partners in helping each child to learn and develop.
Children’s development and learning
The provision for children’s development and learning is guided by The Early Years Foundation Stage. Our provision reflects the seven areas of learning and development. To find out more please visit:
EYFS_Parents_Guide-amended1.pdf (foundationyears.org.uk)
Children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates. The framework covers the education and care of all children in early years provision including children with special educational needs and disabilities
Learning and development for each child
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 activities that are appropriate for their age and stage of development.
The Areas of Development and Learning comprise of 3 prime areas:
And 4 specific areas:
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For each area, the level of progress that children are expected to have attained at the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage is defined by the Early Learning Goals. These goals state what it is expected that children will know and be able to do by the end of the reception year of their education.
The practice guidance also sets out in ‘Development Matters’ the likely stages of progress a child makes along their learning journey. Our setting has regard to these matters when we assess children’s development and plan for their learning. Our curriculum supports children to develop the knowledge, skills and understanding they need to be ready to start school.
Learning through play
Play helps young children to learn and develop through doing and talking, which research has shown to be the means by which young children learn to think. Our setting uses the Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage guidance to plan and provide a range of play activities which help children to make progress in each of the areas of learning and development. In some of these activities children decide how they will use the activity and, in others, an adult takes the lead in helping the children to take part in the activity. In all activities information from the Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage has been used to decide what equipment to provide and how to provide it. We understand that children develop at their own rates and that individual children respond to different ways of learning. This is reflected in the wide range of activities that are offered.
Characteristics of effective learning
We understand that all children engage with other people and their environment through the characteristics of effective learning that are described in the Development Matters guidance as:
- Playing and exploring – engagement
- Active learning – motivation
- Creating and thinking critically – thinking
We aim to provide for the characteristics of effective learning by observing how a child is learning and being clear about what we can do and provide in order to support each child to remain an effective and motivated learner.
Assessment
We assess how young children are learning and developing by observing them. We use information that we gain from observations and our knowledge of the children, to review their progress and where this may be leading them. We believe that parents know their children best and we will ask them to share information about what their children like to do at home and how they as parents support their development.
The Progress Check at age two
The Early Years Foundation Stage requires that we supply parents and carers with a short written summary of their child’s development in the three prime areas of learning and development: personal, social and emotional development; physical development; and communication and language; when a child is between 24-36 months. The key person is responsible for completing the check using information from ongoing observational assessments carried out as part of our everyday practice, taking account of the views and contributions of parents and other professionals.
Staff
In our setting we usually exceed the ratio of adults to children in the setting that is set through the Safeguarding and Welfare Requirements. This enables 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; and
- allow the children to explore and be adventurous in safety.
The staff who work at our setting are:
| Name | Job Title | Qualifications and Experience |
| Carrie Rose | Manager/ SENCO/Behaviour/ Safeguarding Lead/First aid | CACHE Level 3, Cache Level 5 (management) |
| Cheryl Holliman | Deputy manager/ SENCO/Speech and language co-ordinator First aid | CACHE level 3 |
| Jenny Allen | Supervisor/ SENCO/ENCO/First aid | CACHE Level 3 |
| Macaela Haywood | Early years practitioner/First aid | CACHE Level 3 |
| Catherine Sykes | Early years practitioner /Deputy Safeguarding Lead/ First aid | CACHE Level 3 |
| Emma Parks | Early years practitioner/First aid | CACHE Level 3 |
| Liane Cox | Early years assistant/First aid | CACHE level 2 |
| Claire Whiteley | Early years assistant | Unqualified |
| Glynis Wright | Bank staff | On-line level 2 |
| Jayne Looney | Bank staff | NNEB |
| Jill Flynn | Bank staff | CACHE level 1 |
| Carly Malyon | Bank staff | Unqualified |
| Emma Vick | Bank staff | CACHE Level 3 |
We also have help periodically from volunteers and students.
| We are open for: | 38 weeks per year |
| We are open for: | 8 sessions per week |
| The times we are open are: | 9.00-12.00am Monday- Friday, 12.30-3.30pm Tuesday, Thursday & Friday (we offer a full day including a lunch club on a Tuesday, Thursday and Friday for children who are 3 and will prioritise children in their last year before starting school) |
| We provide care for children between the ages of: |
2 – 5 years |
Parents as partners
Our setting recognises parents as the first and most important educators of their children. All of the staff see themselves as partners with parents in providing care and education for their child. We aim to support all families and will offer help and advice either within the setting or through other professionals that we work closely with. We aim to hold a week of open mornings once per half term to enable you to see your child in the setting, talk to their key-person and meet other parents.
Key persons
Our setting uses a key person approach. This means that each member of staff has a group of children for whom they are particularly responsible. Your child’s key person will be the person who works 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 the setting, they will help your child to settle and throughout your child’s time at the setting, they will help your child to benefit from the setting’s activities.
Staff training
As well as gaining qualifications in early years care and education, the setting staff take part in further training to help them to keep up-to-date with current practice and thinking about early years care and education.
The setting’s timetable and routines
Our setting believes that care and education are equally important in the experience which we offer children. The routines and activities that make up the day in the setting are provided in ways that:
- help each child to feel that they are a valued member of the setting;
- ensure the safety of each child;
- help children to gain from the social experience of being part of a group; and
- provide children with opportunities to learn and help them to value learning.
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 to gain new skills, as well as helping them to 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 environment.
Lunch club
Children are able to stay for a whole day on a Tuesday, Thursday and Friday where we offer a lunch club between 12-12.30. This is for 3 year old children who no longer need a nap as we do not have sleep facilities. We prioritise children who are in their final year before starting school. There is a charge of £3.50 to pay to cover staff costs and you will need to provide a healthy packed lunch.
Snacks and drinks
The setting makes snack time a social and healthy experience at which children eat and drink together. Do tell us about your child’s dietary needs and we will make sure that these are met. We ensure that all children are included in snack time and will work with all parents to ensure that no child is excluded from this experience. We will ask for a 50p per session fee towards our snacks. This will rise to 75p per session from September 2024 to cover rising costs.
Oral health and hygiene
We will work with parents to ensure children develop good dental hygiene habits and understand the need for healthy eating and drinking to protect their oral health. This is part of the welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.
Policies
Copies of the setting’s policies and procedures are available for you to see at the setting.
The setting’s policies help us to make sure that the service provided by the setting is a high quality one and that being a member of the setting is an enjoyable and beneficial experience for each child and their parents.
Safeguarding children
Our setting has a duty under the law to help safeguard children against suspected or actual ‘significant harm’.
Our employment practices ensure children against the likelihood of abuse in our settings and we have a procedure for managing 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 Lead and Deputy are: Carrie Rose and Catherine Sykes
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
As part of the setting’s policy to make sure that its provision meets the needs of each individual child, we take account of any additional needs a child may have. The setting works to the requirements of the Children and Families Act (2014) and The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Code of Practice:
0 to 25 years (2014).
We ensure that children with SEND are supported through effective observations, analysis and planning by staff and in partnership with parents. We tailor support of children to meet their individual needs and those of their family. As part of our SEND provision, we also work closely with any professionals who are involved with the child in order to gain support and knowledge of their specific needs and to plan for the future. Parents are always involved and their views and feelings are paramount in the planning process for their child.
| Our Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators are: | Carrie Rose/Cheryl Holliman/Jenny Allen |
The management of our setting
| The setting is owned and managed by: | Carrie Rose |
Fees and funding
The fees will be £16.50 per 3 hour session from April 2024 payable per half-term and includes 50p per session towards snacks and drinks. This will rise to 75p per session from September 2024 to cover rising costs. Fees must still be paid if children are absent. We also charge 50p per session for funded children towards the cost of a healthy snack. For your child to keep their place at the setting, you must pay the fees in a timely manner. Fees will be charged to cover hall closures due to bad weather.
We are in receipt of universal early education funding (15 hours) for three and four year olds; where funding is not received, then fees apply. If your child is eligible for the extended 30-hour funding, please let us know. Although we are unable to offer the total 30-hour funded places, we endeavour to share funding with other settings wherever possible. We are also able to offer places to children who meet the criteria to receive 2-year old funding. We will offer places to children in receipt of the new 2-year funding for working parents where we have availability. Please contact the setting for more information.
Starting at our setting
We want your child to feel happy and safe with us. To make sure that this is the case, the staff will work with you to decide on how to help your child to settle into the setting.
We ask for you to provide comfortable clothing that is easy for the children to remove independently as they get older. Plimsoles or similar soft soled shoes are required to be worn by all children at the setting (no trainers, sandals, outdoor or lace-up shoes please). We also ask for a complete change of clothes to be left in their bags in case of accidents.
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 to do this.
We hope that your child enjoys being a member of our setting and that they find taking part in our activities interesting and stimulating.
The staff team are always ready and willing to talk with you about your child’s progress and welcome your ideas, views or questions about all aspects of the setting.