Little Pippins Preschool & Wrap around care

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At Little Pippins we have 3 intakes; September, January and April (depending on spaces).  The earliest expected start date is 2 weeks after they turn 3mths .  You will be contacted in the term prior to your expected start to discuss whether you wish your child to start and which sessions are available.

 

We have found that children will settle more quickly if they are attending more than 1 session per week.  When you are discussing sessions you will therefore be offered a minimum of 2 per week.

 

If you would like to register your child for a place at our preschool, please complete a registration form. Children cannot be allocated a place at the preschool without completing a registration form and returning it with a registration charge. 

 

An registration fee of £5 is payable which is not refundable, but once started it will be exchange for a bookbag, when you start with us at Little Pippins. 

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If you are entitled to the government 2 year old funding you can contact us before your child is to and we can refer you to claim funding ready for your child to start with us. Details can be found on www.swindon.gov.uk. There is a maximum of 20 children in the room at any time.

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Your two-year-old child can get free childcare and early education if you get one of the following benefits:

• Income Support

• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA)

• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

• Universal Credit - if you and your partner have a combined income from work of £15,400 or less a year, after tax

• Tax credits - if you have an income of £16,190 or less a year, before tax

• The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit

• Support through part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act

• The Working Tax Credit 4-week run on (the payment you get when you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)

A two-year-old child can also get free childcare and early education if they:

• are looked after by Swindon Borough Council

• have special education needs (SEN) or an education, health and care plan (EHCP)

• get Disability Living Allowance

• have left care under a special guardianship order, child arrangements order or adoption order

• A child can get free childcare and early education from the term after their second birthday. However, you may have to pay for optional extra costs such as meals, nappies or trips

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If you believe your child is eligible for the free childcare and early education, e-mail earlyeducation@swindon.gov.uk to apply. We will respond to your e-mail within five working days.

You can also phone our early years engagement officer on 07823525441.

You can find more information about childcare and early education on childcare choices.

 

Settling in Period

 

We want children to feel safe, stimulated and happy in the Pre-School and to feel secure and comfortable with the staff.  We also want the parents to have confidence in both their children’s well being and their role as active partners with the Pre-School.  Each child is different and an individual settling-in procedure will be adopted to meet your child’s needs.

 

Children cannot play and learn successfully if they are anxious and unhappy. Our settling in procedures aim to help parents to help their children feel comfortable in Little Pippins Pre-School, to benefit from what it has to offer, and to be confident that their parent will return at the end of the session.

 

In order to accomplish this we will:

 

• Encourage parents to visit the setting with their children during the weeks before an admission is planned. These 3 taster sessions are for both parent and child to attend and must be booked in advance.

• Re-assure families from the outset that they will be supported in the setting for as long as it takes to settle their child.

• Encourage parents, where appropriate, to separate from their children for brief periods at first, gradually building up to longer absences.

• Introduce flexible admission procedure, if appropriate, to meet the needs of individual families and children.  

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• Lunch

 

Children bring in a lunch box provided by their parents in the Afternoon session at 12 pm. They sit with the staff who will encourage them to eat items in the correct order, i.e. savoury before sweet.  After they have finished eating dependent on the weather they will be taken outside, or activities will be set up for play.  The Pre-School encourages the children to recycle, especially at lunchtimes, Alternatively you can by a hot lunch for £2 a day menus are shared each month for all children at Little Pippins.

 

Clothing

 

The Pre-School provides protective clothing for the children when they play with ‘messy’ activities.  The Pre-School encourages children to gain skills, which help them to be independent and to look after themselves.  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 us to achieve this. Children should not come to preschool in the summer, in strappy tops or dresses their shoulder should be covered to protect them from the sun, and children should not wear open toed sandals or flip flops. We also have a uniform which you may be interested in purchasing.  Items such as Book bags, T-shirts and Sweatshirts can be ordered at the Pre-school.  We do ask that child wear sensible footwear such as trainers, flat enclosed shoes for safety and to wear old clothes that you do not mind getting dirty.

 

Working Together for your Children

 

Working together for the children the setting means we can 

 

• 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 children to explore and be adventurous in safety

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They are very useful for us too as we can gather information from you to help settle in your child in their first week at pre-school. We ask from parents to provide us with a family photo which we can take back to preschool to put up on our family tree's so the children can see them when the come in on their first day.

 

We will hold meeting for new parents before the children start to discuss any questions you may have but also to find out what we do at little pippins what the children are learning about and what you can do to support them at home.

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Code of Conduct and Working with staff

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• Work in partnership with parents and carers to help children to provider high quality, safe and stimulating care, learning and play opportunities for children.

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Our setting recognises that parents/carers play the fundamental role in a child’s development and this should be acknowledged as the basis for a partnership between the setting and parents and carers. 

All parents and carers are regarded as members who have full participatory rights. These include a right to be:

• Valued and respected;

• Kept informed;

• Involved; and

• Included at all levels.

The staff team is committed to working in partnership with parents/carers and aim to achieve this by:

• Encourage parents/carers to take part in the life of the setting and to contribute fully.

• We welcome the diversity of family lifestyles and work with all families

• We do not discriminate against a child or their family, or prevent entry to our setting, on the basis of colour, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion or social background, such as being a member of a travelling community or an asylum seeker.

 

Our setting recognises parents as the first and most important educators of their children.  All of the staff see themselves as working in partnership with parents in providing care and education of their child.  There are many ways in which parents are encouraged to participate in making the setting a welcoming and stimulating place for children and other parents and carers, such as:

• 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 setting;

• Taking part in events and informal discussions about the activities and curriculum provided by the setting;

• Joining in community activities in which the setting takes part.

 

We also value parents/carers who:

• Take time to share their own special interests with the children

• Help during sessions; either directly with the children or with other staff members and parents/carers.

 

To enable Pre-School to continue operate according to it’s high standards of valuing diversity by providing equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice for all children and families, we expect a all visitors and volunteers, including parents to adhere to a code of conduct.

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Code of Conduct:

This code of conduct is for staff, volunteers, parents and carers equally.

The Pre-school staff, committee, volunteers, parents and carers can expect to be treated and treat others with respectful manner and with patience.

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Unacceptable behaviour:

• Raised voices, Rude swearing, abrupt and negative body language, rude remarks to others and threatening behaviour will not be tolerated

• Displays of openly racist insignia, distribution of racist material, or name calling are unacceptable

• Persons under the intoxicated with alcohol or drugs.

• Using loud/or offensive language, swearing, cursing, using profane language or displaying a temper.

• Threatening to do actual bodily harm to a member of school staff,

• Damaging or destroying school property.

• Abusive or threatening emails or text/voicemail/phone messages or other written communication

• Defamatory, offensive or derogatory comments regarding the school or any of the

• students/parent/staff, at the school on Facebook or other social sites.

• The use of physical aggression towards another adult or child.

• Approaching someone else’s child in order to discuss or chastise them because of the

• actions of this child towards their own child.

• Smoking and consumption of alcohol or other drugs whilst on school property.

• Speaking to your child in a disrespectful way and threats to cause physical harm.

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Procedure:

 

Anyone displaying any of the above behaviours and not being respectful to the staff and visitors within the setting will be asked to leave the premises immediately; failure to do so will result in the police being called.

In any of the above cases the most senior member of staff will record the incident and inform the chairperson at the earliest convenience.

If a member of staff has demonstrated unacceptable behaviour the disciplinary procedures will apply.

 

In the event of the behaviour being that of a parent/carer or volunteer the following action may be taken:

The Management Committee with the Preschool manager will, if appropriate, arrange a meeting with the offender to discuss their behaviour and any further action to be taken.  This meeting will take place within 14 days of the behaviour.

 

The offending person will be invited to attend an informal meeting and may bring a representative with them.  The aim of the meeting will be to decide on moving forward in an positive and appropriate manner and may if needed involve a third and independent party as requested by the management committee.

 

The outcome of the meeting will be given in writing to the offending person.  This response will be given within 14 days of the informal meeting.  Should the offending person wish they may respond in writing, however, the decision of the management committee will reflect what is best for all parties, focusing on the welfare of the children attending the Pre-school and the decision of the management committee will be final.

 

All parties should be aware that unacceptable behaviour might result in the offender being excluded from the premises and in cases of volunteers the withdrawal of the placement.

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