Autumn Term 2021 Dates

First day of the Autumn term: Tuesday the 7th of September

Closed for Half term: Monday 25th of October to Friday 29th of October Back on Monday 1st of November.

Last day of the Autumn term: Thursday the 16th of December.

The Christmas parties will be held on Friday the 17th of December 

Further details will follow nearer the time.

 Please note there will be no regular Pre-school session on this day.

We return to Pre-school for the start of the Spring term on Monday the 10th of January 2022

Our hours are:

Monday to Friday, morning session 9.00am to 12.00pm

Monday to Friday, full day session 9.00am to 2.45 pm

We are a term time only setting.

It is important for parents and pre-school staff to work together to help the child to feel confident and secure in the group. This takes longer for some children than for others and parents should not feel worried if their child takes a while to settle in.

What to wear

In order to feel free to explore and experiment with all kinds of materials, including messy ones, it is best to send children dressed in clothes that are easily washable or not too new.

Plimsolls Please remember children must change outdoor shoes for soft slip-on plimsolls, Please put your child’s name in their shoes as we take them off and on regularly throughout the morning for entry to our soft play area. NO CROCS, SANDALS OR FLIP FLOPS these are very dangerous. You must provide outdoor shoes / wellies for your children so that we can change them when going outdoors. 

It is good for children to practice the skills, which make them independent. Simple clothing which they can handle themselves will enable them to go to the toilet when they want to and to put on and take off their outdoor clothes without being too dependent on other people’s help.

What to bring

Children’s bags We do not allow the use of draw string bags or plastic carrier bags (including nappy sacks). Such bags could cause a potential risk of strangulation or suffocation. Please do not leave any items in bags in the cloakroom, such as sun protection lotion, medication, snacks or plastic bags.   

Sun cream Please remember to put sun protection lotion on your children before they come to Pre-school in the morning.  If they are staying for the afternoon session you can provide sun cream that we can apply after lunch, alternatively we will use the pre-school sun cream. If you do want to provide your own sun cream please label with their name and hand to a member of staff. 

All Children staying for Lunch Club require a healthy packed lunch. Our Pre-school is a ‘nut-free’ zone, so please do not include any items containing nuts. We provide a healthy fruit snack and milk at every session

What is Tapestry?

Tapestry is a secure online Learning Journal to record photos, observations and comments, in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum, to build up a record of your child’s experiences during their time with us. This system allows us to work with parents and carers to share information and record the children’s play and learning in and outside of the classroom.

What is Tapestry’s website address?

https://eylj.org/

How does Tapestry work?

Tapestry provides each individual child with their own Learning Journal held online. Parents and carers are given their own log-in using their email and password (which is pre-set by us but can be changed by you to make it more secure). All our staff are given a secure log-in. They can then upload observations, photos or videos; recording children’s achievements and assessing their learning in reference to the EYFS curriculum.

Parents can change their settings so that an email is then automatically generated informing them when an observation has been added so they can have a look and add any comments of their own.

Who can access Tapestry?

As parents/carers you both can access Tapestry by letting Pre-School know any e-mail addresses that you wish to link with the system (limited to 2 per child).

Can other relatives join in Tapestry?

You can choose to share your log in details with extended family if you wish, so they can see your child’s Learning Journal.

Where do I start?

Once you have given us an email address, we will set up an account for you. Go to https://eylj.org/ on your computer.

Or if you have an iPhone/iPad please visit the iTunes store and download the Tapestry app from the Education section (search for Tapestry Mobile).

If you have an Android/Tablet, search for Tapestry learning journal and down load.

Login using your email address and the password we give you. We strongly recommend that you change your password on your first visit.

What is the PIN setting up for?

When you access Tapestry through mobile phone or tablet, please set a unique PIN when you log in for the first time. This will be required whenever you return to the application or after the screen has locked.

How do I change my settings on the computer?

At the top right of your screen you will see your name, and selecting this will give you the option to ‘Edit Preferences’. Choose this option and you will be presented with a screen giving you the option to change your email address and password.

You also have the option to receive an email whenever a new observation is added to your child’s Learning Journal – just tick or untick the relevant box if you would like to change this setting.

How do I change my settings on iPhone/iPad/Android?

To change your settings on the iPhone/iPad app, click the 'gear' button on the top right hand side of the application. This enables you to change password and/or email address.

How can I view my child’s Learning Journals?

Once logged in, you will see your child’s observations on your home screen in a list – selecting any one of these will open up the observation for you to look at. You may add comments in the box at the bottom of the observation if you would like to - and we would love to receive such comments!

How do I know that my child’s Learning Journal has been updated?

The system will automatically send you an email when an observation for your child has been added.

How do I add an entry to my child’s Learning Journal?

Choose the ‘Add Observation’ option (or the 'plus' icon on your iPhone/iPad/Android) and add the relevant information in the boxes on screen. Photos and videos may be uploaded by choosing the ‘add media’ option. When you have saved your observation, you may go back to the home screen at any time by choosing ‘home’.

Who can access my Child’s Learning Journal?

The Pre-School has access to all of the children’s Learning Journals.  The only other people that can see your child’s account will be yourselves and anyone that you share your log in details with, such as Grandparents etc.  If your child is featured in a group observation, their photo may appear in another child’s Learning Journal.  If you do not want your child’s photo to be visible in anyone else’s account then please let us know.

Will I receive a copy of my child’s Learning Journal at the end of the year?

Yes, we will save your child’s Learning Journal and this will be sent to you at the end of the year.

We really hope that you enjoy using Tapestry and that it helps to keep you feeling informed about your child’s learning.  If you have any questions or problems using Tapestry then please let us know.

To read our latest OFSTED report please click below

Ofsted Report

In the event of a parent/carer wishing to complain to Ofsted, the contact details are:

https://contact.ofsted.gov.uk/online-complaints

0300 123 1231

OFSTED National Business Unit

Piccadilly Gate

Store Street

Manchester

M1 2WD

For our full complaints policy, please see POLICIES SECTION 10.12 on this website

alternatively please ask to see a copy available at our setting.

From September 2021 our fees are £17.50  for a 3 hour morning session and £33.50 for a full day session (9am - 2.45pm). 

These are payable in advance.

A Non-refundable deposit of £25 is required to secure a place at our pre-school, this £25 will be deducted from the first term's fees. We then ask for payment at the beginning of each new half term.

Fees are payable even if your child misses sessions through holiday or illness.

We are in receipt of nursery education funding for all three and four year olds, where funding is not received, fees will apply.  Free early education entitlement commences the term after the child’s third birthday.

A maximum of 15 hours funding is available for some 2 year olds subject to meeting required criteria.  

Four weeks notice must be given if you wish your child to leave; alternatively four weeks fees can be paid in lieu of notice.

From April 2015, nurseries, schools, child-minders and other childcare providers will be able to claim extra funding through the Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) to support children’s development, learning and care. We wanted to write to you to explain what the Early Years Pupil Premium is, explain who is eligible for this funding and, importantly, to ask you to fill out the enclosed forms so that we as a provider can claim the extra funding.

National data and research tells that children eligible for free school meals tend to do less well, for example in 2014, 45 per cent of children eligible for free school meals achieved the expected level at the end of the early years foundation stage compared with 64 per cent of other children. The Early Years Pupil Premium will provide us with extra funding to close this gap.

We can use the extra funding in any way we choose to improve the quality of the early year’s education that we provide for your child. This could include for example additional training for our staff on early language, investing in partnership working with our colleagues in the area to further our expertise or supporting our staff in working on specialised areas such as speech and language.

It is well documented that high quality early education can influence how well a child does at both primary and secondary school so we do want to make the most of this additional funding. You may be aware if you have older children that a pupil premium has been available for school age children and it has proved to have given a real boost to the children receiving the funding. We want to do the same for our early years children entitled to this funding.

Therefore we ask that you please complete the form if you believe your child may be eligible for the EYPP. This will allow us to claim the additional Early Years Pupil Premium.

If you have any questions, please contact Cathy.

Thank you

All Additional Activities were postponed due to COVID-19 Restrictions - Hoping to restart in the near future.

Gymnastics and Football

We are continuing with the Football sessions on a Thursday afternoon.  If your child attends on these afternoons and you would like them to take part there is a charge of £1.50 a week.

We are continuing with the Gymnastics sessions on a Friday morning. If your child attends on these mornings and you would like them to take part there is a charge of £2.000 a week.

Forest School

We are also running a 6 week Forest school course which will be on Wednesday mornings. The price of this 6 week course is £36.00, please ask for further details. Your child must be age 3 or above.