Keyworkers and Starting at Pre School
On starting Pre School, your child will be allocated a key person who, right from the start, will work hard to develop a trusting relationship with your child and a strong partnership with you. This will be invaluable in your child’s first few days when they settle and adjust to their new surroundings. We want your child to feel happy and safe, and appreciate that this can take longer for some children than others. In these cases, the key person will concentrate on giving extra support to you and your child, and will work with you to develop strategies which will help your child to settle. We do offer home visits, which although not compulsory, can provide an opportunity for your child’s key person to observe your child in familiar surroundings where they are at their most relaxed.
Your child’s key person will track and monitor your child’s progress during their time with us and will feed their needs and interests into our planning in order to extend and challenge their learning and support the development of skills which will lay firm foundations for the future.
What to Wear, Uniform and Naming Clothing
We do have a non compulsory uniform which can be purchased from myclothing.com (typing in Middleton Cheney Pre School) or from our small stock at Pre School (email admin@mcpreschool.co.uk). Polo t-shirts and jumpers embossed with our logos are available and are ideal for wearing as children are encouraged to explore and experiment with all kinds of materials, often getting very messy and dirty.
Since September 2015 we have been able to offer a free Pre School polo t-shirt to all of our new starters. We fund this through our fundraising activities and we're very grateful to our fundraising team for continuing to support this.
If you choose not to wear uniform, we suggest that children are sent in wearing simple, loose clothing which is washable and can easily be put on or taken off.
To protect shoes, and help with the muddy wet conditions, we do ask that you send your child with a named pair of wellies which can be returned if needed at the end of the day or week.
We also ask you to name everything including bags. please mark with a pen on the label or you may wish to purchase name tags. Try www.mynametags.com and type in our school ID 83932 as every time an order is placed we receive a donation.
Nappies and Toilet Training
We welcome children who are still in nappies and have changing facilities in our purpose built toddler toilets. We will support you in toilet training your child as and when they are ready to start. Children are allowed to go to the toilet at any time during a session. We do suggest that children come to Pre School with a set of clothes in their bag, however, spare clothing is available if needed. In this situation, we will ask parents to launder and return to Pre School.
Illness and Medication
In line with Health Proffesional Agency advice, if your child has diarrhoea or sickness, please keep them at home for 48 hours. If your child contracts one of the common childhood contagious illnesses such as Chicken Pox or Slapped Cheek, could you please advise the Pre-School manager so that the information can be relayed to other parents/carers, especially any who are in the early stages of a pregnancy. A poster in the foyer has a list of common childhood ailments and their incubation periods etc.
If your child has conjunctivitis we ask that they are kept away from the setting until discharge has disappeared.
Unfortunately in these modern times, head lice and threadworms are a common occurrence and can spread rapidly. If your child picks them up, please telephone Pre-School and we can then ask for other parents to be vigilant. This is treated in the strictest confidence and no child is ever named. When the child has been suitably treated they may return.
If your child is unwell and unable to attend Pre School or you have any concerns, please contact us as soon as possible by telephone ( 01295 712353) or email (preschoolcommittee@live.co.uk). Please note we are only able to administer prescribed medication.
Holidays
In the event of you wishing to take your child out of Pre School for family outings/holidays etc., we would greatly appreciate advance notice to better enable us to plan for your child’s curricular requirements. Fees must be paid for any short term absences and this includes family holidays. Please email or send a letter into Pre School with the dates your child will be away and also if you are dropping off late or picking up early.
Change of Circumstance
It is always helpful for the manager and staff to know of any changes in circumstances at home, e.g moving house, getting a job, a split or death in the family, loss of a pet or indeed anything which is likely to affect the child’s behaviour or mood. Please also feel free to share if there are exciting events taking place at home, such as planned trips, holidays or the arrival of a pet for example. We can then share in the excitement with the children and plan activities around these events, which can build on their interest and enthusiasm.