ADMISSION INFORMATION
Colgate Pre-school will contact you when a place becomes available. A payment of £30 is charged for non funded children to secure a place. This fee covers administration costs and two short settling sessions which will be arranged at your pre-admission meeting.
SETTLING YOUR CHILD AT PRE-SCHOOL
We recognise that each child has individual needs and some children will settle quicker than others. It is important that we work at your child’s own pace and will liaise with you to ensure we put an appropriate settling plan in place. Please telephone Pre-school on: 01293 851606 or 07716951016 at any time to check on your child’s progress.
PARENT HELP AND SUPPORT
Parents are asked to support their child at events organised during a Pre-school session. This will be a maximum of three times a year and includes the following events: Christmas Nativity, Easter Parade and Sports Day.
CHILDREN WITH ADDITIONAL NEEDS
Colgate Pre-school caters for children with a variety of needs. We encourage parents to visit the setting and decide if our facilities would be suitable for their child. We will liaise with the local authority and aim to provide equipment and support to aid each child’s individual development.
STAFFING
Colgate Pre-school currently employs eleven members of staff. The Pre-school Manager has a Master's Degree in Education, a First Class BA (Hons) Degree with Early Years Professional Status (EYPS) and is also a Level 3 Forest School Leader. The Deputy Manager also has a Level 6 BA (Hons) Degree in Professional Studies Learning and Development and is level 3 forest school trained. One member of staff has a First Class BA (Hons) Degree in Childhood Studies and is also a Level 2 Forest School Assistant. Another member of staff is a qualified Teacher with QTS and is a Level 2 Forest School Assistant.
Three staff have a Level 3 Childcare qualification, and one is also level 2 forest school assistant. One member of staff has a level 2 relevant qualification and two staff are currently completing their level 3 award.
All staff have DBS clearance and are fully trained in Paediatric First Aid, including EpiPen administration.
All staff have completed statutory training which includes, Safeguarding, Prevent, Fire Safety, Food Hygiene, Health and Safety and Manual Handling. We also regularly attend Early Years Foundation Stage training for our continued professional development.
Our minimum ratios are 1 adult to 5 children aged 2 years old and 1 adult to 8 children aged 3-5 years old.
CLOTHING
Please dress your child in suitable comfortable clothing that allows them to go to the toilet unaided. Aprons are provided for messy activities but as clothing may still become soiled, we request that children avoid wearing their best clothes to pre-school. Colgate Pre-school t-shirts and sweatshirts are available to purchase in a variety of colours. Please encourage your child to find their own peg and hang their coat to develop independence and personal skills. All your child’s belongings must be clearly labelled.
CHILD HEALTH
When your child joins Colgate Pre-school you will be asked to complete Emergency treatment forms. This is a registration requirement and in the unlikely event your child should need medical treatment we will contact the emergency services. All relevant medical details must be entered on your child’s application form. Children who have been unwell in the last 48 hours should not attend pre-school. If your child is absent for any reason, we would appreciate a telephone call. At Colgate Pre-school we encourage and promote healthy eating. If your child attends over the lunchtime period, please provide a healthy lunch box and drink clearly labelled with a cool block inside.
CHILD SAFETY
The children’s safety is our primary concern. At the beginning of the session there is a member of staff at the door to welcome your child. On entry to the setting the children are asked to wash their hands and hang their coat up on their peg. If you have arranged for someone else to collect your child, you must inform the member of staff on the door who will record it on our sign in sheet.
There is a qualified First Aider on duty each session, all accidents are recorded in the accident book and reported to parents who will be required to sign the form. Evacuation drills are practiced every half term, so children become familiar with the procedure. If it was necessary to evacuate the building in an emergency, we would escort the children to Colgate Primary school and contact parents immediately.
COLGATE PRE-SCHOOL COMMITTEE
Colgate Pre-school is managed by a voluntary committee who are responsible for the fundraising, finances and staffing of the group. All parents are welcome to join the committee, meetings are held regularly, and we rely on fundraising to purchase new equipment plus fund special events such as parties and trips. Parent help is always greatly appreciated during fundraising events.
LEAVING COLGATE PRE-SCHOOL
When it is time for your child to leave Colgate Pre-school, we aim to communicate with the school that your child will be moving on to. We organise regular visits to Colgate Primary School which helps the children to become familiar with a school environment. If your child is going to attend a different school, we will invite their new teacher to visit us during a Pre-school session. When you choose to send your child to school will depend on their emotional, social, and academic readiness plus their date of birth. The decision is entirely yours.
If you decide to take the early offer of a school place, we will help prepare your child for school. If you choose to wait until they are five, or at some time in between we will ensure that your child continues to follow an appropriate curriculum. We realise that this is a difficult decision for parents to make and will be happy to discuss your child’s readiness for school nearer the time if you feel this would be helpful.
WAITING LIST
Children can be entered onto the waiting list after their first birthday. If you would like to place your child’s name on our waiting list, please complete and return a registration form. When a place becomes available, we will contact you and arrange a pre-admission meeting, settling sessions and a start date. Please note that entering your child’s name onto our waiting list will not guarantee a place at Colgate Pre-school. We will discuss with you your child’s place on the waiting list and inform you when we are expecting a place to be available.
COLGATE PRIMARY SCHOOL
Attending Colgate Pre-school will not guarantee a place at Colgate Primary School. For all enquiries regarding Colgate Primary School telephone: 01293 851254.
Colgate Pre-school will contact you when a place becomes available. A payment of £30 is charged for non funded children to secure a place. This fee covers administration costs and two short settling sessions which will be arranged at your pre-admission meeting.
SETTLING YOUR CHILD AT PRE-SCHOOL
We recognise that each child has individual needs and some children will settle quicker than others. It is important that we work at your child’s own pace and will liaise with you to ensure we put an appropriate settling plan in place. Please telephone Pre-school on: 01293 851606 or 07716951016 at any time to check on your child’s progress.
PARENT HELP AND SUPPORT
Parents are asked to support their child at events organised during a Pre-school session. This will be a maximum of three times a year and includes the following events: Christmas Nativity, Easter Parade and Sports Day.
CHILDREN WITH ADDITIONAL NEEDS
Colgate Pre-school caters for children with a variety of needs. We encourage parents to visit the setting and decide if our facilities would be suitable for their child. We will liaise with the local authority and aim to provide equipment and support to aid each child’s individual development.
STAFFING
Colgate Pre-school currently employs eleven members of staff. The Pre-school Manager has a Master's Degree in Education, a First Class BA (Hons) Degree with Early Years Professional Status (EYPS) and is also a Level 3 Forest School Leader. The Deputy Manager also has a Level 6 BA (Hons) Degree in Professional Studies Learning and Development and is level 3 forest school trained. One member of staff has a First Class BA (Hons) Degree in Childhood Studies and is also a Level 2 Forest School Assistant. Another member of staff is a qualified Teacher with QTS and is a Level 2 Forest School Assistant.
Three staff have a Level 3 Childcare qualification, and one is also level 2 forest school assistant. One member of staff has a level 2 relevant qualification and two staff are currently completing their level 3 award.
All staff have DBS clearance and are fully trained in Paediatric First Aid, including EpiPen administration.
All staff have completed statutory training which includes, Safeguarding, Prevent, Fire Safety, Food Hygiene, Health and Safety and Manual Handling. We also regularly attend Early Years Foundation Stage training for our continued professional development.
Our minimum ratios are 1 adult to 5 children aged 2 years old and 1 adult to 8 children aged 3-5 years old.
CLOTHING
Please dress your child in suitable comfortable clothing that allows them to go to the toilet unaided. Aprons are provided for messy activities but as clothing may still become soiled, we request that children avoid wearing their best clothes to pre-school. Colgate Pre-school t-shirts and sweatshirts are available to purchase in a variety of colours. Please encourage your child to find their own peg and hang their coat to develop independence and personal skills. All your child’s belongings must be clearly labelled.
CHILD HEALTH
When your child joins Colgate Pre-school you will be asked to complete Emergency treatment forms. This is a registration requirement and in the unlikely event your child should need medical treatment we will contact the emergency services. All relevant medical details must be entered on your child’s application form. Children who have been unwell in the last 48 hours should not attend pre-school. If your child is absent for any reason, we would appreciate a telephone call. At Colgate Pre-school we encourage and promote healthy eating. If your child attends over the lunchtime period, please provide a healthy lunch box and drink clearly labelled with a cool block inside.
CHILD SAFETY
The children’s safety is our primary concern. At the beginning of the session there is a member of staff at the door to welcome your child. On entry to the setting the children are asked to wash their hands and hang their coat up on their peg. If you have arranged for someone else to collect your child, you must inform the member of staff on the door who will record it on our sign in sheet.
There is a qualified First Aider on duty each session, all accidents are recorded in the accident book and reported to parents who will be required to sign the form. Evacuation drills are practiced every half term, so children become familiar with the procedure. If it was necessary to evacuate the building in an emergency, we would escort the children to Colgate Primary school and contact parents immediately.
COLGATE PRE-SCHOOL COMMITTEE
Colgate Pre-school is managed by a voluntary committee who are responsible for the fundraising, finances and staffing of the group. All parents are welcome to join the committee, meetings are held regularly, and we rely on fundraising to purchase new equipment plus fund special events such as parties and trips. Parent help is always greatly appreciated during fundraising events.
LEAVING COLGATE PRE-SCHOOL
When it is time for your child to leave Colgate Pre-school, we aim to communicate with the school that your child will be moving on to. We organise regular visits to Colgate Primary School which helps the children to become familiar with a school environment. If your child is going to attend a different school, we will invite their new teacher to visit us during a Pre-school session. When you choose to send your child to school will depend on their emotional, social, and academic readiness plus their date of birth. The decision is entirely yours.
If you decide to take the early offer of a school place, we will help prepare your child for school. If you choose to wait until they are five, or at some time in between we will ensure that your child continues to follow an appropriate curriculum. We realise that this is a difficult decision for parents to make and will be happy to discuss your child’s readiness for school nearer the time if you feel this would be helpful.
WAITING LIST
Children can be entered onto the waiting list after their first birthday. If you would like to place your child’s name on our waiting list, please complete and return a registration form. When a place becomes available, we will contact you and arrange a pre-admission meeting, settling sessions and a start date. Please note that entering your child’s name onto our waiting list will not guarantee a place at Colgate Pre-school. We will discuss with you your child’s place on the waiting list and inform you when we are expecting a place to be available.
COLGATE PRIMARY SCHOOL
Attending Colgate Pre-school will not guarantee a place at Colgate Primary School. For all enquiries regarding Colgate Primary School telephone: 01293 851254.