Overview
Puffins is a community based group that provides day care and pre-school education for children aged two to five, term time only. We are a registered charity, managed by a parent committee and governed by Ofsted.
Aims
• To provide a safe, secure and stimulating environment with high quality care and education
• To help your child to develop their social, emotional and developmental skills
• To treat every one as an individual and to welcome families from all different backgrounds
• To work in partnership with parents to help children learn and develop
• To value the traditions of our local community
• To live, learn, work and play together.
Before You Start
Children can start at Puffins from the age of 2. Once your child is registered with us, we will contact you the half term before they are 2 to discuss when you would like your child to start the following term, or if you would like to wait until they are 3.
Before they start we will also invite you and your child to visit pre-school in the half term before your child starts.
-
We have a child-led approach to children's development and learning and are guided by the Revised Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum.
This focuses on 3 prime areas of development:
• Personal, social and emotional development
• Physical development
• Communication and Language
In other words: to be happy, to move and to talk.
We also look at four more specific educational areas
• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the world
• Expressive Arts and Design
-
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. At Puffins we use the Early Years Foundation Stage 'Development Matters' 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. We use observations of the children and information from parents to help us plan weekly activities. We also make sure a wide range of different activities, toys, recourse and arts and craft are on hand all the time so that children can make their own choices. We offer a wide range of child led and adult guided activities which ensure we are meeting the learning needs of all children.
Children's progress is recorded in a scrap book and compared to the Development Matters guidance so that staff know that children are working across the curriculum and getting a wide range of different experiences. We encourage parents to bring in information and pictures from home to add to the children's books. These book are kept in trays in the play room. Children are encouraged to get them out, look at them and put pictures in them. Parents are also allowed to look at them freely.
More information on the curriculum can be found in the Operational Plan, and all policy and procedural information can be found in the policy file, both of which are kept on the desk in the office.
-
Each child has a key person who works with the family to make sure we provide the correct care and education to suit your child's individual needs. They will be the main link between you and the setting and will play a large part in helping your child to settle. They will keep clear and concise records and assessments of your child and keep you informed of their progress.
-
When a child reaches 2 and a half (depending on how long they have been at Puffins) we supply parents with a written summary of their development focusing on the 3 prime areas:
• Personal, social and emotional development
• Communication and language
• Physical development
Along with the support of the Play Leader and the Deputy, the Key Worker writes this summary using information from observations and assessment. This is then discussed with the parents and passed onto the health visitor.
-
We see 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. There are many ways in which parents are involved at Puffins:
• exchanging knowledge about their children's needs, activities, interests and progress with the staff
• contributing to the progress check at age two
• sharing their own special interests with the children
• helping to provide, make and look after the equipment and materials used in the children's play activities
• being part of the management committee 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
• building friendships with other parents in the setting
Staff are always available for parents to chat to and we have an open house policy so feel free to pop in at any time.
-
Copies of the setting's policies and procedures kept on the desk in the office but are available for you to read at all times.
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 her/his parents.
The staff and parents of the setting work together to adopt the policies and they all have the opportunity to take part in the annual review of the policies. This review helps us to make sure that the policies are enabling the setting to provide a quality service for its members and the local community.
-
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 child protection officers Beth Comber and the Deputy is Charlotte Matthews.
-
As part of the setting's policy to make sure that its provision meets the need of each individual child, we take account of any special needs a child may have. The setting works to the requirements of the 1993 Education Act and The Special Needs Educational Needs Code of Practice (2001).
Our Special Needs Co-ordinator is Beth Comber.
Daily Routine
Arrival
The session starts at 9am or 1pm and the children can have free play indoor and out for most of the this time. During this time a wide range of different activities, designed to complement each other and to meet the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum are on offer. At some point during the session the children and staff may come together for Circle Time. This is a lovely time for them to share items and stories from home and to talk about the different things they have done during the session. We may also have a story or do some singing or play musical instruments.
Snack Time
At about 10am and 2pm a member of staff opens the 'Snack Cafe'. Children sit down in groups of 4 or 5 to eat their snack. We provide a selection of fruit, toast, crackers and breadsticks with milk or water.
Lunch Time
If children stay all day they can either bring a healthy packed lunch or order a school dinner.
Packed Lunches: please try to include a drink in a plastic container (no fizzy drinks, please) and some fruit.
School Dinners: If you prefer, we can order you a school dinner from the primary school at a cost of £2.50. This includes a healthy main course (or jacket potato) and a pudding. Orders are taken every half term.
Outdoor Play
Although children have the opportunity to play outside all day, the last half hour of the session is a special time when we can all go outside and get out the bikes, scooters, footballs and other big outdoor equipment.
Out and About Sessions
At 1 or 2 sessions a week we try and spend the whole session in the garden, on walks up to Peco Woods, or down at the beach. We go on bug hunts, bear hunts, or build dens. We try to go out in all weathers and the pre-school has an assortment of different waterproofs and boots for all the children.
Collecting Children
It is very important that children are collected on time, by 3:30pm. If you have children at Beer School, please collect your pre-school children first. We do understand that sometimes things happen to make us late but please could you ring first so that staff know.
Car Park
The car park is shared by the school and pre-school. It is restricted during drop off and pickup times and the entrance must always be kept clear. Please use parking in Mare Lane and Pecorama car parks. Thank you.
Smoking
The school setting and school grounds are all a non smoking area. this includes the car park, so please don't sit and smoke in your car while you are waiting for your child.
This includes Vaping.
The Partnership With Beer Primary School
Although the pre-school and primary school are independent of each other, we do have very good links.
During the term before the children start, we arrange transition sessions with the school providing lots of opportunities for the children to get used to the school environment and meet the staff. This makes the transition from Puffins a smooth process.
Links To Other Schools
We also have links with Seaton Primary School and other local primary schools in the area. We pride ourselves on working in partnership them to offer transition sessions in the term before the children start school.