We’re a small and friendly pre-school for 3 to 5 year olds. You’ll find us next to the Church in Swimbridge, in the old school rooms.

The pre-school was set up over 20 years ago and we’ve kept it small because we believe it is a better environment for children. It’s homely and they get the attention they need.

·       Sessions are run every weekday morning during term time from 9am to 11.30am.

·       A Lunch Club is held twice a week (11.30am-12.30pm).

From art and craft to music and movement, there is a broad mix of stimulating activities for the children.

Sessions are carefully planned by fully qualified teachers, and there’s plenty of opportunity for the children to play together or independently.

Traditional family values are at the heart of our pre-school. We encourage the children to explore boundaries in a safe and secure way and begin to learn right from wrong.

Our aim is to develop each child’s potential so they are ready for their next big step to primary school.

Learning through play

At the start of every term, we plan our sessions based on the Early Years Foundation Stage document. This gives government guidelines for teaching children up to 5 years old and it is set by OFSTED (the Office for Standards in Education).

‘Every Child Matters’ is the cornerstone of the Early Years Foundation Stage. The main aims are to help children stay safe, be healthy, enjoy life, achieve and make a positive contribution. It also recognises that children learn in different ways and at different rates.

There are six Early Learning Goals that we cover through play.

• Children are encouraged to bring something from home to ’show’ at chat time.

• There’s a topic, colour, letter, shape and number of the week.
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How we run our pre-school

Swimbridge Pre-school is a registered charity, managed by a voluntary committee made up of parents. This changes about every two years as children pass through pre-school.

We are self funding, so throughout the year we organise a calendar of fundraising events. (Any new ideas are welcome!)

There are three members of staff: Sarah, Khadine and Emma. They are all qualified to lead the session and have certificates in First Aid. They attend teaching courses regularly to update their expertise. Sarah is our Special Needs Co-ordinator.

To make sure there is always a ratio of 1 adult to 4 children, we do ask parents/carers to join a rota to help out when necessary. It is usually only a couple of times a term and it is a great way to be involved in your child’s early learning.

• To arrange a visit to pre-school, call Sarah on 01271 830357. 

 

Taking care of your child

Keeping children safe while they are in our care is a priority.

The teachers are trained in First Aid and every day they carry out safety checks. Fire drills are also held regularly.

At snack time, we make sure high standards of food hygiene are maintained and that the children wash their hands before eating.

• Under our healthy-eating scheme, every child brings in fruit to share at snack time.

 

Working with parents 

We want to make sure your child spends happy days at pre-school, so please share any concerns you may have with Sarah, Khadine or Emma. We are here to help.

Each child is allocated a Key Person (Sarah, Khadine or Emma) who takes a particular interest in the child’s development.

Twice a year, we hold an open evening for you to come and discuss your child’s progress in detail. You can also make an appointment anytime.

We ask parents or carers to join a rota to help out when necessary so that we can keep the ratio of 1 adult to 4 children. It is usually only a couple of times a term.

A newsletter is produced every half-term to give details of fundraising events and to share news about pre-school.

• Take a look at the noticeboard inside the door for a plan of the week’s activities.

  

Close links with other groups

We have a close relationship with Swimbridge Primary School and arrange visits to the reception class every term. This has proved an invaluable experience for the children, especially those who will be attending Swimbridge Primary School.

The committee keeps in touch with Trio Childcare, who advises us on policies and government regulations.

We have an operational plan, which is a collection of all our policies and procedures that meet the national standards required of all pre-schools. This is available to all parents, so please feel free to look at it anytime.

 

Who can apply?

Children can start Swimbridge Pre-school when they reach 3 years old.

You can register anytime before your child’s 3^rd birthday and we are happy to take applications from children who live outside the parish of Swimbridge.

To keep the groups small, there is a maximum of 12 places per session and the waiting list is arranged in order of date of birth.

During the half-term before their 3^rd birthday, children can visit twice with their parent/carer. We also run an introductory session for parents/carers and children to join in.

What is the cost?

Your child may be eligible for free sessions. There is an Early Years Grant that entitles every child from the age of 3 to 5 to five free sessions per week. We can apply directly for your child’s funding, so there’s nothing for you to do.

If your child goes to another childcare/education provider where the cost is covered by the grant, we will charge a fee for each session at pre-school. These fees do need to be paid at the start of each term.

There is also a small registration fee to cover our administration costs.

Each week, you can choose whether your child stays for Lunch Club. It is a one-hour session, held twice a week, and there is a small charge. 

Useful things to know

• Free sessions are available.
• We are OFSTED approved.
• All the teachers are fully qualified, trained in First Aid and Police checked.
• There is an optional Lunch Club twice a week.
• We have close links with Swimbridge Primary School.