The Little Acorns Pre-School, St Lukes Church Hall, Gloucester Avenue,
Chelmsford,
Essex CM2 9DT
Key Person
The pre-school has a key person system which means that each member of staff has a small group of children for whom they help settle into preschool and build a relationship with parents/carers. They observe and assess children's progress, looking at next steps. This information is recorded on their Learning Journals highlighting your child’s stage of development. Your child’s records are available for you to see at any time. Please arrange a convenient time with your child’s key person or the Supervisor
Training
As well as gaining qualifications in early years care and education, the pre-school staff take part in further training to help them to keep up-to-date with early years care and education. Courses are offered through the Pre-school Learning Alliance and Essex Early Years for both staff and parents.
Settling In
We want your child to feel happy and safe at our pre-school. To make sure that this is the case, we will work with you to decide on how to help your child to settle into the pre-school. The pre-school has a Settling In Pre-school policy for you to read.
Snacks
The pre-school provides snacks and a choice of milk or water. This is a social time at which children can visit the snack bar, which is open for an hour, and sit together, providing opportunities for healthy snacks and group discussions. Please tell us about your child's dietary needs and we will make sure that these are met. There is a 30p snack charge per child per session.
Rising Stars and Lunch Club
A short Rising Stars session and lunch club is offered to the children moving on to school to help with transition. Lunch club runs from 12.00pm – 12.30pm and is optional at a cost of £1.00 per child per session.
Clothing
Your child will need a bag, slip-on plimsolls or similar (for safety) and a small towel with a loop sewn on. All items must be clearly marked with the child’s name. If your child is in nappies/pull-ups, please provide spares in their bags. For children who are in the process of toilet training, please provide a spare set of clothes. Aprons are supplied for gluing, painting and water activities. The pre-school cannot be held responsible for loss or damage of belongings, clothing, buggies etc that are brought to the premises.
The Sessions
The current session times are:
Monday to Friday
9.15am to 12.15pm, during the standard school terms.
Monday and Friday
9.15am to 3.30pm, during the standard school terms.
(Morning - 9.15am to 12.15pm) and (Afternoon - 12.30pm to 3.30pm)
(With the fluctuation of child numbers throughout the year, The Little Acorns Pre-school cannot guarantee that afternoon sessions will always be available)
Children can choose from a range of activities and, in doing so, build up their ability to select and work through a task. The children are encouraged to take part in adult-led small and large group activities which introduce them to new experiences and help them to gain new skills, as well as helping them to learn to work with others. Outdoor activities contribute to children's health, physical development and knowledge of the world around them.
Special Educational Needs
As part of the pre-school's policy to make sure that its provision meets the needs of each individual child, we take account of any special need which a child may have. The pre-school works to the requirements of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice (2015). There is a SEND session (Stargazers) one morning a week accommodating a small group of children. Our Local Offer is on this website.
Policies and Procedures
We now have a new section on this website of the pre-school's policies and procedures. The pre-school's policies and procedures help us to make sure that Every Child Matters and the service provided by the pre-school is a high quality one and that being a member of the pre-school is an enjoyable and beneficial experience for children and parents alike. The staff and parents of the pre-school 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 pre-school to provide a quality service for all.