Preschool Prospectus
PROVIDING HIGH QUALITY CARE AND EDUCATION FOR
CHILDREN AGED 2 – 11 YEARS
Little Learner’s Preschool & Happy Holiday Hub is a fully equipped educational setting where children are at the centre. Based in the small village of West Horndon with close links to London through the C2C line just a short walk.
The setting benefits from a large car park to make dropping of and collecting your children hassle free, its own private fully resourced garden area as well as local woodlands and playing fields within walking distance for extending learning activities and community outings.
At Little Learners Preschool and The Happy Holiday Hub all children are treated as individuals, it is our settings culture to ensure every child receives and benefits from high-quality care, education, and experiences. We ensure all staff hold the correct qualifications and have experiences with working with children as well as a fully enhanced DBS.
The setting is managed by a level 6 qualified practitioner with over 11 year’s experience in early years holding a BA (Hons) in Early Years Education. The manger also has over 10 year’s experience and qualifications in dance, teaching children from 3-16 years of age. These are highly transferable skills which are brought into the setting to support children’s holistic development, health, and wellbeing.
We provide an inclusive and welcoming environment offering every child a holistic learning experience through both adult and child led opportunities and activities. We offer structured activity plans as well as ‘In the moment planning’. Our highly trained staff can recognise each learning opportunity and respond in ways to extend every individual child’s knowledge and skill sets. Our belief is every opportunity is a learning opportunity, and every moment should be seized.
We promote equality and diversity and believe any obstacle to learning can be overcome with the right support, strategies, and partnership in place. Every child will benefit from the same experiences and opportunities regardless of their abilities or differences.
Preschool Opening Times:
Monday: 8am – 1.30pm
Tuesday: 8am – 1.30pm
Wednesday: 8am – 3.30pm
Thursday: 8am – 3.30pm
Friday: 8am – 1.30pm
Holiday Hub Opening Times:
Monday: 8am – 4pm
Tuesday: 8am – 4pm
Wednesday: 8am – 4pm
Thursday: 8am – 4pm
Every holiday excluding the week between Christmas and New Year
Meal Times
Our mealtimes are calm and interactive as we enjoy each other company. Staff sit down with children in order to supervise them and promote independence. Mealtimes are also used as a learning opportunity where practitioners are positive role models encouraging good table manners and positive attitudes towards food as well as introducing the importance of healthy lifestyles, food products facts and socialisation skills.
Children will be provided with healthy snacks option in which they can independently make their own choices. We will build on children’s independent skills and introduce skills such as cutting, peeling and pour of own drinks through the self-service process whist supervised by practitioners.
Children will need to bring in a pack lunch which follows our healthy eating policy and contains no products which may have traces or contain NUTS.
All food in pack lunches must be prepared and cut appropriately at home ready for children to enjoy their mealtimes. Both a leaflet on healthy eating and choaking hazards will be provided at your child’s settling in sessions. Please note due to food hygiene we will not be able to reheat any meals.
Our Approach To Learning
We follow the Early Years Foundation Stage and understand that play based learning is the key to successful, happy, confident, and resilient learners of the future. At Little Learners Preschool and Happy Holiday Hub our aims and vision for children’s learning and development is supported by an approach called ‘In the moment planning’
Practitioners will plan some structured activities and themed topics of learning however will also allow individual children to lead their learning, show case their interest and explore. All practitioners will get to know the children, how they learn best , plan their next steps and incorporate their interest to ensure learning is fun, engaging and beneficial for every child.
We believe children learn through positive experiences and more knowledgeable others. Practitioners will role model and introduce ideas and concepts for their children to elaborate on as well as introducing the concept of responsibility encouraging our older children to support our younger children through a family connection within the setting.
‘Settling In’ Procedure
Starting Pre-school can be exciting, but we recognise it can also be an emotional and anxious time for both the child and parents We are very proud of our excellent system helping children and families settle into their new environment. Strategies are developed and adjusted, if necessary, to help those children who are finding settling in difficult but with good communication strategies and sharing information from the start we find we can overcome any difficulties quickly and sympathetically.
Parents and children can explore the setting together before the first session. You will be invited to come along and explore for a session and meet the key person. You are then invited to bring you child for a second and third settling in visit if needed so they can revisit the pre-school just before their anticipated start date.Settling in is an individual process which can be tailored to meet individual needs where needed.
Key Person System
At Little Learners Preschool & Happy Holiday Hub we believe that the best strategies to supporting children’s learning and development is through strong partnerships. Every child is allocated a key person who will work closely with you and your child to help them settle into preschool and support their learning and development through their time with us to best prepare them for primary school transitions. Whilst all of our experienced team will support and play with your child during their time at preschool the key person is available to offer extra support to your child.
The key person will be responsible for your child’s online learning journey feedback during your child’s time at pre-school, planning of their ‘next steps’ and supporting their learning and development.
We have parents’ consultations where you can discuss your child’s learning with your key person termly but also hold an open-door policy where you can request meetings with your child’s key worker as and when needed.
Forest Schools
We are lucky enough to have a beautiful woodland with walking distance from the setting. Children will experience forest school’s sessions, where they will learn to explore, test their boundaries, and take safe risks.
Forest school expose children to the natural environment to support physical fitness, build upon self-confidence and independence, as well as encouraging children to develop an understanding of how to preserve and care for our natural environments.
The idea behind forest school learning is that children are active learnings who lead their own learning. Forest school allows the children open ended opportunities to explore and discover however also adapts the learning concept of ‘Scaffolding’ where by more knowledge others are present and children can mimic their ideas and skills or freely adapt or challenge this to imbed their own thoughts and concepts.
Group Activities
We believe introducing short, structured group activities and encouraging children’s participation support school readiness, confidence, self-a-steam and concentration.
Examples of short group focussed actives are as follows:
Dough disco
A fun activity which combines the use of playdough with a series of hand and finger exercise supporting early writing skills and finger strength.
Yoga, Mindfulness and Mediation
A variety of gentle yoga exercise. Breathing activities and calming skills to support healthy body and mind
Music Communication
A structured programme designed to support all children, in particular children with speech and language delay which introduces and encourages early listening skills through music and movements
Outdoor Play
Physical games, ball games and group exercises/dancing.
Record Keeping
Individual records of achievement are kept for each child on our online Learning Journal called Baby’s Day’s. This allows instant access to see your child’s progress, photos and all the amazing things they take part. Daily notes detailing what the children have accessed, important messages or snap shots of heir fund day will be uploaded to keep you informed.
School Transitions
We hold a Graduation Ceremony, photo shoot and party in the last half term – All parents are invited to celebrate their children’s time and achievements with us. Further details will be sent out during the summer term of each year.
Local schools are invited to visit the children at pre-school before they leave to go to school. We work in partnership with the local school to help the children prepare for their next chapter. We complete a transition passport for each child leaving to go to school and share this with their new teacher.
Parent Partnerships
We celebrate events and festivals throughout the academic year to support learning about other cultures, diversity, and historic events. We reflect through our environment and experiences. Families are invited int the setting to share activities throughout the year such as sports week, Mothers and Father’s Day celebrations, family week, parents’ mornings, coffee mornings, Christmas craft, Nativity show, fund raising events and leavers celebrations.
Our Lending Library
Our children have free choice to take a book home to share. We encourage you to allow your child’s independence with this at pre-school, so they self-select their book and take responsibility for small tasks.
Funded Places
We offer Early Education Entitlement for ALL 3-4 year old children (15 hour Universal funding) the term after their third birthday.
We offer the Extended funding for 3-4 year old children (30 hour funding) the term after their third birthday (the extended funding is eligibility based)
We offer Early Education Entitlement for 2 year old children term after their second birthday. (2 year old funding is eligibility based)
You may pay for any hours over the 15 hour entitlement at the rates above
We advise children to attend for a minimum of 2 sessions taken over two days per week. All Invoices are requested termly and are due to be paid
Preschool Uniforms
To be discussed and ordered at settling sessions.
Order form will be handed out and orders placed on return of forms and receipt of payment.