Starting at preschool

How do I get on your waiting list? Please complete a ‘register your interest’ form on our website and we will get back to you within 5 working days.

What happens if you don’t have a place for the term I want my child to start? We can book your child into the next available term and you will need to pay a placement fee to keep this space, we can then also add you to our waiting list for your preferred term and we will notify everyone on the waiting list each October, February and June of any places becoming available, these are given on a first come first served basis.

Can I have a visit? Yes of course, we hold an Open Day every half term, once you have registered your interest you will be sent out dates for our upcoming Open Days.

How does settling in work? All children with a confirmed place with us are invited to our term time Stay and Play sessions as they are a wonderful way to get to know the setting and staff, they run every Tuesday in term time 9:15-10:30, they are free and no need to book. The term before you are due to join us you will be sent a start date, in this email are details for that first settling in session when you will do paperwork with staff and your child can go off on their own.

What if my child doesn’t settle well? We tune our settling in to each child and their family, some children take to preschool straight away, others need more support. Staff are on hand to work out a smooth transition into preschool, it may be they ask you to join your child for some short regular sessions to start with and gradually lengthen the time you leave them for. This is why we recommend come to our Stay and Play sessions as they can really help this process.

Do I have to do a minimum number of sessions? Having more than one session helps children to settle in more easily and allows staff to build a stronger relationship with them, we therefore require all 2 year olds to do a minimum of 2 sessions over 2 days and 3 & 4 year olds a minimum 3 sessions over 2 days (one session = 9-12 or 12-3).

Can I just do a Friday? No, you would need to do another session Monday to Thursday alongside this, these days are also only for the top cohort (those due in school the following September).

Does my child need to be potty trained to come to preschool? No, staff are trained to change nappies, you will need to provide some for each session, we supply wipes etc. When you feel your child is ready to start to toilet training, please let your key worker know so that we can support your child. If you need any advice, we are here to help.

When will I know who my key worker is? We try to match each child to their key worker before they start, this means the key worker will get an opportunity to chat to you about your child at their settling in session.

Do the different aged children play together, or do they have separate areas? All the ages can play together, children often learn from those children more experienced and older than them.

What happens if my child gets upset? Our experienced staff are on hand to care for your child, they will use play and engagement to distract and calm your child. If your child really struggles to settle, a member of staff will phone you.

What if my child’s key worker is away? Staff make it a priority to get to know all children, it is important that children do not become too reliant on one adult in case they are not there for a session. There will always be other staff your child feels comfortable with.

What if I’m worried about my child’s development? Talk to your Key worker, staff are always willing to listen, they may have some ideas about ways to help at home and preschool, it may be something they can refer to Chris our SENDCo, our Deputy SENDCo Sarah or it may be something that they can reassure you about.

Are parents allowed in setting? Yes, when you drop off and pick up your child you will walk right through our setting. Parents are welcome to also come in should they wish to share an interest, or read a story, you will see us put out invitations from time to time, do come in and join us.

Where can I find the most recent newsletter? We send it out to everyone on email each month and add it to the parent information page on our website.

What happens if my child is sick? If a child has vomited they need to stay at home for 48 hours after the last incident. If your child is feeling unwell, all they will really want is you, please don’t give them Calpol and send them in. If your child is absent, you must contact preschool via email, phone, or text to let us know otherwise please expect a phone call, for safeguarding reasons we must be informed of all absences.

Do you administer medication? We can administer medication. You will need to complete a care plan. If your child is having antibiotics, your child needs to have been receiving this for 48 hours before we can have them in preschool and administer it in case of an adverse reaction.

What if someone else is picking up my child? Please let us know when you drop off if someone else is picking up your child. If they are not known to preschool, please send us a photo of them if you can and make sure they know the password you chose at induction.

Where can I find out more information about preschool? On our website (www.clophillpreschool.co.uk) are our policies, there is also a New Starter Guide to Preschool, SEND Handbook and our Adventure Friday Handbook as well as lots of other useful bits of information. If there’s anything you can’t find on there, please ask us.

Nov 23