About Swimbridge Pre-school
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 25 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 12 noon.
Sessions are carefully planned by fully qualified staff, and there’s plenty of opportunity for the children to play together or independently.
We encourage the children to explore boundaries in a safe and secure way.
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.
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.
We sometimes ask parents to help with washing up at the end of the morning - if they are in a position to do so!
- 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 sometimes ask parents or carers to join a rota to help out when necessary, but this is never compulsory.
A newsletter is usually produced every half-term to give details of fundraising events and to share news about pre-school.
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 the Early Years Team who help us on us on policies and government regulations etc
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 in the term they reach 3 years old.
You can register anytime before your child’s 3rd 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. We only have a limited number of places for children under three years.
During the half-term before they start, children can visit twice with their parent/carer.
What is the cost?
Your child may be eligible for free sessions. There is Early Years Funding that entitles every child from the age of 3 to 5 to 15 hours of child care. We can apply directly for your child’s funding, so there’s nothing for you to do. Some children are eligible for 15 hours funding at 2 years as well - please ask us about this.
If your child goes to another childcare/education provider where the cost is covered by the funding, we will charge a fee for each session at pre-school. These fees do need to be paid at the start of each term.
Useful things to know
- Free sessions are available.
- We are OFSTED approved.
- All the teachers are fully qualified, trained in First Aid and have been cleared to work with children.
- We have close links with Swimbridge Primary School.
- Covid-19 update - we are now open with restrictions on how many children can attend each morning
