Christmas play and parties

We are really excited to start planning our Christmas celebrations for the children. We are planning on holding Christmas parties on Monday 20^th December and the Christmas play on Tuesday 21^st December. 

This year the play will take place at St Andrews church in Swanwick, at 9.30am on Tuesday 21^st December. You will receive a parentmail shortly with which part your child has been selected for and what costume they require. 

We are ever mindful that covid rates are still quite high, if they increase in our area at the time of the play, we may have to cancel the event. In order to make the event covid secure we ask that all adults wear a mask, and if at all possible, families take a lateral flow test before the event.

The Christmas parties are split into 2 groups as we cannot accommodate all the children at once. You will be given a time slot nearer the time.

An introduction to the Early Years Foundation Stage for parents

If your child is under the age of 5 and attends a childcare provision they will be looked after and educated by early years professionals who understand how children develop and learn.

You may choose to send them to a pre-school, a nursery or a childminder, your choice will depend on what you think is best for your child and what is available in your local area.

One thing that your child’s early years provider will have in common is that they will all have to meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).

What is the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The EYFS was introduced in 2008 and is how the Government and professionals working with young children describe the important stage in a child’s life between birth and age 5.

The EYFS has been updated several times over the years, to take account of current research into how young children learn and develop, and government policy related to children and families. The most recent version of the EYFS came into force on 1 September 2021.

Nurseries, pre-schools, and childminders (early years providers) registered with Ofsted or a Childminder agency, must follow the EYFS framework. They are registered and inspected by Ofsted to ensure the quality and standards of their provision. Because the EYFS goes up to age 5, this includes Reception classes in school too.

Ofsted’s role is to establish whether the early years provider is meeting the requirements of the EYFS and decide on whether they remain suitable for registration.

The EYFS is a legal document and any failure to meet a requirement of the EYFS may result in action being taken by Ofsted.

Why do we have the EYFS?

Children learn and develop rapidly from the moment they are born.

The home is the first environment where play and learning take place, supported by parents and other family members. Babies learn to crawl, walk, and talk, they begin to interact with people and the environment around them.

Their brains develop rapidly in the early years and create vital foundations for learning throughout life.

Research confirms that the experiences that a child has in the early years has a significant impact on their future life chances and that high quality early years care and education makes the biggest difference to every child.

The EYFS provides a framework that ‘sets the standards that all early years providers must meet to ensure that children learn and develop well and are kept healthy and safe. It promotes teaching and learning to ensure children’s ‘school readiness’ and gives children the broad range of knowledge and skills that provide the right foundation for good progress through school and life’. (EYFS 2021)

What is in the EYFS?

The EYFS has three sections:

Section 1 Learning and development describes what early years providers must do to promote the learning and development of all children in their care in seven areas:

• communication and language
• physical development
• personal social and emotional development
• literacy
• mathematics
• understanding the world
• expressive arts and design

The first three areas listed are described as the prime areas of learning and development because they are closely linked to a child’s brain development in the first three years of life.

The following four areas are described as specific areas of learning that develop when parents and early years educators know what they want children to learn and create the right opportunities for learning to take place.

The activities and experiences (educational programmes), that early years settings provide are based on a child’s individual needs and interests.

The emphasis is on learning through play because ‘play is essential for children’s development, building their confidence as they learn to explore, relate to others, set their own goals and solve problems’ (EYFS 2021).

Section 2 Assessment describes how children’s progress is recognised.

There is additional guidance that supports the EYFS to help educators to recognise and interpret where a child is in their learning journey. The additional guidance is not intended to be a checklist that educators use to track a child’s development by ticking off one stage after another.

Learning does not progress in a set sequence of events which is why educators observe children constantly and use their professional knowledge to identify the areas of learning that a child is secure in, what they need to know next, and any areas where they may need additional support.

Assessment is not all about paperwork and written reports, but the EYFS expects that ‘parents and/or carers should be kept up-to-date with their child’s progress and development’ and discuss any additional needs with you and any relevant professionals, for example, if your child appears to be struggling with their speech and language, your child’s key person may suggest that they would benefit from being referred to a Speech and Language Therapist.

There are three formal assessment points in the EYFS:

• the progress check at age 2 when you will receive a short, written summary of your child’s development in the prime areas
• the Reception Baseline Assessment completed by your child’s school within the first six weeks of them starting reception, and…
• assessment at the end of the EYFS – the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFSP) which is completed in the final term of the year your child turns five. The profile is assessed against a set of early learning goals for the seven areas of learning and development that the early years educators have been supporting them towards.

Section 3 the safeguarding and welfare requirements explain what providers must do to safeguard children; ensure the suitability of adults who have contact with children; promote good health; manage behaviour; and maintain records, policies and procedures (EYFS 2021)

How are parents involved?

Early years educators are professionals who understand how children learn and develop, they are appropriately qualified for the role they undertake and continue to update their skills and knowledge.

They understand that you make a vital difference to children’s outcomes which is why the EYFS places a strong emphasis on the importance of working in partnership with parents.

A two-way flow of information between you and your child’s key person helps to ensure that your child gets the best possible care and learning.

What you do at home with your child makes a big difference.

COMPANY NUMBER: 4646503

SWANWICK PRE SCHOOL

NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

This is notice of our 2021 Annual General Meeting will be held at Swanwick Pre School on Thursday 30^thSeptember 2021 at 8.00pm to:

1.          Look at the Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2021

2.          Receive the annual report of the Committee and the annual report of the Manager.

3.          Elect Pedley and Co as Accountants for the following year.

4.          Elect Members of the Committee

BY ORDER OF THE COMMITTEE (i.e. THE DIRECTORS OF THE COMPANY)

Martin Dye ( Chair)    Lindsay Wharton-Howett (Secretary)     

Dated: 10^th September 2021                         

Registered Office:

Pentrich Road

Swanwick

DE55 1BN

NOTE:

1.          As a member of Swanwick Pre School you can appoint a proxy to attend and vote for you but the proxy will not be counted in the numbers needed for a valid meeting.  A proxy need not be another parent.

2.          To be valid, you must give your Form of Proxy to a member of staff – addressed to the Committee Chair not less than 48 hours before the time of the meeting.

Swanwick Pre school term dates

Autumn Term

6th September 2021 – 22nd October 2021

1st November 2021 – 17th December 2021 plus additional dates to allow for Christmas activities, depending on covid-19 guidelines

There will be an opportunity to talk to your child’s key person in October

Spring Term

10th January 2022 – 18th February 2022

28th February 2022 – 8th April 2022

There will be an opportunity to talk to your child’s key person in March

Summer Term

25th April 2022 – 27^th May 2022

6th June 2022 – 22nd July 2022

Reports will be presented in July

Fundraising

Fundraising update

Thank you for all of your wonderful support in our fundraising efforts this year.

As with all childcare settings, we’ve had an extremely challenging year and our ability to fundraise has been severely impacted. We have however worked creatively and developed fundraising activities within the Covid-19 guidance, and these have worked really well, raising a fantastic total of £1811.52.

The most recent fundraising activities have included the Silver Smartie tubes, which raised an amazing £461.58 and the sunflower competition, raising £187.

We are hoping to resume some of our fundraising activities from September, but would like to finish this academic year by saying thank you for your support, which has enabled us to continue to purchase much-needed equipment for the children.

Best wishes

Swanwick Pre-School Committee 

We would like to remind all parents that Wednesday 21st July is our final day of term.

We would like to thank all the staff, children and parents for adapting fantastically to our new way of working over the last challenging year.

If you need to contact pre-school over the summer, please send an email swanwick.pre.school@googlemail.com and someone will get back to you.

Pre School will return on Monday 6th September.

On behalf of all the staff and committee we would like to wish you a healthy and safe holiday and we look forward to seeing you all in September.

Kind regards

The staff & committee 

 SUMMER TERM TWO 2021

Fathers Day, Holidays,Transport, Sports Week

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

 Making Relationships

We will be learning about sharing and taking turns to support children in developing positive relationships

We will plan activities which require collaboration eg ring games

Communication and Language

Listening and Attention

We will listen to similarities in sounds at the beginning of words

We will play lots of fun games to encourage children's listening skills

Physical Development

 Health and Self Care

 We will become aware of being healthy and how to maintain good health

 We will take increasing responsibility for managing our own hygiene

Literacy

Writing

We will talk about the marks children make

We will plan mark making opportunities during role play and other activities

Mathematics

Shape, Space & Measure

 We will sort and match different objects looking at similarities and differences in size, colour and shape

 We will explore patterns and create our own patterns

Understanding the World

People and Communities

We will talk to children about their families and friends and why they are important

We will encourage children to talk about significant events in their own life and find out about other people's experiences

Expressive arts and design

 Being Imaginative

 Children will engage in imaginative role-play experiences with their peers eg going to the seaside

 We will build stories around toys

How can you help your child?

Continue to talk to your child about what happens at Pre-school, ask them questions and encourage them to ask you questions.

Count objects on the way to school eg "How many red cars can you see?"

Sing songs the children are learning at Pre-school

Children about to start school - promote independence eg using knife and fork, fastening own coat

 Remember: Staff are always available for a chat or advice about your child.

We wanted to bring to your attention that parents and bubbles can now access home testing. Our staff will now also have access to the testing. We hope this may interest you as it will help with the control of the virus in our setting, ensuring children and staff are as safe as possible.

Testing is for adults only, unless your child is showing symptoms where you will need to book a PCR test at a test centre.

Please see below the information from the government:

Government announces that households and bubbles of children and staff of nurseries will get rapid lateral flow tests

The Department for Education has recently updated guidance initially just for schools and colleges, to allow households and bubbles of children and staff in nurseries and preschools to access regular asymptomatic home test kits.

This means that all nursery staff, and anyone in the household, childcare or support bubble of nursery children and nursery staff can now access the rapid lateral flow test.

Anyone who is a member of a household or childcare bubble of a child or staff member at a nursery can get a twice-weekly test:

• through their employer if they offer testing to employees
• at a local test site
• by collecting a home test kit from a test site
• by ordering a home test kit online

https://www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests

You only have to report a positive result to Pre School, however the government ask that you log your result online after each test.

Swanwick Pre school term dates

Spring Term

4th January 2021 – 12th February 2021

22nd February 2021 – 1^st April 2021

Summer Term

19^h April 2021 – 28^th May 2021

7th June 2021 – 21^st July 2021

Reports will be presented in July

Autumn Term

6th September 2021 – 22^nd October 2021

1^st November 2021 – Christmas break up date to be confirmed.

There will be an opportunity to talk to your child’s key person in October