Before your child joins Yarnton Preschool you can request to visit the Preschool anytime, with or without your child, you can telephone us on 01865 841327 or email info@yarntonpreschool.co.uk.

Once term starts, parents/carers can stay with their child for as long as it takes to help them settle in. When you do leave it is really important for you to say goodbye (even if this involves some tears) and reassure your child that you will return later. All children are different and we will work with you and your child during this settling in period to make it as easy as possible for everyone.

Dropping your child off

Please always use the entrance on the school side of the Preschool building and not the private lane at the side.

Doors open at 8.45am for the morning sessions and 12.45pm for the afternoon sessions. The gate is locked for safety reasons as soon as the children have outside access. After these times you will have to ring the door bell which is on the wall of the Preschool building, just by the gate.

Please put your child’s bag and coat on the named peg. Help your child to move their name tag from above their peg to show they have arrived. Put anything that has been brought for “Show and Tell” in the “Show and Tell” box.

When to chat to staff

If you have any concerns about your child please talk to a member of staff at the beginning or end of the session. If your key worker is working that session, try and talk to her/him, but any member of staff will help you. Alternatively you can make an appointment out of session time.

Collecting your child

Please wait outside the Preschool gates. The staff bring the children to the gate. This is to prevent children rushing out of the doors to try and find their carer and getting lost.

Children should be collected promptly at the end of the session to avoid them being caused any unnecessary anxiety. If you cannot collect your child the Supervisor must be told who will be collecting the child and you should write the details in the appropriate book. Please phone if you are going to be late.

What should your child take to Preschool?

A bag containing:

• A  change of clothes/shoes
• If needed, nappies, wipes and nappy bags
• Necessary clothing depending on the weather as we do go outside every session

All items should be NAMED

If you want to, you can leave a named beaker or bottle containing water only on the water bottle tray, so your child can drink whenever they want. Please only put water in the bottle as we want to encourage children to drink water rather than sugary drinks. Milk or water is offered to the children at snack time. Children may ask for a drink at any time.

Clothing

Preschool is a messy place because children like MESS. The Preschool cannot be held responsible for loss or damage to clothes. It is therefore sensible to dress children in older clothes for their sessions. Spare clothes are kept in case of the occasional accident.

All clothing should be EASY for your child to put on and take off. Children thrive on independence so, although there will always be a staff member on hand to help, we recommend elasticated waists and no belts or braces to avoid delay when needing the toilet.

Please make sure your child has a coat even if it isn’t raining when you deliver the child. The children enjoy going out to play even if it is cold and wet.

On wet or muddy days (so most of the time really!), please send your child with a pair of indoor shoes/slippers AND a pair of outdoor shoes/boots. Only children wearing Wellington boots will be allowed on the grass when it is muddy.

On sunny summer days children must wear a sun hat. Please make sure you put sun tan lotion on BEFORE you take them to Preschool.

Open-toed sandals are NOT allowed at Preschool. It is just too easy for the children’s toes to be scraped whilst they play.

“THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS BAD WEATHER,
ONLY BAD CLOTHING!!”

Please ensure that all clothes and footwear are NAMED.

If you order name tags and stickers from a company called Easy2Name and quote Yarnton Preschool’s reference, you will be helping to raise funds for Preschool as well as getting good quality labels and ensuring your child’s belongings do not get lost.