Aims

• Create a safe, secure and stimulating environment – both inside and outside;
• Give children a happy and confident start to pre-school and the education they receive throughout their life;
• Give generous care and attention, due to the high ratio of qualified staff to children, as well as volunteer parent helpers;
• Give each child the chance to join with other children and adults to live, play, work and learn together;
• Take each child’s learning and development forward by helping to build on what she/he already knows and can do;
• Allocate each child their own personal key practitioners who are responsible for planning their learning monitoring their progress;
• Involve parents and/or carers as partners in helping each child to learn and develop;
• Consistently promote equality and value diversity;
• Ensure that parents/carers have a voice and help to shape the service we offer.

Children with additional needs

As part of our policy to make sure that our provision meets the needs of each individual child, we take account of any additional needs a child may have. Our Special Education Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) is Michelle Brown.

Riccall Pre-school works to the requirements of the 1993 Education Act and The Special Educational Needs Code of Practice (2015). This needs to link to new version as of 2015

Our practitioners are trained in using basic Makaton Signing and two have undergone higher level training. Three practitioners have portage training.

Transition to school

Many of our children will attend Riccall C.P. School. We have a comprehensive transition process in place with Riccall School. However, transition arrangements are also in place with other schools in the area for children who will go to school elsewhere.

The Management of Riccall Pre-school

We are managed by a parent management committee – whose members are elected by the parents of the children who attend Riccall Pre-School. The elections take place at our Annual General Meeting. The committee is responsible for:

• Managing our finances;
• Employing and managing the staff;
• Making sure that we have – and work to – policies that help to provide a high quality level of care; and
• Make sure that we work in partnership with parents.

The Annual General Meeting is open to the parents of all of the children who attend. It is an opportunity to look back over the previous year’s activities and to shape the coming year’s plan.

Policies

Before joining Riccall Pre-school we ask parents to read our policies so that they have a clear understanding of what we offer. Copies of our policies are always available for you.

Our policies help us ensure that the service that we provide is a high quality one and that being a member of Riccall Pre-School is an enjoyable and beneficial experience for children and parents.