Oakley Pre-School Group
Prospectus 2014
Welcome
Welcome to Oakley Pre-school Group – a stimulating and caring
early-years setting, conveniently located in the grounds of Oakley
Church of England (CofE) Combined School.
This Prospectus has been compiled for all parents/carers considering
this setting for their children in the future. It is also for those with
children starting the current academic school year at our preschool, to ensure you are well informed and able to play an
active part in preschool life during your child’s time with us.
We have tried to cover everything you and your child will need to
know, but please keep checking our website for additional
announcements and information through the year.
Every effort has been made to ensure all the information in this
prospectus is correct at the time of issue. However, there may
sometimes be a need to revise plans or policies mid-year. Parents
will be notified by memo or via our newsletter about anything
noteworthy.
We wish you and your child/children a happy year at
Oakley Pre-school Group, filled with lots of fun and learning!
Contact details:
Oakley Pre-School Group
Oakley Combined Church of England School
Worminghall Road
Oakley
Bucks
HP18 9QY
Tel: 07791 226 473 (session times only)
Website: www.oakleypreschool.co.uk
Email: preschool@oakley.bucks.sch.uk
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Opening hours
Morning session
Afternoon session
Start
End
Start
End
Monday
9 am
12 pm
12 pm
3 pm
Tuesday
9 am
12 pm
12 pm
3 pm
Wednesday
9 am
12 pm
Thursday
9 am
12 pm
Friday
9 am
12 pm
Closed
12 pm
3 pm
Closed
Lunch Bunch 12-1 pm every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday
Parents are asked to drop off and pick up their children promptly as
the pre-school is not insured to care for children outside session
start and end times.
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Staff
Oakley Preschool Group has a dedicated and longstanding team of
six staff, led by two managers. Children address each member of
staff by their first names during the sessions.
Kirsten Ebeling-Hornett
Manager
NNEB
Esther Smith
Deputy Manager
NVQ2
SENCO
Viv Webb
Senior Assistant
NVQ3
Stella Lambton
Health & Safety
Steph Gallagher
Assistant
Tracey Hart & Ruth Duffy
Bank Staff
Committee
Each year, the preschool holds its Annual General Meeting around
June/July. The date is announced nearer the time and all parents
are invited to come along. A new pre-school committee is usually
voted in at this meeting. This academic year (2014), your voluntary
committee are:
Daniel Gallagher – Chair
Sam Prior – Secretary
Bex Hopkins – Treasurer
Jennifer Young – Committee Member
Fiona Foster – Committee Member
Abigail Gascoyne – Committee Member
Adele Jones – Committee Member
Clare Turrell – Committee Member
For any questions or feedback, please do not hesitate to speak to a
member of the staff or the committee.
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Fees and Funding
Oakley Pre-school Group is a registered charity (number 1026323).
As such, we depend on fundraising and donations to ensure our
children are able to enjoy additional activities and equipment that
the pre-school could not otherwise afford.
Every year, the staff and committee members organize a busy and
varied calendar of events, primarily family-centred, but designed to
appeal to all ages. Parents are notified of all these events, usually
via memo or newsletter. We urge all parents to spread the word
about our events to friends, colleagues, neighbours and relatives.
Fees
A one-off registration fee of £15 is payable for each new child.
This covers the additional paperwork and administrative tasks
involved in registering a new child at the setting.
Thereafter, a session (3 hours) costs £13. This applies to any
children who do not yet qualify for funding from Buckinghamshire
Country Council (see below). We accept children from the age of 2
years.
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Funding
The government provides all three- and four-year olds with up to 15
hours of free nursery education for 38 weeks of the year. This
applies until they reach compulsory school age (the term following
their fifth birthday).
If your child is born They are eligible for a free place from:
between:
1 April and 31 August 1 September following their third birthday
or the beginning of the autumn* school
term
1 September and 31
1 January following their third birthday or
December
the beginning of the spring* school term
1 January and 31
1 April following their third birthday or the
March
beginning of the summer* school term
* Based on a three-term school year
At present, Oakley Pre-school Group is able to take up to 20
children in total for any one session. As sessions are limited, please
be aware that you may not be able to get all the funded sessions
you are eligible for initially.
Please speak to Kirsten to give as much notice as possible about
which sessions you want for your child/children, and they will
endeavor to meet your needs as best they can.
In the term before a child becomes eligible for funding, preschool
will supply you with the forms that must be completed to apply for
up to 15 hours of funding, as this is not automatic. The pre-school
will return these forms to Buckinghamshire County Council on your
behalf.
If you wish to change the number or timing of your child’s sessions
for the next term, again, please give as much notice as possible. If
you wish to change the number or timing of your child’s sessions
mid-term, this may be possible if there is capacity, but additional
funded hours cannot be granted mid-term; any extra sessions
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requested mid-term (for that term) will be charged per the rates
summarized in the table below.
Whether or not your child is funded or not, ad-hoc sessions may be
added alongside pre-booked questions, subject to availability.
For sessions that are non-funded, you will be given an invoice at the
beginning of term. Payment can be made by cash, cheque or bank
transfer. For bank transfers, please speak to the manager Kirsten.
Funded children (over 3) Ad-hoc session
Non-funded children (under 3) 3-hour session
Non-funded children (under 3) 2-hour session
Lunch Bunch
£13.00
£13.00
£9.00
£4.50
Please note that reductions or refunds cannot be made for absences
(eg, sickness and holidays) unless in special circumstances and in
agreement with the committee. If your child leaves the Pre-School
Group, or reduces the number of days of attendance, one month
notice is required. Charges may be applied if this policy is not
observed; this will be at the discretion of the committee.
Childcare Vouchers
Oakley Preschool Group accepts childcare vouchers as payment of
fees. Please speak with the manager if you would like to know
more.
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What to Expect
Signing in/signing out
Oakley Pre-school Group operates a signing in/signing out policy –
we ask parents to please support us by remembering to do this on
behalf of your child/children at each session.
Key carer
Each child is allocated a key carer who takes a lead in overseeing
their continued wellbeing and development while at Pre-school.
There will be regular opportunities for you to discuss your child’s
progress with his/her key carer. This may be arranged in advance at
a time mutually convenient for the parent(s) and respective key
carer.
Free play
The room will be set out for ‘free’ play, with a wide variety of
activities available. The children are allowed to do whatever they
choose using the available resources.
We also use our outdoor area for free-flow play as much as
possible. We are pleased to have recently had a ‘wet-pour’ surface
and roof structure installed in our outdoor play area, so all our
children can now enjoy outdoor play all year round, regardless
of the weather.
The children are encouraged to explore and learn by using different
materials, such as water, paint, glue and clay. They get messy, so
please dress your child in easily washable clothes.
We feel it is important that the children learn for themselves and
at their own pace. We therefore support, encourage, but try to
resist the temptation to be over helpful.
One-on-one time
We allocate time to work with every child to help then with writing
their name, counting and manners – all things that will help them
integrate into school life.
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Snack time
At approximately 10.30 am, the children are invited to come for a
drink of milk or water and snack. There is no extra charge for these.
Water is also available throughout the sessions for children to help
themselves.
Blue box
Each child is assigned their own tray, labelled with their name,
where they store all drawings, paintings and other work until
collection at the end of the session.
Interest basket
Each half-term, we set a theme. Children are invited to bring in one
item each week relating to the theme, to place in our ‘interest
basket’. Half-term and weekly planning sheets are displayed on the
notice board for parents to view.
Day-specific activities
Lunch Bunch - Lunch Bunch Sessions are available for all pre-school
children on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays 12-1 pm. This 1 hour
can be part of the 15 funded hours or can be covered by a small
additional fee of £4.50. Children may bring their own (healthy)
packed lunch or have a hot lunch provided by the school dinner
service.
Class 1 – Once a week, we go into Class 1 to play with the
reception class. This helps with the transition into ‘big school’.
We also have access to the hall, library, ICT suite and outdoor
playground on a timetabled basis.
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Get Involved
Volunteer for the Oakley Pre-school Committee
Oakley Pre-school Group is a charity run by a committee of
volunteers. This committee is, more often than not, made up
entirely of parents whose children are attending the setting. In time
for the start of each new academic year, a new committee is
elected, so new volunteers are always needed.
The committee members are the charity trustees of the pre-school
and, together with the staff, they are responsible for the
smooth-running of the setting. This can mean anything from
organising a fundraising event to negotiating with a landlord over
the terms of the lease. The main positions on the Committee are
Chair, Vice-chair, Treasurer, Vice-treasurer and Secretary, but
additional committee members are also needed to support the
parents in those named positions.
If you are interested in volunteering for the academic year
2012-2013, please speak to Kirsten or any current member of the
committee. There are lots of ways you can contribute to the
committee and you can choose to give as much or as little time as
you can spare. Asking for more information will not obligate you to
join! Being part of the committee is a great way to meet other
parents, make new friends, and get more proactively involved in the
running of Oakley Pre-school Group.
Become a Parent Helper
Mums, dads and other carers are always welcome to join us for a
morning or afternoon (or both!) as a helper. You may be able to
share a special skill or interest, such as music or carpentry, cooking
or animals with the children, so don’t hesitate to speak with Kirsten
if you are interested in volunteering in this way. Volunteers are also
always welcome to help with our fundraising activities, either during
the planning or on the day itself. Please speak with a committee
member about any of our upcoming events. We promise you will
have fun and make new friends.
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Settling in
The staff recognize that starting pre-school is a big step for you
and your child. Some children take to it easily; others need extra
time and encouragement. You are welcome to stay with your child
until you and the staff together agrees that your child is ready to
‘go it alone’. For younger children, 2-hour sessions are available
should you feel this would be enough your child to start with.
Moving On
With so much having fun, time at pre-school flies by and before we
know it, children are moving on to ‘big school’ next door. We are
supported by the Oakley C of E Combined School and together we
strive to make the transition as seamless as possible for
children. Regular contact with the older children in the big school
helps our pre-schoolers grow in confidence and self-esteem. By the
time they come to move on to big school, our children are already
familiar with the surroundings, staff and other pupils through the
various joint activities and shared facilities enjoyed during their
time at pre-school.
Toilet training
We understand that not all children will be fully toilet trained when
they start at pre-school. We know ‘accidents’ do happen. We have
changes of clothing and sort out any mishaps with the minimum of
fuss. We have access to the school’s toilets, close to our classroom.
Please try to dress you child in clothes that are easy for them to
take down/pull up and then put back into place so they quickly gain
the confidence to go to the lavatory independently.
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OFSTED
Oakley Pre-school Group is a childcare provider that is registered with
Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills
(OFSTED) on the Early Years Register (EYR). As such, we are regularly
inspected by OFSTED Office. Our most recent inspection was in
October 2009. We were very proud to have been given a ‘GOOD’
overall evaluation with some ‘OUTSTANDING’ features.
For a full copy of the report, please follow the link on our website.
The next inspection is anticipated in 2012 or early 2013.
The Pre-school Learning Alliance
Oakley Pre-school Group is a member of a national organization called
the Pre-school Alliance. It was formed to support and advise groups
that cater for under 5’s and their parents nationwide.
Within our area, local groups have formed a branch of this
organization. At branch meetings, we are able to exchange ideas and
information. The branch committee help provide services that groups
can take advantage of, such as bulk-buy play materials, a toy library
and courses for those interested in play and young children.
Our county association, consisting of representatives from all the
branches, helps to coordinate activities and make sure that the needs
of the under 5’s are represented in local authority planning.
The Pre-school Learning Alliance Regional Council is a link with, and
helps to formulate policies of, the National Executive of the Alliance. In
this way, the opinions and needs of our pre-school group can be made
known to the appropriate government department and our interests
represented.
For further info, go to http://www.pre-school.org.uk/
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Miscellaneous

Each year, we have special events and outings for the children
(eg, Christmas Party, Summer Trip). Parents are invited to
come along to some outings, but your attendance is not
mandatory as we understand many parents have work or
other commitments to fulfil. Separate letters with a consent
form will be issued for outings other than walks around the
village.

A group photo is usually arranged during the year and is then
available for purchase.

We ask you to check your child/children’s hair regularly for
head lice. We recommend that children with hair longer than
shoulder length have it tied back.

If your child is being collected by someone they may not be
expecting, please inform them beforehand, but also inform a
member of the staff in advance.
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Useful Links
Oakley C of E Combined School: http://www.oakley.ik.org/
Oakley Village Website: http://www.oakleybucks.co.uk/
Pre-School Alliance: http://www.pre-school.org.uk/
Buckinghamshire County Council: http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/bcc
Department of Education: http://www.education.gov.uk/
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