Our Pre-school

Sessions

We can provide sessions all day from 9:15 to 3:15 Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Wednesday mornings only.

Morning sessions from 9.15 to 12.15. The afternoon sessions start at 12:15 to 3:15. Discuss this with our Manger to see which best suits your child's needs.

Breakfast club is from 8.30 am and costs £6.00 including breakfast.

Starting at Pre-School

First Days:

We are very flexible when it comes to “settling in” arrangements as each child is an individual.  It is important for parents and pre-school staff to work together to help the child to feel confident and secure in the session. This takes longer for some children than for others.

What to Wear:

In order to feel free to explore and experiment with all kinds of materials, including messy ones, it is best to send children dressed in clothes which are easily washable and easy for your child to manage independently. They need to wear closed toed shoes at all times for safety reasons.

During the winter months we recommend children wear lots of layers and have a waterproof suit or waterproof trousers and coat. Warm Coats are needed because we will be outside. Gloves, hats and wellies or snowboots are also essential. 

Woodlands Pre-School jumpers and t-shirts are available to buy from Skoolkit, but are not mandatory.

Food and Drink

Snack Time:

Your child needs their own drink in a named bottle or we offer water.

Children are asked to bring in a snack from home consisting of either fruit or vegetables which will be shared with the group.

The children will select and prepare with supervision their own snack promoting independence.

Drinking Water:

Drinking water is available throughout the day, your child will need to bring a water bottle with them which can be refilled throughout the day.

Lunch Time:
Your child is welcome to join us for lunch if they attend all day or the morning session and will need their own packed lunch.The afternoon session starts after lunch so please make sure they have eaten before they attend the afternoon session. Please ensure their lunchbox and drink that they bring is clearly named. We encourage healthy eating within pre school. Please see our Health and nutrition policy for details. Please make sure your child's lunch does not contain nuts and that grapes /cocktail sausages/ tomatoes are cut up to avoid choking incidents.

Fees:

Fees will be payable for Pre-school hours for children who are not entitled to Government funding or for any hours over their entitlement– the current rate is £6.00 per hour.

Fee invoices are issued on a half-termly basis and are payable within 7 days of receipt.

When you register your child at Woodlands, you will be given a Fee Policy to sign which sets out the regulations you will be expected to follow. 
 

Early Years Education:

We also accept EYE funding for eligible 2 year olds and over. From the term following your child’s 2nd Birthday, he/she is entitled to up to 30 hours per week free Pre-school hours. At the beginning of each term, you will be given a Parent EYE Form to sign upon which you must note the hours your child is attending the setting, the hours you wish to claim for and whether or not your child attends another setting.

You can share your hours between two settings.

If you wish to claim less than 30 hours per week, you cannot increase these hours during the term. If you would like to take up more hours before the start of the next term, it will be on a fee paying basis.

Enhanced Provision Fee

Government Funding is provided to cover the cost of high-quality childcare. We feel that by charging an Enhanced Provision fee for funded hours, we are able to continue to deliver all the amazing additional services we offer at Woodlands.

These include:

Snacks based on our termly curriculum include; porridge, soup, potato salad and sandwiches.

Celebrations – Chinese New Year, Ramadan, Easter egg hunt, Mother’s Day, Carnival, Sports day, Christmas - includes resources and food

Parties – Christmas and summer leavers party.

Play dough and food for play, e.g. pasta, rice.

Enhanced provision is only paid for 3 and 4 years olds in receipt of EYE funding.

0-14 hours claimed @ £0.39 per hour per half term.

15 hours claimed @ £35 per half term.

16-30 hours claimed @ £56 per half term.

Invoices are issued at the beginning of each half term.

Woodlands Preschool will fund the Enhanced Provision Fee for Children in reciept of EYPP ( Early Years Pupil Premium) or SEN funding.

Increase in Funded Hours

Funded hours have been increased to 30 hours per week for some eligible families. To apply for these hours, go to www.childcarechoices.gov.uk Allow around 20 minutes to complete the application. You will be given a code which you will then need to use at pre-school when claiming funding. 

Tax Free Childcare

You can get up to £500 every 3 months (up to £2,000 a year) for each of your children to help with the costs of childcare. This goes up to £1,000 every 3 months if a child is disabled (up to £4,000 a year).

If you get Tax-Free Childcare, you’ll set up an online childcare account for your child. For every £8 you pay into this account, the government will pay in £2 to use to pay your provider.

You can get Tax-Free Childcare at the same time as 15 or 30 hours free childcare if you’re eligible for both.

To set up an account got to https://www.gov.uk/tax-free-childcare

Free Early Years Education Funding:
Woodlands pre-school is set up to support children from 2 years old who are eligible to receive free early education funding. To check eligibly criteria please contact Hampshire County Council or ask a member of staff.