Terms of service
Splash & Dash's timetable and routines
Our setting believes that care and education are equally important in the experience which we offer children. The routines and activities that make up the day in Splash & Dash are provided in ways that:
help each child to feel that she/he is a valued member of Splash & Dash;
ensure the safety of each child;
help children to gain from the social experience of being part of a group; and
provide children with opportunities to learn and help them to value learning.
The session
We organise our sessions so that the children can choose from, and work at, a range of activities and, in doing so, build up their ability to select and work through a task to its completion. The children are also helped and encouraged to take part in adult-led small and large group activities, which introduce them to new experiences and help them to gain new skills, as well as helping them to learn to work with others. Outdoor activities (in our covered area) contribute to children's health, their physical development and their knowledge of the world around them. The children have the opportunity, and are encouraged, to take part in outdoor child-chosen and adult-led activities, as well as those provided in the indoor playroom.
Policies
Copies of our policies and procedures are available for you to see at Splash & Dash
Our policies help us to make sure that the service we provide is a high quality one and that being a member of Splash & Dash is an enjoyable and beneficial experience for each child and her/his parents.
The staff and parents of Splash & Dash work together to adopt the policies and they all have the opportunity to take part in the annual review of the policies. This review helps us to make sure that the policies are enabling us to provide a quality service for its members and the local community.
Safeguarding children
Splash & Dash has a duty under the law to help safeguard children against suspected or actual ‘significant harm’. Our employment practices ensure children against the likelihood of abuse in our settings and we have a procedure for managing complaints or allegations against a member of staff.
Our way of working with children and their parents ensures we are aware of any problems that may emerge and can offer support, including referral to appropriate agencies when necessary, to help families in difficulty.
Special Needs
As part of Splash & Dash's policy to make sure that its provision meets the needs of each individual child, we take account of any special needs a child may have. Splash & Dash works to the requirements of the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice (2001).
Our Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator is
Tracy Malham .
Please speak to the SEN co-ordinator to discuss the group’s ability to meet your child’s needs.
We hope that you and your child enjoy being members of our setting and that you both find taking part in our activities interesting and stimulating. The staff are always ready and willing to talk with you about your ideas, views or questions.
DAY TO DAY INFORMATION
Arrival
We ask parents/carers to wait with your child/children outside until the door is opened at 9.30am. The door is open until 9.45am and a member of staff is on duty to welcome you. If you arrive after this time please ring the bell.
Please remember to sign your child in every day. The signing-in book will be used as a check list in the event of a fire.
Each child has a labelled peg in the cloakroom.
Settling in
We do prefer parents to stay for at least their child’s first few sessions. This helps children to settle in and also provides an opportunity for parents to see the types of activities and the timetable of the session. You may like to try leaving your child for short periods, increasing the length of time until your child is ready to be left for a whole session. Your child’s keyworker or the Playgroup Manager will be happy to discuss this with you after the first session. Most children are settled within two to six weeks but do not worry if your child takes longer or has a setback after a holiday.
Do not worry if your child does not bring home masses of artwork. They are here to enjoy their time, mix with other children and respond to other adults outside the home. Whilst staff encourage children to take an interest in all the activities provided, they are never forced to do anything they do not want to do.
Collection
It is important that you tell us who will be collecting your child. For their safety we can only let the children go home with a known adult. It can be very upsetting to be left after others have gone so please collect your child promptly at the end of the session. Please remember to sign your child out.
Absence
To gain maximum benefit from the playgroup it is very important for children to attend regularly. If you expect your child to be unwell for a long period or are away on holiday please let your keyworker know.
Clothes & Shoes
Please send your child in hard-wearing comfortable clothes, which can easily be washed to accommodate messy activities. For reasons of safety the children need to have suitable footwear. We have a covered outside play area. Although the children are protected from wind and rain, it is of course still cold in the winter months. Please ensure your child has a warm coat that is labelled.
Belongings
If your child wishes to bring a small book or toy to playgroup it will be kept in safekeeping until the end of the session.
Nappies/toilet training
If your child is in nappies, please bring spare nappies, wipes and bags. Staff will be happy to change nappies if necessary and endorse toilet training when the child is ready. Please bring a change of clothes if necessary. It would be appreciated if you dressed your child in clothing with elasticated waistbands to assist us with trips to the toilet.
Snack time
We ask all parents/carers to bring either a piece of fresh fruit or dried fruits such as raisins, apple slices, dates, apricots etc each day.
Our daily snack time reinforces the work that we do as part of the Early Years Curriculum on healthy eating and our bodies, and is also a great opportunity for the children to learn more about the social benefits of eating together with others.
We also provide milk or water at snack time.
Illnesses and allergies
Please let us know if your child suffers from any illnesses or allergies. You will be asked to complete a child record form covering this.
If your child uses an inhaler or needs an epipen, please name it clearly and give it to the Playgroup Manager/keyworker to be kept in the playgroup.
Birthdays
We enjoy celebrating birthdays but as we like to promote healthy eating and need to be aware of allergies we no longer give the children cakes at snack time.
Instead, if you would like to provide treats to celebrate your child’s birthday or a new arrival etc we are happy to give these out at the end of the session. Please provide a list of ingredients to help those children with allergies.
FEES
You will be invoiced at the beginning of each half term. Payment can be by cheque, online bank transfer or childcare vouchers. Your remittance advice slip, and cheque if applicable, should be placed in the Treasurer's Box by the end of the first week of the half-term. Please note that fees are payable whether or not your child attends, as a place has been reserved for them.
Each session costs £15 (from September 2015). A half-term levy of £15 is charged to assist with the purchase of arts and crafts materials and to fund training sessions for the playgroup staff.
Guidelines for payment of Splash & Dash fees:
1. The invoice for your child's fees will be ready for collection on the first day of each new term/half term. This will detail the full amount to be paid for your child's fees for that term and will automatically take into account any early years funding that is applicable. The invoice will include a payment due date.
2. If we have not received full payment for your child's invoice by the payment due date our banker will contact you by both letter and e-mail (if you have supplied an e-mail address) asking for payment within 5 working days.
3. If the banker has not received payment by this due date - and you have not contacted us to confirm by when the fees will be paid - we will have no option but to consider removing your child from the pre-school until we have received payment*.
*This measure is of course very much a last resort and we ask that if for any reason there is going to be an issue with the payment of your child's pre-school fees you contact us to discuss this as soon as possible
The Government’s Nursery Education Scheme/Funding
You can claim NEG (Nursery Education Grant) funding for your child's Splash & Dash sessions from the term following their third birthday. Your child is eligible for funding for the autumn term if they are 3 or 4 on 31st August, for the spring term if they are 3 or 4 on 31st December, and for the summer term if they are 3 or 4 on 31st April. Funding can be claimed at more than one NEG nursery/pre-school, up to a maximum of 15 hours per week.
We will write to you in the last week of the preceding term, asking you to complete a form and send us a copy of your child's birth certificate. We will then claim the NEG funding from Ealing Council on your behalf.
Once we have secured the NEG funding your child's place at Splash & Dash is free and you will not be invoiced. We will, however, write to you each half-term and ask you to consider making a top-up contribution (see below).
Top-up contributions
The amount of NEG-funding per child paid to us by Ealing Council is considerably less than the £15 that each session actually costs us to run (plus £15 half-termly levy for materials and staff-training). While not compulsory, these top-up contributions are invaluable in helping us to ensure we keep the pre-school running at the high standard that we currently enjoy.
NOTICE REQUIREMENT
Parents wishing to withdraw their child from the group should give one month’s notice in writing, or be liable to pay one month’s fees to cover the sessions reserved for their child.
Committee
The Committee is made up of voluntary parents and carers. It exists to manage the running of the playgroup and employ the staff. It is vital that all Committee roles are filled with parents/carers of current members of the playgroup. The various posts ensure that:
Staff and rent are paid.
Fees are collected.
A waiting list is maintained.
New children are settled in at a reasonable rate.
Fundraising events are coordinated.
Staff are hired when necessary and provided with appropriate training.
Equipment and materials are purchased when needed.
Newsletters are circulated to keep parents informed.
Proper accounts and minutes are maintained.
Health and safety issues are addressed.
Policies are formulated and adhered to.
Most roles do not require large amounts of time, and can often be shared between two people. Being part of the committee is a great way to meet people and to play an active role in shaping the future of the pre-school.
Annual General Meeting
This is held in October. All parents and carers are invited to attend and participate in major decisions affecting the playgroup, including election of the committee for the coming year. This is essential - without a committee we cannot run the playgroup.
Current Committee
Chair Peren Jennings
Vice-Chair tba
Treasurer Fatima Mohamed Rafiq
Secretary tba
Banker Tracy Malham
Newsletter tba
Membership Secretary Tracy Malham
Head Fundraiser tba
Parent/Carer Contract
When their child joins the playgroup, parents and/or carers are required to sign a contract which summarises duties and responsibilities of the Committee, playgroup staff and parents/carers in relation to the playgroup. This contract is also signed by a Committee member and the Playgroup Manager.
Parent/Carer Rota
We are always keen to give parents/carers the opportunity to observe their child/children at the pre-school, enabling them to talk to their child afterwards about all the new ideas and experiences. However, we also need to balance this with the need to ensure that children don’t get unsettled by too many new adult faces at the pre-school, particularly as we have a fairly high number of new starters every new term.
If you would like to come along to help out at a session do speak to Fatima about arranging a suitable time.