Prospectus

Chairperson - Emma Brewster

Secretary - Laura-Rose Thorogood

Treasurer - Sarah Biggs

Lauren Attwater, Angela Scott, Samantha Brewington

The Management Committee is elected at our Annual General Meeting, which is held in October. We welcome all new parents and are always very grateful for help with our fundraising events.

Kim has worked as Playgroup Leader over 20 years and brings with her a wealth of experience from 25 years of working in childcare and education. Her area of expertise is Communication and Language and uses her passion and commitment to support, develop and enrich language skills.

Kim completed her Early Years Foundation Degree in 2013. She has worked for Suffolk County Council, Workforce and Development, which enables her to provide training for her team and Early Years Practitioners.

She has the following qualifications and experience:

* Makaton uses signs and symbols to teach communication, language and literacy skills to people with communication and learning difficulties

**Dynavox is a communication aid for children with no or limited speech, which requires programming for an individual child’s needs 6

Jo has worked for Acton playgroup for over 21 years and specialises in expressive arts. Jo is also our health and safety co-ordinator.

*Makaton uses signs and symbols to teach communication, language and literacy skills to people with communication and learning difficulties.

Louise is an experienced member of the team who has worked in Childcare for over 16 years and specialises in Special Educational Needs.

Charlotte joined our setting in November 2023 and is currently working towards her NVQ Level 3 in Early Years. 8

Ava joined our setting in September 2024 and is currently working towards her NVQ Level 3 in Early Years.

Marie joined our setting in November 2023 and supports us at key times.

Victoria joined the team in March 2016 and brings with her over 23 years of management experience and financial expertise. Victoria is dedicated in ensuring the success of Acton Playgroup by using her skills to support the team and most importantly to support the parents and children who attend the setting.

“Staff are highly experienced and exceptional role models, so children are extremely well behaved.” Ofsted Inspection May 2025

When a child is aged between 2 and 3 years, your Childs key person will review their progress providing a written summary of how your child is progressing against the 3 prime areas of learning. Parents are asked to contribute to this report as working in partnership is vital for the unique child’s development. This check will highlight areas where your child is progressing well and any where they might need some extra help or support – and how mums and dads and other family members or carers can work with the key person to help. You might find

it useful to share the information from the check with other professionals such as health visitors.

We use Tapestry Online Learning Journals and Planning and Assessment Records to communicate with parents on a regular basis. Tapestry provides excellent opportunities for developing parent partnership. Parents are kept up to date weekly, with observations, assessments and ideas of how to support at home.

Children are provided with experiences and are supported to develop a positive sense of themselves and others. Children are individually supported in their development to gain confidence and independence. We promote co-operation between children themselves and with adults and children encouraged to participate in the group by sharing and taking turns. Through the use of role models, conversation and activities, the children learn acceptable ways to express their feelings and to respect the feelings of others.

Communication and language development involves giving children opportunities to experience a rich language environment; to develop their confidence and skills in expressing themselves; and to speak and listen in a range of situations.

Children are given the opportunity to be active and interactive and to improve their skills of co-ordination, control, manipulation and movement. We provide opportunities to support the use of all their senses, enabling them to learn through the world around them while making connections between their experiences. All children are given the opportunity to use a wide range of equipment to develop their gross motor skills and their fine manipulative skills. They use scissors and other tools and develop pencil control. Adult supervision allows the children to develop safely, increasing their confidence and awareness of their bodies. We have a range of equipment in our outdoor area where children develop special awareness.

“Children demonstrate high levels of engagement in the activities that are provided for them and use resources and tools on offer to extend their own learning. The language-rich environment that is created by the staff supports all children to acquire and use language, and they are excellent communicators. Children are confident to express their own ideas, needs and interests, and these are listened to and responded to by the staff. Staff know exactly when it is not appropriate to interrupt children's flow of thoughts and ideas.” Ofsted Inspection May 2025 11

Literacy development involves encouraging children to link sounds and letters and begin to read and write. Children will have access to a wide range of reading materials. Within our setting books support all area of learning which will inspire the children's love of books.

All children are supported in developing their understanding of problem solving, reasoning and numeracy in a broad range of contexts in which they can explore, enjoy, learn, practise and talk about their understanding. Songs, games, books and puzzles help the children to become aware of number sequences. The adults in the group support the children as they become familiar with sorting, matching, sequencing, counting and shape recognition. They also learn to identify objects position, size, volume and number. Mathematical language is also introduced.

The children are given time, space and opportunity to explore and experiment with a wide range of natural and manmade resources. This gives them the chance to learn and recognise differences, similarities and patterns in the world around them. Their learning will be supported by offering opportunities to encounter creatures, people, plants and objects in their natural environments and in real situations. We also take part in “Forest Schools activities” along with the reception class. This provides outdoor learning opportunities, where they learn to explore and understand their own environment. The children also learn to respect and accept those whose culture is different to their own.

They are given opportunity to extend their technical and problem-solving skills and to use a range of tools safely.

Children are encouraged to use a wide range of resources to express their ideas, curiosities and feelings. They are provided with opportunities to explore and share their thoughts, ideas and feelings through music and movement, dance, and imaginative role play. Artistic activities give the children an opportunity to explore colour and texture and to develop their manipulative skills. Children join in with singing action songs and responding to music and stories. 12

If your child is unwell, please keep them at home until they have been free of illness for at least 48 hours. Inform our Playgroup Leader by telephoning 01787 464270. Should your child become ill during a session we will contact you or your nominated emergency number.

It is unfortunate, but during your child’s time at Playgroup or school they are very likely to come into contact with head lice. In order to keep on top of this problem, we ask you to be vigilant and to regularly check your child’s hair with a nit comb. Should you find any nits, please inform a member of staff who will put up a general notice informing parents to check their children’s hair. We inform parents because if your child has lice then it is likely that they picked it up from another child and so the process goes on. By keeping in touch about any breakouts we aim to reduce the problem occurring. There are various treatments available that, combined with a nit comb, will control and eradicate head lice.

During the session we provide your child with a healthy snack. We also provide a drink of either milk or water. Should your child have any dietary requirements, please inform a member of staff and make sure you state any allergies or dislikes your may have on your child’s Enrolment Form. These details along with other information allow us to support and encourage your children while they settle into their new environment.

For children attending Playgroup and Early Years, lunch time begins at 11.45am and ends at 12.30pm. Members of staff supervise the children’s activities and lunch in the playgroup room. The children sit at their own special tables with the Lunchtime assistants to eat lunch.

This benefits the children by gently introducing a slightly longer day, when they are approaching full time school, while working in partnership with parents to provide a healthy lunch. By eating with their peers, children get used to the routine of eating as a group.

A lunchtime session costs £4.00. You may either send your child to Playgroup with a packed lunch or they can have a cooked lunch. School, cooked lunches are charged at £2.58 each and are payable, in advance, by bank transfer.

As part of our Health and Safety policy all packed lunch boxes must contain a freezer pack to ensure food is kept cold. We will check every lunch box and place a pack in should you have forgotten.

“Staff ensure that equality and inclusion are at the heart of everything they do with the children. They have a positive approach to diversity and support children to develop a positive sense of themselves. Children are highly valued as individuals. They are confident, resilient and independent.” Ofsted inspection May 2025 14

Acton Playgroup will always try to accommodate children (regardless of race, religion or attainment) who live in Acton. However, we do welcome children from outside our catchment area and will always try to find them a place as soon as 15

possible. Attending Acton Playgroup does not naturally mean admittance to Acton Primary School.

We ask parents/guardians to keep the playgroup up to date with your telephone number, including mobile phone if you have one, and other details for emergency contacts.

Be responsible for the safety and well-being of your child/children whilst they are not in school.

Inform the playgroup of any prearranged absence, e.g., attendance at an hospital appointment or other unavoidable event, prior to the absence taking place.

Inform the playgroup of your child’s absence between 8.30 am and 9.15am on the morning of the first day of absence via the playgroup telephone on 01787 464270. Respond promptly to contacts from the playgroup.

If no contact is established during a period of absence the playgroup will arrange a home visit to check the situation. If the child is not found and no satisfactory explanation is given for absence, the police will be notified of the child’s non-attendance. The police will treat this as a missing persons alert. Working in partnership with parent and carers, we can improve protection for children.

Acton Playgroup follows the D of E code of practice on Special Needs.

Children with special needs are welcome to attend Playgroup after consultation with their parents, Playgroup Leader and Key person. If it is felt that a child’s needs cannot be met at Playgroup without a learning support worker, funding will be sought to provide one. We liase with staff, therapists, health visitors, psychologists, social workers and paediatricians to ensure the child’s specific needs are met.