Newsletter - 23rd February 2021

Hello,

And welcome to the second half of the Spring term.

Important Dates 
w/c 29th March - Easter Fun Week
Thursday 1st April - Last day of Term
Monday 19th April - Start of Term
Tuesday 4th May - Inset Day (pre-school is closed)
w/c 24th May - Sponsored Bounce
Friday 28th May - End of Term
Monday 7th June - Start of Term
Thursday 22nd July - End of Term & Inset Day

Session Fees
All invoices for March have been issued and should be paid by 3rd March.  Late payment of fees will automatically incur a penalty fee of £15 and continuous failure to pay fees will result in the removal of your child’s place from pre-school.  

Please speak to Jayne or Julie regarding any payment issues so that we can avoid any problems. 

Increase to Fees
With effect from 1st April our fees will be increasing to £4.75 an hour.

Session Availability & Claiming Funding
We will soon be sending out an email with information about session availability and claiming funded places from Easter. Parents are reminded to visit www.childcarechoices.gov.uk to establish what they may be entitled to claim. Any parent wishing to claim the ‘30 Hours Childcare’ for the first time must ensure they apply in plenty of time and receive their code before 31st March. Those parents who already have their code must ensure that the code is ‘re-confirmed’ every three months otherwise we will be unable to access the correct funding on your behalf. 

For those parents with children eligible for funding for the first time we will also be sending home an FE1 Funding form which should be completed and returned to pre-school as quickly as you can.

Please remember that funding is also available for some two year olds. Please visit www.childcarechoices.gov.uk to find out what you could be claiming, this website covers all aspects of childcare and is worth taking a look at to see what you may be entitled to.

Any problems or questions please speak to Jayne or Julie as soon as possible, thank you.

Early Drop Off - 8.45am
In light of this week's announcements around lockdown and the re-opening of schools from March 8th we need to establish whether parents would like to take advantage of being able to drop their children off a little earlier at pre-school at 8.45am. The cost of this will be £2.35 per day. If you would like your child to start at 8.45am please email to confirm which days and should there be enough interest we will let you know when it can re-start. Any questions please just shout!

Easter Fun Week
We will be having some Easter themed fun during the last week of this term (w/c 29th March) so please keep an eye out for more information very soon! We will be having a raffle and are looking for prize donations; do you know of anyone who would like to make a donation? Perhaps a local business that could support us? Perhaps a local bakery or cafe could donate a cake? Or local hairdressers/nails/beauty could donate vouchers? If you can help out in any way then please get in touch.

We will also be having an Easter Bonnet competition and all the children are asked to make their own Easter Bonnet; we have prizes donated by Jon at Asda Long Eaton for the top three!

So please keep an eye out for more information in the next week or so.

General Reminders......

Name Labels - Please ensure that all of your child’s possessions are clearly labelled with their full name.  All bags, including lunch bags, should be labelled on the outside as we have a number of children that have the same style bag and the lack of a name can cause confusion for both child and staff alike!  If items are found unlabelled we will write names on with a black marker pen.

Uniform – All children must wear a red top or jumper whilst at pre-school.  Tops with the pre-school logo are available at reasonable prices, please see Jayne or Julie should you require any items.

Red Book Bags - All children must have a red book bag that should be brought to pre-school each time they attend.

Clothing – It is imperative that children are sent to school in appropriate clothing.  Children should be sent prepared for the weather with appropriate outdoor clothing as we always try to get outside – whatever the weather!  Footwear should enable children to climb and move with confidence; ill-fitting shoes can spoil their fun when pursuing outdoor activities as well as cause unnecessary accidents.  Indoor clothes should enable a child to be as independent as possible, especially when using the toilet when time may be short! So please avoid using tricky belts or dungarees that could hinder a child’s attempts to get to the toilet on time. 

Absence – Absence due to holiday should be notified in writing/email in advance. Absence due to illness should be notified by text by 9.15am (morning sessions) or 12.15pm (afternoon sessions).  

All absences must be confirmed in writing.

Children’s Bags - Your child must bring a small bag/back-pack with at least two sets of spare clothes (including socks!) in case of toileting accidents or messy/wet play; please ensure that the bag is of a size that your child can carry themselves and is clearly labelled. 

Changes - Please remember to let us know of any changes relevant to your child and their circumstances.  We need to know if your contact details have changed, of any allergies or medical conditions and any other circumstances which may affect your child during their time with us.

Policies & Procedures – pre-school operating policies & procedures are available on our website www.springfieldpreschool.co.uk 

Useful Websites – www.foundationyears.org.uk has been developed specifically for parents of children aged 0 – 5 and provides lots of useful information and advice. For information relating to funding, child benefit and more please visit www.childcarechoices.gov.uk 

How to Contact Pre-School
Our phone number is 07960 983423 (Monday to Friday, 8.45am to 3.00pm) or email us at springfieldpreschool@hotmail.co.uk 

You can also check our website www.springfieldpreschool.co.uk and Facebook page for up-to-date information. You can also find us on Twitter and Instagram.