FAQ / Glossary

The nearest half term after they turn 2 years old subject to available spaces

We like the minimum number of sessions to be 2 per week. This is because it helps your child to settle quicker and get into the swing of playgroup much easier.

Our ratio for 2 year olds are 1 adult to 4 children Our ratio for 3 year olds are 1 adult to 8 children

No we have nappy changing facilities at playgroup, but we ask that you supply the nappies, wipes and bags for your child.

We will of course support you when it is time to potty train. You can bring on your own potty if you wish. Please let us know if your child would rather use the toilet and if they stand or sit. Also put them in loose fitting leggings or jogging bottoms as its easier for your children to take them down.

Accidents can still happen so please provide us with lots of spare clothes and a spare pair of shoes, just in case.

Please don’t put your child in their best clothes. We ask that your child wear clothes that you won’t mind getting dirty or covered in paint or mud. Also can we ask that you don’t put your child in denim jeans or any skinny trousers as these inhibit climbing and other physical activities

In the winter we ask for thick coats, hats and gloves and in the summer a sun hat

Could all children please have a spare set of clothes in their bags.

All clothes especially coats are to be name labelled

Each child has a picture next to their name on the trolley that is left out on the village hall foyer, pop your childs coat on here. Once a member of the team has opened the door pop your childs named bag on the wall peg that has the same picture and name.

Walk up to the main hall and please write the time your child arrived at playgroup. This is an ofsted requirement so please make sure you do this at both the start and end of session or we get really told off.

Once you have signed the book then help your child to find their name card. Then together with your child enter the hall and help your child to put their name on the blue board. They are then free to go and explore with what they want to.

You are more than welcome to take them to an activity but please don’t stay too long as it can unsettle your child.

Once you have left the hall if you have any information to pass on to us eg someone else is collecting your child as well as verbally telling us could you please write it in the communication book on the brown table where the names were.

Starting somewhere new can be u settling for both parent and child. Together with your child’s key worker you will work out the best stragity for helping the child to settle. Quite often the tears stop as soon as the parent has left the hall, so please don’t feel bad if your child is crying, their key worker will spend time with them and will keep you up to date by either text or phone call on how your child is doing during the session.

Due to our in the moment planning and focus week you will have at least 1 review meeting with your childs key worker per term.

Also your childs key worker will always be available for a quick chat so please ask if you feel you need to and we can make time.

At playgroup we are now 98% child led in our activities and planning happens in that moment rather than having activities planned weeks ahead. We feel that this approach has helped the children to settle quicker and easier. The children decide on what they would like to play with so their key worker will take this as a base to then extend and develop the activity and so move the child’s development on to the next stage.

Once a term each key worker will have your child as their focus child. This means for that week on the sessions your child is in, their key worker will focus on them and their development. The week before focus week you, the parent, will be given a camera, that we ask you take up to 8 photos of what your child likes to do and 2 forms that we would you would like to fill in and return to us at the start of the focus week. The key worker will take this information and use it as a base for the weeks observed activities. The observations during this week will tie in with the activities arranged and what development stage they are looking at placing your child.

At the end of the week the key worker will go over her findings and what she will be looking towards during the next term. Other observations will be done during the rest of the term but they won’t be as in depth.

We do what is known as free flow and go outside in our garden every session from 9.50 come rain, sun or snow. So coats, hats and wellies are needed in the winter.

In the summer if it is extremely hot we will go out earlier and come in before 11am. As well as providing a hat we ask that you put sun cream on your child before they come in as we are not allowed to apply it on them ourselves.

We ask that each child brings in a sports bottle with their name on. We can add water to this when they arrive or if you wish your child to have juice that it is already mixed. We have a tray for you to put it in when you get your name. Your child will then be able to access their drink as when they want to.

At snack time as well as drinking their drink they will also be offered milk if they wish to have this as well. Snack consists of fresh fruit, vegetables and salad. We also at times offer cheese, ham, dips.

Snack time is a rolling snack for an hours duration that the children come and with adult supervision help themselves to.

You can put what you like in their lunch boxes but we ask that there is no sweets, chocolate or nuts.

At the end of the session we wll put your childs art work out in the corridor unless its still really wet and we will leave it on the drying rack for you.

We love having parents/grandparents etc coming to play at playgroup but we just ask that you wait a few weeks until the children are settled before you come.

If someone new to us is collecting your child we ask that you first tell us and if possible bring them in with you so we can meet them. If you are unable to do that could we please been given a password that the person will also know to say when collecting. Failure to do these will result in us not being able to let your child leave our premises even if that person is a grandparent.

Yes we love to get out and show our faces in the village. We have visited the church, post office and our allotment in the past and look forward to doing it more. We also have very close links to Ashwell school so visit there during the year. We always give you plenty of warning that we are going out and ask for your permission on our registration form. If you would love to come and help us that would be lovely as our ratio when we go out is 1 adult to 2 children.

The committee are a fantastic group of parents (both mums and dads) that have given up their free time to help do many things but one major thing is to raise much needed funds for playgroup. In fact without their help playgroup would not even be here. If you would like more information on joining the committee just ask us and we will point you in the right direction