Sessions
Our Preschool has 16 places per session and sessions run both am and pm during term time. Children are supervised by qualified teaching and support staff and a key person is identified for every child/family. Key Persons will observe and plan next steps for each child specifically, although all teachers/practitioners in the setting will know the children and where they are in their learning journey.
Our hours are as follows:
Morning session: 8.45am - 11.45pm (drop off time from 8:45-9:00am)
Lunch: 11.45am - 12.15pm
Afternoon session: 12.15pm - 15.15pm (collection time from 3:00-3:15pm)
We welcome all children, the term after a child turns two years of age.
Preschool Sessions
Cygnets Preschool sessions are a good way for children aged between two and four years old to become used to separating from their parents/ carers for a short time, encouraging independence and confidence. We are flexible with sessions and can offer a morning from 8.45am to 11.45am, an afternoon from 12.15pm to 3.15pm or a full day, 8.45am to 3.15pm, if required. We recommend a minimum of two sessions a week.
Children attending a full day will need to bring a packed lunch (We do not have the facilities to offer hot meals at lunchtime or the capacity to reheat individual meals for every child, each day. Our children that stay for a full day bring a packed lunch/bento box style and if require warm food, it is provided in a thermos type flask by parents. Whilst many of our staff members do have a food hygiene certification, we do not warm up food as under regulations of the environmental health, reheated food has to have a core temp of 82 C and we cannot ensure this. Therefore it opens up potential problems with cross contamination of foods, food allergies, high risk foods, staff unsure of what they are reheating, storage issues and sadly children becoming poorly.)
Wraparound sessions
All children, from the term following their third birthday, are entitled to 15 hours universal funding for childcare per week. At Langford Village Community Primary School Nursery, these funded sessions are five mornings from 8.45am to 11.45am or five afternoons from 12.15pm to 3.15pm. This can be extended by a wraparound session at Cygnets, which is funded by parental fees or up to 15 additional hours subject to eligibility of the 30 hours funding entitlement.
Working in partnership with the nursery, Cygnets wraparound sessions give children the opportunity to attend childcare from 8.45am to 3.15pm each day, within the school premises. Our staff collect and drop off the children to/from the nursery.
We can also offer one-off sessions, on an adhoc basis, subject to availability.
Settling In
Home visits by the Manager and Deputy will occur the term prior to commencing. Prior to starting, you and your child will be invited to a taster session, usually the first day of each term. You will be required to stay with your child for approximately one hour, which will give you a chance to have a look around, meet the staff and ask any questions you might have.
What your child will need..
Suitable outdoor clothing for the time of year – coat, wellies, waterproof dungarees, sun hat etc. Please note: it is our policy that sun hats are to be worn and sun cream applied before attending every day from April to September, even if the weather is cloudy
Water bottle
Packed lunch, if staying for a full day (which fits within the child’s school bag)
At least one full change of clothes in a bag, which can be left on child’s peg but can be taken home/left at the end of each session