Jack n Jill Pre-school Ipswich

Prospectus

M: 07837 411646
T: 01473 680887
E: jacknjill11@fsmail.net
Stone Lodge Community Centre, Hawthorn Drive, Ipswich, Suffolk IP2 0QY

Like us on our Facebook page: facebook.com/jacknjillipswich

Website: www.jacknjillipswich.com

Contents
Page
Our Mission

Our Setting

Our Team

Your Role as a Parent

How Parents Can Take Part in the Setting

Childrens Development and Learning

Our Approach to Learning and Development and Assessment

Safeguarding Children

Policies

Food and Drink

Clothing

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Opening Hours and Fees

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Jack n Jill Pre-school Customer Survey Spring 2015

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Our Mission
The aim of our pre-school is to create a vibrant and fun environment for all children of
pre-school age, from two upwards, so that by learning through play they can develop
into happy, confident little people.
Our Setting
We are located at the Stone Lodge Community Centre in Hawthorn Drive, Ipswich. The
pre-school primarily serves Chantry and SW Ipswich and is open Monday to Friday
during term time, between 8.30am and 3.30pm.
The well-designed,
Children can attend morning, lunch-time and
stimulating play environment
afternoon sessions and we also run a breakfast
promotes learning and
club. Youll find full details in the Opening Hours
challenge for children, both
and Fees section of this prospectus.
indoors and out.
Our Buddies Room occupies the large hall (pictured
OFSTED 2014
below), where we care for our 3 and 4-year-olds,
and we have a brand new separate room we call
Little Buds for our 2-year-olds. Both rooms are filled to the brim with a large range of
curriculum-based activities designed to aid the childrens learning and development.

Adjacent to the main hall is a large outdoor area

with a sunken sandpit, soft-surface play area
and a popular mud kitchen! The 2-year-olds also
have a large secluded outdoor space (pictured)
and in both gardens there is plenty of room for
the children to develop physically, both on two
legs and two wheels (or four if you include the
stabilisers).
We have a 25 year lease on the building with
Suffolk County Council which has enabled us to
improve our facilities including the building of a fantastic purpose built kitchen/snack
and social area and child-friendly toilet blocks for both rooms. If you would like one of
our team to show you around please dont be afraid to ask.
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Our Team
We have a great team of staff who are highly qualified in childcare and have a wealth
of experience between them.
Michelle Hurren

Manager

Early Years Professional Status

Mandy Godbold

Deputy Manager

Foundation Degree (Level 5)

Lynn Minns

Buddies Room Co-ordinator

Certificate in Early Years (Level 4)

Claire Barron

Assistant

CCLD 3

Sarah Banthorpe

Assistant

CCLD 3

Alan Chesworth

Assistant

CCLD 3

Teresa Preston

Assistant

CCLD 3

Emma Vaughan
Danielle Polley
Chloe Mann

Assistant
Assistant
Little Buds Room Co-ordinator

CCLD 3
CCLD 3
CCLD 3

Gemma Osbourne

Little Buds Room Co-ordinator

CCLD 3

Lauren Haswell

Assistant

CCLD 3

Emma Green

Assistant

CCLD 3

We operate our setting at a staff to child ratio

better than the statutory requirement in other
words we have invested in extra staff to ensure
the children attending our setting receive the
best possible care.

The quality of teaching is

consistently good and
occasionally outstanding.
OFSTED 2014

We work with children on a key worker/buddy

system; this means children have continuity with the setting by building a strong bond
with one member of staff - research proves this is the best approach. As well as being
most beneficial for children, it also promotes a strong relationship between parents and
carers; parents have a member of staff they can speak to confidentially about their
childs achievements or any concerns they may have.
Your Role as a Parent
We consider parents a big asset to the pre-school and aim to build strong partnerships
with them; we feel this contributes to their childs ability to thrive within our setting.
We aim to keep parents informed of their childs progress, consult them on important
issues and involve parents in the day to day running of the setting.
As a childcare provider we believe that all children are unique and the most
knowledgeable people about each child are their parents, so we make it our mission to
work closely with parents to make sure each child reaches their full potential while
they are with us. We achieve this by allowing parents to stay for sessions, share their
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childs Learning Journey with parents and agree learning goals for each child for the
following term.
As a community based setting we depend on the
goodwill of parents and their involvement. Jack n
Jill is managed by an enthusiastic committee of
professional managers and volunteers, many of
them parents. Their support and commitment
ensures we are meeting the needs of the children
and families within the setting. A committee
approach gives parents a good view of what

Staff are passionate about

delivering a high quality service
to ensure that children have
the best start in life. They have
a positive attitude to
improvement and embrace the
culture of reflective practice
and monitoring

happens within the pre-school and more

importantly enables us to listen to your views.

OFSTED 2014

If you are interested in joining the pre-school management committee please speak to
Michelle Hurren or Mandy Godbold.
Elections for places on the management committee take place at the Annual General
Meeting. This is open to the parents of all children attending the pre-school. It is the
forum for looking back over the previous year and discussing plans for the next year
and beyond.
How Parents Can Take Part in the Setting
Our setting recognises parents as the first and most important educators of their
children. All of the staff see themselves as partners with parents in providing care and
education for their children. There are many ways in which parents take part in making
the setting a welcoming and stimulating place for children and parents, such as:

exchanging knowledge about their children's needs, activities, interests and

progress with the staff;

contributing to the progress check at age two;

helping at sessions of the setting;

sharing their own special interests with the children;

helping to provide and look after the equipment and materials used in the
children's play activities;

being part of the management of the setting where appropriate;

taking part in events and informal discussions about the activities and curriculum
provided by the setting;

joining in community activities, in which the setting takes part;

building friendships with other parents in the setting.

Childrens Development and Learning

At Jack n Jill Pre-school childrens development and learning is guided by the Early
Years Foundation Stage (DCFS 2012) and our provision reflects its four key principles:
1. A unique child: every child is a unique child who is constantly learning and can be
resilient, capable, confident and self-assured.
2. Positive relationships: children learn to be strong and independent through
positive relationships.
3. Enabling environments: children learn and develop well in enabling environments,
in which their experiences respond to their individual needs and there is a
strong partnership between practitioners, parents and carers.
4. Learning and development: children learn and develop in different ways and at
different rates. The framework covers the education and care of all children in
early years provision including children with special educational needs and
disabilities.
Children start to learn about the world around them
from the moment they are born. The care and
education offered by our setting helps your child to
do this by providing all of the children with interesting
activities that are appropriate for their age and stage
of development.
We focus on areas of development and learning that
include personal, social and emotional development,
physical development and communication and language.
We also engage in activities that develop skills in
literacy and numeracy, expressive arts and design and
help children understand the world.
For each area the level of progress that children are
expected to have attained by the end of the Early
Years Foundation Stage is defined by the Early
Learning Goals. Our qualified staff work with these
goals when we assess children and plan for their
learning.
If you would like further information about the Early
Learning Goals please speak to your key worker.

Our Approach to Learning and Development and Assessment

Learning through play: play helps young children to learn and develop through doing
and talking, which research has shown to be the means by which young children learn to
think. Our setting uses the Early Years Foundation Stage guidelines to plan and provide
a range of play activities which help
children to make progress in all seven
areas of learning and development.
Children are allowed to choose many of
the play activities they engage in; adults
take the lead in others. At Jack n Jill
Pre-school we ensure there is a good
balance of child initiated play and adult
lead play so that each child has the best
possible learning outcome related to his
or her interests.
Assessment: we assess how young children are learning and developing by observing
them frequently. We use this information and photographs of the children at play to
document their progress and to help us plan additional activities that will aid their
development further. We believe that parents know their children best and we ask you
to contribute to assessments by sharing information about what your childs interests
are and what he or she likes to do at home. Each term your childs key worker will
review your childs progress with you so that together we can ensure your child thrives
while at Jack n Jill.
The progress check at age two: The Early Years Foundation Stage requires that we
supply parents and carers with a short written summary of their childs development in
the three prime areas of learning and development: personal, social and emotional
development; physical development; and communication and language; when a child is
aged between 24 - 36 months. The key person is responsible for completing the check
using information from ongoing observational assessments carried out as part of our
everyday practice, taking account of the views and contributions of parents and other
professionals.
Learning Journey: during the time your child is with us we will compile a Learning
Journey. This is an official document that records each childs development and will be
passed onto other settings up to the end of Reception Class. Your childs key worker
will involve you in completing the Learning Journey and ask you to provide information
on your childs needs, activities, interests and achievements. This will enable us to

identify your child's stage of progress and decide on how to help your child to move on
to the next stage.
These records are a lovely keepsake and should be retrieved from the nursery or
school they move on to once they have extracted the information they need.
The Session: we organise our sessions so
that the children can choose from, and
work at, a range of activities to 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.
Jack n Jill Pre-school has a well maintained outside play area, with areas for mark
making, a soft-surface area, grass area and sunken sandpit. 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. Our outside space provides
children with opportunities to learn about the world around them (observing insects and
growing flowers are two popular activities). They are also able to choose from a wide
range of outdoor equipment such as bikes, scooters and a slide which contribute to
their health and physical development.
Special Needs: as part of the setting'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. The setting works to the requirements of the Special Educational Needs Code of
Practice (2001).
Our Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators are Michelle Hurren and Mandy Godbold.
To ensure we are able to meet each childs needs and that they reach their full
potential we may seek advice from other professionals.
Safeguarding Children
Our setting 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, in the unlikely event that one arises.
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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. Our Safeguarding Officers are
Michelle Hurren and Mandy Godbold.
Policies
Copies of the setting's policies and procedures are available for you to browse at the
setting. If you would like a copy of any of our policies please inform a member of staff.
Jack n Jill Pre-schools policies help us ensure that the service provided by the setting
is a high quality one and that being a part of the setting is an enjoyable and beneficial
experience for each child and her/his parents.
The staff and parents of the setting work together to adopt the policies and they all
have the opportunity to contribute to the annual review of these policies. This review
helps us to make sure that the policies are enabling the setting to provide a quality
service for children, parents and the local community.
Food and Drink
Snacks: the setting makes snacks and
meals a social time at which children
eat together. We plan the menus for
snacks and meals so that they provide
the children with healthy and
nutritious food. Please tell us about
your child's dietary needs and we will
make sure that these are met.
Lunch: to make lunch a social occasion,
children who attend all day have a set
time when they sit together at a table
to eat. Adults are on hand to lend support. We promote healthy eating and ensure the
childrens lunch, which we provide, is well balanced - this means plenty of foods that
contain the nutrients that children need, and fewer foods that are high in sugar and
saturated fat.

Drinks: we provide children with unlimited access to fresh drinking water all day they
are able to help themselves or ask a member of staff for a drink whenever they feel
thirsty. We ask all parents not to bring drinks for their child to the setting.
Clothing
We provide protective clothing for the children when they play with messy activities.
We encourage children to gain the skills that help them to be independent and look
after themselves. These include taking themselves to the toilet and taking off, and
putting on, outdoor clothes. Clothing that is easy for them to manage will help them to
do this.
Opening Hours and Fees
Jack n Jill Pre-school is open Monday to Friday during term time, between 8.30am and
3.30pm.
BREAKFAST: The pre-school opens at 8.30am for Breakfast Club where children are
able to enjoy a healthy, well-balanced breakfast with their friends for 2.25. Children
have a choice of toast, cereal, yogurts and fruit juices.
MORNING SESSION: The main pre-school session starts at 9.15am and ends at
12.15pm, costing 9.00.
AFTERNOON SESSION: The afternoon starts at 12.30pm and ends at 3.30pm, costing
9.00.
ALL DAY: Children are able to stay all day including breakfast the cost is 21.00 or
excluding breakfast 18.75. Children are provided with a healthy, well-balanced lunch
consisting of raw vegetables, fruit and yogurt and a selection of sandwiches, which
parents can choose from.
Fees are payable daily, weekly or monthly in advance. If payment falls behind for more
than three weeks, Jack n Jill Pre-school reserves the right to cancel your childs place
with us. If you have any issues paying please speak to either Michelle Hurren or Mandy
Godbold.
Absence: If your child is ill or on holiday and cannot attend the pre-school, each day
they are absent has to be paid for. If your child has to be absent over a long period of
time please talk to either Michelle Hurren or Mandy Godbold.
Funding: We are in receipt of Suffolk County Council funding for all three and four
year-olds from the term after they turn three. Funding for two year-olds may also be
available for information on this please speak to Mandy Godbold.
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Jack n Jill Pre-school Customer Survey Spring 2015

It would seem from the results of our 2015 survey that parents have nothing but
praise for what we do. The setting is regarded as excellent or good by 100% of parents
but more importantly virtually every parent surveyed said that by attending the preschool their childs development as a person, the way he or she communicates and his or
her physical ability has been either excellent or good.
Every parent speaks to their childs key worker often, with 9 out of 10 saying they
know her well, and they all rate the care their child receives as excellent.
Parents feel they are kept well informed about what is happening at the pre-school and
that our newsletter and Facebook page are good ways to communicate.
We were very pleased that all of our parents would not hesitate to recommend us to
friends and family.
Here are just three of the many nice things said about us by parents:
Lovely pre-school, would highly recommend to anyone. I am very
pleased with the progress Lily has made and she loves going to
school. She always comes home singing and telling me about her
day. Natasha Hall
I dont think I could have put her in a better place. She has grown
so much in such a little time and all the staff are amazing. Vicki
Coote
Im very pleased with my sons progress at the nursery, his speech
has improved massively which I was worried about but Im not now.
Im very pleased with how he has come along since starting the
nursery in so many ways. Massive thank you!! Samantha Hewitt
Youll find even more recommendations on our Facebook page. You can Like us at
facebook.com/jacknjillipswich.

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