Sandy Pre-School

NEW CHILDREN

Although Autumn term is now underway, we are continually adding to our Waiting list. Parents will be invited to join the pre-school from the Waiting list as places become available. 

If you would like to see the pre-school before making your mind up about where to send your child, please contact us and we can arrange for you to come along for a visit. 

Registering

We normally start children at two and a half years old or sometimes younger if we still have spaces available. If you are interested in a place for your child, first of all you will need to register to go onto our Waiting list. We strongly recommend registering well before your child turns two and a half years as we need to allocate sessions a term ahead and sessions are filled quickly. We also operate on a 'first come first served' basis.

New, young children are normally offered 2 sessions to begin with. As their confidence grows and they are settled, they can have more sessions as spaces arise, normally the following term. Children who start our pre-school at 3+ years and receive government funding will be offered 5 sessions if we have spaces available.

We will accept children who are in nappies/pullups, actively training, or those with special needs. We would not refuse a child who is not yet toilet trained. If you have any concerns, this can be discussed with a member of staff when you come for your pre-starting visit. We have a small toilet as well as an adult toilet for children to use.

Registration forms are available to download and print off this site or you can contact us by phone or e-mail and we will be happy to post one to you. Alternatively you are welcome to call in during opening hours to collect one. As soon as your form is returned you are on our Waiting list.

Visits

If we have space for your child, we will contact you towards the end of the term before your child is due to start. This is so that we can arrange a visit for you and your child during a session. We will send you a welcome pack full of useful information and forms which you can return on your visit. The visit is very useful as we can run through paperwork with you and it is a chance for your child to familiarise themselves with the pre-school and meet us before they start. This usually goes some way towards helping new children as everything is more familiar to them on their first day and they settle without their parents quicker. We will also run through our daily routine and answer any questions you may have.

If you are not sure which pre-school to send your child to please make sure you take the opportunity of visiting them - have a look around, talk to staff, ask questions and you can then decide which setting is right for your child.

Settling

We always discuss the best way to settle a child with his/her parents as they are the main carers and their input is always valued. Parents would be welcome to stay for a short while if it helps settling but we usually find children settle better if parents leave straight away. Children who find it difficult to settle can borrow our 'Settling in Book' to take home. It contains photos to show our routine and the kind of activities and toys they can enjoy. Sometimes children settle with a special toy or comforter and we don't mind this at all. 

We want all children to feel comfortable, safe and happy in the absence of their parents and be confident that their parents will return at the end of their session.

Staggering new children

If we have a large number of new children, we often stagger the start dates so that we only have three or four new children starting in one session. This means that staff can give them the attention they need in order to settle as some may need more support than others.