Admissions & Settling in Policy
Statement of Intent
It is our intention to make our preschool accessible to children and families from all sections of the local community. We are committed to being as inclusive as possible regarding our admissions for our preschool. We also strive to be a provider of funded childcare without it impacting the quality of our provisions. This policy outlines our approach to preschool admissions, our admissions criteria, and our plans for offering funded childcare in a sustainable and inclusive manner.
Legal Framework
This policy relates to sections 3.27 and 3.28 to 3.38 of the Early Years Foundation Stage.
Aim
To ensure that Blundeston Preschool is accessible to all sections of the community, through open, fair, and clearly communicated procedures. To promote smooth and stress-free transitions to the setting, ensuring both children and parents/carers are happy. We care for children between the ages of 2 and four years of age, and the numbers and ages of children admitted to the preschool comply with the legal space requirements set out in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). When considering admissions, we are mindful of staff: child ratios and the facilities available at the preschool. We are registered with Ofsted to provide up to 39 places at any one time. We do not require children to be toilet trained on admission.
Accessibility
Blundeston Preschool aims to ensure its services are accessible to all sections of the community as per the Equal Opportunities Policy. The setting will attempt to communicate its services in locations throughout the community, in more than one language as appropriate.
The preschool exists to provide resources, facilities, and expertise locally to meet the needs of people in the surrounding area.
The preschool advertises through the Childcare Information Service, the local school and places accessible to the community.
The preschool welcomes both fathers and mothers, other relations, and carers, including childminders.
We describe our preschool and its practices in terms of how it treats individuals, regardless of their gender, special educational needs, disabilities, background, religion, ethnicity, or competence in Spoken English.
Our manager takes responsibility for meeting with new families ensuring they have the correct literature regarding the Pre-school and collating information, including a waiting list.
Offering Places
Where services are over-subscribed, as is often the case with Blundeston Preschool the following priority for admissions has been agreed:
1. Birth Order
2. On a first come first serve basis.
3. waiting list children will be given a place before existing additional places.
Places will always be confirmed by the setting manager by telephone.
Government funding for early education can be used for hours within funded sessions, and the additional paid-for hours will be charged at the amount required.
Fully funded sessions may be available for two, three and four-year old’s, subject to eligibility and the availability of sessions and staffing arrangements. No additional charges will be made for those sessions, but attendance will be limited to specific hours, and charges will be incurred for any additional attendance. These sessions will have a half termly intake and will be allocated prior to the start of each half term, in line with the admission criteria above.
All funded sessions are now in line with the flexible arrangement as specified by the Government. When you register your child for their funded place, we will discuss your needs and, as far as possible with availability and staffing arrangements, we will accommodate your wishes.
We strongly believe that all children should have fair and equal access to snacks and activities, and we therefore do not charge any top-up fees for funded-only sessions. The shortfall in the government-funded hourly rate is therefore addressed by charging a proportionate rate for the additional hours attended to complete the full session.
See fees policy.
Prior to a child attending our preschool, parents must complete and sign a contract and registration form. These forms provide the preschool with personal details relating to the child. For example, name, date of birth, address, emergency contact details, parental responsibilities, dietary requirements, collection arrangements, fees, and sessions, contact details for parents, doctor’s contact details, health visitor contact details, allergies, parental consent, and vaccinations etc.
Children leaving for school in the July/August of their academic school year to start in September will not be permitted to stay back at the preschool beyond this time as we do not have the capacity to keep any children beyond this.
Settling in
Once a place has been offered each child is assigned an Early Years Educator as a key person. The manager will take responsibility for contacting families and arranging appropriate settling in sessions (stay & play). The first two of these sessions allows for parents to stay with their child to allow their child an informal introduction to the preschool and for parents and key persons to have time to communicate about specific needs and personalities. An ‘All About Me Book’ and ‘New Child Information Record’ is also completed in advance of attending Pre-school to ensure that staff are aware of all issues pertaining to the child.
Subsequent settling in sessions will be organised to meet the needs of the specific child, this process usually takes up to 2 weeks, but it is important that child, parent, and preschool are happy before a child attends their full sessions. Key workers keep records of children’s progress during this period.
The settling process is viewed as an essential part of ensuring children have a positive time at preschool and we will be flexible in extending this period and offering families additional support.
Early Years Education Funding (EYEF)
Blundeston Pre-School are in receipt of EYEF for 3- and 4-year-olds. All 3- and 4-year-olds are entitled to the Universal 15 funded hours during term time, this is available from the term following your child’s third birthday. You can take up to 570 hours free funded childcare within the hours of 9:30am 12:30pm and 1:30pm – 4:30pm
Some families of 2-year-olds may be entitled to Free Early Education for Two-Year-Olds (FEET), you must make the Pre-School aware of this when submitting an “Application to Join”.
To access this funding, you need to complete a EYEF form and show your child’s birth certificate to the setting manager.
30 Hour Funded / Stretched Offer Agreement:
The Pre-School is open 50 weeks of the year. The Pre-School can offer 30 funded hours or up to 30 hours a week, we can also stretch this offer of funded childcare over the 50 weeks a year.
Each child’s maximum free entitlement for both the ‘Universal’ and the ‘Extended’ offer will be the same, 570 hours per year universal hours and 570 extended hours, totalling 1140 hours.
You can take up to 1140 hours free funded childcare across the 50 weeks, within the hours of 9:30am 12:30pm and 1:30pm – 4:30pm.
Suffolk.gov.uk. 2021. Funded early education for 3 and 4-year-olds | Suffolk County Council. [online] Available at: <https://www.suffolk.gov.uk/children-families-and-learning/childcare-information-and-support-for-parents-and-providers/guidance-for-parents-and-carers/funded-early-learning-for-3-and-4-year-olds/> [Accessed 29 January 2021].
Suffolk.gov.uk. 2021. Childcare for working parents | Suffolk County Council. [online] Available at: <https://www.suffolk.gov.uk/children-families-and-learning/childcare-information-and-support-for-parents-and-providers/guidance-for-parents-and-carers/30-hours-childcare-for-working-parents/> [Accessed 29 January 2021].
This policy was reviewed in January 2023.
To be reviewed annually.
Signed on behalf of the Pre-school Management Committee,
Chairperson