BEECHOAK FARM MONTESSORI PRE-SCHOOL



BEECHOAK FARM MONTESSORI PRE-SCHOOL

(Updated May 2018)

Members of: PSLA (Pre-School Learning Alliance)

Beechoak Farm Montessori Pre-School offers first class Montessori teaching along with a caring, warm, safe and stimulating environment for every child attending, regardless of their colour, religion, culture or special need. We focus on providing a top quality service for all our parents, and strive to maintain a friendly yet professional atmosphere.

We provide day care for children from 2 to 5 years old, all year round; Monday to Friday, except for Bank Holidays and the period between Christmas and New Year, when we close. Each child is required to attend for a minimum of 2 school days.

All applications will be treated on a first come, first served basis. Apart from siblings of current pupils who are given priority.

SCHOOL HISTORY AND FACILITIES

Beechoak Farm Montessori Pre-School is situated in picturesque countryside in the middle of Epping Forest, and was originally a goat farm consisting of three barns set in ten acres. In October 1996 we converted the barns. The Upper Barn has been divided into four classrooms, each with a separate toilet area, one of which has a shower and three have nappy changing facilities. The Lower Barn has also been converted to provide another five classrooms and separate kitchen and dining area for the children. The third barn provides two offices, one for the Manager and the other for the accounts clerk. We have extensive car parking facilities, including a disabled bay and access ramp.

We provide childcare for a total of 72 children at any one time, under the provisions of the Children’s Act (1989), and as such the school is regularly monitored by OFSTED, with whom we currently have a ‘good’ rating.

For the safety and security of all children attending Beechoak Farm Montessori Pre-school, we have a total of 22, in house, 24-hour surveillance cameras in operation in the classrooms and around the premises. Air conditioning throughout the nursery ensures that temperatures are kept ambient.

OUR SURROUNDINGS

There is a large securely fenced outside playground with soft surfacing under our Dutch Barns, the rest has been divided between a hard surfaced area and a grassed area. Within the grassed area we have a vegetable patch which the children attend to. Children go into the vegetable patch and learn about plants and how we look after and care for them, alongside a little maths lesson where the children can measure and see how quickly the plants and shrubs are growing. Within the grassed area we have a large child sized activity climbing frame, play- houses, sea-saws and sandpit.

Beechoak Farm Montessori Pre-School has an extensive back field which the children love to explore. We have a bug hotel and a millipede mansion which the children can investigate. Whilst on our nature walks we take clip boards, pens and magnifying glasses to have a closer look at our findings. Our mud kitchen provides great outdoor learning spaces for young children. Children enjoy getting hands on playing with mud and water, while also developing important physical, social and emotional skills. Mud kitchens work incredibly well as part of Personal Social Emotional development for the children because they encourage role play, sharing and turn taking. Mud kitchens encourage children to talk about what they’re doing, and often the excitement of being outside and involved in messy play gets young learners feeling even more confident about speaking and sharing their thoughts.

Situated on the rest of the farm we have a collection of dwarf farm animals, including Shetland Ponies and donkeys which are in the main field, Pygmy goats in our back field and chickens which are in the chicken coups, situated in the children’s playing field. We visit the animals regularly and find it’s a great distraction when settling in new children.

TAPESTRY

Tapestry is an online learning journal system, this means that your child’s Learning Journal will be accessible to yourselves online. Beechoak Farm staff will record children’s activities and progress using I-pads and then upload this direct to your child’s profile. As a parent you shall be able to view this information from your phone or home computer, you can then reply to the observation. There is also the facility for you to be able to create your own observations of holidays, days out etc if you wish.

MONTESSORI

Children at Beechoak Farm Montessori Pre-school start using the Montessori equipment from age 3 upwards.

Montessori Education was inspired by Doctor Maria Montessori, who believed that all children have a natural desire to learn, which can be encouraged through a variety of activities.

• Practical life exercises – this develops control and co-ordination of movement and encourages fine manipulative skills, hand-eye-coordination and independence. Practical life activities are real life objects that the children see on a daily basis.

• Sensorial exercises – this enhances their senses, laying the foundation for early reading, writing and mathematical skills. Sensorial activities encourage the child to explore using their senses. Colours, shapes, dimensions, smells, sounds and tastes are all introduced within a wide range of activities.

• Language – this encourages pre-reading, writing and listening skills. Language activities are developed through hands on activities. Letter activities are introduced in a physical way through sandpaper letters, this allows the children to feel each letter shape and feel confident in letter formation.

• Maths – this develops an understanding of the concept of numbers. Maths activities are also very hands on giving the children concrete experiences of number formation, ordering, addition, subtraction and multiplication. Mathematics begins with number rods to introduce your child to counting in a concrete form before moving on.

• Cultural – this develops an awareness of the multi-cultural world in which we live. It is divided in to geography, botany, biology, history and science. Cultural activities include looking at different landmarks, and past and present events.

EARLY YEARS FOUNDATION STAGE

Beechoak Farm follow a learn through play ethos that is endorsed by the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Through our planning we carefully cover each area of the EYFS and use this to meet your child’s individual needs.

The EYFS is split into seven areas. The first three prime areas are:

Personal, Social and Emotional Development:

At Beechoak Farm we will support your child to develop the skills needed to make successful relationships with both adults and their peers. We shall provide them with experiences to develop their own confidence, self-respect and their respect for others. We will give them opportunities to develop various social skills such as turn taking, listening to others and managing their feelings and behaviour within social environments.

Communication and Language:

We place a heavy emphasis on encouraging your child to develop the skills to confidently express their own wants, needs and ideas. Throughout the day we provide your child with opportunities to develop their understanding of the spoken word, listen and attend in a range of situations and develop their spoken word to enable them to confidently converse.

Physical Development:

Our extensive outside play spaces provide the children with a wealth of opportunities to develop their motor skills through climbing on the frame and logs, digging in the sand pit and mud kitchen, using material to weave and taking part in playground games such as ‘what’s the time Mr Wolf?’, and parachute play. Inside the use of our Montessori equipment within the practical life area supports children’s fine manipulative skills, building strength in their hands and encouraging the use of a pincer grip through pre-writing and mark making activities. Your child’s health and self-care is also supported through a range of Montessori activities to support dressing and fastenings. We shall support yourself and your child through toilet training when the time is right, also giving the children the skills to independently care for themselves with toilet use and handwashing. Children are supported and educated to make healthy food choices.

The four specific areas built on those skills acquired in the Prime areas:

Literacy:

We will support your child to enjoy the written word and encourage them to immerse themselves in stories. We have a wide range of reading material that they will be exposed to daily. During interactions with the reading material children are encouraged to predict and recall aspects of the story whilst learning that books are used for differing purposes. We also use our planning to focus on literature from the children’s favourite authors. As children are ready we shall encourage them to become aware of letter sounds and begin to link these sounds to words and join in with rhyming activities. We have a range of Montessori resources to extend children on to small word building and other skills as and when they become ready.

Maths:

At Beechoak Farm we offer children a wide range of opportunities to experiment with lots of differing mathematical concepts. We offer opportunities to develop counting, number recognition, assigning numeral to quantity, number formation, number order and basic addition and subtraction. We also provide the children with opportunities to develop their concept of space, shape and measure by learning shape names and properties, size, pattern, time, weight and capacity.

Understanding the World:

This area supports your child to understand the world around them. At Beechoak Farm we will give your child lots of opportunity to access all areas of our world from the natural world – explore our back field area whilst on a nature walk and visiting our farm animals to carry out activities that introduce them to other cultures and customs. We have visitors to Beechoak farm that share different aspects of cultures with the children, this includes Chinese dragon dancing, African drumming workshops and Christingle making with a local vicar. We also introduce you child to various aspects of technology including light and sound toys, computers, and cameras and cooking equipment.

Expressive Arts & Design:

Your child will be given lots of opportunities to be imaginative from using our small world toys both inside and out and also exploring our exciting role play areas. Through our planning children will be encouraged to take on and explore different roles from fictional characters to familiar community roles such as a policeman or doctor. We offer a range of media and materials for the children to use and explore including music and movement sessions, construction materials, arts and crafts and sensory activities.

MAKATON SIGNS & SYMBOLS

Young children do not always have the language to express themselves. When appropriate we introduce Makaton signing. Makaton symbols and signs help children develop communication skills, express themselves and make independent choices.

For those who have experienced the frustration of being unable to communicate meaningfully or effectively, Makaton really can help. Makaton takes away that frustration and enables individuals to connect with other people and the world around them. This opens up all kinds of possibilities.

Signs are used, with speech, in spoken word order. This helps provide extra clues about what someone is saying. Using signs can help people who have no speech or whose speech is unclear.

STAFF

Each member of staff has been carefully selected for their qualifications, experience, and caring attitude towards children, regardless of their sex, age, ethnicity, or religion. All staff are DBS checked.

Hayley Majeika and Sarah Norfolk are the Managers who share the responsibility for managing the Pre-School. Charlotte and her father Steve Crosby own the Pre-school. All of our staff have relevant qualifications or are studying to gain them and everyone has attended the 12 hour paediatric first aid course.

We currently employ one Montessori Teacher and all our other Nursery Nurses have an understanding of the Montessori methods, which allows the children to develop their skills at their own natural pace.

The children are divided into 9 small groups depending on their age. The classrooms are called: Rabbits, Squirrels, Hedgehogs, Otters, Swans, Ducks, Badgers, Foxes and Owls. There is a minimum staff ratio of 1:8 over 3 years old and a ratio of 1:4 under 3 years old. Each child is assigned to one member of staff who then becomes their ‘key person’ and is responsible for their welfare and development whilst at Beechoak Farm Montessori Pre-School.

NUTRITION

Julie our cook plans the 8 week menu for the children’s lunch. We have a variety of dishes from all over the world! All our meals are cooked here on the premises. Breakfast consists of a selection of cereals, toast, fruit and yoghurt and tea club consists of sandwiches, bagels, jacket potatoes, and fruit. Special diets can be catered for e.g. vegetarian, dairy intolerance etc. Water is available throughout the day for the children.

Children are provided with the opportunity to experience baking opportunities throughout the year, from cakes to various savouries.

SETTLING IN PERIOD

You are encouraged to bring your child to pre-school prior to their start date for two settling visits (each are one and a half hours long) in the first settling in session we like parents/ guardians to stay, but the second session if possible we like you to leave them for the hour and a half to bond with their appointed key person and spend time in their new surroundings. This aims to ensure a stress free induction as much as possible and a smooth transition before starting. On these settling in sessions your child will become familiar with the routine and the environment and get to know the staff and children in their appointed class. Before your child starts at Beechoak Farm it is essential that you complete the ‘About Me ‘page on their Tapestry profile. To do this please access Tapestry via a desktop. You will be able to log into Tapestry using log in details that you have created by following the activation link that we will send to your nominated email address.

A Key person system provides children with the opportunity to make attachments in a positive and affectionate way. Please be assured that your child will receive lots of cuddles and attention if they are upset and we will do our best to ensure they settle in easily and as quickly as possible. Feel free to telephone us as often as you like during the day.

PAYMENT OF FEES

If you would like to add your child’s name to the waiting list there is a £20 non- refundable waiting list fee.

Once a place is available, a £500 deposit will be required to secure your place. This is then given back to you on your child’s last day of pre-school. Thereafter you will be invoiced on a monthly basis. Fees are payable in advance by direct debit, debit card, bank transfer or child care voucher (this could be a combination but needs to clear by the 1st of the month).

We are registered with OFSTED to accept Government Funded Education for 3/4 year olds. This can be claimed for up to 11 hours, 10 minutes per week for 51 weeks of the year. This is organised by us and you will receive a form to complete as and when your child is eligible. A copy of our Government Funded Education structure is available in the office.

We use FEE Planner, part of the Parenta Pre-School package, to email out our monthly invoices. Parents can view their month detailed invoices. See office for further details.

LEAVING NOTICE

Beechoak Farm Montessori Pre-School requires 6 weeks written notice of your intention to change sessions or remove your child from the register.

PRICING & OPENING TIMES

Effective from 1st August 2019

Opening times: Monday to Friday from 8.00am to 5.00pm

Annual Holidays: We will be closed on all Bank Holidays and the period between Christmas and New Year.

|Session |Hours |Fee |

|School Day |9.00am – 4.00pm |£56.00 |

|(inclusive of lunch) | | |

|Full Day |8.00am – 5.00pm |£73.30 |

|(inclusive of breakfast, lunch and tea) | | |

|Breakfast |8.00am to 9.00am |£8.65 |

|or |or | |

|Tea |4.00pm to 5pm | |

|*Government Funded Education |9.00am-4.00pm |£32.33 |

*Government Funded Education: (15 hours funding) is offered over 2 sessions per week, 51 weeks a year. The Government offer 15 hours free per week for 38 weeks a year – as we are open 51 weeks a year we ‘stretch’ the hours over the year, which gives you 11 hours and 10 minutes a week – 2 x 5.35 hour sessions.

We do not accept 2 year old funding or the additional 15 hours to make up the 30 hour extended funding.

You can only claim the initial 15 hours funding at Beechoak Farm. You cannot split funding as we claim maximum funding. If you are eligible for the 30 hour funding it is possible to use the first 15 hours at Beechoak and use the extended funding elsewhere.

Government Funded Education sessions are available up to a maximum of 11 hours & 10 minutes per week and are offered in blocks of two hours & thirty five minutes in the morning and three hours in the afternoon

|A CHILD BORN ON OR BETWEEN: |WILL BECOME ELIBIBLE FOR THE FEEE: |

|1st April & 31st August |1st September following their third birthday |

|1st September & 31st December |1st January following their third birthday |

|1st January & 31st March |1st April following their third birthday |

FULLY FUNDED GOVERNMENT SPACE:

*We offer a limited amount of fully funded government spaces. This allows your child to attend sessions stated below and we do not accept any financial transactions i.e. you cannot attend extra sessions at your convince. The registration fee and deposit will not apply in this instance.

| Free Entitlement Sessions | Cost |

| Morning (9.25am to 12pm) | £nil |

| Afternoon (1pm to 4.00pm) | £nil |

BEECHOAK FARM – WAITING LIST FORM (15.05.18)

Church road, High Beech, Loughton Essex IG10 4AJ

Tel: 020 8502 0006

beechoakfarm@ or beechoakfarmaccounts@

|Child’s full name | |

|Date of birth | |

|Spoken language/s | |

| |Contact 1 (*Child’s main residence) |Contact 2 |Contact 3 |

| |(person with parental responsibility) |(person with parental | |

| | |responsibility) | |

|First Name | | | |

| | | | |

|Surname | | | |

|Address | | | |

|Postcode | | | |

|Home Tel. No. | | | |

|Work Tel. No. | | | |

|Mobile no. | | | |

|Email | | | |

|(circle bill payer) | | | |

|Occupation | | | |

|Relation to child | | | |

Requested sessions

|Sessions |Monday |Tuesday |Wednesday |Thursday |Friday |

|School day (9-4) | | | | | |

|Teatime club (4-5) | | | | | |

|Any known medical condition/allergies/ additional needs the school should be aware of regarding your child? |

|How did you hear about Beechoak Farm? |

|What is you requested start date |

To join the waiting list, please send this waiting list form, the terms and conditions (please read and sign) and a non-refundable £20 cheque to Beechoak farm Montessori Pre-school. We will notify you when a place becomes available.

Beechoak Farm Montessori Pre-School

Terms and Conditions

(15.05.18)

1.0 OUR COMMITMENT TO YOU

1.1 Your child’s protection and safety is paramount. A confidential record of any concern is kept on file and if deemed necessary, the family services hub will be contacted for advice. This advice will be followed should a report need to be filed. In the unlikely event that a member of staff is accused of abuse, the matter will be investigated, and if necessary the member of staff will be suspended until the matter is resolved.

If a parent or member of staff does not feel that the Manager has acted appropriately, the matter will be passed to the proprietors to act as mediator. If the matter has still not arrived at a successful conclusion the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO), Ofsted or the local police station can be contacted.

1.2 We reserve the right to close in exceptional circumstances e.g. extreme weather, act of terrorism, fire, outbreak of epidemic or any conditions and events that are out of Beechoak Farm Montessori Pre-School’s control. This could be for a maximum of two days per year (January to December) and these will be chargeable. We will do our best to notify you as soon as possible via email or text message.

1.3 Children will be photographed by staff during activities and these photos will be put on the children’s online journals or displayed in the classroom/hall.

1.4 External agencies e.g. heath visitor, speech therapist etc. will be contacted if we feel it benefits your child. If your child has any known additional needs, a meeting will be held prior to start date to determine the level of need and support to be put in place.

1.5 We are open all year round, and closed only for bank holidays and the period between Christmas and New Year. You are not charged for these days.

1.6 Beechoak Farm Montessori Pre-School only administers factor 20 suncream, so please ensure if you are supplying your own suncream it MUST be a factor 20+.

1.7 All staff are aware that no child in our care can be physically punished in any way. Any occasion where physical intervention is used to manage a child’s behaviour is recorded and parents are informed about it the same day. Physical intervention will only be used to prevent personal injury to the child, another child or member of staff.

1.8 Staff are good role models for all the children in their care and lead by example. Discipline is positive, giving praise and approval, which encourages children to co-operate. Distraction is also a good technique. Where possible, unwanted behaviour is ignored. Consistency is essential in treating all behavioural problems. Parental support is essential.

1.9 Beechoak Farm Montessori Pre-school acknowledges the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and as such welcomes staff, parents and children from any one of the protected characteristics. The protected characteristics are age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership and pregnancy and maternity. Human rights and freedoms are respected.

2.0 Beechoak Farm Montessori Pre school is likely to undergo a few changes during the period of this agreement. E.g staff changes, fee changes, curriculum etc. We will do our best to inform you in a reasonable time frame.

2.1 We only retain your personal information for as long as we need it. The retention period depends on the type of information.

2.0 YOUR COMMITMENT TO US

2.1 Completed Registration Forms must be returned before your child can start with us.

2.2 Please notify the Pre-school if any contact details/ registration details change.

2.3 We do not accept abusive or threatening behaviour of any kind whilst on the premises.

Parents may be excluded if deemed necessary.

2.4 To maintain a safe environment at all times, it is important that the Manager or senior member of staff is familiar with all adults arriving to collect a child from school. To ensure this, parents are asked to provide photographs, with names and addresses, of all adults authorised to collect your child. No child will be released into the care of a person unknown to the Managers/Deputy. Parents are asked to collect their children on time at the end of each session to avoid unnecessary distress to their child, and a late collection charge. Please let the Manager know if your child is unable to attend school, due to sickness or holidays.

2.5 Each child is required to attend a minimum of 2 school days each week.

2.6 Fees are payable inclusive of your child not attending due to sickness and family holidays.

2.7 We require 6 weeks written notice to withdraw your child from Beechoak Farm Montessori Pre-School or reduce sessions. If this is not given you will be liable for 6 week’s fees.

2.8 Please ensure you have a regular supply of nappies/wipes in your child’s bag.

2.9 Please do not send your child in wearing open-toed sandals, crocs, UGG boots or any other unsupportive footwear. We have a very physical environment. It is imperative that children’s feet are well protected and supported.

2.10 Please do not bring toys into pre-school. We cannot be held responsible for any lost/damaged toys, clothing or jewellery.

2.11 Uniform is compulsory. Please label all clothing.

2.12 You are expressly forbidden from approaching or recruiting any of Beechoak Farm Montessori Pre-School staff members to work for you or work for a friend, relative or business contact of yours in any capacity. This condition applies both whilst your child is attending the nursery and after they have left the nursery. Parents in breach of this contract will be subject to a financial penalty.

2.13 Please do not befriend any members of staff on social networking sites ie Facebook.

2.14 Please do not copy photos from your child’s Tapestry account and place them on any form of social media i.e. Facebook, this is due to our Safeguarding Policy.

2.15 You must let the Manager know as soon as possible, any relevant medical condition, allergy, learning difficulty, special needs, family circumstances or court orders that affect the child’s welfare.

2.16 Please bring any concern about your child, or any of our child-care practices to the attention of the Manager, who will endeavour to rectify the problem immediately.

There is a formal complaint procedure displayed in the Operational Plan located in the

office.

3.0 MEDICATION & ALLERGIES

3.1 If your child has been prescribed medication for any acute or chronic conditions, please hand to the Manager on arrival who will require you to complete a medication form. Please ensure that any medication (with the exception of ‘Calpol’) is prescribed by a Doctor. Calpol (5ml) will be given to any child if they develop a high temperature.

3.2 If your child suffers from asthma, please ensure their inhaler and spacer is new and “in date” and left on the premises at all times.

Epi-pens if needed should also be kept on the premises and be sealed and in date. We require two Epi-pens prescribed for your child.

3.3 The NHS website states that the cause of Febrile Convulsions is unknown, although generally they are linked to the start of a fever or infection. Common examples are chicken pox, flu, middle ear infection or tonsillitis.

Febrile Convulsions can occur with a high temperature or 38C or above, therefore:

- Do not send your child in with a temperature of 38C or above

- If your child starts a fever they will be sent home

- Calpol will be given to your child after we have contacted one of the parents and they are on their way.

3.4 Please do not bring your child to Pre-School if you suspect they are ill or suffering from any contagious ailment. There is a 48-hour exclusion period for diarrhoea and/or sickness, for the health and safety of all other children and our staff. Parents are provided with a copy of exclusion periods for illness upon induction.

3.5 Please let the Manager know if your child has taken any medication, including Calpol the morning they attend Pre-School. If you choose to bring a beaker into school, please ensure that medication is never mixed in with the juice.

3.6 Please do not bring nuts, chocolate or sweets into the pre-school. The children have healthy snack time mid-morning and afternoon and a home made lunch cooked on the premises every day. They do not require food from home.

3.7 All staff are qualified First Aiders

3.8 All accidents/incidents are entered into the ‘Accident Book’, which will be reported to the parent/guardian when they arrive later that day to read and sign.

3.9 Beechoak Farm Montessori Preschool will take your child to the nearest or most appropriate Accident and Emergency unit to be examined, treated or admitted as necessary should the situation ever arise. A member of staff will always endeavour to inform immediately you to enable you to make your way to the hospital.

4.0 PAYMENT OF FEES

4.1 All fees are subject to an annual review.

4.2 All fees are payable by the 1st of every month, in advance by direct debit, debit card, bank transfer or child care vouchers. If you do not pay (within 10 working days) we will withdraw your child from the register. Any outstanding fees during this time will be charged.

4.3 Both Parents ( or whoever signs terms and conditions) are responsible for paying the fees.

4.4 Late collection will be charged at £20 for every 15 minutes of lateness and will be added to your next invoice.

4.5 Any additional breakfast and tea clubs are non-refundable or transferable.

4.6 There is a 5% sibling discount-whilst both children attend.

The discount is applied to the elder child’s invoice after any other discounts have been

applied.

4.7 We do not swap days.

4.8 No reduction or remission of fees is given in the case of absence or any other reason.

These terms and conditions together with the prospectus form your agreement with Beechoak Farm Montessori Pre-School. By signing this agreement you are agreeing to comply with these terms and conditions and with the Pre-school policies and procedures as set out in the prospectus.

I confirm that I have read and understood the Pricing Policy that was sent out in my ‘Parent Pack’ and agree to a part funded/fully funded (please delete as appropriate).

I understand I am accessing my full FEEE entitlement at Beechoak Farm Montessori Pre School.

Signed (parent/ carer 1)………………………………………… Signed (parent/ carer 2)…………………………………………

Name (parent/ carer 1)…………………………………………… Name (parent/ carer 2)……………………………………………

Date ………………………………………………

Prospectus updated MAY 2018

Beechoak Farm Montessori Pre-School Limited. Registered Office: Old Station Road, Loughton, Essex, IG10 4PL

Registered in England and Wales. Company Number: 03270365.

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Last Ofsted 3rd April 2019

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