OUR PRESCHOOL

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Our Pre School caters for 3 and 4 year olds who then go on to join Reception in the following September. It was set up by the Governors of the School in 1998 and operates in stimulating and purpose built facilities within the school.

'Trinity St. Mary's Pre-School is a very good pre -school. Standards of care are very high, and as a result, children are making very good progress ………. The quality of teaching is excellent. The group has a strong partnership with parents and carers, which has a positive effect on children's learning.'

Aim
We aim to provide a quality pre-school experience for 3 and 4 year olds in South Woodham Ferrers and the surrounding area. The curriculum will be planned to accommodate the individual needs of these very young children and will incorporate the six areas of "Desirable Learning Goals."

Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Knowledge and understanding of the world
Communication, Language and Literacy
Creative Development
Mathematics
Physical Development

The children will have a purpose built room with access to an outdoor play area and nature garden. The environment will be stimulating, exciting and safe. The children will be supported by professional qualified staff, Mrs Sparks, Mrs Magee, Mrs Fallows and Mrs Watt.

Registration
On arrival please wait with your child in the Quad Area. At the beginning of each session a member of staff will escort you and your child to Pre-School. Children's coat hooks are located through the double doors in the corridor. Your child's name will be displayed on a table for self-registration, after which your child is free to use the activities available. At the end of the session please wait in the Quad Area. If for any reason you are unavoidably detained, please contact the School Office on 321711 so we can reassure your child. Please note we will only send your child home with the person you have nominated. If you wish them to be collected by any other person, please inform us.

Favourite Toy
You child is welcome to bring his/her favourite toy. This may be of comfort to them especially during the settling in period.

Clothing
School uniform is not needed at pre-school. Comfortable casual clothing should be worn that is suitable for messy, indoor and outdoor play. Aprons are provided for wet and messy activities. To avoid confusion please label all outdoor coats and boots. We have spare clothing available should it be required. In keeping with school practice jewellery is not allowed this includes earrings.

Handy Hint
1. To remove paint from children's clothes;
2. Allow the paint to dry on the garment.
3. Carefully scrape away as much of the dry powder paint as possible.
4. Gently wash the garment in cold water, using mild soap.
5. Never use hot water, biological powders or rub - these will all "fix" the paint causing the stain to become permanent.

Parental Involvement
We welcome parental involvement and please feel free to stay with your child until they are happily settled. We value your support in the partnership we seek to establish with you in educating your child. Any comments, ideas or suggestions you have, Mrs Woollatt or Mrs Cooke would welcome. Similarly, if you feel willing to assist with some of the sessions just contact Mrs Woollatt or Mrs Cooke. We would be pleased to see you after the first half term.

Special Educational Needs
If your child has any special needs please inform us. Also if you have any queries or concerns please contact staff.

Equal Opportunities
At Trinity St. Mary's Pre-School we believe that all children are entitled to the very best education we can provide within a secure and caring Christian environment. We aim to make our school a warm, friendly place, creating an atmosphere of trust and security in which, irrespective of background, gender, race, creed, disability, ethnicity or talent, all are treated equally. At Trinity St Mary's we aim to create a Pre-School ethos where each individual is valued, respected and their potential realised within a Christian community.

Notice Board
There is a notice board that will inform you of up to date information on the termly/half termly theme and the focus for each week etc. Although Pre-School is separate to the School, we will keep you up to date giving you a copy of letters from School and F.O.T.S.M.S.

Policies
We have in place a Policy for Child Protection, Pupil Behaviour, Health & Safety and Complaints procedure as adopted by Trinity St. Mary's School. Copies of these policies are available on request.

Accidents
All accidents and incidents are recorded in a book including date, time and action taken. If an accident should occur involving child you will be informed about the nature of the accident and first aid administered.

Complaints Procedure
If you have a complaint that cannot be resolved to your satisfaction by either Mrs Woollatt or Mrs Cooke please write to Mr Bannister Pre-School Manager (Headteacher of Trinity St. Mary's C. of E. (Aided) Primary School). If this course of action is unsatisfactory contact the Inspection unit of Essex County Council.

Themes and Focus
We know that you enjoy helping your child and take an active interest in what he or she is doing at school. Therefore we would like to include you in all our plans. We will spend the first few weeks getting to know your child while they become used to their new environment.
Spring Term Theme
Pre-school themes are carefully structured to include the learning goals of the Foundation stage. It provides the structure for teaching within which children explore, experiment, plan and make decisions for themselves thus enabling them to learn, develop and make good progress. There are opportunities for children to engage in activities planned by adults, and also those which they plan or initiate themselves.
Colour and Shape
We also aim to enhance and increase children's awareness and appreciation of colour, shades of colour and shape, both manufactured and natural. To also include the appreciation of "sight".
"Letter Focus"
We shall also be working on sounds of letters by introducing a different sound every week. If your child would like to bring in anything connected with a particular sound i.e. a toy, book, picture etc. we will be happy to include them.

Weekly Themes, Letter and Number Focus

	Weekly Focus	Letter Focus	Number Focus
Week 1	New friends and		1
Week 2	introduction of colour	a	2
Week 3	Blue	b	3
Week 4	Yellow	l	5
Week 5	green	g	4
Week 6	red	r	6
	Half Term
Week 7	black / white / grey	w	7
Week 8	Rainbow	h	8
Week 9	Straight lines to includes square/rectangle	d	9
Week 10	Triangle and 3d shapes, start Easter celebrations	i	10
Week 11	Curved lines to include circle/oval/3d shapes continue Easter	e	4

Please Note
Our letter Focus changes on Tuesday.
Our Number Focus changes on Thursday.
During this term we will also make Seasonal Weather observations.
Details of Summer Term Curriculum to follow.