At North Cadbury C of E pre-school we aim to offer children the best care and education possible. We want our children to feel happy and secure, to enjoy spending time at pre-school, make friends, and enjoy exciting, engaging and interesting activities that inspire and give them the confidence to achieve their potential.
North Cadbury C of E Pre-school offers high quality care and education for children aged between two and four. Situated in the grounds of North Cadbury C of E Primary School, the nursery is located in the centre of North Cadbury Village and is easily accessible from the A303 and Castle Cary, providing parents and carers with convenient childcare. North Cadbury C of E Pre-school, is run by North Cadbury C of E Primary School and our highly skilled staff work very closely together to ensure children have a wealth of opportunities and experiences. One of the Pre-school strengths is working alongside the Foundation class in the school running inspire afternoons and free flow play opportunities ensuring that pre-school children and their parents are actively encouraged to become part of the life of the school which is hugely beneficial when transitioning to school in the foundation year.
The nursery is open Monday to Friday from 8.45am to 3.15pm during term time. The Pre-school children also have the opportunity to attend a breakfast club session starting from 8am each day in term time.
Our Staff
Each member of staff at North Cadbury C of E Pre-school is experienced, qualified and dedicated to providing an interesting and stimulating environment for your child which includes a balance of adult led and child led activities. Prior to joining North Cadbury C of E Pre-school, each child is assigned a Key Person, a special person who will get to know them, their personal needs and their interests. The key person welcomes and looks after the child ensuring that their care is tailored to meet their individual needs. The key person offers a settled relationship for the child and builds a relationship with his/her parents providing a consistent point of contact. Each child is also assigned a Co-Key Person, an alternative familiar member of staff, who is able to ensure to child’s needs are supported and is available to take the role of the Key Person in the event of the child’s key person not being available. The Co-Key Person will work alongside the child’s main Key Person to ensure consistency of care and to ensure that in their absence, the child’s needs are still met.
Induction
At North Cadbury C of E Pre-school we aim to support parents and carers to help their children settle quickly and easily by giving consideration to the individual needs and circumstances of every child and their families. Our aim is for children to feel safe, stimulated and happy in the nursery and to feel secure and comfortable with all staff. We also want parents/carers to have confidence in both their children's continued well-being and their role as active partners, with the child being able to benefit from all that North Cadbury Pre-school has to offer. Every child is unique. North Cadbury C of E Pre-school works in partnership with parents/carers to meet the individual needs of each child to ensure that their transition to pre-school is as smooth as possible. Our staff recognise the importance of building strong attachments with children. The induction process at North Cadbury C of E Pre-school encourages children to gradually gain confidence within our pre-school environment. The most important part of the induction process is making children comfortable at all times, allowing them to experience the fun and exciting surroundings that North Cadbury C of E Pre-school can offer. Induction processes are tailored to meet the child’s individual needs. Further details can be found in our Induction Policy.
What should my child bring to pre-school?
Can you please ensure your child is provided with the following:
Nutrition and Mealtimes
At North Cadbury C of E Pre-school, a range of healthy, balanced and nutritious hot meals, snacks and drinks are available.
Snack
At North Cadbury C of E Pre-school, the children will have the opportunity to have snack twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon where a fresh fruit and vegetable platter, crackers, breadsticks and milk or water are available. There is no charge to parents for the snack. Fresh drinking water is always available and accessible.
Meal options
For all other meals, parents can choose to provide their own meals for their children. We ask that lunchboxes are healthy and do not contain fizzy or energy drinks, chocolate or sweets. Chocolate covered biscuit bars are acceptable. Please note that packed meals must be cold as we are unable to reheat food. Alternatively, parents/carers can choose a breakfast and lunch provided by the pre-school and available at an additional charge.
Breakfast
Breakfast is served at around 8:00/9:00 and typically consists of a selection of cereals and toast with a choice of spreads, and milk or water to drink. Parents/carers can order breakfasts from the School office at a cost of £1 per day. Orders must be made two weeks in advance. Charges will be added to the child’s invoice.
Lunch
Lunch is served at around 12:00. A two- course hot lunch can be purchased from the school who provide healthy and nutritionally balanced meals on site daily at a cost of £2.50. Menus have a selection of meals to choose from such as roast dinners, spaghetti bolognaise, and jacket potatoes, and are followed by a pudding, such as muffins, yoghurts or fruit. Lunch meals are ordered via a Catering menu form which is available from the school Office. Where parents/carers choose to order meals, this is chargeable for both fee paying and funded places.
Learning and Development
At North Cadbury C of E Pre-school, activities are specifically tailored to meet the needs of each individual child. We aim to offer children the best experience possible and want our provision to be exciting, interesting and engaging so that children are curious and inspired and enjoy their time with us. We believe it is important that our children receive the basic entitlement of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum (EYFS) which sets the standards for learning, development and care for children from birth to five, and more. We provide a rich and varied programme of activities and experiences to meet the needs and interests of all children and encourage children’s natural curiosity in fun, engaging and stimulating ways.
The Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
The EYFS sets out the learning and development stages for children as they grow from birth to five years. Children learn and develop through playing, exploring, being active, creative and being asked questions to help their thinking. Our provision reflects the four overarching principles of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage:
The EYFS is made up of 7 areas of learning and development, all of which are connected to one another and are equally important. Children start to learn about the world around them from the moment they are born. The care and education offered by our pre-school helps children to continue to do this by providing all of the children with interesting activities that are appropriate for their age and stage of development.
Pre-School Policies
A number of the pre-school policies are available for download below. If there are other policies which you would be interested in reading please contact the school office.