We are proud of the high ratio of adults to children in our group. This ensures individual attention to the needs and development of each child.

Staff

The regular staff in the group are:

Wendy Gosling - Preschool Manager

Kim Edmonds - Deputy Manager

Lindsey Wyborn - EYP

Melissa Bedford - Childcare Practitioner

Carol Lewis - Childcare Practitioner

Claire Fair - Childcare Practitioner

Jacquie Leppard - Childcare Practitioner

Jo Ling - One to One Support

We encourage our staff to expand their qualifications and experience, we have staff that are trained in many areas.

The pre-school rota

Research shows that children learn better when their parents are involved. Our rota system involves all parents in helping in the group on a regular basis. This helps to maintain the high ratio of adults to children in our group, guaranteeing individual care and attention for each child. It also gives parents the opportunity to take an active part in the group to see what happens there and to talk about it afterwards with their child. In addition, the rota system provides a valuable opportunity for all children to see their own parents/carers in a new role.

Keyworkers

Our keyworker system gives each member of staff particular responsibility for just a few children. Each child in the group has one special adult to relate to, which can make settling into the group very much easier. In addition, the keyworker is in a position to tailor the group's curriculum to the unique needs of each individual child. The keyworker maintains links with the child's home setting, working with parents through shared record-keeping to ensure that all children are supported in reaching their full potential.

Record-keeping

Because so many adults help in the group, we are able to implement an excellent record keeping system in which observations of the children in the group and at home are used as a basis for drawing up a curriculum for each child.

Training

Our membership of the Pre-school Learning Alliance ensures that we are constantly in touch with new thinking in the field of child education and care. We receive a monthly magazine offering practical advice and up-to-date information, and have access to a range of professionally produced publications. Parents may ask to see any of these. In addition, on-going training is available through Pre-school Learning Alliance courses, which welcome both staff and parents. Informal training is available through local meetings and conferences, and parents will always be informed about these.

The role of parents

The Pre-school Learning Alliance recognises parents as the first and most important educators of their young children. Our pre-school aims to support parents. Parents are welcomed:

* to work in the group with the children

* to assist with fundraising

* to take part in the management of the pre-school

* to represent the pre-school at branch and county activities of the Pre-school Learning Alliance

* to attend open meetings of the Pre-school Learning Alliance

* to attend training courses, workshops and conferences organised by the Pre-school Learning Alliance.