Pre-School Day

Opening and Closing Times

Hours of Opening

Woolden Ferns Pre-school is open during term time only (with the possibility to extend to additional school holidays from July 2022).

Hours of sessions are as follows:

Early morning session: 07:30 – 08:45
Morning session: 8:45 – 11:45
Lunch: 11:30– 12:30 priced at £2.50. Automatically included a hot meal but you can choose to bring a packed lunch (fee will still be charged)
Afternoon session: 12:15 – 15:15
Evening session: 15:15 – 17:45

Children may attend for as few or as many sessions as their parent’s wish (spaces allowing). Any sessions over your funded hours must be taken as session blocks (early morning, morning, afternoon, evening).

Fees must be paid by the 1^st of each month in advance using Parent Pay.

Daily Routine

Morning session

8.45 Arrival of children attending morning session. Children are encouraged to self- register by finding their own name and choosing their own peg.

9.00 All morning children should have arrived. Children will gather for register and then separate into groups for their morning group time with their key person.

9.20 Children can choose from a variety of activities including mark making, role play, crafts and exploring with natural materials. Children also have free choice of where their learning takes place as a range of activities and experiences will also be available in the outdoor space.

9.35 Adults will extend play in designated areas according to the children’s interests.

The children have the opportunity to have milk and water and a piece of fruit during the morning session.

11.20 Tidy up time in all areas.

11.30 All children have a quiet time which could be a story, singing or rhyme time.

11.45 Morning children go home, and others arrive for lunch and the afternoon session.

11.45-12.15 Lunch time

Afternoon session

12.15 Free choice play whilst the afternoon session children arrive, and lunch is cleared away

1.00 Children will gather for register and then separate into groups for their afternoon group time with their key person.

1.20 Children can choose from a variety of activities including mark making, role play, crafts and exploring with natural materials. Children also have free choice of where their learning takes place as a range of activities and experiences will also be available in the outdoor space.

1.35 Adults will lead play in designated areas according to the children’s next steps and interests.

The children have the opportunity to have milk and water during the afternoon session.

2.50 Tidy up time in all areas

3.00 Children come together for a story, singing or rhyme time before home time.

3.15 Home-time.

Extended session (15:15 - 17:45)

Please collect your child on time. If you are going to be late, for any reason, please phone the school office and let us know so that we can advise pre-school staff accordingly. Also, please inform pre-school if someone other than yourself is picking up your child. We do not allow children to go home with somebody, other than their parents, who we have not been informed about.

If a parent is late to collect their child with less than one hour’s notice, or no notice at all, staff will look after your child whilst attempts are made to contact you. In the event of late collection of your child from their normal agreed session time, we reserve the right to charge for 50p per minute late.

If a child is still at Pre-school 30 minutes after they were due to be collected, or as the Pre-school is about to close, and all attempts to contact parents and the child’s emergency contact, have been unsuccessful, Leicestershire County Council Social Care Department (0116 3050005) would be contacted and their advice would be followed.