Drop off and pick up (collection) times

Early Years schedule for morning arrival	Babies and toddlers may arrive between 07:30 and 09:00 Pre-school children may arrive between 07:30 and 08:45
Early Years schedule for collection	Early Years Standard Day  |  Children are collected at 15:30 Monday to Thursday and 14:00 on Friday
Early Years schedule for collection	Early Years Extended Day  |  Children may be collected between 16:00 and 18:00 Monday to Friday

A gentle, soft start to the day supports parents when dropping their child off at their group. Parents have time to talk with staff and are secure in the knowledge their child is settled and happy. During drop-off time children have the opportunity to initiate their own play and explore the environment.

On the ground floor there are three rooms for our youngest children whose ages range from 3 to 17 months. Within these rooms lots of natural resources are provided along with treasure baskets, cloth books, balls and push along toys all of which are enjoyed by the infants.

On the first floor there are four rooms catering for our toddlers. Toddlers transition from their baby group in the month they are 17 months old. Toddlers stay on this floor until the month they turn three years old, they then transition to pre-school. There is also a soft-play room on this floor for the children to enjoy.

In the baby and toddler rooms there are dedicated changing facilities and each baby room has a refrigerator to store milk.

On the second floor there are four rooms catering for our pre-school children. The age on this floor can range from three to four years.  All the toddler and pre-school rooms have areas of continuous provision, such as a home corner, construction, mark making and book areas.

Each of the children’s interests and passions are observed and catered for. Room leaders and assistants take these observations into account when planning weekly activities linked to the monthly topic.

We follow a daily routine which supports the children in feeling safe and secure. A morning snack is provided for each child. Babies may receive cereal, apple puree or fruit and bread depending on their age and stage of development. Toddlers and pre-school children receive a variety of seasonal fruits and bread along with a drink of milk or water.

During the morning all the children take part in circle time within their group. They welcome each other, sing songs, read a book, use puppets and take part in interactive games. After circle time children are encouraged to take part in an adult-led activity which has been planned to meet specific learning goals.

All the children thoroughly enjoy going into the garden to play. They can choose to play on the tricycles, the slide, the climbing frame or in the sand pit. Staff also supervise children playing with hoops, balls and skipping ropes.

Our cooks prepare lunches for our youngest children, which may be puree or fresh vegetables. When a baby turns 1 year old, they are introduced to the menu of the house. Our cooks provide healthy nutritious lunches which are cooked on the premises. Care is taken in preparation and presentation and most dietary requirements are catered for.

After lunch children brush their teeth and get ready for their afternoon nap. After their nap, the children may go into the garden again or play in their group room.

We say goodbye to the 'core hours' children at 15:30. Extended day children then enjoy an afternoon snack together. Later they can play in their group, have fun in the soft-play room, read stories together, play with puzzles or listen to music until they are collected at the end of a busy day.