FAQs

Everything you need to know about Saltdean Pre-School
  • If you have a question about Saltdean Pre-School, please check our frequently asked questions below.

  • What are your registration details?

    Ofsted number 130769
    Charity Number 1028876

    Do you accept Childcare Vouchers?

    We accept all forms of vouchers but we may need to register with your provider. You may need some information from us to set these up, such as Ofsted registration numbers.

    Do you provide fully funded Government places?

    Yes we do provide fully funded hours. A full week at preschool amounts to 26 hours.

    What if I need someone else to collect my child?

    This is fine but we need the primary carer to confirm authorised people and we would need to recognise authorised persons before releasing a child.

    How will I know and find out how my child is getting on?

    You will be periodically invited into pre-school to discuss your childs progress and to have a look at their learning journey. If you have specific questions or concerns you can arrange an appointment at any time to talk to us.

    What happens if I collect my child late?

    Collection time is 12pm, 1pm or 3pm . We require prompt collections because we have to exit the church hall to allow other hirers in. Late collection fee is £5 per additional 15 minutes.

    What are your opening hours?

    9am to 3pm Mon-Weds
    9am-1pm Thurs, Fri
    Optional early starts at 8.15am and early pick up at 12pm

    What age ranges do you cover?

    2 – 5 years

    My child was sick during the night but seems fine this morning. Can they still come to pre-school?

    No, for everyone’s health and safety we have a strict policy on exclusion periods. For sickness and diarrhoea children must be away from nursery for 48 hours after last symptom.

    What is EYFS?

    E.Y.F.S. stands for Early Years Foundation Stage. The EYFS is a curriculum set up by the Government that states how we as early years practitioners do things. The EYFS is split into 7 areas in total.

    3 prime areas: Communication, Personal social and emotional, Physical
    And 4 specific areas: Maths, Understanding the world, Literacy, Expressive art and design

    Within these areas we plan our activities and learning to ensure children are making progress in each area.

    My child is starting potty training. Can you help with this?

    Yes we strive to help in all areas of your child’s development we take this at your child’s pace. We follow your routine from home as close as possible and keep you in touch at every step. We use stickers to help in this area.

    What if my child is ill whilst they are at Pre-School?

    If your child becomes unwell whilst at pre-school we will give you a call to notify you (for things such as cold and sniffles that may not be necessary).

    If your child is suffering from nappy rash we are happy to apply nappy cream if provided by the parent/carer. Signed permission is required for us to do this and this is included on our parental permission form when you registered your child.

    Staff are qualified and trained to administer EPI pens and inhalers for those children that require them. Parents / carers should supply a named inhaler / EPI pen to be stored in the pre-school medicine box. The parental permission form needs to be signed to give us permission to do this, as well as the provision of a health care plan form to be completed to outline the procedure to be followed in an emergency.

    We ask you to notify us if your child is on antibiotics or has had calpol in the morning before coming into pre- school as in an emergency medics would require this information.

    Will my child be able to have a daytime sleep?

    We do not have a sleep area at pre-school and do not encourage naps during the session. We have a cosy reading area and if your child chooses, they can rest there.

    Can you administer medication?

    We can administer any medication that is prescribed by a Doctor in special circumstances. If your child requires calpol we recommend they do not attend pre-school as it can mask symptoms.

    We are able to administer Piriton supplied by the parent / carerbut we will require permission forms to be completed.

    All staff are first aid trained and also EPI pen administration trained. Only level 3 qualified staff are able to administer medication.

    What if my child has an accident at pre-school?

    Accidents do happen at pre-school but of course we try our best to prevent them. If your child has an accident we will let you know upon collection or beforehand depending on the severity of the accident.  We will fill in an accident form to outline the incident (causes, treatments, outcomes etc). We will provide any first aid needed (all staff members are first aid trained). For any bigger incidents that we cannot deal with we will consult professional advice through 999 or 101. We will keep you up to date throughout this process by call, text or face to face. We fill out paperwork to log all accidents this in turn helps us avoid accidents in the future.

    What childcare qualifications do your staff have?

    Our staff have a broad range of qualifications. See the ‘meet the team’ page for detailed information.

    Are all staff DBS checked?

    Yes all members of staff hold a current DBS check that is carried out prior to the member of staff starting with us. Staff members also sign up to the update service which keeps this check up to date at all times and this allows us to check each member of staff’s DBS check to ensure no new information is received (cautions or arrests). Any people visiting nursery to deliver extra curricular activities also have to have a DBS check.

    How do I pay for childcare?

    You can pay for your childcare in many ways including cash, cheque, BACS, vouchers, standing order. We send out invoices monthly or half termly. Funding for those eligible (2 year old and 3+ years) will be taken off within the invoice so you can see how this works.
    You can also use tax free childcare if you are eligible https://www.gov.uk/tax-free-childcare

    What is a learning journey?

    The learning journey is a profile which showcases your child’s achievements, next steps and general fun things that we have achieved. This will contain photographs, observations, links to our curriculum and goals that we set to work on with the children. We will periodically invite you into pre-school to have a look at this and talk in more detail regarding progress.

    My child has allergies. Will they be safe at pre-school?

    Pre-school should be informed of any allergies so contingency plans can be made to keep these allergens away from the child. We have experience of children with allergies and feel we provide a safe environment for all children.

    What should I do if I’m unhappy with some aspect of my child’s care?

    Please come and talk to us. The team are very approachable, just request a time and we will set aside some time to talk through any issues you may have. We like to sort out problems before they grow into bigger problems so will be happy to talk about any issues big or small. You and your child’s happiness is our overall goal so we strive to achieve this as best we can.

    My child has a favourite teddy bear / comforter. Can this be brought into nursery?

    We prefer for children to keep personal items at home. We cannot take responsibility for things going missing and so we provide a personal effects box and encourage children to leave any special personal items to them in the box during the duration of the day.

    Can I come and take a look around pre-school?

    Absolutely, we welcome people to come and see us and we can arrange a suitable time for you. Please contact us to arrange this.

    Are there any nursery rules for the children?

    We have four rules:

    Be polite: Say please and thank you
    Always try your best and have a go
    Use your walking legs when indoors
    Keep your hands to yourself

  • Come and look around Saltdean Pre-School

Sorry we are full right now but spaces are available for September 2024 Contact us