Happy New Year
We hope you all had an enjoyable Christmas and return to us happy and refreshed and in good health ready to start the new year. We would also like to welcome the new children and their families who are joining us this term.
Book Library
Don’t forget to visit our book sharing library (under the canopy) at drop-off or
collection time and borrow one of our many books to share with your child at home.
Starting school in September?
If your child is starting school in September, you will need to apply for a school place on the county council admissions website
www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/admissions Please be aware the closing date for applications is at the beginning of next week – on Monday 15th January!!!
Healthy Snacks
At every session children are offered a healthy seasonal snack and water
or milk to drink. We have a two-week rolling snack menu which is available to see on our website or in the children’s rooms. To help with the cost of this we ask parents and carers to make a small donation of £10 each half term – please pay by on-line bank transfer (reference with your child’s initial and surname) or by cash at the office. Your support is very much appreciated.
Lunches
If your child is staying with us all day you can either send your child to pre-school with a packed lunch or order a hot lunch, for £2.30. Lunches can be ordered in advance or when you drop your child at pre-school (by 9:30am at the latest) and can be paid by on-line bank transfer or by cash when you place your order with a member of staff (usually Wendy outside of the Poppy Room).
Fundraising
We never stand still at Pre-school; we always endeavour to improve our practice
and enhance the children’s learning experiences whenever we can. So that our children can enjoy the little extras at pre-school, we hold several fund-raising events throughout the year and are extremely grateful for the support of our parents/carers and friends. These funds help us to raise funds so that our children can enjoy a wider and more varied experience at pre-school, for example our Christmas event at the end of last term – with real live reindeer and complimentary drinks and snacks! Last term we were able to raise almost £300 from our very popular Christmas Raffle and over £150 commission from photographs purchased by parents and carers.
Bugs and Viruses
As you will have seen in the news there has been a significant rise in flu and an
expected rise in covid illness, with this in mind and following how many pre-school children were affected before Christmas, can we please ask you to keep your children away from pre-school if they are unwell.
Your child should not attend if for any reason it would be necessary for them to take Calpol before attending (including Calpol following vaccinations). And, remember, if your child has diarrhoea or sickness, they must stay away for 48 hours from their last incident of diarrhoea or sickness.
If your child is unwell, please contact the pre-school office as soon as possible to let us know.
Fees
Fees are charged half termly, please pay them promptly before the end of the half
term. Pay either by cash at the pre-school office or on-line bank transfer, remembering to reference your payment with your child’s first initial and surname. And remember if you are using a 30 Hour Code for free childcare, you must renew your code when necessary and promptly let the pre-school know the code so that funding can be claimed.
New Funding Changes for 2 year olds
The government’s expansion of the childcare support system will begin in April; this will be phased in gradually to help settings prepare effectively to
accommodate the needs of more families.
Childcare Support System Expansion Timeline
• April 2024 - 15 hours of childcare support for eligible working parents of 2-year-olds
• Sept 2024 - 15 hours of childcare support will be extended for eligible working parents of children aged from 9 months to 3 years.
• Sept 2025 - eligible working parents of children under the age of 5 will enjoy an entitlement of 30 hours of childcare support each week.
As the childcare support system expands, we anticipate that there will be a higher demand for places at the pre-school and therefore we strongly advise you to register your child’s younger siblings as soon as possible.
Although we will endeavour to offer increased hours to all children as they become eligible for childcare support, due to the likelihood of places being in high demand, we will be unable to hold a place open for any children who are turning 3 during the course of the year.
Please remember, Caroline, the Pre-School Manager is available should you have any concerns or worries, or if you are in need of support or advice. Please telephone the pre-school on 01480 406047 or email
info@eatonsoconpre-school.co.uk or drop into the pre-school office. If you are struggling to make ends meet, please speak to Caroline who can issue you with a food bank sticker.
Dates for your diary
Monday 19th February to Friday 23rd February: we are closed for the half term break.
Thursday 28th March: our last day of the Spring Term.
Friday 29th March - Monday 15th April (inclusive): we are closed for the Easter break.
Tuesday 16th April: start of the Summer Term.