The pre-school exists to provide high quality pre-school education for the children of Ascott under Wychwood and surrounding villages, irrespective of the cultural, religious, social or economic background of the children. It seeks to enhance the quality of life within these village communities. The pre-school manages nine sessions each week at the Tiddy Hall.
The mission above will be reflected in admission policies, other agreed policies and fee structures. The pre-school is a registered charity and complies with these requirements.

How will this be achieved?

The pre-school operates within the quality standards and values of the Pre-school Alliance, Oxfordshire Local Authority including the Partners in Quality standard, and the code for meeting special educational needs. The ‘Every Child Matters’ agenda will be at the heart of our work. The curriculum and associated assessment will follow national guidance (Ofsted) for ‘early years’ education. Staff development and support will meet the Investor in People standard.

It will seek to work in partnership with other providers, local relevant professionals and groups, and the primary schools to which children progress.
Central to our community role will be setting of the pre-school within the Tiddy Hall, our village community centre. In this way we are at the centre of our community as a contributor to quality of life. The pre-school is major financial contributor to the revenue and maintenance of the Tiddy Hall as a key village resource. A member of the committee will serve as a member of the Tiddy Hall management committee.

Partnerships with parents and carers are a high priority, seeking not only to meet the needs of all parents but also involving them fully in their children’s learning.
The health, safety and security of the children, volunteers and staff are top priorities. All adults working closely with children will be police checked.

How is the pre-school managed?

The management committee delegates the day-to-day management of the pre-school to the supervisor, and he/she is accountable and responsible to that committee. He/she will be a full member of the management committee. The committee is open to any interested parent or member of the community, and members are volunteers. Although not usually elected, once a member the volunteer takes on the responsibilities and accountabilities of the role The committee will be responsible for finance management and generation, improvement planning, staff training and recruitment and, when necessary, staff grievance and discipline. The committee considers the views of all stakeholders, and seeks and responds to the concerns and views of parents.

The committee is responsible for monitoring, evaluating and supporting improvements in standards. At an annual meeting reports will be published and a chair, vice chair, secretary and treasurer elected by those present at the meeting. The management committee meets at regular intervals, and other parents and staff are welcome to attend. Decisions can be ratified when the chair or vice chair and five others are present. Accounts will be independently examined annually.

To meet unforeseen situations or emergencies, the committee delegates executive authority to the chair or vice-chair, so providing immediate support to the supervisor and her/his team.

The committee will meet at least twice during each academic term and receive reports from the supervisor and treasurer. Annually, in September, the committee will consider staff remuneration.

The committee will take major financial decisions but incidental expenditure up to £250 is delegated to the treasurer in discussion with the supervisor. Two agreed members of the committee will sign cheques.

The committee will be responsible for meeting all statutory requirements including disability, discrimination, health and safety legislation and meeting the requirements of bodies such as Social Services and Ofsted.

Assets

The management committee owns any assets. In the case of the pre-school needing to close, the assets, either in kind or money, will be distributed to other pre-school providers within the locality.

Conclusion

This constitution will be reviewed annually and ratified at the Annual General Meeting. It will be available to parents.

Each session is themed. Led by an instructor with a background in dance, there are lots of dance based games and activities, an introduction to dance forms from different cultures, and plenty of opportunities for the children to express themselves!An NVQ 3 Pre School teacher is in attendance throughout the dance session.

Comfortable footwear and clothing should be worn but should your child wish to dress according to the theme of the day then so much the better.

The dance club runs every Wednesday from 15.30-16.00 at Tiddy Hall.

The cost of each session is £4.00. The school treasurer invoices this in advance at the beginning of each half term for the entire half term period.

For further information please contact Sally on: littledancers@tiscali.co.uk.

Children who go to Forest School regularly visit a marked-out area of woodland which has been specially set aside for their group. This usually involves a trip either walking or by minibus to the woods. Once children get to Forest School they are free to participate in activities suggested by staff as well as undertake their own exploring. The session will usually include time for a drink and a snack and a chance to share all the exciting things they have done.

Forest Schools are a unique way of building independence and self esteem in young children. They originated in Scandinavia in the 1950’s and focused on teaching children about the natural world. From here the idea was brought to Bridgwater College, Somerset, in 1995 and has spread throughout the UK since.

In Oxfordshire, Forest Schools use the outdoor environment to support children’s learning across the whole curriculum, using learning and teaching strategies which foster and develop confidence and self esteem. It has been found that the combination of freedom and responsibility has been particularly beneficial to children who, for whatever reason, struggle within a conventional classroom environment, or who exhibit challenging behaviour.

The experience is fun, and the learning which occurs is observed and recorded in a similar way to the learning which occurs in school. The children splash about in puddles, roll in the leaves and because of the high adult/child ratios, they can safely experience types of activities that are so often prohibited, such as climbing trees or cooking on fires

Outcomes for Children after Forest School experiences are improved

• Improved Personal confidence and self esteem
• Improved Social Skills
• Improved Motivation and Concentration
• Improved Language and Communication
• Improved Physical Skills
• Improved Knowledge, Awareness and respect for the environment

Children attend Forest School sessions throughout the year, and although this isn’t a specific environmental educational programme, they will experience all weathers and seasons and develop a deeper understanding about the natural world along the way.

After every Forest School visit, the site is left in its natural state. The area is checked regularly for any environmental damage and if necessary the site will be moved, so the area can recover.