Foundation Stage 2021

Foundation Stage Open Day – 23rd October 2020

This is an opportunity to have a 10 to 15 minute, one to one meeting and tour with a member of the Foundation Stage team.

Only ONE adult per child will be admitted on the day.
Visitors must wear face coverings while on site and socially distance from school adults and others.
Parents will need to take full responsibility for any children that they bring onto site, particularly in relation to touching resources that may have been touched by other visitors.
Visits will be restricted to the Foundation Stage and reception area. All other areas of school will be out of bounds because of staff training and cleaning.
Any questions that cannot be answered on the day, due to restricted time available should be emailed to the office and will be added to the FAQs section on the website, so that parents can view responses to any general enquiries.

There are 72 possible appointments to be allocated on a first come first served basis.
23rd October will be the ONLY chance to visit this year because the school is closed to children on this day. No other times will be possible this year.
Appointment timings will be strictly adhered to and will start and end at the allocated times.
If visitors are late, they will have the opportunity to speak with their member of staff for whatever proportion of their appointment is remaining, but the appointment will still end at the stated time.
Parents arriving before their appointment will not be able to enter the building until the member of staff is ready to take them and previous visitors have been able to exit safely.
Telephone numbers need to be taken to enable us to contact if appointments are not possible and for Covid-19 trace reasons. Email address to pass on information about the appointment.

Will there be a chance to visit the setting before we make our final decision?

We are holding an open day for new starter parents on 23rd October 2020. This will be a chance to have a 10-15 minute appointment with a member of Foundation Stage staff, to walk around the Foundation Stage environment and ask any questions that you may have. Please note that this is by appointment only, with safety measures in place. To book an appointment please phone the school office on 01522 820099, or email at [email protected]

Why can’t visit on an alternative day?

The school is closed to children on 23rd October and will be fully cleaned by the end of the day. There are no other dates when the children will not be at school this term.

How can I see the rest of the school?

On 6th November we have a company coming in to make a video tour of the school. As soon as this is done it will go onto the website so new parents and pupils can view it.

Which areas within school will Foundation Stage access during the school day?

Our Foundation Stage are compromises of 2 classrooms, an indoor area and an outdoor area. We also have 6 playhouses that are themed throughout the year, used for role play experiences.
During the week, Foundation Stage children also have access to a variety of areas in school, including the playground, and field, the hall, library and studio.

How does drop off work?

When bringing your child to school, you will drop at the Foundation Stage gate and your child will walk independently into school.
Due to current circumstances, arrangements for drop off and pick up are different to in previous years. As this is the case, more information will follow in the lead up to your child starting school.

How do lunches work?

You have the option to apply for free school meals for your child, whilst they are in Foundation Stage. Our lunches are provided by a company called Good Lookin’ Cookin’ and they provide a range of high quality food. Alternatively, you may provide your child with their own lunch box from home. If you providing a lunch box, please ensure that there are no nut based products sent, including peanut butter and Nutella as children that eat near to may have allergies.

Can my child bring a snack into school?

Your child can bring a snack into school to eat during their morning break time. This will need to be a healthy snack and can include fruit, cereal bars, raisins etc. Snacks such as chocolate, crispsor anything but based will not be permitted, and will be sent home again with your child.

My child is a fussy eater. What would you advise for this?

We would strongly encourage you to try school meals at the beginning of the year. Once children are in school, we can introduce them to a range of foods and different tastes, and often find they want to eat the same thing as their peers. If you feel your child is still not eating enough lunch each day, you can send them in with a lunch box from home.

My child is not yet toilet trained. What do I need to do?

If your child is not yet toilet trained, do not worry. Over the summer your child will develop a lot, particularly as they know it is the run up to starting school. Continue to work on training strategies at home over the summer, building up their independence. At school, we have a range of strategies to support independent toileting. We ensure regular toilet timings to so that all children go regularly throughout the day, and they can also go to the toilet when they need to, outside of these times.

My child is achieving highly for their age. What will be put in place to challenge them?

The beginning of the foundation Stage year is not only settling in period it is also for us to complete baseline assessments of the children’s knowledge and skills. Once these baselines have taken place, we can then adapt our provision to provide learning experiences and challenges that are specific to your child’s ability.

What do we need to provide for PE?

As demonstrated in our Foundation Stage video, your child will need to bring PE kit into school every week. This includes kit for both warmer and cooler temperatures and more information will follow in your admission packs later in the year. All items in your child’s PE kit must be named.
The children get changed for a PE afternoon once a week, however this is not the only time that they will work on their gross motor and movement skills. They have a wider range of opportunities to develop their skills, through using the outdoor environment, dancing and a variety of educational songs.