Parents are regarded as members of our setting who have full participatory rights. These include a right to be:
As a community based, voluntary managed setting, we also depend on the good will of parents and their involvement to keep going. Membership of the setting carries expectations on parents for their support and commitment.
NEW PARENT PACK
Welcome to Stepping Stones Pre-School, we hope that you will enjoy your time with us.
Your Child’s first few sessions may be a difficult time for them and for you, but we hope to settle them into our routine as quickly and happily as possible. You are very welcome to stay for for as long as you and you child need to settle; we will work with you to what is best for your child. Please let your child and their key person know when you are planning to leave so the key person can take special care of your child.
When you first arrive, children are asked to hang up their coats in the cloakroom, by the end of their first session, we hope to have taken your child’s photo in order to make their name for our name tree.
At the end of the session your child may have a painting, picture or craft object to take home and these will be placed on the table at the windows by their name card.
………………………………… will be in the ………………….. key group, the key person for this group is …………………………… and she will take special care of your child as they settle in and also keep a record of their achievements with us.
The notice board will be on display throughout each session with information about the setting.
The Parent Rota will also be here, and we hope that every parent will offer to help out at least once a term. This is a very good way of seeing how the pre-School works and what your child is doing during the session, getting to know the staff and enjoying yourself!
The Pre-school is run by the Committee, made up of parents just like yourself. Information about the A.G.M. Newsletters etc. will be distributed throughout the year. The Committee is always keen to appoint new members and we always need parental support. We will try to introduce to our chair as appropriate.
If you have any queries, please do speak to your key person at any time.
Yours truly,
The Stepping Stones Team
Term One: Monday 7th September to Friday 23rd October
Term Two: Monday 2nd November to Friday 18th December
Term Three: Monday 4th January to Friday 12th February
Term Four: Monday 22nd February to Thursday 1st April
Term Five: Monday 19th April to Friday 28th May
Term Six: Monday 7th June to Friday 16th July
FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS 2018/2019
Fees
The hourly cost of per 3 hour session from September 2020 has been set. Fees can be paid directly into the Stepping Stones account or they can be paid weekly or monthly. You will be issued with an Invoice at the start of the term which will show details of your payment options. You are able to pay for extra sessions should we be unable to offer you all of your hours funded (if your child is eligible for funding; see below).
KCC Early Education Entitlement
Every child is eligible for 15 hours (dependent on available spaces) of funded childcare starting from the term after their 3rd Birthday. You can pay for sessions on top of funded sessions at our daily rate, if funded sessions are not available.
This will be applied for automatically on your behalf. You will need to show your child’s Birth Certificate and sign a form confirming eligilibity. You will also need to know your National Insurance Number.
Early Years Pupil Premium
If your child is over 3 and you are in receipt of certain benefits, we may be able to obtain additional funding to assist us with your child’s place at Stepping Stones, please speak to your key person about this.
Free for 2-year olds
Stepping Stones is registered to offer free places for 2 year olds who fall into the correct age bracket and if families are in receipt of certain benefits.
Childcare Vouchers
Stepping Stones is also registered to with, Computershare (www.computersharevoucherservices.com) and Fideliti (www.fideliti.co.uk/) and Edenred (www.edenred.co.uk/) voucher schemes. If your employer is also registered, you may be able to claim some of your fees through this.
Snack-time
We ask each family to make a termly £10 (£30 per year) voluntary contribution to our snack-time. We provide each child with a piece of fresh fruit daily and occasionally other snacks. We also ask for a £10 (£30 per year) voluntary contribution towards resources (paper, paint, etc.)
Please contact your key person if you wish to discuss any of the above. You can leave a message on the answerphone and we will call you back as soon as possible or email us at info@steppingstonescanterbury.org.uk.
EARLY YEARS PUPIL PREMIUM
Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) is available to children who attend a setting and have a free Early Education Place as a 3 or 4-year old, funded by Kent County Council.
You may be eligible if you are in receipt of certain benefits, or if you have previously claimed Free for 2 funding.
The funding is given to the setting so that it can be used to enhance your childs learning. The setting may, for example employ a speech therapist, purchase new resources or have extra staffing.
A form is available at (www.kent.gov.uk/pupilpremium).
Please speak to your key person if you wish to discuss this further or need any assistance with the forms.
Please print the names and email address that you would prefer to be contacted on.
Child’s Name …………………………………………………………
Parent one’s Name ……………………………………………………………………………….
Email Address ………………………………………………………………………………
Parent two’s Name ………………………………………………………………………………
Email Address ……………………………………………………………………………….
Setting: Stepping Stones Pre-School
Kendall Hall, Nunnery Fields
Canterbury, CT1 3JN
Manager: Sally Heath
Data Protection and Privacy Notice
We have to follow the requirements of the data protection act, when we accept and use information about you and your child, for example, addresses, national insurance numbers, dates of birth etc.
The Data Protection Act 1998 was updated as the GDPR which came into effect in May 2018, this requires that every data controller (e.g. Stepping Stones Preschool) who is processing personal information registers with the ICO – we are registered as required.
Kent County Council says “The Privacy notice is designed to meet the needs of the Data Protection Act and should be brought to the attention of all children for whom data is being submitted in the Early Years Census. Early years settings are responsible for doing this for their children and the privacy notice might be included as part of an induction pack. Unless there has been a revision, privacy notices do not need reissuing on an annual basis.
The Privacy Notice refers the parents / carers to the LA website to see how they will store and use the data.
The Privacy Notices also refer the parents / carers to the DfE website to see how they will store and use the data. Explanations are provided on how the data collected in the Early Years Census will be used. They include details of organisations with which data will be shared, e.g. the Department of Health and Ofsted.”
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/0BzfmAuX7eVuCTTBDZnlWakVpNVNvNTVjdmU4aFlYaFhEaTY4/edit#slide=id.p1