About Us

_______________________________________________________

We hope you find this website useful and informative.
History Established in the early 1960’s the pre-school was specifically opened in the Village Hall to provide a happy and stimulating environment for the children of the community. In 1990, the pre-school became a parent run pre-school and achieved charity status shortly afterwards.
	The Staff Members of staff are trained to work specifically with pre-school children and are dedicated to working with children. As a member of the Pre-School Learning Alliance, we are committed to a staff-training programme. The Staff are encouraged and supported to undertake appropriate training. Staff all hold a First Aid Certificate and attend a refresher course every three years.
Accommodation The Marlow Bottom Pre-school Playgroup is held in the Village Hall, which is situated on the Marlow Bottom Road next to the Barn Club. The hall is light and spacious, and is large enough to accommodate all the vital equipment required by the pre-school to provide a wide variety of activities for the children. These include a climbing frame, sandpit, water play, dough, sticking and craft table. An inner room is used for story telling, construction toys, floor puzzles, etc. while the kitchen is used for cooking, clay or woodwork activities. The cloakrooms are always clean and consist of 3 girls’ toilets; and one boys’ toilet and 3 urinals. Staff are able to assist with toilet trips as necessary and there are facilities available for nappy changing. Behind the hall there is a large enclosed garden that we use all year round, weather permitting. The pre-school is surrounded by protected woodland providing a source of materials for projects on nature study and the environment. There is ample car parking to the front of the Village Hall. The Shops situated across the road provide the children with opportunities to explore various topics they have been studying, i.e. ‘looking at different foods’, ‘what happens at the Post Office’.
Aims To advance the development and education of pre-school children; to encourage their independence and self-confidence through the provision of equal learning opportunities within a safe and caring environment.		Activities As a pre-school playgroup, we offer each child the chance to learn through play. This means that the children are having fun whilst they are learning. With the support of trained, caring staff, they develop an understanding of themselves, of others and of the world around them.
Admissions The pre-school is registered to accept 28 children at each session. Parents are encouraged to visit the pre-school with their child before they start so that they are familiar with the pre-school. The pre-school is open from 9am until 11.45am Monday to Friday and 12.45pm until 3.30pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. We operate a waiting list and offer places in order of birth date taking into account the length of time on the waiting list. We will endeavour to accommodate all children on our waiting list. Should the pre-school become oversubscribed, allocation of place will be made in accordance with our Admissions Policy.
	The Curriculum Will Include: • Activities which promote independence, i.e. practising taking off shoes and coats in preparation for school • Music – identifying rhythms and tones • Activities which improve listening skills • Lateral thinking games • Complex construction toys, i.e. big builder Meccano and providing simple motor skills, mathematics, problem solving strategies, etc • Discovering science – sinking, floating, measuring and weighing • Letter and number skills leading to simple word recognition and simple sums • Team games using physical skills, learning to work together as a team, taking turns and sharing • Complex puzzles, jigsaws and board games • Drama and active participation of story-telling to promote self confidence and communication skills • 1:1 activities providing the essential learning skills required for school
Morning Sessions 9 to 11 a.m. Children may choose from a variety of structured activities designed to enable our children to achieve the Early Learning Goals which are planned within a themed curriculum. Activities include climbing, home corner, puzzles, painting, chalking, gluing, sewing and reading. All children are encouraged to work at the craft table. As our activities relate to a ‘theme’ the home corner may become a hospital, post office, travel agent or a shop as appropriate. 11 a.m. We provide milk or water to drink. Children are encouraged to bring in a named snack of fruit or vegetables. Whilst the children are occupied with their refreshments under supervision, the heavier pieces of apparatus are put away and the next activity is organised. Show and Tell, keep-fit, music, drama, team games, cooking, gardening and road safety are just a few examples of activities incorporated into the curriculum. 11.40 a.m. Story-time. This group activity also provides an ideal opportunity to discuss the morning’s activities, find out what has been learnt and for the children to talk about their latest news. During the morning, small groups of children join a member of staff in the nursery where they are taught to form letters and to develop their understanding of simple mathematics through the use of games and other activities. Children progress at different rates and are given the opportunity to work within their own levels of achievement. Every child is encouraged to explore our extensive range of books in the book corner, to become familiar with them, and to understand their use as a source of stories and pictures and as reference books. We invite people from the community to visit us to discuss their jobs or interests, etc. The Police, vets, nurses, dog trainers are just some of the people who have visited us in the past.
Afternoon Sessions Children are transferred to the afternoon sessions during the school year in which they become 4 years of age. In addition to the above, the afternoon session also provides: a specially tailored curriculum specifically for our older children; an excellent opportunity for your child to play and work alongside other children who may soon become classmates.