Admissions and placement - Agreed practice
Laleham Church Playgroup aims to ensure that in line with it’s Equal Opportunities Policy all sections of our community can access the setting through providing open, fair and clearly communicated procedures.
Application and Admission process
To apply for a place parents/carers need to complete the application form which comes with the prospectus.
Our admissions list is arranged in order of date of birth. The list is full when it contains the names of 18 children with birthdays between 1st September and 31st August for each academic year. Once the admission list is full children’s names will be placed on a waiting list, arranged in the following order:
1. Looked after children (children in public care) or former looked after children (that is children who were previously looked after but are now adopted)
2. Siblings
3. Children with a parent who is on the electoral roll of All Saints Church, Laleham
4. Order in which the applications were received
The earliest age at which a child can start at the playgroup is 2 years 6 months. Once your child reaches 2 years 6 months old they will be offered a space in playgroup. For children born between September and February a place will be offered for the term after they reach 2 years and 6 months old so that they are placed in the correct group for their academic year. If you choose not to take the space at this time you will be placed back onto our waiting list and the space offered to another child. It is possible to pay to hold the space open for your child, paying for two sessions per week until the date you would like your child to start. If you choose not to pay to hold the space open there might not be a space available for you at the date you would like your child to start.
A minimum of 2 sessions per week will be offered and unless there are exceptional circumstances we will not offer children 5 sessions until the beginning of the term following their 3rd birthday (birthdays before 1st January- Spring Term; before 1st April – Summer term; before 1st September – Autumn Term.) Whilst every effort will be made to offer the requested sessions, this may not be possible.
We ask for a minimum of 2 sessions per child when they are a Kitten and a minimum of 3 sessions per child when they become a Cat, unless there are exceptional circumstances.
To accept an offered place parents must return a completed registration form and a non-refundable deposit of £25 by the date stated on the offer letter (Parents/carers of children who are offered a place at playgroup once they are eligible for Funded Early Education (FEE) Entitlement will not be asked for a deposit). We will make reasonable efforts to contact any parents/carers who have not replied by the stated date to confirm that they do not want the offered place, but if we cannot contact them the place will be offered to another child. It is the responsibility of parents/carers who have applied for a place to notify us of any changes to their contact details.
If a parent/carer wishes to delay entry from the start date offered, the place can be held open for the maximum of one term without charge. Full fees will be required to be paid to hold a place open for any longer than a term.
If a child will need one-to-one support or special equipment/resources to access the curriculum we will endeavour to obtain funding and or the necessary resources to enable the child to attend.
Induction and Settling in process
Parents/carers will be asked to book at least one pre-starting session with their child, preferably on one of the days that they will be attending. During these visits they will be given the opportunity to join in with the activities and the parents/carers will be able to talk to the staff. They will be given a “settling-in book” of photos of playgroup activities and staff to share with their child and asked to bring it back when their child starts with photographs of the child’s family, home, pets, favourite toys etc in the empty section at the back.
Parents/carers will be asked to complete an “All about my child” form and a “One Page Profile” and return it just prior to their child starting so that we have the most up to date information to help us plan for their child’s individual needs.
Prior to their child starting parents/carers will be provided with a “New Parent Information Pack”, which includes information on: collection procedures; payment of fees; Funded Early Education for Two Year Olds funding and Funded Early Education (FEE) for 3 and 4 year olds; absence; illness; accident/incident recording; child protection; behaviour management; the keyperson system and “Learning Journey” records; an outline of a playgroup session; refreshments provided; complaints procedure; confidentiality and information sharing and information on where they can access all of the setting’s policies and procedures.
In the Spring term information/discussion sessions will be held for parents and the Manager will arrange to meet with any parent/carer who is unable to attend one of these meetings.
Each child is allocated a Keyperson who will liaise with the family to support their settling in process.
Fees, Free Early Education for Two Year Olds funding, and Free Early Education for 3 and 4 year olds.
Invoices are issued half-termly, or weekly/monthly by arrangement with the treasurer, and parents/carers are asked to pay within 7 days. We accept payment by cash, cheque, bank transfer or childcare vouchers.
We require a half term’s notice of a child leaving the setting otherwise the parent/carer will be liable for a full term’s fees. Parents are informed of this in their “Parent Information Pack” prior to their child starting.
Refunds or days in lieu cannot be provided if a child is absent for any reason.
If the playgroup is closed or partially closed (e.g. in bad weather or due to staff illness) parents/carers will be refunded or not charged for the sessions that they had to miss.
We welcome children who are eligible for/in receipt of Free Early Education for Two Year Olds (FEET) funding for up to 15 hours of nursery provision per week for 38 weeks a year. (Visit www.surreycc.gov.uk/feet to check criteria for receiving FEET funding). If all or some of the child’s FEET entitlement is being claimed at another setting then the parent/carer will have to pay for any sessions which exceed the 15 hour total.
All children have a Free Early Education entitlement (FEE) of 15 hours of free nursery provision per week for 38 weeks a year from the beginning of the term after their 3rd birthday. If a family is only eligible for the universal 15 hours and all or some of the child’s universal free entitlement is being claimed at another setting then the parent/carer will have to pay for any sessions which exceed the 15 hour total.
Working families who meet the eligibility criteria can claim up to 30 hours free childcare per week. Parents wishing to use their additional 15 hours at playgroup must provide us with the eligibility code that they have been given which we confirm with Surrey Supporting Children Team. Parents need to reconfirm their eligibility every 3 months. If the family is no longer eligible then the parent/carer will have to pay for the affected hours (the universal 15 hours is not affected). Visit www.childcarechoices.gov.uk for more information
Parents/carers must provide the setting with a copy of the child’s birth certificate or passport to confirm the child’s date of birth before Funded Entitlement can be claimed.
Non-attendance
Parents/carers are asked to notify the playgroup first thing in the morning if their child will be absent due to illness or an unforeseen circumstance. Children must not return to playgroup until they have been free from sickness and/or diarrhoea for at least 48 hours.
The Manager/session leader reserves the right to ask a parent/carer (or if they cannot be contacted, one of their emergency contacts) to take their child home and/or to their doctor if she considers him/her to be ill or contagious (including for suspected conjunctivitis or impetigo or Cold Sore).
Parents/carers should notify playgroup in advance if their child will be away on holiday, giving details of when the child will return to playgroup. Failure to do so may result in the loss of FEET/FEE and the parent/carer being charged for their child’s sessions.
If a child is absent without explanation the manager/session leader will try to speak to the parents/carers that day to find out why the child is absent. If that is not possible, we may implement our Safeguarding Children Policy and contact the police for advice. A note will be made of these conversations in the “Absence Log” in the back of the register
If a child is regularly absent a log will be kept of the conversations between the parent/carer and the setting and advice may be sought from Surrey’s Early Education and Childcare Team and/or the FEE Administration team.
Changing sessions attended
Parents/carers should notify the Manager in writing if they wish to change the days or the number of sessions that their child attends. Every effort will be made to accommodate changes but that may not be possible if a session is already full.
Requests to increase the number of sessions attended will be dealt with on a first come first served basis.
This practice was accepted by Laleham Church Playgroup on..20th May 2021
Signed on behalf of Laleham Church Playgroup……………………………………………..