Key Information

Management

Sutton St James Playgroup is managed by a voluntary committee group mainly made up of parents. It meets at least once a term to discuss matters arising such as fundraising, fees, training and the way forward.

The Playgroup is a registered charity.

A list of committee members can be found on the notice board in the entrance porch of the Playgroup and on the website.

Fees are paid monthly; cheques should be made payable to ‘Sutton St James Playgroup’. The price of a session at pre-school is currently £11.70.

As our costs are ongoing, fees must still be paid if your child is not present, as we have reserved a place for your child.

Sutton St James Playgroup runs for 38 weeks of the year, term dates are available on the parent information board and on our website.

We are registered with Ofsted and in receipt of the Early Years Educational Entitlement, therefore we offer funded places for 3­- and 4- year-olds. The pre-school will apply for your child’s funding the full term after their 3rd birthday on your behalf. Funding is available as long as a contract and declaration are completed each full term.

Policies

Copies of the policy statements, Conditions and Ofsted Reports are available for you to read. The recent Ofsted report is located on the parent’s information board and all policies are available in a folder in the entrance porch. In the registration pack you will find some policies for your reference and some are available on our website. The original signed policies can be found in the Operational Plan.

Special Needs

The number of adults present in the Playgroup enables us to provide a high adult/child ratio so that each child is able to progress at their own rate in all areas of development. This is also true for children with disabilities or specific learning difficulties. We have a designated Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) who is experienced in working in close liaison with outside agencies across the range of Special Needs. If you would like to discuss our group’s ability to meet your child’s needs, please speak to the Playgroup Leader/SENCo. If, after consultation with the Leader/SENCo and Committee, it is decided that one to one support is necessary, the Committee would need to seek outside funding to achieve this.

Health and Safety

Parents are asked to keep children that are unwell at home. If your child needs regular medicine, for example Calpol, they should be kept at home.

Any children who have had vomiting and diarrhoea are asked not to attend the Playgroup for at least 48 hours after symptoms have elapsed.

Whilst at Playgroup your child has fresh water available throughout the session, to encourage independence each child has their own named water bottles to drink from. We would therefore request that you supply your child with a bottle to keep at the Playgroup.

Whenever possible, medicines should be administered by the child’s parent. Any medication brought to the Playgroup must be clearly labelled with the child’s name, dosage and any other necessary signed instructions.

The Playgroup offers free flow between indoor and outdoor areas, enabling the children to choose their own learning opportunities. Please supply a pair of wellies to be kept at Playgroup and appropriate clothing (dependent on the weather) in order that we can take full advantage of this.

Out of Hours Accident Book

It is now a requirement for the Playgroup to keep an out of hours accident book. Any accidents your child may have had outside the normal Playgroup hours should be noted in this book. Please inform staff on arrival of any bruises etc so they can be noted and you will be asked to sign. It is often busy first thing in the morning and it is easy to forget these things, so if later in the morning a member of staff notices something they will make a note and ask you to sign when you collect your child.

Starting Playgroup

A child who is unhappy will not be able to play or learn, so it is important for parents and Playgroup staff to work together to help the child feel confident and secure in the playgroup. This takes longer for some children than others. Parents/Carers are always welcome to stay with their child at Playschool until they are happy and settled.

Assessment and Monitoring

Throughout their time with us at the pre-school the children are split into key groups, each child having their own key person who takes responsibility for your child’s observations and record keeping. Their learning journeys are updated daily via Tapestry, an online assessment tool.

Policies

Playgroup policies cover every aspect of Playgroup life. Here are some of our most important policies for your reference. If you want to know our policy on something that is not listed, please ask in Playgroup. Signed, dated copies of all policies are kept in Playgroup.

Admissions

It is Sutton St James Preschool’s intention to make our setting accessible to children and families from all sections of the local community. We aim to ensure that all sections of our community have access to the setting through open, fair and clearly communicated procedures.

Procedures

  • We ensure that the existence of our setting is widely advertised in places accessible to all sections of the community.
  • We ensure that information about the setting is accessible, using simple plain English, in written and spoken form and, where appropriate, provided in different community  languages and in other formats on request.
  • We arrange our waiting list in birth order. In addition, our policy may take into account:
    • the age of the child, with priority given to children who are eligible for the free entitlement – including eligible two year old children;
    • the length of time on the waiting list;
    • the vicinity of the home to the setting;
    • whether any siblings already attend the setting; and
    • the capacity of the setting to meet the individual needs of the child.
  • We offer funded places in accordance with the Code of Practice for Lincolnshire Early Years Childcare & Support
  • We keep a place vacant, if this is financially viable, to accommodate an emergency admission.
  • Our setting and its practices are welcoming and make it clear that fathers, mothers, other relations and carers are all welcome.
  • The setting and its practices operate in a way that encourages positive regard for and understanding of difference and ability - whether gender, family structure, class, background, religion, ethnicity or competence in spoken English.
  • We support children and/or parents with disabilities to take full part in all activities within our setting.
  • We monitor the needs and background of children joining our setting on the Registration Form, to ensure that no accidental or unintentional discrimination is taking place.
  • We share and widely promote our Valuing Diversity and Promoting Equality Policy.
  • Failure to comply with the terms and conditions may ultimately result in the provision of a place being withdrawn.

Ofsted

Ofsted Good 2024 Sutton St. James Playgroup was last inspected by Ofsted in December 2023 and were rated good which we feel reflected the hard work and support of the Staff and the Committee. We regularly revisit out Targets for improvement at our Staff and Committee Meetings and are working hard towards achieving Outstanding at their next visit.

Please follow the link to read our latest Report: https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/16/253629

Playgroup Committee 2023 - 2024

Chair: Sandra Horsfield Sandra Horsfield I’m Sandra, currently the Chair of the Playgroup Management Committee. I've been a supporter and member of the Playgroup Committee for a number of years ever since my own children attended in the Church Hall. Before retiring to care for my young grandchildren, I was the Early Years teacher at Sutton St James CP School.
Claire Willows Claire Willows Born and raised in Sutton St James, I am a now the Headteacher at Sutton St James CP School which has strong links with Sutton St James Pre-school. I live in a small local village in Cambridgeshire and enjoy travelling and reading.
Vice Chair: Hannah Thorpe Hannah Thorpe Hi I’m Hannah, Vice Chair of the playgroup management committee. I live in the village with my husband, our 3 children aged 6, 4 and 8 months and 2 dogs. I work for Peterborough and Cambridgeshire Safeguarding Partnership Boards as an auditor and enjoy walking and yoga in any spare time I can find.
Katie Wallace Katie Wallace My partner, Stuart, and I have a son named Robert. We are relative new-comers to the village, moving here in Jan 2020 and I joined the committee in 2022. I work for the world’s largest Animal Health company and currently lead a global team developing digital solutions and products that deliver value to customers by creating data-driven insights that address key areas of opportunity on their operations.
Daisy Clitheroe Daisy Clitheroe Hi, I’m Daisy - I’ve lived in SSJ for 5 years now and my day-to-day job is IT Analyst, I have two lovely children who both had/have the pleasure of being within the Playgroup.
Duncan Harrison Duncan Harrison I have lived is Sutton St James all my life and attended Sutton St James pre-school and primary school as do both of my children. I joined the committee in 2023, I am an electrician by trade and currently work for a packing company in Kings Lynn.
Philippa Heanes Philippa Heanes I’m married to John, and we have a daughter named Rosie. I have lived in the village since 2013 and joined the committee in 2022. Day to day, I can be found working in the world of event planning & marketing.
Abbie Borland Abbie Borland Hi, I’m Abbie and a mother to two beautiful children. My eldest child attended the preschool and my youngest child now currently attends. I have over 10 years of experience within children and have an extended level 3 diploma in childcare as well as young people. I have always worked with children or young adults and have a passion within early years and have recently carried out autism training at a higher level too. I look forward to being an active member of the committee and working closely in partnership with the preschool staff.
Karen Baker Karen Baker Hello I’m Karen, one of the newest members of the committee. I live in the village with my husband, two children and our dog, Oakley. I have 15+ years experience working with children and young people, from early years in childcare settings to supporting teenagers in a mental health care home. I love being outdoors in all weathers, reading and baking.

Any concerns regarding the Playgroup should be addressed to a member of the Committee.

Any complaints should be addressed to the Chair on chair@suttonstjamesplaygroup.co.uk

Any financial issues should be addressed to the Treasurer on treasurer@suttonstjamesplaygroup.co.uk