Management and Administration

The playgroup is a registered charity, run by a voluntary committee of parents, which ensures that major decision-making is in the hands of the parents/carers who use the group. The committee is responsible for reviewing both policy & practice, and for the employment and appraisal of members of staff.

Ben Rhydding Pre school Playgroup is a limited company registered in England and Wales. Registered office: The Annexe, Ben Rhydding Primary School, Bolling Road, Ilkley. LS29 8QH. Company registration number 6490820, Registered Charity No: 1123710.  Ofsted registration:  EY242913

Our Annual General Meeting, at which the committee for the following year is elected, is held in the final term of the academic year (summer) and all parents and carers are encouraged to attend.

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Nursery Education Fund

Ben Rhydding Pre-School Playgroup is registered to receive the Government’s Nursery Education Fund. This means that parents/carers of all 4 year olds and of children in the term after they are 3 years old can claim up to 15 hours childcare (a session being 3 hours) per week free of charge. When your child becomes eligible, you will be asked to complete and sign a form by the playgroup staff; this takes place at the beginning of each full term i.e. September, January and April. Signing the form, and any additional declarations linked to NEF encourage parents/carers to commit to a full terms attendance. Where possible if a child is to move from one setting to another, this should not be mid-way through a term. Settings need to be informed well in advance (at least 6 weeks) of any change in attendance which may affect the Nursery Education Fund claim.

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Equality of Opportunity and Special Educational Needs

Ben Rhydding Playgroup welcomes children from all walks of life regardless of class, race, colour, religion, gender, disability or language. Children with special educational needs are accommodated wherever possible and staff are happy to work with other agencies supporting the child.

(You can obtain a full copy of our Equality of Opportunity  and Special Educational Needs Policies and Procedures from Playgroup - please ask a member of staff, or e-mail us for a copy at mail@brplaygroup.com).

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Key Person

We operate a ‘Key person system’. A record of your child’s progress & achievements is started from their first session at playgroup, this includes observations, photographs, pieces of work and assessments of progress and language. To make this possible one member of staff is named as key person and responsible for up-dating the records and evaluating the progress and needs of that child throughout the whole of their time at playgroup. Each keyperson works with two or three others to try and maintain some continuity for the children. The records are evaluated continually and each term an assessment is carried out and the results are recorded and highlighted on a printed sheet. This sheet is sent to school or to another setting if the child moves on. This record is confidential and will stay on the premises until the child leaves playgroup but is accessible to parents and carers to read and to add further information.

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Fire Drill

A fire drill is held each half term for both younger group and pre-school group. A copy of the Fire Drill Procedure is displayed in the entrance to Playgroup.

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Safeguarding Children

We intend to create in our playgroup an environment in which children are safe from abuse and in which any suspicion of abuse is promptly and appropriately responded to. Should your child arrive at playgroup with alarming visible injuries please do not be offended if we ask you how these were obtained, and record this information. Parents/carers will always be the first point of reference but if you are not in a position to allay any legitimate anxieties the matter will be taken up with Social Services.

Similarly all existing & potential staff are thoroughly vetted through enhanced police checks via Ofsted and the Criminal Records Bureau to ensure that they can be safely trusted with our children.

Please note: Adults on duty will not be left alone for long periods with individual children or small groups and staff only, are to accompany the children to the toilet.

(You can obtain a full copy of our Safeguarding Children Policies and Procedures from Playgroup - please ask a member of staff, or email us for a copy at mail@brplaygroup.com).

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Health and Hygiene

Parents are asked to wait 48 hours before bringing a child to Playgroup following an episode of diarrhoea and/or vomiting. This is for the protection of others at Playgroup, including children and staff.

Parents/carers are asked to inform Playgroup staff if their child is suffering from an infectious illness and to keep their child away from Playgroup during this time.

(You can obtain a full copy of our Health and Hygiene Policies and Procedures from Playgroup - please ask a member of staff, or e-mail us for a copy at mail@brplaygroup.com).

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Safety

If a person other than the person who usually brings and collects them is collecting your child, then please inform staff of the identity of this person, even if they are named on your list. If a person not already named is to collect then please record their details on the appropriate page in the diary. We are unable to allow children to leave with an unauthorised person.

(You can obtain a full copy of our Safety Policies and Procedures from Playgroup - please ask a member of staff, or e-mail us for a copy at mail@brplaygroup.com).

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Further Information

An information book held at Playgroup contains:

• Fire Drill
• Ben Rhydding Pre school Playgroup Constitution
• Risk Assessment
• Early Years Foundation Stage
• Curriculum and planning.

Copies of all playgroup’s policies & procedures are available on the premises for parents/carers to take away, read & return. Please speak to a member of staff to access any of the above information.

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