Sessions

Pre-School meets from Monday through to Friday.

Rainbow divides the children into two groups with the 2 to 3 year olds (Explorers) in one and the 3 to 4 year olds  (Adventurers) in tne other). This helps the differentiating of activities and length of time spent, appropriate to each child. This also ensures we adhere to the strict adult to child ratios for the differing ages.

We recommend younger children do not attend less than 2 sessions per week. Our skilled practitioners fully understand the varying needs of children and the changing requirements as children develop to preschool age. By your child attending 2 or more sessions a week they find the transition less stressful. 

Explorers and Adventurers can attend for the following sessions:

• 9.00 am to 3.00pm (Doors open at 2.45 pm)

• 9.00am to 12 noon

• 9.00 am to 1.00pm (you provide a healthy lunch)

• 12.00 noon to 3.00pm (You provide a heathy lunch. Doors open at 2.45pm)

Term Dates

Rainbow Pre-School follows Essex County Council School Term and Holiday Dates for Community and Voluntary Controlled Schools..  The Pre-School is able to allocate 5 INSET days per academic year.   You will find up to date term dates and INSET dates in our Useful Information (please note that we have a two week half term in the Autumn rerm.)

Arrival & Departure Routine

Parents/carers are required to wait by the gates until they open.  A member of staff will welcome them at the gate. All children will be supported by other members of staff, in the case of the Adventurers to find their name and remove it, bring it into the hallway and help them to place it on the white registration board, find their peg name and hang up their belongings. They will then be asked to sanitise their hands.

At the end of the session parents/carers are requested to wait by the gates  where a member of staff waits at the gate. Each child will be called to come to the gate to join their parent/carer. If arriving individually at other times parents/carers are requested to press the call button to enable the gate to be released. It is essential, should you wish your child to be collected by anyone other than the known parent/carer that we are informed of the details, which will be entered in a book and signed, by parent/carer. Should there be a reason that this cannot take place and arrangements are made over the phone then an agreed password will be given.

Feeding and Rest Arrangements

We  supply a drink of milk or water and a healthy snack . It is  possible to provide food for a special occasion but these must be passed directly to the managers and we ask that they are healthy and nut-free

We ask for a voluntary contribtuion towards the healthy snack.

We do not have a separate room for resting. However, we do have some fold out sleeping mats and blankets for children that may require a nap. These would be placed in a quiet corner.