Admissions
If you are interested in applying for a place, please complete our application form (available from the playgroup), indicating the days you would prefer and return it to the playgroup. The minimum age that a child can start at playgroup is 2years 6months (the child needs to be 2 years 6months by the beginning of the term that they start (whether September, January or after Easter). The only exception to this policy is for 'summer babies' who are born in July and August, who in order to benefit from a full year at Playgroup will be allowed to start a year before they would start Nursery.
During the term prior to your child's start date, you will receive an invitation to attend an induction session. This is usually on the first day of each new term, and will help your child to settle in, provide you useful information, introduce you and your child to your key worker and give you the opportunity to raise any questions you may have.
We hope you have enjoyed browsing this brief overview of our group. If you would like to discuss anything further, do not hesitate to contact our Playleader, Jetty Murthi on 01279 842614.
Admissions policy
Statement of intent
It is our intention to make our playgroup accessible to children and families from all sections of the local community.
EYFS key themes and commitments
| A Unique Child | Positive Relationships | Enabling Environments | Learning and Development |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.2 Inclusive practice | 2.1 Respecting each other | 3.3 The learning environment 3.4 The wider environment |
Aim
We aim to ensure that all sections of our community have access to the playgroup through open, fair and clearly communicated procedures.
Methods
In order to achieve this aim, we operate the following admissions policy.
- We ensure that the existence of the playgroup is widely advertised in places accessible to all sections of the community.
We ensure that information about our playgroup is accessible. - in written and spoken form - and, where appropriate, in different languages. Where necessary, we will try to provide information in Braille, or through signing or an interpreter. - We arrange our waiting list in birth order. In addition our policy is to allocate places using the following order of priority:
- children living in the parish of Much Hadham (as shown by the map);
- siblings of children already attending the playgroup or St Andrew’s C of E Primary and Nursery;
- children whose parents work in the parish, or are cared for by a registered child carer or guardian who lives in the parish; and
- any other children. - We aim to offer children a minimum of 2 sessions per week during their first term (provided they have applied for a place at least one term before the child is 2 years and 6 months) and to offer requested days if possible. If there are other places available they will be given consideration.
- We aim to offer children aged 4, 5 sessions per week providing that:
- they do not attend nursery;
- priority will be given to children using the above admissions criteria, with the additional criteria that children who attended the playgroup as a 3 year old will be given favourable consideration; and
- they have applied for a place a minimum of one term before they are due to start. - A waiting list will operate for oversubscribed sessions. Priority will be given to 4 year olds without a nursery place and 3 year olds.
- Children with a nursery place, who do not receive funding, will only be considered if the playgroup is under-subscribed. They are unlikely to be allocated more than 2 sessions per week.
- Sessions must be booked and paid for in advance each half term. We require a half terms notice if your child is to leave Playgroup. Fees are reviewed annually.
In the event of low numbers, temporary spaces may be available.
We describe our playgroup and its practices in terms which make it clear that it welcomes both fathers and mothers, other relations and other carers, including childminders.
We describe our playgroup and its practices in terms of how it treats individuals, regardless of their gender, special educational needs, disabilities, background, religion, ethnicity or competence in spoken English.
We describe our playgroup and its practices in terms of how it enables children with disabilities to take part in the life of the playgroup.
• We make our equal opportunities policy widely known.
• We are flexible about attendance patterns to accommodate the needs of individual children and families.
• We encourage children to be toilet trained.
This policy was adopted at a meeting of Much Hadham Playgroup held on 17th November 2009.