Information for Parents
Please find information on this page regarding opening times, visits to setting, about the school day, fees and funding and other important information for parents and prospective parents.
St. Mawgan also has a monthly newsletter which is emailed to parents, and we also upload assessments onto Tapestry as well as home learning when possible for children to do activities at home with their families.
Opening Times
The preschool day starts at 9am, we do run a breakfast club from 8.30 to 9.00 if you need your child to start to earlier. There will be a friendly and familiar face to welcome each child into the preschool. We endeavour to encourage independence, so a member of staff will assist your child/children in putting away their belongings in an appropriate and safe place. This helps to create a strong and positive bond with practitioners and helps children to feel supported and welcome as part of our community.
St. Mawgan currently operates 5 days a week and we are open term time only. We are open every day from 8.30am until 4.00pm. Breakfast Club runs from 8.30 to 9.00 at an extra charge and After School Club runs until 3.30pm or 4.00pm.
If you have a question about opening times please contact a member of the staff and we will be happy to answer and assist you with your query.
Structured and free flow learning
As part of our curriculum at St. Mawgan, we plan and develop lessons and activities based on the need’s and interests of the children, which is an integral part of Early Years to foster their love for learning and develop their natural curiosity.
Our curriculum combines both free flow learning and structured lessons and activities. We link important events throughout the year into each topic. Each member of our team will work with the children to develop their next steps in each area of learning, and the child’s key worker is usually the person who will develop these steps. If you any any questions or queries, please see a member of the team.
Having the opportunity to participate in free flow learning allows for children to develop their independence, decision making skills and allows them to ascribe value to their own thoughts, ideas and choices. It also allows for children to discover and learn in their own ways, which adults can then observe and support them in structured learning opportunities. This is also in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage and Development Matters, which emphasises the importance of a mixture of child-led and adult-led play opportunities.
Our preschool layout reflects each of the seven areas of learning, allowing for focused activities to take place. We have dedicated maths, literacy and role play areas, including spaces for small worlds, arts and crafts and writing. We also have messy play opportunities, such as play dough, water and mud.
Fees and Funding
At St. Mawgan we offer both fee paying and funded childcare spaces. We offer 15 hours free childcare and the extended 30 hours free childcare government schemes for 3-4 year olds, as well as 2 year old funding. For more information or help with applying, please contact us.
Private Fees
Our private fees are as follows as from January 2023:
2 year olds
Per hour £6.50.
3 hour session is £19.50, 4 hour session is £26.00 or a 6 hour session is £39.00.
3-4 year olds
Per hour £6.25.
3 hour session is £18.75, 4 hour session is £25.00 or a 6 hour session is £37.50
Breakfast Club - 8.30am to 9.00am £2.75
After School Club - 3.00pm to 3.30pm £3.25
3.00pm to 4.00pm £6.50
Funded Spaces
For more information regarding funding, please refer to the following links and to check your eligibility:
15 hours free childcare for 3-4 year olds
30 hours extended free childcare for 3-4 year olds
Please contact us for more information or if you have any questions regarding funded spaces.
Outdoor Learning
Although we do not have access to our own dedicated free-flow outdoor space, we are fortunate enough to have access to a large outdoor shared community space. This includes use of a large play field and play park, the local woodlands and The Japanese Garden. In the event we are unable to utilise the outdoor spaces, we will run music and dance sessions indoors with the children.
In our setting, being part of the community is very important and we encourage this by attending the both local churches at important times of the year as well as visiting many of the local businesses. We have strong links to the local primary school and often use the local woodlands to expand and explore the children’s learning.
We have been fortunate enough to fund Forest school sessions through the fundraising events the committee have planned. They are linked to the topic themes that run throughout the preschool and help children develop decision and risk making skills, problem solving skills, independence, and cooperative, collaborative play. The forest school leaders are trained professionals that bring with them a curiosity and love of learning in the natural environment.
In the spring term, the children also have access to beach school which is run on the local beach. We learn more about our environment and beach safety through these sessions. The children are always accompianed by familiar adults from the setting on these sessions and on all outings.
Capacity
We have a capacity for 26 children per session, and we operate on a ratio of 1:8 for over 3’s and 1:4 for under 3’s.
Spaces in sessions are subject to staff ratios. Please email the manager or see a member of the team if you wish to discuss hours and funding.
stmawganpreschool@live.com
Sessions
We have 3 sessions over the course of the preschool day, and parents can choose which sessions they would like their children to attend which can be discussed with the manager to work for what is best for your child.
Morning Session 9am - 12pm
Lunch Club 12pm - 1pm
Afternoon Session 1pm - 3pm
All day Session 8.30am - 3pm or 9am - 3pm
Meal Times
We offer snack in our morning and afternoon sessions, and children bring a packed lunch to school as well as a water bottle. If your child has any allergies, follows a specific diet, or has any intolerances, we ask you provide us with this information at enrolment or if any changes present at any time during the time your child is in care with us.
Morning snack is a selection of fruit and vegetables which are offered alongside a crackers or breadsticks. We encourage the children to communicate with us about their likes and dislikes, and aim to provide them with snacks they enjoy. We also provide milk or water.
At lunch time, staff will have lunch alongside the children. We have utensils and cups available for use in the event a child does not have them.
Our afternoon snack is usually a biscuit or cracker, and we encourage children to have frequent drinks throughout the day to ensure they are hydrated.
We get our fruit and vegetables from the local shops and farms to offer and encourage sustainability to our local community.
Tours
We offer tours of our setting to all new and prospective parents, where we can answer any questions or queries you may have about the setting and talk you through what your child will experience at preschool. We can offer tours at a time to suit your needs. We usually advise either out of hours tours or during our quieter afternoon sessions.
Our guidance regarding tours is currently in line with our COVID-19 restrictions, which can be found here.
Settling Sessions
As part of the settling in process, we offer stay and play sessions where parents are welcome to stay with their child for all or part of the session dependent on their child’s needs. Each child is different, and each will have their own needs regarding the settling in process, which can be over the course of multiple sessions. We will work with you and your child to help facilitate the transition process into preschool and go at the child’s own pace.
Our guidance regarding settling sessions is currently in line with our COVID-19 restrictions, which can be found here.