Leaving your child

Introducing your child to Pre-school can be a stressful time for both parent and child, and we aim to make this transition as anxiety-free as possible.

Some children take longer to settle than others, and this is nothing to worry about. It may take some weeks before a child feels fully comfortable in their new environment, and with this in mind, Orleton Pre-school will endeavour to match a Key Person to your child who they feel happy with to support them as they make their first steps away from home.

Parents may be advised to leave if the child is upset, and possibly return in a short time, or we may telephone the parent to offer assurance that the child has settled after a short while.

Our Practitioners are very experienced, and will know what option is best for your child (although obviously we will work with parents to identify the best course of action).

What will my child need to bring

• Nappies & Baby wipes (if using)
• Spare clothes in a named bag
• Coat, hat and gloves as appropriate.
• Sun cream for hot weather
• Lunch in a named bag (unless hot lunches)
• Any prescribed medication
• A comfort toy/blanket if helpful to child

Outside play

We encourage children at Orleton Pre-school to access the outdoor areas in all weathers, and spend considerable amounts of time outside. Some of the opportunities offered include nature walks, planting flowers and vegetables, access to play apparatus, mud kitchen, and story-telling. We therefore have waterproofs and wellies available for their use. We also have sun hats, but would ask that parents provide their own sun cream for their child.

Dress code

At Orleton Pre-school, we believe in learning through a wide range of play experiences, many of which will be very messy! This offers your child every opportunity to explore the features and characteristics of many different materials and resources, both natural and man-made, which will aid their development across all areas of learning.

For this reason, there is no formal dress-code, other than to send your child in older clothes that are comfortable, easy to remove (to aid independence in toileting), and labelled (please). Aprons are available, but experience shows that children are still quite likely to get plastered from time to time!

There is a uniform available with parents wish to purchase on Tesco embroidery online