Settling in & staying for lunch First days at Pre-school can be daunting for even the most outgoing children. We hope that after a few weeks both you and your child are familiar enough with the Barn and pre-school workings, that you can leave them in the knowledge that they have a welcoming, safe and stimulating environment to come and play and make friends in.
Once your child has settled, we encourage them to stay for lunch. You will need to provide them with a packed lunch and a drink (with a cup)- no fizzy drinks please. Make sure that their lunch box is clearly marked (we do get a lot of duplicates!) and that your child's sandwiches are put into small plastic containers rather than in cling-film. Could drinks be put into small, lidded (or sport style) plastic bottles as cartons are often too much for one sitting! We have adopted a policy of encouraging healthy eating, so would appreciate it if you did not include chocolate bars, sweets or whole packets of crisps (a few in a pot is fine) whilst we appreciate that yoghurts are extremely healthy can we ask you not to include these as they are very messy and do not promote independence. With the increase in allergies to nuts could you please avoid peanut butter as a sandwich filling. Could you also ensure that your child has small, manageable portions, to help minimise waste.
Arrival & Collection procedures On arrival, you are asked to come into the porch to put your child's lunch box in the lunch box ‘trolley’ and sign your child's name on the daily attendance log (vital for fire regulations). There is a space on this form to let staff know who will be picking up your child. If we aren't told of any changes in pick-up arrangements we will not allow your child to leave our care until you come to collect them! We have an "Show & tell basket" table which children can bring items in for. These are discussed during registration and will be your responsibility to collect at the end of the session. Please try to keep all items relevant to our number or "sound" of the week ( please ask, or see the notice board ) and make sure that they are clearly labelled with your child's name.
On collection we ask you to make sure that you sign out your child at the bottom of the stairs and make sure that you complete the ‘time out’ column, please collect all of your child’s belongings, including, coats, hats, lunchboxes and any items they may have brought in to show the group. Each child has their own pidgeon hole, here we put smaller items they may have made during the morning, newsletters and any other notices to take home. Please remember to check before leaving. Larger items to take home will be stored separately and will be pointed out by staff members
Parking There is very limited parking space around the park . Can you ensure that you DO NOT park on the double yellow lines, there is a car park near the Lido, or on-street parking to the north of the park. There are plenty of side roads to use and your children will benefit greatly from a short walk in the mornings! Priority for places will be given to children who’s parent or carer has made a commitment to walk to the Barn. Our plentiful neighbours will soon let us know if parking becomes a problem and children may be excluded if no improvement is made.
Breaks & dietary requirements Your child will have a mid-morning break. This will consist of a small amount of milk and a healthy snack. We offer water as an alternative if preferred. Our snacks do not contain nuts. If your child has any specific dietary requirements please let the manager know as soon as possible.
First days at Pre-school can be daunting for even the most outgoing children. We hope that after a few weeks both you and your child are familiar enough with the Barn and pre-school workings, that you can leave them in the knowledge that they have a welcoming, safe and stimulating environment to come and play and make friends in.
Once your child has settled, we encourage them to stay for lunch. You will need to provide them with a packed lunch and a drink (with a cup)- no fizzy drinks please. Make sure that their lunch box is clearly marked (we do get a lot of duplicates!) and that your child's sandwiches are put into small plastic containers rather than in cling-film. Could drinks be put into small, lidded (or sport style) plastic bottles as cartons are often too much for one sitting! We have adopted a policy of encouraging healthy eating, so would appreciate it if you did not include chocolate bars, sweets or whole packets of crisps (a few in a pot is fine) whilst we appreciate that yoghurts are extremely healthy can we ask you not to include these as they are very messy and do not promote independence. With the increase in allergies to nuts could you please avoid peanut butter as a sandwich filling. Could you also ensure that your child has small, manageable portions, to help minimise waste.
On collection we ask you to make sure that you sign out your child at the bottom of the stairs and make sure that you complete the ‘time out’ column, please collect all of your child’s belongings, including, coats, hats, lunchboxes and any items they may have brought in to show the group. 
There is very limited parking space around the park . Can you ensure that you DO NOT park on the double yellow lines, there is a car park near the Lido, or on-street parking to the north of the park. There are plenty of side roads to use and your children will benefit greatly from a short walk in the mornings! Priority for places will be given to children who’s parent or carer has made a commitment to walk to the Barn. Our plentiful neighbours will soon let us know if parking becomes a problem and children may be excluded if no improvement is made.
Your child will have a mid-morning break. This will consist of a small amount of milk and a healthy snack. We offer water as an alternative if preferred. Our snacks do not contain nuts. If your child has any specific dietary requirements please let the manager know as soon as possible.
