Parent s Information & Welcome Pack

Transcription

1 Helping each other Parent s Information & Welcome Pack Welcome to Haworth Out of School Club We aim to provide good quality, affordable child care for children of Haworth Primary School, from Nursery to Year 6, so that parents can be happy in the knowledge that their children are being looked after in a stimulating and secure environment. This booklet is designed to give you all the information that you need to feel comfortable in booking your child into the club. If you feel that there is any information missing, or if you have any queries, please contact the club coordinator, who will be happy to talk through anything with you. Contacting the club The Out of School Club can be contacted via the school at: Haworth Primary School Rawdon Road Haworth BD22 8DW Tel: For any enquires please contact the Club Co-ordinator Denise Wilcock Tel:

2 Haworth Out of School Club Parents Welcome Pack Welcome to Haworth Out of School Club. The Club aims to provide high quality before and after school care and activities, in a safe and secure environment, for children from the age of 3. During each session the children can take part in a variety of organised games and activities, or they can just unwind, relax and play. The children are supervised by our team of experienced staff, who have all had enhanced CRB checks carried out. The club is managed by the school, which ensures that there is continuity of care and standards, consistent with the rest of school. At Haworth Out of School Club we aim to: Provide a welcoming, happy and relaxed environment, in which all children can express themselves and enjoy the range of activities on offer. Work in partnership with you to provide high quality play and care for your children. Keep you fully informed of club developments, fees and charges. Be consistent and reliable, to enable you to plan with confidence and peace of mind. Listen to your views and concerns to ensure that we continue to meet your needs. Our Rooms The Club runs from two main rooms in school: The downstairs room is equipped with a craft area, quiet/tv area, play and activity areas. This room has a wide range of activity and play equipment for all ages, including computers and electronics for older children, and its own external entrance where children arrive and are collected. The upstairs room includes a dining area, fully equipped kitchen and quiet homework area. Other rooms - The club has use of other rooms in school, including the studio, ICT suite, and hall for wet weather active play. Outside we have use of the extensive school grounds, from hard playground surfaces to the wooded areas for activities such as den building and other outside play. We have a very well stocked store of outside play equipment and children have the opportunity to play outside most days. (See the activities section on page 4 for more details of what children can do in club.) Our downstairs area Tel: Page 2 Revised Dec 2011

3 School club staff The Club is managed by the school Governors, with the Head teacher providing the main link between school and the Club. We have a team of three staff in club, which gives a maximum ratio of one member of staff to eight children. Our staff are: Denise Wilcock (Club Co-ordinator) Liz Stevenson-Fitton (Deputy Co-ordinator) Glenn Cunningham (Play worker) Times of opening: Club s Opening hours are 7.30am 9.00am & 3.15pm 6.00pm The school club is currently open on schooldays only. Charges: The club charges the following rates: 4.25 per morning session 7.60 per afternoon session Friday afternoons only up to 4.30pm (before tea) 3.50 There is a 10% discount for second and subsequent children. Invoices are issued in the first week of each half term, and are to be paid within 7 days of receipt. Monthly and weekly terms for payments are available on request. Please note that full fees are payable, even if your child does not attend for any reason. If a place is no longer needed, we require two weeks notice in writing. We are happy to accept childcare vouchers, which give a significant fee reduction to working parents please speak to your employer if you would like to find out more about these schemes. Our Daily Routine: Morning session 7:30am Club Opens - Choose from activities in the club room. 8:00-8:30am Breakfast, for those who require some. 8:45am Key Stage Two children join their classes 8:50am Key Stage One and Foundation Stage children join their classes. Afternoon session 3:15pm Key Stage One and Foundation Stage children are collected from their classes. 3:20pm Key stage Two children join the club. The Club Co-ordinator takes a register and there is a light snack of fruit and a drink available. 3.30pm The children choose their activities. (Both indoor and outdoor play based activities are available). Home-work space is available. 4.30pm Tea is served in the upstairs club room. 5:00pm Children return down stairs to continue with previous activities or put a video on and chill out. 6:00pm Club closes. Tel: Page 3 Revised Dec 2011

4 Meals: Breakfast - cereal and toast is provided between 8am and 8.30am, for those who would like it. Tea - All children sit down together for tea upstairs in the Club kitchen. Every meal has a vegetarian option, is served with salad and includes a fruit based desert. Examples include cheese pasta, soup and crusty bread, tortilla wraps. The food offered meets the current food standards for Childcare providers and we are currently working towards meeting the Food for Life criteria, to mirror the provision during the school day. Water is available to drink at all times in club and water and milk are available to drink with meals, in line with school food guidelines. Please note: It is not possible for children to bring their own food. Please inform the staff of any allergies or dietary needs your child may have, including any particular food dislikes, when you apply for a place Homework: By the end of Key Stage 2, children often receive significant amounts of homework. We provide a quiet area with access to computers after school for children to do this work. However we emphasise that we can only offer homework space and not tuition. Parents are reminded that part of the role of homework is to learn time management, self motivation and independent learning. We cannot compel a child to complete their homework whilst at the club. Arrival and Collection Procedures Where: Please come to the club room door, in the bottom playground and ring the bell for entry. When: Children can arrive and be collected at any time during a session and you are encouraged to come inside the club room to see what they have been doing. Adults collecting children must sign children out on the register and note the time of collection. Unfortunately, children cannot return to school cloakrooms and classrooms to pick up forgotten items. By Whom: On the application form, you will be asked to state who can collect your child. Your child will not be able to leave with anyone who is not named on this form, unless a member of staff has been informed of the arrangements. Please note: If it is unavoidable that no named person can collect, we ask that you give us prior warning, either at drop off in the morning or by ringing the club telephone as soon as possible. It is club policy that children are not allowed to leave alone or with other children, even if an adult is waiting in the car or at the top of the drive. All children must be collected from the club room so that they can be signed out. Late Collection: If a child has not been collected by 6pm, emergency contacts will be contacted and a late collection fee of 10 per 15 minutes will be charged. This is to cover the cost of club staff overtime and keeping the school open. After half an hour, if no contact has been made, Bradford Safeguarding Children s Board will be informed and the child handed into their care. If an emergency means that you will be late, please phone the club and let the staff know so that appropriate arrangements can be made. Tel: Page 4 Revised Dec 2011

5 What Do We Do at Club? Having been in the structured environment of school all day, the atmosphere in club is designed to be relaxed and play orientated. This enables the children to wind down and have free time, in the same way as their friends who went home at the end of school. This means that children are free to choose their own activities, or to join the structured activities. Each afternoon, a craft activity is laid out and, subject to the weather, the outdoor toy store is opened up or a hall based activity may be arranged. Children can choose from these, or any of the activities from the shelves and cupboards. Craft activities can be based around a theme for a week, or chosen from a selection of resources already available. We provide the children with the chance to suggest themes and ideas to be implemented into the planning. This allows opportunities for them to expand their own interests. The range of indoor activities includes TV, Xbox & Wii (used sparingly), computers, books, electronics, woodwork, constructional toys such as Lego and Mobilo, small world toys such as dolls houses and hair dressing, board games and jigsaws, role play, DVD s, music and dancing, plus much more! Recently, Club has been given an account with the school library and we have seen a significant increase in the reading of books since new books have been provided. Outside activity organisations are regularly invited into the club and in the last year sessions have included air play, woodwork, cooking on an open fire, den building and various art activities. We hope that this Information & Welcome Pack has been useful, and we look forward to seeing your child at Club soon. Tel: Page 5 Revised Dec 2011

6 Our Policies This section will give you brief information on key policies. A file with full copies of all the clubs policies and procedures can be found on the shelf in the cloakroom. Admissions If you would like to apply for a place, application forms are available through the club or the school office. At present, we can take up to 24 children per session. We have an open door policy and parents are welcome to visit us at any time. There is no minimum requirement for the number of sessions you can book each week. For example, you may only want Mondays, or every day, or you may want a different pattern of days each week. Obviously, the sooner you book your sessions, the more likelihood there is of getting them - it is possible to book for a term at a time. Children already using the club can pay for an additional session on a one off/occasional basis, if there is a space available. Occasional places must be paid for in advance. Should you fail to take up your requested sessions when offered, you will be placed on the waiting list again. If you do not take up our offer a second time, then your name will be removed from our waiting list. Places are offered according to the following criteria: Existing children wanting extra places or to change days Siblings of an existing child at the club New children in order of date of receipt of application form. All children will be taken into the Club on an initial trial period of 6 weeks. Where any child with special or additional needs requests admission, their application will be treated in the same order of priority as any other child. All children s needs will be assessed, prior to their admission, and where additional support is felt to be required a support plan will be devised. This must be completed and resourced, prior to the child s admission to the Club. Illness and Medication. Illness: Children who are ill should not attend the school club. If a child becomes ill during a club session, parents will be contacted and are expected to collect the child as soon as possible. Children with contagious infections should not attend club whilst infectious. In line with the school policy, we ask that children with infectious vomiting or diarrhoea should not attend the club for 48hrs after the last bout. Medication: The club can only give medication prescribed by a doctor, where a prescription label for that child is clearly legible on the medicine. Parents must sign a medication form, each day, to give permission for the club staff to administer the medication. Please note that the school medication form is not transferable to club and this separate form must be completed. Accident Procedures All three members of staff hold a relevant qualified first aid qualification, which ensures that there will always be a first aider present. Any accidents are logged and reported to parents. On a child s admission to the club, parents are asked to sign an Emergency Medical Treatment form. This gives consent for hospital and paramedic treatment, in the event of an emergency. If your child requires emergency medical attention and the parent/guardian cannot be contacted immediately, then your child will be taken directly to Hospital - unless you advise us to the contrary in writing. Tel: Page 6 Revised Dec 2011

7 Behaviour Management in Club: Haworth Out of School Club aims to create a happy and relaxed atmosphere, in which all children and young people attending the club can play, enjoy the activities on offer and express themselves without fear of intimidation, harassment, physical or verbal abuse. Our Club recognises the importance of positive and effective behaviour management strategies in promoting children's welfare, learning and enjoyment. We strive to promote positive behaviour that encourages equal respect for each individual, cooperation with each other and opportunities for play and adventure, within a safe and caring environment. The club operates a reward and sanction system for children, in line with the School Behaviour Policy. In any session, a child will receive three verbal reminders before they are given a written warning, Parents will be informed of any child getting four warnings and repeated / persistent poor behaviour or serious misconduct may lead to a child being excluded from the club. Please see the full policy for details. Safeguarding Children from Abuse: We are committed to responding promptly and appropriately to any incidents or concerns of abuse and to work with statutory agencies in accordance with the procedures that are set by Safeguarding Children Board and the Children s Acts 1989 and If a suspicion of abuse is recorded, Parents are normally the first point of contact, except where the guidance of the Safeguarding Children s Board does not allow this. All staff members are CRB checked and full details of our child protection procedures can be read in the school safeguarding policy. Equality and Diversity: Our setting is committed to valuing diversity by providing equal opportunities and anti discriminatory practice for all children and families. Complaints: We always encourage parents to discuss any concerns they have before they grow. Therefore, Any complaints or comments about the club can be directed to the Co-ordinator in the first instance. If the issue cannot be resolved, or it is deemed not appropriate to contact the Co-ordinator, complaints or comments can be made direct to the Head teacher - Mrs Helen Thompson. If complaints cannot be resolved in this way, then a formal complaint should be put in writing to the Club Co-ordinator or Head teacher as appropriate. Your complaint will be investigated and a response sent within 14 days. If there is any delay, you will be advised of the reasons. However any member of staff, parent or child can contact OFSTED directly at any time with their concerns A full complaints policy with details of how we handle formal complaints is available in the policy file. Tel: Page 7 Revised Dec 2011