Key information

Which entrance do I use for playgroup?

Use the entrance opposite the library in the Community Centre.

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Which entrance do I use for preschool?

Preschool sits within Overton Primary School. Use the first school gate as you walk up to school, the preschool entrance is at the top of the path.

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What should my child wear?

The children play outdoors at all times of year, except extreme weather conditions. We often get very messy and wet (outside water play), we recommend that you send your child in clothes that you don’t mind getting messy and are weather appropriate. No crocs or flip flops. 

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What do we need to bring?

1. A bag with a name tag and a change of clothes. 

2. A coat/fleece/wellies/sunhat/sun cream if appropriate (all items to be named please). 

3. A spare nappy and wipes if your child is wearing nappies.

4. You can bring some fruit/vegetables for our café.

5. ​A named lunch box/bag with named bottle of water if your child is staying for lunch.

 

Do I need to bring a snack?

You can bring some fruit or vegetables from home. We run a café type snack table which opens at 10am and finishes at 11.15am. The children can sit down for a snack at any time.  We encourage all children to come and have a drink. Snack can consist of fruit, raisins, rich tea biscuits as well as a drink of milk or water.

The children are encouraged to make their own selection and collect their  cup and plate. 

 

Do I need to bring lunch?

If your child is going to be finishing their day after 12pm then you will need to provide them with a packed lunch, including a drink. The children will sit down and eat their lunch together from 12pm-12.45pm, along with the staff. In line with Overton Primary School’s “Dump the Junk” campaign, we encourage parents to bring in healthy food. In addition, we ask parents/carers not to include products that contain nuts. Please think about safety when packing lunch, for example cut grapes in half as these can be a choking hazard.

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How do you handle allergies?

Please advise us as soon as possible, if your child has ANY allergies, no matter what they are.  In addition to making sure they don’t eat something they shouldn’t at snack time, we occasionally have parents bringing pets in to see us; we also make our own play dough, so if someone has a gluten allergy we can make the dough with special flour.

 

What are the session times?

View the Preschool setting page for Preschool session times and the Playgroup setting page for Playgroup session times.. Please make sure that you collect your child on time. 

 

What if someone needs to collect my child?

If a family member or friend is going to be picking up your child at the end of their session, please notify a member of staff when dropping your child off or alternatively please call either the playgroup or preschool to advise them of this change.

 

What communication can I expect to receive?

There is a newsletter sent out every half term, informing you of any future events eg. Spring Fair, Christmas Party; what the children have been getting up to; key dates (term start and end dates, photographer visit, etc) along with anything else that we feel you may want to know. Also each key worker will share your child’s learning journey with you, usually every half term.

 

Can I help out at playgroup?

Yes, there are lots of ways you can help.  

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1. You can join the Parent Management Committee. There are a number of roles within the committee, which anyone with a child at the playgroup or preschool can put themselves forward for; this is usually done at the AGM (Annual General Meeting) at the beginning of the school year (September/October) although you can join at any time during the academic year.
   They currently try to meet once a month to discuss playgroup issues, such as fundraising, Ofsted, arranging playgroup events and other related topics; it is a great way to meet other parents and truly feel a part of Overton Preschool Playgroup. As Overton Preschool Playgroup is a registered charity, the committee plays a vital role in its management, leaving Amanda and her team to concentrate on the care and education of your child.
   If you are interested in joining the Parent Management Committee, email us at overtonpreschoolplaygroupcommittee@gmail.com

2. Fundraising. As the playgroup is a charity, we are always looking at ways to generate money for the playgroup, via our sponsored events (treasure hunt, sponsored cycle/scooter) and other events. You can also help by signing up at easyfundraising.co.uk - this is a free service that allows charities such as Overton Preschool Playgroup, to raise money when you shop online with over 2,700 retailers, including  Amazon, John Lewis, Next, Argos and many more.

3. You can become a parent/helper for the day.  This means spending a whole session at playgroup, experiencing the outline of playgroup and helping out with activities or the snack table.  You are never left in charge of any child/children but purely there to support the staff in running a session.  We also ask that you sign a confidentiality form to state that you won’t discuss any child outside of the session.  ​

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