Primarily Begbroke Playgroup is managed by a parent led committee and relies on parents to operate. We welcome parent helpers to come into playgroup to get involved in our work and see what the children do in the day.
We operate several fund-raisers throughout the year and invite friends and families to join us in these child orientated events.
Begbroke Playgroup is centred around play and is not a pre-school. We know that children learn naturally through play; we support children to develop skills at their own pace within the framework of the Early Years Foundation Stage.
Learning through play
We offer a smaller environment than many settings, but we feel this is an advantage, especially for children for whom this is their first time away from home. We have three fully qualified staff with over fifty years experience to enable us to provide the highest level of care. Our staff work every day to provide consistency and to allow the building of secure relationships between staff and children.
We focus on providing an enabling environment for children to learn how to socialise with each other. We believe socialisation and playing together are the most important skills for children to learn. This approach provides a solid foundation to carry children through their school life and beyond. With the ability to negotiate, compromise and empathise with others, children will flourish throughout their lives.
We help develop self-confidence and independence in children, encouraging them to self register in the morning, wash their hands when necessary and choose what they want to do within the basic structure of the day.
Key Person
Each child is assigned a key person, so you will have a familiar person to hand over your child to, especially in the early days. All our staff are fully briefed on each child and a Buddy key person will be appointed if the regular key person is unavailable. We monitor the progress of each child is through observation of their play in different contexts. We use these observations to plan the “next steps” in children’s learning and development in ways that best fit their interests and learning style. You are welcome to speak to your child’s key person or the Manager at any time should you wish to discuss any particular points. Appointments can always be made for more in-depth or confidential discussions.
Healthy living
Begbroke playgroup is committed to encouraging enthusiasm for healthy living. We supply a healthy snack every morning consisting of a selection of fruits, followed by two or three savoury items such as crackers or piece of toast. We provide milk or water to drink. Children pass around plates and cups themselves and pour their own drinks. At lunchtime children wash their hands and sit at a small table of 3 or 4 with a member of staff. Children eat their sandwich/ carbohydrate item first and are then allowed to choose from the rest of their lunch. Once each child has finished eating, they wait five minutes to let their lunch go down. They are encouraged to read the time on the clock themselves to get down from the table.