OUR PHILOSOPHY
A safe and happy introduction to learning…
At Battisford Playgroup your child’s welfare and happiness is our first consideration. In addition, we offer an environment that provides the mental and physical stimulation without which children cannot develop to their full potential.
We believe a safe and happy introduction to learning while at playgroup helps children to integrate easily and comfortably into their next stage of education.

ORGANISATION
Individual attention – shared success…
We are proud of the high ratio of adults to children in our group – ensuring individual attention to the development of each child. To achieve this we employ a team of staff and also actively encourage the involvement of parents/carers in the daily activity of the group by inviting them to help at the sessions. Our rota system gives all parents the opportunity to help the group on a regular basis.
Research has shown that everyone benefits from working in partnership with each other:
The child realises that you are interested in the group, sees you are valued by the group, gains security, feels special/proud on the day you help, learns to share you with other children and your shared experiences become talking points.
The parent/carer sees their child amongst other children, feels they are contributing to the group, are reassured about what happens in the session, feels valued as the primary educator of their child, has a chance to meet and make new friends and doesn’t miss magic moments such as their child mastering scissors and writing their name.
The group gains an extra pair of hands, gets to know you better, benefits from your experiences and ideas, can provide more activities and individual attention to each child, has the opportunity to promote the group aims and recruit possible further involvement through fundraising activities and/or the management committee.
The playgroup leader is professionally qualified to plan for, provide and supervise the needs of children. The assistant(s) are also qualified or working towards qualification and can cover the session in the event of the leader’s absence. The team of staff is responsible for the daily routine/activity of the group as well as working with parents and the committee to ensure the smooth running of the group.

THE SESSION
While each session is unique, they tend to follow a similar pattern, offering both periods of group and individual play activities linked to current themes. Detailed plans for each week will be published on the notice board. Regular newsletters will keep you informed of any special events, meetings or days of closure – such as polling days.

9:30 am - Children arrive and are booked in and settled at an activity of their choice by their parent/carer.
9:45 am - 10:00 am - Registration. Children are brought together as a group for “Good Mornings” – an interactive registration time and an opportunity to share experiences/achievements or items brought in from home appropriate to the curriculum theme or topic.
10:00 am - 12:00 pm - Freeplay. Children are free to choose to play with and move between the range of activities available with adult support and encouragement as necessary. These will include both child-led and adult supervised activities and cover the whole range of the curriculum. Weather permitting this will incorporate both indoor and outdoor areas.
10:30 am - Snack Bar Opens. Children are free to access this area for a drink and snack when a natural break occurs in their activities. Many quickly incorporate this into their routine and will actively seek out their particular friends to partake in a social break.
12:00 pm - Tidy Up Time. Children are encouraged to assist adults with tidying up activities, such as putting toys back in boxes, folding dressing-up clothes and sweeping sand.
12:10 pm- Group Time. Children are brought together as a whole group for a story followed by activity such as action songs, rhymes, music and circle games.
12:30 pm - Home Time. Parents/carers are asked in to collect their child.

NB: An optional lunch club also operates on Mondays, Tuesdays & Thursdays – offering children a supervised social setting in which to eat their own packed lunches. Collection for children staying for lunch club is at 1.30 pm. Please note that there is an additional fee for lunch club.