Welcome to Ducklings Class

We are a preschool based in and managed by Bitterne Manor Primary School as a part of their Foundation Stage. Our Ducklings class are an important part of our school and benefit from the wider opportunities available to all our students at Bitterne Manor. We believe making the best possible start to learning in the early years is vital for our children as they progress into school and beyond.

In Ducklings class we believe that ALL children deserve the best start to their  education and it’s our aim to help them learn to be the best they can. We want to encourage children to experience new and different things every day .

At the centre of our approach is enabling children to learn through play. Play is the foundation for learning and creative problem solving.  Through play children learn at their highest level and are actively involved in their own learning. We encourage the children to be able to create, co-operate, concentrate and keep trying in all that we do.  Through play we enable children to deal with situations and people without discriminating which helps them to develop vital life skills that can be developed as they grow and develop.

What do our parents say?

Feedback 2023

"Thank you very much for such a wonderful and detailed report. Thank you for everything."

"I am proud of X. He has improved his talking and I am very happy. He has become independent ever since he went to school with you."

Please visit the following link to find out more about our topics that we teach!

Session Times:

From September 2024, session times will be as follows:

Morning only session:     8.30am - 11.30am  (3 hours)

Afternoon only session:     12.00pm - 3.00pm  (3 hours)

Full day session: 8.30am - 3.00pm (6.5 hours)

Any hours over your 15 funded hours (or 30 hours with an eligible code) will be charged at £5.50 per hour and paid on a half termly basis.

All children are entitled to 15 hours of free funded childcare from the term after their 2nd birthday; however, parents can choose to pay for more hours if they wish. Children whose session requests take them over the 15 funded hours (or 39 hours if eligible) are charged the hourly rate of £5.50.

NB we only accept children from their 3rd birthday.

We accept 30 hours funding codes for those eligible.

Our Environment:

We have a purpose designed room within Bitterne Manor Primary School which  provides easy access to our secure outdoor area. We have a small kitchen area and toilets which include a changing area for children in nappies.

We enjoy use of the school hall, library, learning lab and outdoor play areas which gives children the opportunity to experience the school environment and allows us to offer a wide variety of physical activity.

Our staff work together across the Foundation Stage Unit and are involved in all aspects of school life.

Safeguarding and Child Protection:

The pre-school operates and adheres to a strict safeguarding policy, which parents can access at any time through the website or by requesting a copy from pre-school staff. All staff carry out enhanced DBS checks and carry out regular training and updates. A standard ratio of 1 adult to 8 children is required; however, we endeavour to work to a ratio of 1:6.

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS):

“Every child deserves the best possible start in life and the support that enables them to fulfil their potential. Children develop quickly in the early years and a child’s experiences between birth and age five have a major impact on their future life chances. A secure, safe and happy childhood is important in its own right. Good parenting and high quality early learning together provide the foundation children need to make the most of their abilities and talents as they grow up.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sets the standards that all early years providers must meet to ensure that children learn and develop well and are kept healthy and safe. It promotes teaching and learning to ensure children’s ‘school readiness’ and gives children the broad range of knowledge and skills that provide the right foundation for good future progress through school and life.”

A copy of the “Parents’ Guide to the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework” is included in your information pack.

Working in Partnership with Parents:

Parents are regarded as members of our setting, who have full participatory rights. These include; the right to be valued and respected, kept informed, consulted, involved and included at all levels. We encourage parents to be involved in their child’s learning. You will be introduced to your child’s key person when your child starts with us  and be offered a meeting each term to discuss your child’s progress.

Tapestry:

As a part of the induction of your child into the pre-school you will be introduced to Tapestry. Tapestry is an online learning journal where we record your child's experiences, development and learning journey. Using photos and videos we will upload key moments weekly for you to view at home. You can also upload any pictures from home to share with us in order for us to gain a fuller picture of your child's development. We strongly believe that communication between staff and parents is vital to ensure that children reach their full potential. We use Tapestry to send key information regarding our learning, key dates, events etc.

We are a preschool based in and managed by Bitterne Manor Primary School as a part of their Foundation Stage. Our Ducklings class are an important part of our school and benefit from the wider opportunities available to all our students at Bitterne Manor. We believe making the best possible start to learning in the early years is vital for our children as they progress into school and beyond.

Our excellent team is looking forward to meeting you and your child. The Duckling’s class teacher is Samantha Davis and she is supported by our Early Years Senior Practitioner, Emma Canaway and our Early Years Practitioners Claire Finn and Rachael Williams.

Our school vision is “learning to be the best we can.” We encourage children to do their best by using their head, heart and hands as these are important characteristics of effective learning.

How to Register:

We can accept children between 3 and 5 years of age, subject to  availability.

We operate waiting lists according to age. Priority may be given to children who live in the Bitterne Manor catchment area, then to children who live outside this area. All information is held in line with data protection requirements.

Call in and collect an application pack, download using the link below or we can email one on request: preschool@bitternemanor.net

Who To Speak To:

Head Teacher: Mr Mike Adams

Class Teacher: Mrs Samantha Davis

Senior Practitioner: Miss Emma Canaway

Admin: Mrs Lia Chance

Data Protection:

We have procedures in place for the recording and sharing of information about you and your child that is compliant with the principles of the General Data Protection Regulations 2018. When you register your child with us, we will provide you with a privacy notice that gives you further details of how we fulfil our obligations with regard to your data.