Our Pre-School opened in September 2013 and has two large rooms with connecting doors allowing free flow access throughout the whole Pre-School, which is led by Katie Dursley the Pre-School manager. Katie has a Cache Level 5 Diploma in leadership for health & social care with a management pathway and has been with Tiddlers since 2004. Katie works closely with Kirsty Newman the Pre-School room leader. Kirsty has a Cache Level 3 Diploma in childcare & education and has been with Tiddlers since 2005.

As the children approach the term of their third birthday, in discussion with parents/carers and staff, children will start a transition period from the Toddler Room into our Pre-School room. (Nursery Education Funding, NEF, is available for children from the term after their third birthday for all families.) In the Pre-School room there is a wider focus on specific areas of learning – Literacy, Math’s, Understanding of the World and Expressive Arts and Design as well as continuing development in the prime areas.

The Pre-School children follow activities from the Letters and Sounds curriculum which is continued in reception class when they start school. A lot of work and care goes into ensuring that the children are prepared for the next step of starting school. We have excellent links with the local first schools, especially ‘Saltford School’ and lots of transition activities take place throughout the pre-school year and we aim to work closely with you as parents during this important time.

At this age children deepen their understanding by playing, talking, observing, planning, questioning, experimenting, testing, repeating, reflecting and responding to adults and to each other. In our Pre-School rooms we cater for up to 30 children within each room, aged between 3 and 5. We offer flexible sessions to fit most needs of families including term time only and early bird sessions.

The Pre-School rooms are divided into specific areas of learning and play, and many of the activities are geared towards the children’s ongoing needs once they go onto school.

Children are given free access into the garden which provides them with an outdoor extension to their indoor activities. We are lucky to have an extensive park next door, where we can gain access to large play equipment for climbing, balancing, and running off steam, this will happen once permission has been gained and our usual risk assessments and ratios adhered too.

At this age there is a degree of free flow to the day’s structure, where children are encouraged to select the activities in which they want to participate, overseen by key members of staff? Fundamental to your child’s enjoyment of Pre-School is your encouragement and reinforcement of the care, play and learning that we provide here at Tiddlers.

All Tiddlers and Chuckles staff are committed to continuing their profession development with child care qualifications and renewing first aid, child protection and food hygiene.