Prospectus

• Tina Bourne -  Chair of Directors
• Pauline Nairac – Oversees Health and Safety
• Richard Bourne – Secretary of the Board and Oversees Finance
• Semra Sahinoglu – Oversees Safeguarding

• Chelsey Baker  - Manager
• Emma Hayes - Deputy Manager and Health and Safety Office

To fulfil our status as a limited company with charitable status we need volunteer trustees to oversee the essential tasks that are done outside of the sessions.

The trustees of the group are Chelsey Baker and Tina Bourne.

We are always looking for additional trustees so please feel free to enquire via phone or email.

Our Approach to Teaching and Learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS,2025)

What is the EYFS?

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is the framework that sets the standards for the learning, development, and care of children from birth to age 5. At St Johns Green Playgroup, we are committed to providing a warm, safe, and stimulating environment where every child can thrive.

Our EYFS Approach: Intent, Implementation & Impact

Intent – What are we aiming for?

· Develop confident, independent, and happy children.

· Provide a foundation for lifelong learning through meaningful play and rich experiences.

· Foster communication, curiosity, and creativity.

· Support children’s personal, social, emotional, and physical development.

We value every child as unique and aim to help them reach their full potential through a balanced curriculum tailored to their interests and developmental stage.

Implementation – How do we do it?

We deliver the EYFS through a combination of:

· Child-led play and adult-guided activities

· Daily routines that build independence and self-care

· Focused activities that develop communication, turn-taking, and critical thinking

· Use of observations and ongoing assessments to plan next steps

· A rich indoor and outdoor learning environment that encourages exploration and risk-taking

· We work in partnership with parents and carers to ensure consistent support for every child’s development.

Impact – What difference does it make?

Our children:

· Build strong communication and language skills

· Develop confidence, empathy, and resilience

· Gain early literacy and maths skills through play

· Learn to manage their feelings and form positive relationships

· Are well-prepared for the next stage of their learning journey

· Regular progress tracking ensures that each child’s achievements are celebrated and any support needs are identified early.

The 3 Prime Areas of Learning- These areas form the core of the EYFS and are crucial for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning:

1. Communication and Language- We develop speaking and listening through:

· Storytime and singing

· Open-ended questions and conversations

· Vocabulary-rich environments

· Role-play and group discussions

2. Physical Development- We support physical growth and coordination through:

· Outdoor play and climbing equipment

· Fine motor activities like threading, drawing, and cutting

· Movement games and dance

· Encouraging healthy habits (e.g., handwashing, dressing)

3. Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED)- We build emotional intelligence and social skills through:

· Group play and turn-taking games

· Circle time and feelings discussions

· Encouraging independence and responsibility

· Building secure attachments with key adults

Your partnership with us: You are your child’s first and most important teacher. 

We:

· Share regular updates and observations through Nursery story app system.

· Offer stay-and-play sessions, parent workshops/courses, and information events

· Welcome your insights to help shape your child’s learning journey

At St Johns Green Playgroup, we don’t just prepare children for school—we prepare them for life. By developing the whole child through purposeful play and supportive relationships, we lay the foundation for happy, lifelong learners.

Want to Learn More?

We’re always happy to talk with you about your child’s development.. Please speak to the manager Chelsey/or your child’s Key Person 

When your child joins us, one of our friendly staff will be assigned as your child’s keyperson. A keyperson is somebody who fosters a secure, settled relationship with your child, tailors care to their individual needs, and partners with you to support your child's development.  

Why the Key Person is Important?

A positive relationship with a Key Person provides a stable foundation, supporting your  child's emotional well-being.

You will feel more confident leaving their child when there is a familiar, reliable adult you can trust. 

Your child’s key person will develop a strong, secure bond to help your child feel confident to explore and learn, laying a solid foundation for their future. 

How it Works in Practice?

Parents are informed of the Key Person's name and role when the child starts attending the setting. A back up keyperson will also be available so that every day your children will be working towards their targets and feel fully supported. 

The Key Person engages with parents to understand the family background and to involve them in guiding their child's development at home. 

The Key Person gets to know the child's personality, likes, dislikes, and routines to provide personalised support.

A key person is loving, nurturing kind and empathetic to your children’s individual needs and always plans to offer progression every single day. 

At St. John’s Green Playgroup  we plan rich child-led experiences both indoors and outdoors. This involves intentional set up of activities that allow for communication and interaction and independence. With support from our positive and encouraging team your children will get involved in deep-level learning.

We provide you with a very informative newsletter via email or hard copy each week which reflects on the teaching and learning we did and the impact it had on your children. We add a breakdown of the plan for the following week plus any additional information you need to know.

Rich, deep-level learning, involves getting messy, painting, modelling with clay, mud, water, sand play and other sensory activities will be available daily. Please provide your child with clothes you don’t mind getting dirty! 

As part of our provision, we provide healthy snacks for your child.   At the registration, when you meet with your child's keyperson, we will ask you about any allergies or dietary requirements your child has so we can ensure your child stays safe and feels included within our snack time session.

We are proud of our snack-time ethos. It is a time for social interaction, conversation, practising manners, learning how to use cutlery, learning how to independently pour drinks and prepare food. We embrace all cultures and religions, and we like to learn about different foods, languages and ingredients from around the world. 

Inclusion at St Johns Green Playgroup Inclusion is valuing and celebrating diversity, adapting our environment and teaching methods to meet every child's unique needs. We foster strong family partnerships and creating a welcoming atmosphere where all children and their families feel respected, supported, and have equal opportunities to learn and belong.

What does this look like in practice:

We create an inclusive environment by using clear signs, wider pathways, and handrails for children with physical needs. A "calm corner" can provide a quiet space for children who need a break from sensory overload. 

We provide a wide range of books, toys, and role-play materials that reflect diverse cultures, family structures, abilities, and genders. 

We understand that equality is providing the same, while equity is providing different supports to achieve the same outcome for every child. 

We identify what each unique child can do, adapting teaching strategies and the environment to meet their specific strengths and needs. 

We establish strong, collaborative relationships with families, recognising them as the child's first and most important educators. 

We foster a multi agency approach communicating with other professionals and specialists to ensure all children's needs are met.

We actively celebrate differences by sharing children's lived experiences and ensuring practices are sensitive to their varied circumstances. We have a families board that the children refer to daily with pictures from their home experiences and people who are special to them. This gives the children a sense of belonging. 

We listen to children's voices, which are expressed in various ways, including non-verbally, to understand their needs and interests. We use a range of supporting strategies to children’s understanding such as Makaton, picture cards and objects of reference. 

If your child has any additional needs we will work together with you and any external agencies, such as Speech and Language Therapists (SALT) to set rich foundations to support your child's development and growth.

We recognise that children can speak and understand more than one language. If your child has English as an additional language we will work with you to ensure your child’s home language is recognised and respected, along with extending their communication and  understanding of English. We invest in ongoing professional development for practitioners to continually learn about and improve inclusive practices. Our Playgroup manager Chelsey and our setting’s Special Educational Needs Coordinator Amber work very closely with you and the team to ensure your children’s needs are met. 

 For more information, please see our Local Offer in the policy section