West Thornton Academy

West Thornton Children’s Club

PARENT HANDBOOK

WEST THORNTON CHILDREN’S CLUB IS BASED IN THE GYM AT WEST THORNTON PRIMARY ACADEMY. FEES* FEES Breakfast

Club

Single Day

Weekly

£3.50 per child

£17.50

7.30-8.45

FEES

Single Day

Weekly

First Hour Only

£14.00

£70.00

£6.00 (no tea)

£12.00

£60.00

£6.00 (no tea)

After School Club 3.15-6.00

Second

and subsequent sibling

3.15-4.30 - no tea

*These figures will be reviewed on an annual basis.

Please note that we operate a cashless system of payment. Parents should pay fees online using the Parent Pay website.

Arrears are not permitted and we ask that all fee payment accounts are up to date at all times. Failure to comply may result in your child losing his/her place.

A copy of your child’s fee payment summary will be sent out for your information on a monthly basis.

VOUCHER PAYMENTS We are able to accept many of the childcare vouchers as full or part payment for fees. For registration purposes our Ofsted number is 136769.

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The West Thornton Children’s Club has been set up with working parents in mind. It provides two clubs: Breakfast club and After School Club.

The Club is run by the senior management team at the West Thornton Primary Academy who meet weekly with the Children’s Club Manager and staff team.

OUR MISSION STATEMENT

“

Together we talk, we share, we are creative and we have fun

“

Our mission statement reflects our ethos, philosophy and aims of the Club. Our children grow and develop in a safe and caring environment where learning and fun go hand in hand.

OUR STAFF Supported by Teaching Assistants working in the school

Lynne Kerwood – Children’s Club Manager Lynne is your first point of contact for organising your child’s place, for caring for your child on a daily basis and for the day to day organisation of the children’s club. Lynne is responsible for the administration of the club, including managing the registers and waiting list, sending letters to parents/carers, organising training for our staff and ensuring that our policies and procedures are up-todate. She also keeps track of your deposits and monthly fees and will send you regular information about your child’s account with us.

Lea-Anne Ebanks – Assistant Business Manager Lea-Anne handles fee payments and queries regarding the Children’s Club, in Lynne’s absence. She also arranges login access to Parent Pay. PARENT HANDBOOK | 3

ADMISSIONS There are 30 places for both Breakfast and After School Club. 4 places are allocated daily at the discretion of the senior management team. Occasional emergency care or “ad hoc” places may be available if the Club is not full.

ACCEPTING YOUR PLACE To accept an offered place, please complete and return the detailed registration form.

THE WAITING LIST If the Club is full, a waiting list will be held by the Club Manager and managed in consultation with the senior management team. Although we work on a first come, first served basis, there are circumstances which may mean some families/ children are considered ahead of others – these may include medical conditions, exceptional family circumstances, etc.

OUR SIBLINGS POLICY We offer reduced fees for siblings and give priority places to siblings on the waiting list who already have older brothers and sisters attending the children’s club.

CHANGES TO YOUR BOOKING If you wish to make a change to the sessions booked for your child, please ask a member of the Children’s Club staff for a ‘Change of Booking’ form. This must be completed, signed and returned to the Children’s Club Manager before the change of booking can take place.

We will always contact you to let you know if the changes have been approved, and to discuss your new deposit and standing order amounts if appropriate.

LEAVING If you no longer wish to keep your child’s place at Breakfast or After School Club, you must give us at least two weeks’ notice, in writing. Please ensure you have a ‘zero balance’ on your account.

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BREAKFAST CLUB Breakfast Club opens at 7.30am when children arrive, with their parents, via the Rosecourt Road entrance. On arrival the parent/carer will sign their son/daughter in.

Toast, fresh fruit, milk, fruit juice and water are all freely available for the children, from 7:30am until 8:30am. (Late arrivals may have breakfast even after 8.30am, although this may be only cereal if all the toast has been eaten!) Breakfast club staff are encouraged to sit and eat with the children; this helps promote good table manners and highlights the importance of eating breakfast together before starting school.

Once the children have eaten their breakfast, there is a wide variety of activities to choose from (drawing and colouring, playing board games, cards, etc) until it is time for school.

At 8.45am, children in Years 4, 5 and 6 sign themselves out and go into their class. Remaining children tidy the toys away and sit together, play a game or share some news before they are taken to their classes at 9.00am.

Any messages or incident reports are passed onto teachers and TAs at the point of hand over.

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AFTER SCHOOL CLUB Children are brought to the After School Club by their teacher or classroom Teaching Assistant (TA) where they are greeted by our staff team and marked present in the register. Messages or reports for parents are handed over at this point All children are reminded to collect all of their belongings from the classroom before they arrive at the After School Club. Parents and children are not permitted back into the classrooms at the end of the school day.

Fruit, water and milk are available on arrival. Children are encouraged to help to prepare the tea time meal and to enjoy eating and sharing good times together. Teatime is around 4.45pm.

Table manners, cleanliness and hygiene are all very important. The children are actively involved with laying the tables, presenting the food, sharing with each other and clearing away after meal and snack times.

A number of activities are available, including art and craft activities, construction and games (such as

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Connect Four, Twister and Jenga).

We use the playground every afternoon, until tea time. Children may self-select toys and games from resources cupboards.

After School Club is a calm, social environment where playing and having fun go hand in hand. Children are actively encouraged to be kind to each other, to think of others and to think about how we keep each other safe.

Everything we do in After School Club is child-led and child friendly. There is an outline plan for activities, which is agreed by the children and staff each week, and then as the days go by the children and staff build on the planning for the week, together.

Please inform us if your child is attending another after-school club, from which they will join us. The other club’s staff will arrange for collection of the children at the end of the session and bring them back to the After School Club in time for tea.

LIST OF POLICIES Our policies can be found on the West Thornton Primary Academy website. If you would like hard copies of any of our policies, please ask at the School Office.

Available policies include:Equal Opportunities Accessibility and Inclusion Medicines, Allergies and Asthma Confidentiality Safeguarding Behaviour Management & Discipline

Play Anti Bullying Accident and Emergencies Complaints Procedure

SUGGESTION BOXES We have a suggestion box and post it notes available next to the signing in and out sheets every morning and every afternoon. Your ideas and comments are welcome.

Feel free to mention ideas and concerns that you may have. These will be discussed at our staff meetings and suggestions will be responded to as soon as possible.

STAFF TRAINING We pride ourselves on the quality of care our staff give to your children. We employ staff with good qualifications and experience, who regularly undergo updated training so that everyone’s skills can be improved upon.

Our staff teams have access to regular training on behaviour management and play work and are continually updating their First Aid and other skills.

Please be reassured that you will be given support from the staff teams and lots of feedback concerning your child’s progress.

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PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS It is essential that all parents, carers, staff and volunteers share the same aims, goals and values for the Club and help prepare your child/ren for the standard of behaviour that is expected. We need you to value our policies, our rules and our guidelines.

“Everything that the staff at West Thornton Children’s Club strive for is always about your children – they are at the centre of everything we do.”

Good, safe behaviour during the time your child is in our care is essential for the well-being and safety of everyone. We suggest that you read the Behaviour and Discipline Policy alongside your child, so that you are in a position to help enforce the boundaries we put in place.

Without your support in all areas of club life, the club will fail to thrive safely and successfully.

OUR GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE If you feel unhappy about something you have seen or heard about the Children’s Club, please come in and talk to us.

We can only help resolve problems or concerns that are brought to our attention.

Although we operate an open door policy, it may be necessary to make an appointment if the discussion is likely to take longer than a couple of minutes, especially if this is during club time and it takes a member of staff away from the children.

If, after you have spoken to a member of staff, you are not satisfied then please seek further advice from the Children’s Club Manager.

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ALL CHILDREN ARE SPECIAL Children with a disability are treated with respect and valued for the people they are.

Children will be looked at for what they can do and not for what they can’t do! All activities will be made available to all the children and modified as necessary.

Higher staff ratios will be considered should the need arise. Our planning and timetabling will enable us to use our resources in the most beneficial way for the whole group and for individual children.

Please be assured that all staff are aware of confidentiality and are sympathetic to the worries of parents – please do not be shy about informing us of your child’s individual needs. We want to make certain that each child is allowed to grow and flourish in a way that is best for them – you know your children better than anyone.

We want to be able to know them and to meet their needs so please help us by telling us everything we need to know. Thank you.

FOOD ALLERGIES AND THE USE OF EPI-PENS AND ANA-PENS The detailed registration forms will highlight to our staff any children with allergies.

All staff know which children in their care are issued with an epi-pen and appropriatelytrained staff are always in Club with the children.

Epi-pens are stored in the kitchen areas in both the breakfast club and the after school club and are labelled clearly. The Children’s Club Manager is responsible for checking that dates on epi-pens are current and that parents are informed to bring new ones into school for the use of After School Club, in addition to the one kept in school for use during the day.

ASTHMA If a child has asthma, parents are asked to complete a more detailed section on the registration form including information about possible triggers for an attack.

Children must have AN ADDITIONAL PUMP (and spacer, if required) for the Children’s Club, clearly named with dosage details recorded. Younger children will know to ask for their pump if they need it. Older children are allowed to carry their own pumps.

Staff record any medication a child takes and pass this information on to the parent/ carer who collects the child.

All children’s club staff are aware which children have asthma pumps and when children move from an activity to another area of the school the pumps will be taken with them.

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COLLECTIONS At the end of the day, please collect from the Rosecourt Road entrance, by 6pm at the latest. Please come inside the building to sign your child out and to make certain that a member of staff has handed your child over to you before you leave the premises.

No one under the age of sixteen will be permitted to collect your child without written consent from a parent/carer.

If you are going to be late, it is very important that you telephone the After School Club to let us know. You will be charged a late fee (£5 for first five minutes then a further £1 for each five minutes thereafter), even if you have called us to let us know that you are running late.

If you have asked someone else to collect your child on your behalf then you must inform that person of the collection procedures and closing times.

The safety of all the children is paramount at all times. We will not allow your child to go home with anyone who is not known to us.

Regular late collection of children will not be tolerated at West Thornton Children’s Club. If you are late twice within one term, you will receive a reminder letter from us. If you are late three times within one term, you may be asked to find alternative childcare.

FAILURE TO COLLECT YOUR CHILD ON TIME If necessary, the named emergency contact people will be called to collect your child. Please make certain that you pass our mobile numbers to your emergency contact people so that if they are delayed then they can contact us.

If, by 6.30pm, no parent/carer has arrived and the club staff have tried all other contact details then the Children’s Club Manager will contact the Croydon Social Services department.

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REGISTRATION FORM Child’s Surname: ……………….........……....…… Child’s First Name: …………...........……………..

DoB: ……...… Address: ……………………….…………………………………………………………….......………..

Start date: ………………………………… Please circle required days: Breakfast Club

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

After School Club

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

I am happy for photographs / videos to be taken of my child Yes No Does your child have any of the following: Asthma Yes No Allergies Yes No Other Yes No If yes, please give details …………………………………………………………

Regular medication Yes No If yes, please give details …………………………………

Doctor’s name: …………………………......… Doctor’s phone number: ……………………....………

Parent 1 Details: Full Name:………………………………………………………………………………

Relationship to Child:…………………………………………………………...

Telephone: Home…………………………… Work ………………………… Mobile…………………………

Email address:………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Address (if different to child): ………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Parent 2 Details: Full Name:………………………………………………………………………………

Relationship to Child:…………………………………………………………...

Telephone: Home…………………………… Work ………………………… Mobile…………………………

Email address:………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Address (if different to child): ………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Daytime Emergency Contact Numbers In case of emergency, please give details of at least two different people who can be contacted in the event that we cannot contact the parents. Please place in order of priority Name: ……………………………………..…......

Telephone No: ………………………............

Association with Child: ………..…......…..

Name: ……………………………………..…......

Telephone No: ………………………............

Association with Child: ………..…......…..

1

Name: ……………………………………..…......

Telephone No: ………………………............

Association with Child: ………..…......…..

3 Name: ……………………………………..…......

Telephone No: ………………………............

Association with Child: ………..…......…..

2

4

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West Thornton Children’s Club Rosecourt Road Croydon CR0 3BS School Office:- 02086843497 Email: outofhourscare@westhorntonacademy.org.uk Ofsted registration number: 136769