Hook Norton Pre-School Playgroup

Welcome to Hook Norton Pre-School Playgroup. We have a wide catchment area attracting children from Great Rollright, Swerford, Wigginton, Milcombe and Bloxham as well as from Hook Norton itself. We are proud that our Playgroup received very good OFSTED (Office for Standards in Education) reports when it was inspected in November 1997, March 2000, May 2004, and January 2007. See the latest report here.
We are registered with both the Oxfordshire Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership and the Pre-School Learning Alliance.


Download our Parents information pack here

How to Find us

Access is via The Shearings off The Bourne or via Osney Close off Queen Street.

Aims

As a member of the Pre-School Learning Alliance we aim to:

• ease the transition of young children from home to school
• safeguard play as essential for the growth and development of children
• provide a safe, secure and stimulating environment
• provide individual care and attention made possible by a high ratio of adults to children
• provide fun and friendship with children and other adults
• strengthen positive ties between parent/carer and child through shared play
• promote the status of parents/carers
• recognise that parents/carers are the main educators of their children
• offer learning opportunities for parent/carers and others working with under five's
• enable parents/carers to develop skills and confidence through sharing full responsibility for their group and to play an active part in the community
• integrate families and children with special needs into the group and the community
• work within a framework which ensures equality of opportunity for all children and families

Pre-School Playgroup Activities

Children learn through play in a safe stimulating environment. At Playgroup children can experience play with water, sand, play-dough and different methods of painting, together with the use of jigsaws and learning puzzles, construction pieces, cars, small world, toy farm, group games, and a wide range of books.

We have a well-equipped play-house and children are encouraged to use our selection of dressing-up clothes.

For their more active times, we have outdoor equipment for when the weather permits, plus climbing frames and rocking toys.


The toys and equipment in Playgroup provide opportunities for children, with adult support, to develop new skills and concepts in the course of their play and exploration. The equipment we provide is appropriate for the ages and stages of the children, and offers challenges to developing physical, social, personal and intellectual skills. The range of equipment will enable children to develop individual potential and move towards required learning goals.

In addition we arrange social trips, a summer day out, sports day, Christmas party and other family events during the year. A regular Newsletter is produced to help keep parents/carers informed of current events, but it is advisable to keep an eye on the notice board, as that is the first place we notify parents/carers about what is happening.

Admissions Policy

The Hook Norton Pre-school Playgroup is open to every family in the community. We believe that no child or family should be excluded from Playgroup activities on the grounds of sex, disability, race, religion or cultural belief. As long as there is no waiting list your child is welcome to attend Playgroup sessions. If a waiting list is in operation, places will be allocated in the following priority:

1. Age of child. Preference will be given to children over 2 years
2. Children within catchment area of Hook Norton Primary School
3. Children with siblings at Playgroup

We try to be flexible about attendance patterns so as to accommodate the needs of individual children and families. We are registered to supervise up to 26 children per session. If we have more than this number on our books we may have to limit the number of Playgroup sessions each child may attend. We also reserve the right to exclude a child if we consider Playgroup is not suitable, at that time, for him or her.
Whilst the number of sessions taken is at the parents/carers discretion, we recommend a minimum of two sessions per week to enable a child to settle in quickly and to benefit from the routine that Playgroup offers.

Fees

Fees are payable during the first two weeks of the term as a lump sum for the half term in advance, or by prior arrangement on a weekly basis.
Lunch club, walks to and from Hook Norton Primary School and ad hoc sessions are invoiced in arrears. There is also an initial registration fee of £5.00 payable with the first term’s fees. Fees are reviewed on a regular basis. Playgroup regrets that fees cannot be refunded if your child is absent, except in exceptional circumstances such as hospitalisation.

	Days	Times	Costs
Morning Playgroup	Monday- Friday	9am - 12 noon	£7.00
Pickup from Nursery	Monday- Friday	11.30 am	£1.30
Lunch Club	Monday- Friday	12 noon - 12.30 pm	£1.30
Take to Nursery	Monday- Friday	12.30 pm	£1.30
Afternoon Playgroup	Monday- Friday	12.30 pm - 3.30 pm	£6.00
Pick Up from School	Monday- Friday	3.15 pm	£1.00
After School Club	Monday- Friday	3 pm - 6 pm	£2.50 per hour

(Fees subject to change - correct as of October 2007)

© 2006-7 Hook Norton Pre-School Playgroup