Lords Mead Pre School Playgroup

General information

We accept children aged from 2.5 to 5 years, with a maximum number of 18 children per session. We are a community playgroup, offering a wide range of pre-school education and activities designed to encourage children to learn at their own pace, without losing sight of valuable free-play associated with Playgroups. Lordsmead Pre-school Playgroup is Ofsted inspected, and follows a curriculum designed to ensure the children reach the standards set in the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum dictated by the Department of Education and Skills. Each child is assigned to a key worker, who will monitor progress and introduce various skills and education along with physical and creative activities. We work closely with the local Primary Schools, to which most of our children finally progress. In order to prepare children for the transition, we offer School Preparation Group sessions all day Thursday and on Friday mornings. The group supplements but does not replace the Main Room. Activities focus on building up confidence and independence needed to start school.

The playgroup is financed by a combination of charged sessional fees, government funding and voucher schemes. We have at least three members of staff on each session and we also encourage parent to help out if they wish. Lordsmead Pre-school Playgroup is a not for profit organisation. We are a registered charity and although staff members are paid, the group is run by a management committee of parents whose children attend the Pre-school. The committee is voluntary, allowing any fundraising to benefit the Pre-school directly.