We are a term time only, part time pre-school. We take children in September or January once approx. 2 years 9 months and we are able to accept and share a 30 hour childcare code.
Location
We are located in the heart of the village of Hook, Hampshire in the church hall of St John’s Church. We are a very short walk from both the Hook Infant and Hook Junior schools and have parking facilities.
Admissions
Children are eligible to join in the September or January term, once aged approximately 2 years 9 months. We maintain a waiting list for each academic year and arrange our waiting list in such a way that takes account of the length of time on the list and a childs date of birth. If there is space on the waitlist (for the relevant year), new parents are very welcome to a new parent visit, held weekdays 9:30-10am. Parents are then required to complete a registration form and pay a deposit to secure their place.
Fees
Children are funded by Hampshire education from the full term after their 3rd birthday. This funding covers up to 15 hours of education per week for a maximum of 570 hours per eligible birthday year. Fees for children who are not funded are charged at an hourly rate of £6.95 (for the year 2023-24).
Opening hours
We are open on Monday to Friday 8.45am to 4.00pm, during term time only. We offer a choice of start and finish times to give flexibility for parents/carers and children can attend for whole or part of a day. If your child attends all day, we ask you to supply a packed lunch.
Staff ratios
Our adult to child ratio average at approx 1:6 which exceeds the legal requirement. This allows us to ensure a high degree of individual attention. We aim to have a limit of 20 children at any one time.
Parent 1-2-1 Meetings
At various points during the year we invite parents into the setting to speak with their child’s key worker to discuss progress, next steps and anything else important for each child. We strongly believe that the relationship we have with parents and carers plays an essential part in a child’s development.
Parents Advisory Panel
We have a volunteer support group of 3 parents/carers who meet once a term with staff to review practices within the setting and discuss suggestions proposed by parents. If you would be interested in being part of the group, please get in touch.
Parents – Information evenings
Each year we hold a “Parent’s Information” and a “School Ready” meeting. Both these important meetings aims to share important information detailing setting practices, plus lots of top tips for life at pre-school and those vital steps to help children get school ready. The meetings are also a great chance for parents/carers to catch up and socialise.
Our Term dates
Below are the planned term dates for the academic year 2023-24. Please note these may be subject to change due to staff training, inset days etc. We aim to match the Hook Infants and Hook Junior Schools term dates as closely as possible. Please keep an eye on the pre-school notice board and Facebook page for all up to date information.
Autumn term
Monday 4th September – INSET DAY
5th September to 13th December 2023
Half Term – 23rd October to 27th October 2023
Spring term
2nd January to 28th March 2024
Half Term – 12th to 16th February 2024
Summer term
15th April to 19th July 2024
Half Term – 27th May to 31st May 2024