Little Acorns Pre-School Handbook

Our main priority is to settle your child into life at Pre-School as quickly as possible. Your child’s class teacher is your first point of contact, and they will help your child settle quickly into their new routine. In Nursery, your child’s class teacher is also their ‘key worker’.

Pastoral care is embedded in the aims, values and ethos of the school. We teach children to be supportive of each other, to work together, and to respect each other and themselves.

We value our strong relationship with parents and ensure that we work together to support children both academically and pastorally. The Head of Pre-Prep, Mrs Janey McDowell, is always available for a chat, either informally or at a planned meeting.

Children should be taken directly to the Pre-School in the morning, where they will be welcomed by a member of staff. Pre-School gates are opened at 08:15 and the children can be dropped off at any time between then and 08:30.

Short Stay (15:15 – 16:15)

Children who are not collected by 15:15 remain in the Pre-School and can be collected at any time up until 16:15.

Short Stay bookings should be made via your child’s class teacher on the day.

Long Stay (15:15 – 17:50)

Long Stay is based in Nursery, the building next door to Pre-School, where the children can choose from a range of play activities. They are given a light tea consisting of sandwiches, fruit, and a biscuit, but will still need an evening meal once they get home. The children should be collected by 17:50. Any child not collected by this time will be taken across to the school office to await collection. Bookings for Long Stay should be made by the end of Friday the week before, if possible, via your SOCS. The cost per day is £11.

If your child is being collected by someone other than you, we must be notified via phone or email. We kindly ask that you share a simple collection password with the adult collecting. This helps us keep everyone safe and ensures a smooth, reassuring handover for your child. 

The House System in Pre-Prep is used for team events and for rewards in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. Children remain in their Pre-Prep house until the end of Year 2. There are four Pre-Prep houses: Maple, Ash, Willow and Beech. Our inter-house competitions, such as Cross Country and Sports Day, provide the opportunity for you to come and cheer on your child as they take part in these exciting events.

All food is freshly made on site at the school. Food includes a hot nutritional lunch, with vegetarian and Halal options.

Breakfast Club runs between 07:30 and 08:15 and is based in the Pre-School. Children are looked after by the Little Acorns Staff. Bookings can be made for the term, or ad-hoc as required. If you would like your child to attend Breakfast Club, please book on SOCS or email your child’s class teacher to book a place at least 24 hours in advance. Breakfast is charged at £5.15 per day and will be added to fee invoices at the end of the term. Breakfast Club will commence on the first day of term.

Snack

During the morning and afternoon, children are given a drink of milk or water and a portion of fresh fruit. An additional item, such as a rice cake or breadstick, is also offered in the morning. Water is available throughout the day, but children should also bring their own, named, filled, water bottle to school.

Lunch

Children are encouraged to eat the hot lunch provided which consists of a main meal, pudding or fruit. They are sensitively encouraged to try new foods. All children are encouraged to use a knife and fork, although help is given with cutting food. Children have water to drink. Lunch is included in the school fees, and we can accommodate most dietary requirements including a daily halal option.

Tapestry is an online learning platform that allows us to share photographs and videos of some of what your child has been doing at school. Tapestry will also be used to record meals, intimate care and sleep entries. It also allows you to make comments and add your own photos to show what your child has been doing at home to support their learning. The children all have their own Tapestry profile, and your child will be given their secure login on their first settling in session. Once you have your child’s log in details, you will be able to access their account. You will need to:

• Download the Tapestry app (Available for iOS and Android) or visit the Tapestry website. Enter your username and password provided by the Nursery
• Once logged in, you’ll be able to view photos, videos, observations of your child’s learning, as well as add your own comments and upload pictures from home to share with the Nursery team.

If you have any questions, or cannot access your child’s account, please contact your child’s class teacher or Hannah Saunders, Head of Early Years for assistance.

Children in Pre-School follow the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum. The curriculum is planned to ensure progression and continuity in the development of skills in all areas through play and teacher-led activities. A strong emphasis is placed on social skills and good manners. Independence is fostered and children are encouraged to see themselves as part of the school community. You will receive further information about the curriculum at the Parent Information meeting in September.

Forest School

Forest School activities complement and extend the academic curriculum, helping to further develop independence and enrich language, mathematical and communication skills. They provide wonderful opportunities for children to learn practical skills and to use their own initiative to solve problems, to co-operate with others and to manage risks under close supervision. Forest School sessions, with our specialist teachers, take place on a Wednesday all year, regardless of the weather.

Music

The Pre-School children receive two music lessons each week, taught by a specialist music teacher. They will perform a Christmas play in the Autumn Term and a concert in the Summer Term.

Swimming

Children throughout Pre-Prep benefit from weekly swimming lessons with specialist teachers in our state-of-the-art pool. The children should come to school dressed in their PE kit on their swimming day (Thursday).

PE

Children have a weekly session with the specialist PE staff. The focus is on movement development, co-ordination, and fundamental skills. Children should come to school dressed in their PE kit on their PE day.

Dance

All children also have a weekly dance session as part of their timetable.

French

From the Spring Term in Pre-School, children have a weekly lesson of French tuition with a specialist language teacher. The lessons are active and joyful, with an initial focus on learning everyday vocabulary through singing, stories, games and role play.

Black Crosfields book bag

This should be brought to Pre-School every day and should include your child’s reading wallet, once it has been issued later in the year.

Water bottles

Children should bring a named, filled water bottle to school each day. The bottles are sent home at the end of each day.

PE bags (Crosfields rucksack)

PE bags should remain in school. Please ensure you have put a spare set of clothes (black joggers and white top non-branded) and spare socks and pants in the front pocket of your child’s PE bag. Children often wear their tracksuit bottoms and trainers at playtime, so it is important that they are in school every day.

Swimming bags

Swimming kit can be placed in a child-friendly backpack. Swimming bags should only be brought in on Thursdays and taken home to be washed that afternoon. The children will not swim during their first full week.

Art Apron

This will remain in school and will be returned at the end of the year.

Forest School clothes

These should remain in school. If they get particularly wet or dirty, following an outdoor session, we will send them home. Please return them to school as soon as possible.

Toys and special possessions

Children in Little Acorns are discouraged from bringing in toys, particularly large ones. However, we recognise that some children may benefit from the security provided by a special toy or ‘comforter’ during their early days in Pre-School. Please talk to the staff if you have any questions or concerns about this.

We are often asked by parents how they can help their child prepare for starting Pre-School. Here are some things you can work on at home to help them develop the skills they need.

Independence

• I am happy to be away from my mummy, daddy or main carer

Social Skills

• I can share toys and take turns
• I can interact with other children
• I know when to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’

Self-care

• I can go to the loo on my own, wipe myself properly and flush the loo
• I can wash and dry my hands without help
• I can blow and wipe my nose
• I can ask for help if I don’t feel well

Speaking and Listening

• I can talk about myself
• I can sit still and listen for a short while
• I can follow a simple instruction
• I understand the need to follow simple rules

Literacy

• I am interested in listening to stories and looking at picture books
• I enjoy singing nursery rhymes

Writing Skills

• I like exploring with mark making materials

Counting

• I am interested in numbers and shapes

Interest in the World

• I enjoy learning about the world around me
• I am interested in new activities
• I enjoy playing and exploring outdoors

Eating

• I can use a knife and fork to feed myself
• I can drink from an open cup
• I eat a range of foods including lots of fruit and vegetables
• I like to try new foods

Dressing

• I try to put on my own clothes
• I can put on my own shoes
• I can put on my coat
• I can dry myself with a towel

Routines

• I have practised putting on my uniform and getting ready to leave on time
• I have a good bedtime routine that includes a bedtime story
• I’m learning to eat at the times I will at school

At the start of the academic year in September, girls may wear either the summer or winter uniform, depending on the weather. From the October half term onwards, all girls are required to wear the winter uniform, consisting of the pinafore dress with black tights or long black socks.

In the summer term, girls must wear the summer dress with short, ankle-length white socks. Some girls choose to wear cycling shorts under their dresses. These must be white.

Boys usually wear shorts throughout the year with long grey socks but from October half term until the end of the Easter term, boys may wear long charcoal trousers if the weather is particularly cold. Before October half term, and during the summer term, boys are expected to wear charcoal shorts with the long, grey, Crosfields socks.

For safety and practicality, children should wear shoes that fasten securely with laces, buckles, straps or Velcro. Slip‑on shoes are not suitable, and shoes should be polishable.

Hair and appearance:
Hair should be neat, tidy and off the face, with natural colours only. Extremely short or fashionable styles, such as Mohican styles, undercuts or shaved lines are not permitted. Shoulder length hair must be tied back. Hair accessories should be simple and in school colours. Bandana-style headbands, flowers or bows are not appropriate for school.

Jewellery:
For safety reasons, watches are not allowed in Pre‑Prep and decorative jewellery is not permitted. Earrings should not be worn to school and must be removed during the school week. Ear piercing should take place during the long summer holiday.

Religious items:
The school supports pupils in meeting religious requirements, and distinct religious symbols may be worn. Where necessary for health and safety, items may need to be covered or removed during certain activities.

For further information about uniform, please refer to our School Uniform Policy.

Our Pre-School uniform is supplied by Stevensons. You can find the specific uniform you need using their new search feature. You can also set up an account by creating a profile and adding your child’s information.

We also have a school shop on site, which is open each week during term time. The shop coordinator can be contacted by telephoning the main school office. The on site school shop stocks second-hand items and is open each Wednesday during term time between 15:30 and 16:30. However, if you are looking for a specific item and cannot attend during this time, please email shop@crosfields.com and one of the dedicated team will have a look for you.

For all items purchased through the school shop, the proceeds go directly to the bursary fund and we ask for donations for any selected items.

In order to maximise teaching time on specific days, pupils arrive and/or leave school in Crosfields’ PE/Games kit. Read more details here – 2025 26 What To Wear

The items with an asterisk are branded and must be purchased from our nominated partner, Stevensons or the school shop. Other items may be purchased unbranded.

Summer and Winter Uniform

Summer Uniform

Winter Uniform

NB: Pupils wearing the trousers/shorts uniform will wear shorts throughout the year, with the option of wearing long trousers between October and February, if the weather is cold.

Swimming Kit

PE and Games Kit

Forest School

Needed in the winter

Blue Nylon Painting Apron