Do you Qualify for Government Funded Childcare?

Are you eligible for free childcare? We can help you check…

At Kinder Preschools, we often have parents asking us for help navigating the (sometimes) confusing world of accessing government-funded childcare.

  • Is your child eligible from 2 years of age?
  • Can your child access more than the 15 hours of universal childcare for 3 and 4-year-olds?
  • My child has just turned 3, why do I have to wait until the start of a new term to access funding?

These are all common questions – so don’t worry if you are having problems understanding it all.

Here at Kinder Preschools, we are happy to walk you through the process. Hopefully, once we do, you’ll decide to place your child with us! However, we are happy to help nonetheless.

So if you have any queries or questions at all (no matter how big or small!) – or even if you are planning well ahead for a newborn child, do reply via email here, call us here, or drop us a quick WhatsApp here.

We are on hand to provide personalised one-to-one care so that you understand your entitlement and that you are best positioned to make an informed choice for your childcare!

Here is the latest COVID policy update:

Covid 19 guidance changed as of 24th February. However the virus is still prevalent and can still seriously affect vulnerable individuals.

The virus can be spread easily amongst children. We will continue to follow the Government advice and require anyone with COVID symptoms to get a PCR test. Symptoms are high temperature 38+, cough, loss of smell and/or taste.

Where children display these symptoms at nursery we will ask you collect and get a PCR test. If the result is positive you will be asked to stay off nursery for 5 consecutive days minimum. If your child is well enough to return to nursery on day 6 they may do so with evidence of a negative LFT taken on day 5 and 6.

Please note that children may be sent home with other sickness/illness that is not covid. The management team will determine whether a child is well enough to be at nursery.

The nursery will continue to implement increased hygiene measures including frequent hand washing, teaching children effective hand washing, frequent touch point cleaning and regular disinfecting of toys and surfaces.

 

 

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Why is Woodworking Important for Education?

With the advent of mobile phones and tablets, it’s important to remember off-screen time is just as important as tech learning for your child. In response to the increase in interest in woodworking, parents and teachers are dusting off the workbench and digging out those forgotten DIY tools. 

The benefits of woodworking for a child’s learning and development are monumental across all areas of the curriculum. Some teachers who offer woodwork regularly have noticed increased levels of engagement and continuous concentration for task-based assignments. It can also help to engage a child’s fine motor skills and expressive creativity for a better understanding of the world.

Woodworking provides such a profound learning experience, there’s no wonder why children want to spend hours on end at the workbench without even realising it. However, even with all the benefits there has still been a significant decline in both primary and secondary schools offering woodworking, with less than half of the students ever using tools for educational purposes. 

However, with the interest in crafting and up-cycling becoming more trendy – woodworking seems to be taking its rightful place back in the curriculum giving children the experience of repairing, building and repurposing. An added benefit is that they are simultaneously learning about the damage of human consumption, proper disposal of materials and eco-friendly living. And yes, woodworking could potentially get your child outside of the classroom for hands-on learning in a woodland environment.

Woodworking is at the heart of personal development for children – working with their hands, tinkering, moulding, constructing things and transforming them into something new. 

Doing this builds their self-esteem and confidence. It can add to a child’s sense of responsibility – as they may be working with real tools –  and a sense of accomplishment once a new skill is mastered and a task completed. Plus, the pride in showing off their creations is a reward in itself.

Woodworking is truly a special activity. Think about the smell of fresh cut wood, the textures, the grooves and natural material. Using tools to create something by hand. Hammering and sawing away at something to express imagination. There really is nothing like it, give it a try and enjoy the hours of endless creative possibility.

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