Fingertips Preschool and Forest School
Fingertips Preschool and forest school is an Ofsted Outstanding setting. We are a sessional setting and offer 9.00 am till 3.00 pm so you can choose your sessions in any way that suits your family and your lifestyle. You can choose a 9.00 am till 12.00 pm in the indoor setting (2-5 year olds) on Monday, Tuesday Wednesday or Friday. When your child is 3 years old you they can access our forest school sessions. This means that you can have a 9.00 am till 3.00 pm day with a morning in the setting and afternoon in the forest. Alternatively you can have an all day forest school session.
We accept 2 year old and 3 year old 15 hour funding and a limited number of 30 hour funded places.
The layout of our setting is specifically designed to meet all areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).
Indoors
Our highly qualified and passionate team ensure that each day is packed with exciting and motivating learning opportunities. We strive to offer our children the opportunity to embark on an exciting journey towards a life-long long love of learning.
To do this we strategically plan, based on the children's own interests, to include social and language skills, physical development, an understanding of the incredible world around them, the fun in science, the excitement of mathematics and literacy and also very importantly expressive art and design with the imperative being on them having fun with every area of learning.
We see our parents as very much a part of their child's learning process and we keep them informed of their child's individual plan and our group plan so that we all work together on this exciting learning journey.
On a daily basis we invite our children to a small learning group where they will play games that help to extend their learning.
Forest School
Fingertips were the first preschool to pioneer forest school in Harpenden. We have been able to share our expertise and skills with
local schools, pre-schools and nurseries, working with them and giving their children opportunities to experience this amazing approach.
Forest School is based on the Scandinavian educational learning approach where children can develop their confidence and self-esteem in a natural outdoor woodland environment. They learn new skills, how to manage their own risk and are given opportunities to use their own initiative to problem solve. Their play is imaginative and helps them grow into creative thinkers. We see our children beginning to share and co-operate with their peers while achieving their own goals. Forest School is an all-weather, all year approach and by attending forest school sessions the children learn about themselves and to appreciate the changing natural environment.
Some of the things we do at forest school; whittling sticks, making mud pies, sawing, climbing trees, playing on rope swings, playing imaginary games, lighting fires and learning about the environment and the natural world we live in. These activities are carefully designed to; build confidence and self-esteem, improve communication and social skills, learn to recognise and manage risk improve team skills and provide a natural motivation and positive attitude towards learning.
OPENING HOURS
All Saints Church Hall Sessions
Monday - 9.00am - 12.00pm
Tuesday - 9.00am - 12.00pm
Wednesday - 9.00am - 12.00pm
Friday - 9.00am - 12.00pm
Forest School Sessions
Monday - 12.15pm - 3.00pm
Tuesday - 9.15am - 3.00pm
Wednesday - 12.15pm - 3.00pm
Thursday - 9.15am - 3.00pm
TERM DATES
Autumn Term 2023/24
INSET
Monday 4th September 2023
TERM STARTS
Tuesday 5th September 2023
HALF TERM
Monday 23rd October - 27th October 2023
SETTING CLOSED (Fingertips preschool only)
Wednesday 13th December 2023
TERM ENDS
Friday 15th December 2023
Spring Term 2024
INSET
Tuesday 2nd January 2024
TERM STARTS
Wednesday 3rd January 2024
HALF TERM
Monday 19th February - 23rd February 2024
TERM ENDS
Thursday 28th March 2024
HALF TERM
Friday 29th March - 12th April 2024
Summer Term 2024
INSET
Monday 15th April 2024
TERM STARTS
Tuesday 16th April 2024
BANK HOLIDAY
6th May 2024
HALF TERM
Monday 27th May – 31st May 2024
TERM ENDS
Friday 19th July 2024
FEES
Our Fees
Our Preschool fees of £27 are sessional and inclusive of healthy snacks and milk.
2 year old funding (the term after your child turns 2)
There is now funding available for some children who are aged 2 years old depending on your circumstances. We will help you apply for this and we will assist in any way we possibly can.
3-5 year old funding (the term after your child turns 3)
The term after your child turns 3 you are entitled to 15 hours of free childcare per week, you are welcome to take additional sessions for your child. Additional sessions will be charged at the normal sessional rate. We do not ask for top ups or voluntary donations.
30 Hour funding
We are able to offer a small number of 30 hour funded places. Please call to discuss.
Invoicing
We invoice termly, however this can be paid in two instalments each instalment must be paid 7 days before the start of each half term. We would appreciate payments being made before the start of the new half term to avoid late payment fees. Any additional sessions can be paid by cash or cheque in advance.
Registration and Waiting list
To register your child with our setting or to place them on our waiting list an application form must be completed and returned with a registration fee of £35. This is a non-refundable fee. Once a place comes available and we are able to offer your child a place you will have 14 days to make a refundable deposit of £200 to reserve your child’s place in our preschool. This will be deducted from your invoice on the last month before your child leaves the preschool. This deposit is not refundable if you decide that you no longer want the space prior to starting. There is no reduction in fees for absence due to holidays or sickness.
Childcare Vouchers
We are registered on many different childcare voucher schemes. Let us know which scheme and we will forward you the details.
A typical day
The layout of our setting is specifically designed to meet all areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), and each day new activities are set out to ensure that there are lots of stimulating and exciting projects and games out so that the children will have a fun learning experience. We love engaging them in real life experiences such as real nuts and bolts, real tools, hammers & nails, wood and lots of scientific exploration. At some point during the session they will be called to a small teaching group where they will be engaged in more focused learning that is designed to be both fun and engaging while getting them ready for school.
Children will choose their healthy snack that is provided in the morning and where children are staying for forest school parents will supply a healthy packed lunch.
The children are free to explore both the indoor and outdoor garden areas, where we offer them the same learning opportunities in both areas, this is because we have found that some children learn better outside, and some learn better inside.
If your child is 3 years old and you would like them to have a 9.00 am till 3.00pm day, then they can access our forest school setting in the afternoon. At 12.00pm we transfer a number of children to our woodland setting where the children will have their healthy packed lunch and we have lots of fun forest school activities and free play in the forest until 3.00 pm.
