In the main room we have lots of wonderful equipment for the children to practice their fine motor skills. We have a lovely kitchen which we use frequently throughout the year, the children make lots of delicious foods which they then all eat at snack time. Yummy!

Trips - We go on two trips a year, one in the Autumn term and one in the Summer term.

Makaton signing - All the staff are trained to sign and we use this with all of the children incidentally throughout the sessions.

We have a special room which we call “The Learning Den” and in this room, we have an interactive white board. Every session different groups use the room to do the register, calendar and have some small group time to talk, share ideas and learn together.  This can also be used as a quiet room where staff can work with very small groups or children or on a one to one basis.

During each session we use a snack bar system. The children learn to wash their hands before accessing a drink and a piece of fruit.

We are very fortune at Little Battlers to have two amazing outdoor areas, a playground area and a garden space.

Playground Area

In our playground area, we have the opportunity take part in lots of planting and growing. The children are able to independently plant seeds and bulbs in our growing area and watch the process of the flowers/ vegetables grow. We also have a small sensory garden, which the children use to explore all of their senses.
There is also an adventure trail with a bridge to balance on; we have a variety of slides and equipment to help develop their gross motor skills. We provide the children with lots of different materials to work with e.g. chalks, tubes, pegs and sheets including a wooden structure for their imaginative play.

We have some lorry tyres, benches, chalkboards and a wooden structure, which has a canvas cover over it, which the staff designed, and the children decide what this will become in their play each session. There are markings on the playground so it is all systems go for some fantastic creative and mathematical play.

We also have portable boxes full of equipment that ties in with the seven areas of learning.

Garden Area

In our garden area, we have a play cottage and a fantastic climbing frame with a slide. Around the play cottage is a track that flows around the whole of the garden. There is also opportunity for planting and growing in our garden area too.

Our messy forest area brings lots of excitement to our children, enhancing all of their skills especially vocabulary, imagination, gross and fine motor skills. In our messy area is a fantastic mud kitchen, where the children like to put their skills into practice by making some fantastic creations as they explore and investigate all the different areas.

In both of our areas, there are many big-wheeled toys such as cars, bikes, scooters and trikes. We also have two person vehicles so the children learn to take turns and work co-operatively.

We visit the main school library once a week.  In the Summer term, we have phase assemblies when our Pre-school children are invited to an assembly with the reception children. 

We visit the Reception classes and play in their playground and get to know the Reception teachers before we start big school. (Summer Term). The Reception children watch our Christmas rehearsal and we watch their practice run.  We regularly visit the main school to show the reception children anything special that we have been doing.

We greatly value communication between home and preschool. At the beginning of the preschool day, there is a member of staff on the door to greet the children. Parents/carers can talk to the member of staff about any questions or queries they may have or if they prefer a time can be arranged for a more one to one conversation. Little Battlers Preschool has a private Facebook group where parents and carers can join and talk to members of staff or other parents and Carers. The new digital learning journey application, tapestry, can also be used as a communicational aid between the child’s key worker and parents and carers.

 Email and phone calls are also available to report absences and general information, Email is a favoured communication tool between our parents and Carers to contact Little Battlers Preschool.

In Leicestershire, children can access Nursery funding in the term after their third birthday.  This means children can access up to fifteen or thirty hours’ sessions free of charge.

(Please note if your child attends Little Battlers from 8.45am-3.25pm a charge of £1 per day will be invoiced for lunchtime supervision due to the day being longer than the funded six hours.)

 Children can access sessions before their funding date, or extra sessions at a cost of £4.00 per hour. If contracts are terminated or sessions/hours are changed at your request, four weeks written notice is required excluding the holidays.

Morning Sessions - 8.45am until 11.45am

All Day Session - 8.45 until 3.25pm

We also offer sessions to children who do not claim government funding.

(Flexible sessions and hours can be arranged please speak to a member of staff.)

Example-

Your child attends Little Battlers Preschool full-time during term time Monday to Friday 8.45am-3.25pm this will be your full free 30 hours funding with an additional charge of £1.00 per day to cover lunchtime supervision.

30 Hour Funding

You may be entitled to 30-hour free government funding. 

• For working families in England
• With 3 and 4-year-old children
• 30 hours of free childcare or early education for 38 weeks a year
• A total of 1,140 hours per year, that you can use flexibly.

Staff Details

Mrs T Mason – Manager/SENCo

Mrs H Reynolds- SENCo/Childcare & Education Assistant

Mrs Z Smith – Childcare & Education Assistant

Mrs A Malyon – Childcare & Education Assistant

Miss S Steans – Childcare & Education Assistant