Pre-School
In February 2023, we opened to children from the term after their third birthday. We began operating as a Foundation Stage Unit with a garden area and two rooms which could be used as one large space or as two separate classrooms. We are delighted that we have more children on roll, so now need to separate out our Pre-School aged children from our Reception children. Pre-School will run in it's own room with the garden area, Reception will be run in a different part of the school with its own outside learning space.
The team welcome you to visit and have a look around our Pre-School and school. Our EYFS Leader is Miss Suzy Brunwin. The Pre-School Team are Ms Becca Simpson and Ms Nicole Chalmers. In Reception, the team are Miss Suzy Brunwin, Mrs Lucy James and Miss Matilda Spence. Mrs Jo Davis works across both Pre-School and Reception.
This page aims to provide the information you may need in order to make an informed decision about joining our governor-run pre-school along with the forms you need for enrollment.
What is a Governor Run Pre-school?
A governor run pre-school is set up by governing bodies in maintained, voluntary and foundation schools that use the power given to them in the 2002 Education Act to set up and run extended services. The pre-school could be organised as a FSU (Foundation Stage Unit) or as a stand-alone group.
What is a Foundation Stage Unit?
A Foundation Stage Unit (FSU) is formed when a nursery class or governor/trustee-run pre-school and reception class in Infant and Primary Schools collaborate, share, communicate and integrate to provide high-quality effective provision across the whole foundation stage that meets the needs and interests of all children. The curriculum for all children of pre-school and reception age is the same, it's known as Foundation Stage.
At The Beacon C of E (VA) Primary, we are running a Foundation Stage Unit (FSU) which can operate as one large learning space or two separate areas to ensure the children are receiving and/stage appropriate provision. The FSU is fortunate to have its own garden which enables children to enjoy learning outside.
Curriculum
The Early Years Foundation Stage lasts from birth to the end of a child’s Reception Year in school. Having a Foundation Stage Unit therefore gives children a learning journey which continues to develop through their time with us. We use a variety of published resources across our school to ensure there is a continuity and progression across the school. Further information can be found in our Curriculum Statement (available on the Policies page of our website) and the FSU class page.
Session times and days
We recognise that it is important for our families to have sessions running parallel to the school day. We work closely with our families to do our best to provide the sessions parents and carers want, whilst ensuring it's financially viable. We are a small pre-school, so please keep talking with us to make sure we know what will work best for you!
In the first instance, we will be charging the sessions as in the table below (this gives a 'free' 10 minutes per session so we can match the Government Childcare Voucher hours).
| Session | Times | chargeable hours |
| Mornings | 8:50- 12:00 | 3 |
| Afternoons | 12:15-3:25 | 3 |
| Full day | 8:50- 3:25 | 6 |
| Payments to be made via SchoolGateway (or tax free vouchers**) | ||
| From January 2025 | Three year-olds from the term after they turn three | Two year-olds until the end of the term in which they turn three |
| Hourly | £6.50 | £7.50 |
| Morning | £19.50 | £22.50 |
|
Afternoon |
£19.50 | £22.50 |
| Full day | £39.00 | £45.00 |
| School Dinners | £2.55 | £2.55 |
Please note- prices are subject to change with notice. Note: costs will increase in line with Government funded places, this is usually each April.
If your child is on site for a full day, they will need either a packed lunch or school dinner. School dinners may be booked through our School Gateway App once your child is on roll, and currently cost £2.55 per day. Bookings must be made in advance in line with the advised deadlines.
We are not yet offering extended schools (ie breakfast and after school club) at this time but do let us know if it is something you would like to make use of, we aim to provide these services when it's financially viable to do so.
** Please contact the school if you would like to use tax free vouchers, more information may be found at Tax-Free Childcare - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Eligibility for extended entitlement
30 hours funded childcare (extended entitlement)
Your 3 or 4-year-old child may be eligible for 30 hours of funded early years childcare up to a maximum of 1140 hours per year. You may wish to use up to 30 hours per week for 38 weeks of the year (term time) or some providers will allow you to ‘stretch’ the hours over 52 weeks, using fewer hours per week
Check your eligibility and apply
Eligibility for 30 hours of funded childcare will be checked by the government. You can find out more about eligibility criteria here and you can apply for 30 hours of funded childcare through their Childcare Service website. Please follow the link below for further information:
Childcare Choices | 30 Hours Free Childcare, Tax-Free Childcare and More | Help with Costs | GOV.UK
Extra funded places for working families – Education and Families (devon.gov.uk)
Funded care and education for 3 and 4-year-olds – Education and Families (devon.gov.uk)
Early Years Pupil Premium
Early years providers that offer the early years education funding can claim the Early Years Pupil
Premium (EYPP) for eligible children to support your child’s development, learning and care. This means up to an extra £302 a year for each child taking up the full 570 hours. Therefore it is important that you complete the registration form so that a check can be made to see if you are eligible. For more information on the Early Years Pupil Premium please see: devon.cc/theearly-years-pupil-premium
Please note, as a Governor-run Pre-school, we do not provide Free School Meals to nursery children but please do apply for pupil premium as it does benefit your child.
Early Years Pupil Premium for Children in Care
Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) is additional funding that is available to Early Years Providers to support children’s development, learning and care.
You may qualify for EYPP if your child is:
- Looked after by a Local Authority in England or Wales (in foster care) or
- Has left care in England or Wales through a Special Guardianship, Child Arrangement or Adoption Order:
Early Years Pupil Premium is paid directly to early years providers based on the number of universal funded hours that a child attends to improve the quality of the Early Years Education provided for your child.
For more information about EYPP for Children in Care please visit https://www.devon.gov.uk/educationandfamilies/factsheet/the-early-years-pupil-premium
If your child is in or has been in care, please complete this form: EYPP form for children in care.pdf
Disability Access Funding
Parents of children in receipt of Disability Living Allowance are required to provide evidence and complete the Application for Disability Access Funding.
Parents who attend more than one provider need to be aware that only one payment can be made and they must complete the form for the provider that they wish to receive the funding.
The parent declaration form will need to be completed each year to confirm eligibility.
Information we need from you:
In order to provide the best support for your child, we like to work closely with our families. If you have any concerns about your child (academic, social or emotional), please do get in touch.
Please refer to our admissions policy, our Faith Supplementary Information Form 2024 - 2025 may be found on our policies page. We will aim to enroll new starters at the beginning of the next half term following confirmation of a place. Paper copies of the following are available for completion upon request from the school office.
Note of Interest for a Nursery Place Jan 2024 to Aug 2025.pdf