Gosforth Pre-School
Giving your little people the best start in life
Serving all of Dronfield’s primary schools and offering a stimulating
environment in which children learn whilst having fun.
About Us
Gosforth Pre-School Dronfield is a friendly and caring pre-school in the heart of our community.
We are members of the pre-school learning alliance and have gained two outstanding Ofsted awards.
Established in 1977, we have grown to become an important part of the Dronfield school community.
We have strong links with all the primary schools in the area and provide a high quality pre-school experience for children aged 2 – 5.
At Gosforth Pre-School, we are proud to be able to offer sessional and full day care in a safe, stimulating and caring environment.
We have an excellent enclosed outdoor play area which the children have access to in all weathers and have won several awards for our garden.
We encourage the children to care for their planet and have a Silver Eco award.
We also run forest school which gives your child the opportunity to explore and gain confidence and independence in an outdoor environment.
When your child starts pre-school it is an important time for both child and parents.
Sessions
The sessions are fairly flexible but follow a set routine, which gives the children an idea of time. We organise our sessions so that the children can choose from, and work at, a range of activities and, in doing so, build up their ability to select and work through a task to its completion. The children are also helped and encouraged to take part in adult-led small and large group activities which introduce them to new experiences and help them to gain new skills, as well as helping them to learn to work with others. We hold regular group sessions where the older and younger children are separated so more age appropriate activities can be undertaken
Outdoor activities contribute to children’s health, their physical development and their knowledge of the world around them. The children have the opportunity, and are encouraged, to take part in outdoor child-chosen and adult-led activities, as well as those provided in the indoor playroom.
We are very proud to have gained two Ofsted outstanding awards as an early years provider.
The First Days
We want your child to feel happy and safe with us. Before your child’s start they can visit during a session, allowing them to become familiar with the routine. When they first start, the staff will work with each parent to help their child settle as quickly as possible. This takes longer for some children than for others and parents should not feel worried if their child takes a while to settle.
Routines
The routines and activities that make up the day are specifically crafted in ways that make each and every child feel like they are valued as part of the group experience. We encourage children to interact, make friends and and gain experience of being part of a social group. As well as providing children with opportunities to learn and help them to value the gift of learning.
Get Involved
Our group recognises parents as the first and most important educators of their children.
All of the staff see themselves as partners with parents in providing care and education for their child.
There are many ways in which parents take part in making the setting a welcoming and stimulating place for children and parents, such as.
- Exchanging knowledge about their children’s needs, activities, interests and progress with the staff.
- Helping at sessions of the setting.
- Sharing their own special interests with the children.
- Helping to provide, make and look after the equipment and materials used in the children’s play activities.
- Being part of the management of the setting.
- Taking part in events and informal discussions about the activities and curriculum provided by the setting.
- Joining in community activities in which the setting takes part.
- Building friendships with other parents in the setting.
Tapestry
Using our online assessment and reporting tool Tapestry, we are able to capture a snapshot of the daily lives of the children.
As the child plays and learns staff take photos and videos and make detailed observations of the child’s development and achievements on a daily basis, linking directly to the seven areas of learning within the Early Years Foundation Stage.
The unique part of this is that the parent can log in and have direct access to the child’s records to see how they are progressing and what they have been upto.
You can also add your own observations and comments, to help us strengthen our partnership and get the best results from your child.
Times & Fees
We are open Monday to Friday from 8.30 am until 3.15 pm.
Parents are allowed to use their 2,3 & 4 year old funding any time between those hours .
If you are not funded the current cost is £4.50 per hour.
Free funded places are available for two, three and four year olds, up to fifteen hours or five sessions per week.
From September 2017 additional funding is available for families where both parents are working or the sole parent is working in a lone-parent family, and each parent earns the equivalent of sixteen hours a week at the national minimum or living wage, and earns less than £100,000 a year.
Term Dates
2016/2017
20th February 2017 7th April 2017
24th April 2017 26th May 2017
05th June 2017 14th July 2017
2017/2018
4th September 2017 20th October 2017
30th October 2017 19th December 2017
3rd January 2018 16th February 2018
26th February 2018 23rd March 2018
9th April 2018 25th May 2018
4th June 2018 16th July 2018
Bank Holidays
25th & 26th December 2017
1st January 2018
30th March 2018 (Good Friday)
2nd April 2018 (Easter Monday)
7th May 2018
28th May 2018 (Spring Bank Holiday)
27th August 2018 (Summer Bank Holiday).
Gallery
Forest Schools
Forest Schools has developed from the Scandinavian education system and is about children building self esteem and independence through exploring and experiencing the natural world.
Forest Schools is a long term programme delivered by trained practitioners within a natural environment (not necessarily a Forest!).
Each Forest School programme is tailored to meet the needs of individuals within that group and is continuously developed as the children/young people grow in confidence, skills and understanding.
The ethos of Forest Schools allows learners the time and space to develop skills, interests and understanding through practical, hands-on experiences.
It also allows practitioners to step back and observe the children in order to then encourage and inspire individuals to achieve through careful scaffolding and facilitating.
Not to mention the benefits of learning about nature and life cycles in a natural inspiring outdoor classroom.


Events
Gosforth Pre-School was inspected by Ofsted on 7th March 2011 and awarded the highest award possible of Outstanding where we gained a Grade 1 Outstanding, in every single area assessed.
We were inspected again by Ofsted on 10th September 2013 where we once again were awarded the highest award possible of Outstanding yet again. Click here for our latest report.