Zoning A Pre School

[Guest]

Hi Everyone,

 

We have this week signed our lease for the new pre school and have asked me to compile a list of companies who could zone the pre school into learning areas. Going from a packaway setting to permeneant means we have to get more resources and want to get it right first time and really maximise the space for the children.

 

I have faxed community playthings who are putting something together for us, does anybody know of any other companies who would zone the space then draw up of required resources. The committee are applying for an enabling enironment grant and need this information so we will have a ball part figure of how much money we are going to need.

 

 

If anyone knows of any companies other than community playthings who you would recommend, could you please let me have the link.

 

Thanks in advance

 

Claire x

[Guest]

I don't know of any comapnies but could your EYAT help at all, or could you visit some other settings to see what they do and take the best ideas from each of them? I'm not sure where you are located but I've visited Early Excellence in Huddersfield and somewhere like that might be able to help also. Being packaway also I'm very jealous - hope it goes well for you!

[kristina]

Hi

 

When I started our Pre-School from scratch I got quite a bit of help from Findel Education, they own galt, hope and quite a few others. They compiled a list using all their companies and then offered a 22% discount, and delivered 90% of the resources all on the same day.

 

So you could try giving them a call.

 

Hope it all goes well!!

 

Kristina

[Guest]

sorry i don't know of any companies,

Are you thinking of having the zones permanent? we changed from pack away to having sole use of our setting and spent lots of time thinking about where to put everything, we opted for moveable areas in the end as we found that way the room can be changed every term. this has worked for us and we have found the children seem to explore different areas when they are changed! only a thought to consider if this is possible!!

[Guest]

Hi

 

When I started our Pre-School from scratch I got quite a bit of help from Findel Education, they own galt, hope and quite a few others. They compiled a list using all their companies and then offered a 22% discount, and delivered 90% of the resources all on the same day.

 

So you could try giving them a call.

 

Hope it all goes well!!

 

Kristina

 

Thanks Kristina, I will look them up and the discount sounds great

 

Claire x

[Guest]

sorry i don't know of any companies,

Are you thinking of having the zones permanent? we changed from pack away to having sole use of our setting and spent lots of time thinking about where to put everything, we opted for moveable areas in the end as we found that way the room can be changed every term. this has worked for us and we have found the children seem to explore different areas when they are changed! only a thought to consider if this is possible!!

 

 

By zones I mean, areas such as book corner, home corner, sand, water etc, the furniture wont be fixed, so we will be able to move it about, however the space we have isnt huge, I just want to get it right first time and not waste any money. All our resources at present fit in one cupboard, so in terms of storage the children can access, we dont have alot. Thanks for your ideas

 

Claire x

[hopeytg]

Hi Claire

 

I don't intend to hijack your topic but I am very keen to hear how everyone funded their

new settings - we have been waiting since June to hear regarding Capital Funding and

after being given a little hope have just had the bad news that we haven't got a penny.

We had all the plans in place to build our own log cabin on land owned by the Parish

Council only to have the rug pulled from under our feet at the final hurdle. I have

put a lot of time and effort into the project and am desperate to find the money

from other sources. Weare committee run setting and that seems to have been the

stumbling block - any help would be gratefully received.

 

Many thanks - good luck with your new setting - I am so jealous!!

 

Helen

[Guest]

Hi Claire

 

I don't intend to hijack your topic but I am very keen to hear how everyone funded their

new settings - we have been waiting since June to hear regarding Capital Funding and

after being given a little hope have just had the bad news that we haven't got a penny.

We had all the plans in place to build our own log cabin on land owned by the Parish

Council only to have the rug pulled from under our feet at the final hurdle. I have

put a lot of time and effort into the project and am desperate to find the money

from other sources. Weare committee run setting and that seems to have been the

stumbling block - any help would be gratefully received.

 

Many thanks - good luck with your new setting - I am so jealous!!

 

Helen

 

Hi Helen,

 

My setting is also committe lead pre-school and every time the comittee changed they would start trying to raise funds for a new build (there has always been space at the local school, it just came down to funding).

 

We then got a new chair with a buisness banking background, I explained to her that we would not be able to fulfil the requirements of the eyfs because of our premises. She then started the ball rolling by emailing our county council each month explaining this (I likened her to the chap in shawshank redemption-dont know if you have seen the film, but basically he writes to a company firstly each month for a year, then each week for another year and eventually gets the money lol)

 

Anyway, county replied that a third phase children centre was looking at sites, she put them intouch with the school, who were happy for them to take the allocated space at the school, with the provision that they made space for us within the building. The children's centre remit was we needed to be a good or outstanding setting, we managed a good overall and outstanding for parents.

 

And that is basically how it happened, the county own the building and we have a 6 year lease, the rent is a jaw dropping £1 per year, we are responsible for all our bills, water, electric etc

 

We are now compiling a enabling environment grant to fit out the build. It is exciting, I have only worked at the setting since 2007, however my deputy has worked at the pre school for years and attended it herself as a child as did her children, so in some ways its sad-an end of an era, however the village hall people are such hard work, they moan about everything, have now band us from having sand, as it causes a sandpaper effect on the wooden floor, which is laughable if you could see the floor, we are very tempted to sew a few mackerall into the curtain hems when we leave lol.

 

I hope this helps you

 

Claire x

[hopeytg]

Thanks so much Claire - your old setting sounds just like ours - I am so dissapointed be were not succesful with the Capital Funding - I will pass on your strategy to our Chair - he is equally stubborn so it may work!

 

Helen

[Guest]

Thanks so much Claire - your old setting sounds just like ours - I am so dissapointed be were not succesful with the Capital Funding - I will pass on your strategy to our Chair - he is equally stubborn so it may work!

 

Helen

 

Hi Helen,

 

Thats what I think you need, someone who can really keep on at the council, before the children centre stepped in, we were going down the road of county funding it just for us, as we are a charity and not for profit, they were in discussions with us about them funding the whole build, so I think if you get your chair to list all challenges with your setting and then its just a case of persavering (sp). I do understand how much hard work being a pack away is, made all the harder by all the conditions put on us by hall reps.

 

Dont give up, good luck.

 

Claire x