about us

The Corner Preschool is situated inside the St Cuthberts Trust Centre, Lichfield Road in the Baffins area of Portsmouth. We are a committee run preschool and also a registered charity, established in 1998. We offer full day or sessional care for children aged 2 years 9 months to school age.

Our aims:

To enhance the development and education of the children.
To provide a safe and stimulating environment.
To respect children's individuality and assist them to achieve their potential.

Our Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum offers you and your child:

Individual care and attention made possible by a high ratio of adults to children.
Fun and friendship with children and adults and the support of a personal keyperson.
A chance for you and your family to be involved in the activities of the group.
Support and information regarding many aspects of family life, e.g. behaviour management.

We are a healthy eating preschool and have passed the Preschool Challenge. We ask our parents to donate healthy food that we can share at snacktime.

We have achieved the ICAN - an approved communication standard of service for children's communication in preschool settings. Achieved by identifying and providing effective strategies for communication development for all children.

We have been awarded the Flying High for Early Years Accreditation Certificate, which demonstrates a quality assurance, which reflects on practice and provision in an Early Years Setting.

OFSTED and Accreditations

We are inspected by OFSTED. Our last OFSTED inspection report was in October 2019 and we achieved a "GOOD" grade. Our OFSTED report is available to view on the notice-board and copies are available on request and in the parent pack in reception. It can also be viewed online at the OFSTED website.

We gained our “Flying High for Early Years” Accreditation Certificate in June 2009 and an ICAN Accreditation in July 2010 promoting speech and language for young children. In 2011 we were awarded The Preschool Challenge, to encourage healthy living and took part in Every Child A Talker (ECAT) to encourage young children to communicate effectively from a young age.

Early Years Funding and Preschool Fees

The term after your child’s third birthday, your child will become entitled to 15 hours free education. If you are a single parent working 16 hours a week and earning under £100,000 or a couple and both working 16 hours or more and earning under £100,000 each you will be entitled to an extra 15 hours Early Years Funding. 15 hours hours funding is also available from the term after your child’s second birthday if you are a single parent working 16 hours a week and earning under £100,000 or a couple and both working 16 hours or more and earning under £100,000 each. Children whose parents receive certain benefits or have a low income may also be eligible for two year old funding. You will have to pay before they become eligible. See www.childcarechoices.gov.uk for details.

Our Staff

Jacquie Jolliffe - Manager

Jacquie has been employed at The Corner Preschool since 1999. She has a BA in Early Years (Level 6) and is also qualified in Safeguarding Children, First Aid, Makaton, Health and Safety Equal Opportunities, Food Hygiene, Behaviour Management. Jacquie is the Inclusion Co-ordinator and a Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator.

Heidi Thompson - Deputy

Heidi has been at The Corner Preschool since 2004. She has a Certificate in Early Years (Level 4) and is also qualified in Safeguarding Children, First Aid, Food Hygiene and Makaton. Heidi is a Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator, qualified in PELICAN and Portage.

Sharon Smith - Practitioner

Sharon has been at The Corner Preschool since 2006. She has an NVQ in Childcare and Education (Level 3). She is also qualified in Safeguarding Children, Food Hygiene, Makaton and First Aid. Sharon is our Behaviour Management Co-ordinator.

ALINA KURBATOVA-HARPER - PRACTITIONER

Alina has been employed at The Corner Preschool since 2008. She has a MSc in Education and Training (Level 7). She is also qualified in Safeguarding Children, First Aid, Food Hygiene and Makaton.

MARCIE TAYLOR - PRACTITIONER

Marcie has been at The Corner Preschool since 2023. She has a Diploma in Early Learning and Childcare (Level 3) and is also qualified in Safeguarding Children, First Aid and Food Hygiene.

“Here at The Corner Preschool we are extremely proud of our staff retention record, ensuring we provide consistency of care and allowing us to build positive partnerships with parents, children and their siblings.”

Debbie Embleton - Assistant

Debbie has been employed at The Corner Preschool since 2003. She has completed a Preschool Induction Course (Level 1). She is also qualified in First Aid, Safeguarding Children, Makaton, and is our Food Hygiene Co-ordinator.

DeMi-MARIE SMITH - Assistant

Demi has been employed at The Corner Preschool since 2018. She has completed an Intermediate Level Apprenticeship in Children and Young People’s Workforce (Level 2). She is also qualified in First Aid, Safeguarding Children and Food Hygiene.

Opening Times

Times & Cost

We have morning sessions from 9 - 12 Monday to Fridays, afternoon sessions from 12.45 - 3.45 Monday to Thursdays, 12.00 - 3.00 on Fridays and Lunch club from 12.00 - 12.45 Monday to Fridays during term time only.

Contact us to find out if your child is eligible for free education funding. If you child does not yet qualify for free education,3 hour sessions cost £15 and Lunch Club costs £5. Fees are payable if a child is absent due to illness or family holidays taken in term time. A Child's attendance is conditional upon payment.

Parents

Parents are always welcome. They are the first and most important educators of their children. Research shows that children are more likely to succeed if their parents play an active role. We encourage all our new parents to visit WITHOUT an appointment. That way you see the preschool in action just as it is. Parents are encouraged to settle their children into The Corner Preschool as they wish. Some like to drop and leave and others like to stay and play.

Facilities

The Preschool Room

The Corner Preschool is situated on the ground floor, with complete disabled access, including disabled toilet. The children enjoy a mix of adult directed and child initiated activities. There are two child sized toilets and hand washing facilities within the preschool room. Inside, we have a creative area, where children can access their own choice of resources to build models and collages. We have a messy area, where children can explore playdough, cooking, shaving foam, cornflour etc. A mark making area, where children can trace, colour, draw and write with a variety of media. A maths and science area where children can choose items to explore, a book corner for quiet reading, a computer for playing games, learning from the internet and gaining new skills. The children can choose what toys or building materials can be played with on the mat every day and the role play area, which can be a cafe, a home corner, a post office, hairdressers or a shop.

The Outdoor Area

Our Outdoor area is completely secure with padlocks on both gates. In 2012 a canopy was added to ensure that we can use the outdoor area every day, whatever the weather. Children can plant, smell and touch vegetables and flowers, mark make on large blackboards or paint on them with water. They can explore the dragon chime and wind chimes. They can climb into the sand pit and play with the sand. The children can draw, trace or colour on the drawing table or use their imagination with various role play or small world resources.