Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to the most frequently asked questions about Rode Heath Pre-School:

• "If my child/ren attend the pre-school will they be guaranteed a Reception class place?"  Unfortunately, attending our pre-school will not guarantee a school place at Rode Heath Primary School for your child/ren. School applications must be completed through your “home” Local Authority as usual; you cannot apply through Rode Heath Primary School for a school place with us. (Links to Cheshire East Admissions can be found here.)  

• "How many pre-school places are there?"   There are 29 places available in the morning and 29 in the afternoon. 

• "When can my child start pre-school?"  Admissions will be in the term following your child/ren’s 3rd birthday. We have in-takes in September, January and April.

• "Who will work in the pre-school?"  A qualified, highly-experienced early years teacher leads the pre-school environment every morning and plans for the afternoon sessions; these sessions are then led by an early years practitioner. 

• "When will the pre-school operate?"  The pre-school operates daily between 9am and 3pm, 39 calendar weeks a year, i.e. term time only, less the 5 statutory INSET days. Morning sessions run from 9:00am – 12:00pm and afternoon sessions run from 12:00pm to 3:00pm.

• "Will my child be able to have lunch at pre-school?"  If your child is booked in on a full day session then you can pre order a lunch in advance. If your child is booked in for the afternoon session only then they will need to have lunch before arriving at pre-school at 12pm. During their time in Pre-school they will eat their lunch in the pre-school room, shortly before they start their transition to Reception the chidren will join the older children in the main school hall for their lunch.   

• "What if I need care outside of these hours?"  You can book your child/ren into our Before and After-School Club  "All Stars" which allows care and education to be extended from 7:30am to 6:00pm. 

• "My child/ren are currently in a private day care from 7:30am to 5:30pm, do you effectively match that?"  Yes! You just need to complete 2 separate booking forms – one for the pre-school and one for the Before and After-School Club  according to the hours that you need.

• "How much will it cost for additional hours above my 15 free hour weekly entitlement?"  An additional morning or afternoon session will be £15.00.

• "Do I have to use all my free hours in the mornings? What if I wanted my child/ren to attend in the afternoon(s) – would they still be classed as “free” to me?" As long as you are booking in 3 hour blocks, either 9:00am - 12:00pm or 12:00pm - 3:00pm, then you can use your free hours entitlement however you choose.

• "Can I register now, even if my child/ren will not be old enough to start pre-school until September 2024?"  Yes! Just complete a registration form here  and we will get in touch with you 3 months before your child/ren would be due to start to confirm your sessions.  Please make sure you inform us if your contact details change in the meantime. 

• "Will there be a uniform?"  Children are not required to wear school uniform in our Pre-school but we would encourage it as it can get a little messy at times, it also gets the children used to wearing a uniform for when they start school.  Our school jumpers are available to purchase from https://www.badged.co.uk/ along with Jogging bottoms with the school logo.  Plain navy joggers are also an option.

• "Can we have a look around the pre-school and school?" Of course! The school day is always a busy one however, and as such we cannot generally accommodate unscheduled requests to have a look around. However, you are always more than welcome to arrange a visit to tour the school and pre-school to see us all in action, where possible we will request that visits take place at 10am or 1pm or Thursday appointment after school hours. -  please get in touch with Mrs Powell via the office if you would like to do so.  

• "If I register my child/ren for the pre-school now, can I change my booking later?"  Yes, although we cannot guarantee that places will necessarily still be available. Complete a booking form now with your provisional requirements and we will get in touch 3 months in advance of your child/ren’s start date to confirm your booking. If you know your needs have changed in the meantime please get in touch with us.

• "How far in advance do I need to book?"  Pre-school places need to be booked on a termly basis in advance, ideally annually, whereas Before and After-School Club and Holiday Club places can be booked on an adhoc basis in advance.  Bookings can be amended up to 48 hours before the day of the session.

• "How would I pay for my child/ren’s pre-school and Before/After-School Club fees?"  Payments can be made using the school’s online payment system Scopay. Once your child's place has been confirmed you will recieve a registration letter containing your unique log-in code, this will give you access to use the system.

• "What if my employer gives me childcare vouchers, will you accept these?"  Yes, just let us know which childcare voucher provider your employer uses and we will set everything up.

• "If my child is already settled in a private nursery for their funded sessions, can they still come to Rode Heath Pre-School or the Before and After-School Club for extra sessions?"  Absolutely, we would love to see them! We just ask that your child/ren attend a minimum of 2 pre-school sessions each week (to allow for continuity of care with an assigned key-worker). You can then bolt on Before and After-School Club sessions on those days.

• "What will happen on  Bank Holidays?"    As with other school and private childcare providers, we will be closed on Bank Holidays. You will not be charged if your child/ren’s usual days fall on a Bank Holiday.

• "Can I ever make a one-off, last minute booking?"  Yes - if we have capacity within our headcount ratio for that day.  Please contact the school office to request any extra sessions required.