About Us

Bitterne Community Preschool is a rights and respects setting. We now have our silver award and are working towards our gold, please click here for more information.

We are also participating in the Healthy Early Years Award (HEYA), please click here for more information.

Please click to view our Prospectus.

Bitterne Community Preschool was registered in 2001 and is managed by a voluntary management committee. We operate from a spacious room and forest area within the grounds of Bitterne C of E Primary School, in Bitterne, Southampton. Our preschool is open Monday- Friday during term time and our sessions run from 8.00am to 3.30pm. We receive funding for the provision of free early education for children aged two (if eligible), three and four years. We are currently a team of 13 staff who work with the children. Our manager Karen holds BA Hons, and the rest of the staff hold appropriate qualifications between levels 2 and 6, plus we have apprentices. We currently have two staff members studying for their level 2, two members of staff studying for their level 3, a member of staff studying a National Professional Qualification in Early Years Leadership and a member of staff studying a Masters. All of our staff hold paediatric first aid, safeguarding, prevent, food hygiene and keep up to date with other relevant training.

At Bitterne Community Preschool our staff work within the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum Framework (EYFS). We aim to meet targets, we set out children's first steps and next steps to help with their learning and development. We do this with the help and guidance of the EYFS. The EYFS aims to develop children's understanding, knowledge, attitudes and skills in all areas of learning. The EYFS uses principles which guide the work of all Early Years Practitioners and are grouped into 4 themes:

A unique child - every child is a unique child who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident and self -assured.

Positive relationships - children learn to be strong and independent from a base of loving and secure relationships with their parent / carer and key person.

Enabling environments - the environment plays a key role in supporting and extending children's development and learning.

Learning and development - children learn and develop in different ways and at different rates.

ALL AREAS OF LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT ARE EQUALLY IMPORTANT AND INTER-CONNECTED.

We are registered and regularly inspected by Ofsted who inspects childcare for children. We are also a member of the Preschool Learning Alliance (PLA) who provide support and training to all registered Preschool groups in Southampton with the aim of enhancing the care and education available to young children. In addition we are registered to accept Government Funding for children aged 2, 3 and 4 years.

We work with a ratio of one adult to four children for the 2year olds and one adult to eight children for the over 3's, although we always try to work with a ratio of one adult to six children for over 3's. A minimum of two staff/adults are on duty at any one time. We use a key person approach to ensure that each child has a named member of staff with whom to form a relationship and who plans with parents for the child's well-being and development in the setting. The key person meets regularly with the family for discussion and consultation on their child's progress.

PLEASE NOTE - We are independent from the Bitterne C.E. Primary School and a place at Bitterne Community Preschool  does not guarantee a place at School (the admissions process is independently operated by Southampton City Council).