Opening Times
Riverbanks School offers between its nursery programme and its Holiday Schemes, 43 weeks of nursery education/care, per year.
There are five types of daily session with flexible dropping off and collecting times:
Morning session 8:45am-12:15pm
Afternoon session 1:15pm-4pm
Extended sessions 8:45am-3pm or 3:30pm or 4pm
Extended mornings 8:45am-1.15pm
Extended afternoons (not Fridays) 12:15pm-4pm
There are no hard and fast rules about how many sessions a child must attend when they are aged 2.
However, we ask you to, and give priority to, families who wish to take a package of 15 and a 1/4 hours or more, across the week, once the child is 3 years old. This is the point where the Government Funding is available to you.
Please note that we are not open on Friday afternoons.
For 2 or 3 weeks at the end of the school term times, the Riverbanks Holiday Club will be open from 8.45am till 3.30pm each day.
Term dates for 2012
SPRING TERM 2012 - 9TH JAN 2012 TILL 23RD MARCH 2012
HALF TERM WEEK - MON 13TH - FRI 17TH FEB 2012
EASTER HOLIDAY CLUB 2012 - 26TH MAR 2012 TILL 5TH APRIL 2012
EASTER HOLIDAY PERIOD WHEN SCHOOL IS CL0SED - 6TH APRIL (GOOD FRIDAY) TILL 23RD APRIL 2012
SUMMER TERM 2012 - STARTS ON 24TH APRIL 2012 - FRI 13TH JULY 2012
HALF TERM WEEK - MON 4TH JUNE TILL FRI 8TH JUNE
Fees
Fees are paid at the beginning of each term or monthly. Many parents now pay with Childcare Vouchers which have become part of working parents salary packages.
We implented an hourly rate from September 2010. This makes it much easier for parents to work out their costs.
£9.50 per hour is our HOURLY cost. This will be increasing to £10.00 per hour from 24.4.12.
When your child is eligible for what the Government call
'Their Free Place Scheme', then this has an impact on your fees cost from the term after your child is 3 years old - REDUCING YOUR FEES BILL.
PLEASE NOTE - THAT AT RIVERBANKS, LIKE MANY NURSERIES ACROSS HERTFORDSHIRE - WE OPERATE OUR OWN ADMISSIONS POLICY - WHICH STATES CLEARLY THAT...
..WE DO OFFER THE GOVERNMENT'S FREE PLACE (WHICH IS WHERE A NURSERY GETS GIVEN A SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY TO DELIVER EARLY YEARS EDUCATION AND CARE TO YOUR 3 AND 4 YEAR OLD CHILD), BUT THAT WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO OFFER OUR PLACES FIRST, TO FAMILIES WHO ARE WANTING TO TAKE UP MORE TIME THAN THE GOVERNMENT'S STIPULATED HOURS AND ARE THEREFORE WILLING TO PAY SOME MONEY TOWARDS THEIR CHILD'S NURSERY PLACE.For further information, do please contact Shirley OR Sarah Hayman on
01582 461608
How to Find Us
Riverbanks is situated on the outskirts of Harpenden, Hertfordshire on the bank of the River Lea opposite St Martins Close, next to Riverbanks Close.
Please enter through the large green gates on the Lower Luton Road and not via Riverbanks Close. We have our own car park for visitors.
QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE....ANSWERED HERE!
Does Riverbanks provide food and drink?
At each session, Riverbanks supplies a wide and healthy selection of snacks at times the children want them. These include organic fruit and veg, bread, cheese, sweet and savoury biscuits, yoghurt, houmous, water at all times, seasonal snacks and foods from a wide variety of cultures.
Please note that when staying to lunch - we expect children to bring their own packed lunch.
What else is included in the fees?
School fees include shoe bags, aprons, cooking ingredients and all art and craft materials, reading materials, speech & language screening service, leavers report, Christmas Party and present!
Does my child need to be potty trained? No
Are the staff trained?
Most of our staff are qualified to the level of being able to RUN their own settings. We have a highly qualified and experienced staff team - who are committed to developing themselves professionally. Our staff turnover is exceptionally low.
What kind of activities do the children get involved in?
We make a concerted effort to plan and provide for a broad and balanced 'foundation stage' curriculum. You will see this called the EYFS in some literature. Activities are undertaken in small groups or as a whole class. Practical activities are dovetailed with more formal activities. Children learn to work with their peer group as well as with children who are older and younger than them. We believe that children need to learn to listen to other children and adults and there is an expectation that all children and adults will do this in our nursery school. We encourage imaginary play, sharing opinions, dancing, drama, cooking, music, singing, joke telling! news telling, art and craft, playdough, early literacy skills acquisition, number work, problem solving, sand play, water play, Mandarin lessons, story times, P/E, activities which offer knowledge and understanding about the world outside of Harpenden and so much more. The children benefit from having lots of caring and enthusiastic adults with them throughout their day - to ensure that t
hey can take the most from the nursery environment at Riverbanks.
How often does my child have to attend?
We recommend your child attends for at least 6 hours per week at the age of 2 and then gradually ups their hours in consultation with us.
Are children with additional needs catered for?
Yes - individual childrens' needs and requirements would be discussed and explored with parents and the staff involved in caring for the individual child. Where it is deemed appropriate - outside agencies and advice will need to be sought to ensure that we do everything we can to prepare the child for infant school.
How do I register my child and when? Firstly - please come and visit the nursery school whilst we are in operation. It is vital that you get a feel for what we do and how the children respond. You need to feel sure that it is the kind of environment you would want for your son or daughter. After that - there is some paperwork to complete and we ask for a deposit of £80.00 per child. Your child can start at anytime of the year, if we have a space. The biggest intakes usually happen in September and January. You need to register by late May - at the very latest, for the following September intake.