Preschool

Hopefully this page will give you a flavour of the experiences your child will encounter during their time in the Preschool. It cannot, however, convey the supportive and friendly atmosphere which is an essential part of a child's pre school experience.

The prime aim of all those who work in Hartford Preschool is to ensure that each child is happy and able to develop their full potential in a caring and stimulating environment.

During a child's time in the Preschool, we work closely with you so that we can support each child and provide quality experiences for them.

Hartford Preschool is a part of the Cam Academy Trust providing education for 3 and 4 year-olds. The maximum number of children that can be admitted is 20 per session (sessions are either morning OR afternoon). Children attend Monday to Friday in term time. There is no maximum limit on the amount of hours a child can attend and sessions can be NEF funded by the Government and/or paid for at a rate of £15 per 3 hour session*. This ensures that the child has continuation of childcare provision. To promote this, we will not take children for less than 3 sessions (9 hours) a week.

Sessions times are:
• 5 morning sessions of 9.00am – 12 noon [15 hours] or
• 5 afternoon sessions of 12 noon – 3.00pm [bring a packed lunch] [15 hours] or
• 5 extended sessions of 9.00am – 3.00pm [30 hours]

All Preschool places are funded by the Government. The Preschool makes no charge in relation to the free entitlement to 15 hours of Preschool provision. Every child is entitled to these 15 universal hours a week from the term after they turn 3 years old. At Hartford Preschool that equates to either 5 morning sessions or 5 afternoon sessions of free provision. Our main intake of children is in September each year. If your child is not yet eligible for funding an additional charge of £15.00* per 3-hour session will apply. Some children are eligible for a further 15 hours a week of government funding (extended provision). You will need to visit this website to find out if you are eligible for this. Please note we have limited capacity to accept children entitled to the extended provision and currently only offer 12 of these full-time spaces. Please see the admissions policy to understand how we allocate these 12 spaces*.

Although the Preschool is part of the Cam Academy Trust, there is no automatic entry to the Reception year of the Infant School. Parents must apply and register for the Infant School separately in accordance with the School’s Admissions Policy. Children attending Hartford Infant and Preschool do not have higher priority in the Infant School Admissions Policy. It is not a requirement to have attended the Preschool in order to be able to apply for a place at Hartford Infant School.

*Please note the total number of spaces for extended provision and the charges for 3 hours will change in September 2024.

Bringing out the Best in Everyone