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We provide a happy, safe environment where children can learn through play.

We have fun, gain confidence and develop social skills at Playcentre. We work in partnership with parents under the principles of the Christian faith, to ensure that each child has the best possible start to their early years education. 

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How to book

We make it easy for your child to attend Playcentre:

  1. Make an enquiry - fill out a short form and we'll contact you
  2. Come for a visit - bring your child to play and settle in.
  3. Book your sessions - fill in our registration info and start attending!
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Essential Info

Playcentre Wickbourne takes children from the age of 2, up to 5 years old when they then start school.

We  run separate morning and afternoon sessions in school  Term Time Only  for a maximum of 42 children at a time.  Children are usually allocated a mixture of different sessions throughout the week depending on availability.

Morning sessions are 9:00am – 12:00pm.  
Lunches are 12:00 – 1:00pm.  
Afternoon sessions are 1.00pm – 4.00pm.

 We have been consistently rated GOOD by Ofsted since we opened in 2005, with our last inspection in November 2022.

READ OUR OFSTED REPORT HERE
Playcentre features
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We offer a wide range of play-based activities to promote personal, social, emotional and physical development, and communication and language skills. These include role play, messy play and outdoor play. 

Secure Garden

Your child will have the opportunity to play indoors or outdoors in all-weather in our secure  garden with a range of small and large equipment. 

Park Trips
Two young children in fancy dress hugging.

We are fortunate to have a park across the road from our venue and often take the children outside in all seasons to explore the natural world. 

Outings and Visitors

We offer visits to places in the local area such as the Library, the shops and the beach. We have visitors in to talk to the children, such as the Fire Brigade, the Police, Nurses and other professionals. 

Multi-Cultural Events

We are built on Christian values but we recognise that we live in a multi-cultural society, therefore we give the children a taste of other faiths, cultures and festivals such as Diwali, Hanukkah and Chinese New Year. At Christmas we perform a Nativity for the parents/carers.  

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Fees and Funding
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Regular costs are £17 per child per session (morning or afternoon). Fees are to be paid each half term in advance. There is also a non-refundable one-off registration fee of £25 per child. 

We accept 2 year old funding and the ‘Early Years Free Entitlement Initiative’ (age 3 & 4 years old). This funding covers a period of 38 weeks per year.  We also accept 30 hours Free Entitlement but spaces are limited. Children are able to stay 9am-4pm and are required to bring a packed lunch. If the lunchtime hours are not covered by government funding, there is a voluntary charge of £5. Please ask for more details on our funding policies. 

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT FREE CHILDCARE
Your Child’s Progress
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We treat each child as a unique individual, understanding that they all have their own specific needs. When starting at Playcentre, we recognise that some children settle quickly and can be left straight away, but we are equally happy for you to stay with them for as long as necessary. 

Key Person

Each child will be assigned  their own  Key  Person who will observe and record their progress and achievements in their Learning Journal. We welcome contributions from home such as pictures and photographs. You can also access your child’s progress through the  TAPESTRY APP.

Healthy Eating

We encourage the children to eat healthily, so we offer snacks in each session. The Wickbourne Centre chefs will often come and lead cooking activities for the children. This is an opportunity to encourage children’s independence skills.

Parents & Carers input

We recognise that you are the first educator of your child and welcome your input.  We hold two evenings a year to discuss your child’s progress with their Key  Person. We also have an ‘Open Door’ policy and you are welcome at any time.  We are always happy for parents to spend time in the setting and help on visits and outings. Anyone wishing to do this on a regular basis will need a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check

School Preperation

For our older children, we focus on basic literacy and numeracy skills to help them be ready for school.

view our policies
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Additional Needs
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We aim to include all children within the setting whatever their needs, including English as a second language. Our staff are aware of the requirements of the Code of Practice for Special Educational Needs. Lucie Coe is the designated Additional Needs Coordinator role. 

We are also able to access the advice and services of other professionals through the Littlehampton Children & Family Centre, such as Health Visitors, Speech and Language Therapists, Educational Psychologists, Childcare Support and Early Years Advisory Teachers.  We work with parents, carers and other agencies to ensure the needs of each child are met. If you think your child may have additional needs, we have written a document called our Local Offer to explain how we can work with your child and you as a family. We have worked with many different children with additional needs over the past few years and would be more than happy to talk through how we can accommodate them. 

view our local offer
Visit & Contact Us
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Our address is:  
Playcentre Wickbourne,  
The Wickbourne Centre,  
Clun Road,  
Littlehampton,  
West Sussex,  
BN17 7DZ. 

We are inside the Wickbourne Centre, so come in through the main entrance.

By Car:  The Centre has a small car park and further parking is available along Clun Road. 
By Public Transport:  We are a 10 min walk (1/2 a mile) from Littlehampton Train Station. The nearest bus stop is outside the centre on the 700 Coastliner Route. 

The Wickbourne Centre has level access and is suitable for wheelchairs and mobility scooters.

If you would like further information, please get in contact.   

Telephone: 01903 867582 |    Email: PLAYCENTRE.WICKBOURNE@arunchurch.com

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