Children in the programme FAQs
» More info on the Children's pages
» Tell me about registration procedures
for children...
» Can I
pre-register my child?
» What
should children bring with them to the
groups?
» Who
can collect my child from the venue?
» Why don't
you provide childcare during the afternoon?
» Why
is Under 5s provision for only half the
morning?
» Why
aren't children grouped by school
year?
» Can my child
move into an older group?
» What will
my child be doing in their programmes?
» How do
you contact me if my child has a problem?
» What checks do
you carry out on the children’s helpers?
» I'm a
lone parent/carer - how can I attend the evening
programme?
» Tips for
Parents
A. On arrival, each child attending the Under 5s, 5-7s and 8-11s programmes must be registered into their relevant age groups, using the appropriate form. There are different forms for each age group. Forms will be available from springharvest.org/downloads in March 2010.
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A. Due to the large numbers of children attending Spring Harvest, it is not possible to pre-register your child/children before you arrive. However, Registration Forms will be available to download from this website from March 2008, so you can complete these before you arrive and save you some time. Don’t forget to bring the forms with you!
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Q. What
should children bring with them to the
groups?
Under 5s: anything that
your child would normally need at home - comforter, dummy,
bottle, spare nappies, potty, change of clothes etc. Please
ensure everything you bring including clothes are clearly
labelled with the child's full name and your chalet number once
you know it.
5-7s: A light snack (piece of fruit, small plain biscuit) and a drink in a clearly named bottle (not glass). No peanuts or foods possibly containing nuts should be taken into any of the children's venues in case of allergic reactions. If the weather is good and the ground is dry then the children might be taken outside to play together so a jacket or jumper would be advisable. Finally, and most importantly, your child will have been given a badge at registration with an area for you to complete on the reverse. They should have this with them at all times in case we need to contact you.
8-11s: As with the younger children, please
bring a drink and a snack and ensure that they have their badges
on. The children will need to feel comfortable to play, so make
sure they're wearing comfortable clothes which are suitable for
them to do craft activities and to run and dance around.
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Q. Who
can collect my child from the
venue?
A. At registration you will be
given a ticket for each child that must be produced
when the child is collected. The ticket will have
a unique code so that only you, or an authorised adult, can
collect your child.
Should you lose the ticket, please speak to the leader at the information point within the venue who will ask you to confirm a password instead (this will also be agreed at the time of registration).
On registration of the 8-11s group, we'll ask if you're happy for
your child to leave the venue alone, and if so you'll
be asked to sign a form to that effect. (This only
applies to 8-11s.)
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A. Our Under 5s and 5-7s programmes are registered by Ofsted (Office for Standards in Education) to care for children under the Childrens Act. The act applies to children under the age of 8 and limits our type of programme (known as 'creche day care') to a maximum of four hours per day. We see the morning teaching programme as a key part of the day and therefore offer the children's programmes during that time.
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A. Regretfully, this is where logistics kick in! The nurseries on the Resorts we work on are simply not big enough to hold all of the under 5s. During some weeks, we can have up to 500 under 5s - and we would rather house them in a purpose built nursery, in small groups than put them all together in a much larger room. However, this does mean we're unable to offer extra two hours cover for children in the afternoon.
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A. We've been looking at the possibility of grouping by school year, but there are two main reasons why we haven't been able to do so.
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A. Regretfully, due to the large numbers of children involved, we need to be very strict on age groups for all children aged 10 and under. All our under 8s programmes are registered under the Children Act. Staffing ratios and registration requirements mean we cannot cater for four year-olds in the 5-7s programme or seven year-olds in the 8-11s programme. However, children aged 11 may choose to attend either the 8-11s programme or the youth programme.
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A. Each age group has a programme designed especially for them - meeting in groups with others of a similar age to learn, worship and enjoy themselves. The leaders are specialists and follow the same daily themes as the adult programme. For more details see our Childrens pages.
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In larger venues (eg the Big Top), there may be designated parents areas. If we need to call a parent out, boards will be displayed only in the parents, so please ensure you sit here. We'll also ask for your mobile phone number, so please make sure you keep this phone with you at all times.
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A. Each year, our children’s workers are asked to complete an application form to join the respective children’s teams. In addition to completing an application form, a photo index card and references are also required by the applicant following the guidelines set out in the application form. Applications are processed at Spring Harvest Head Office and then sent to the appropriate Team Leader for their approval. Applications are accepted at the discretion of the Team Leader/Spring Harvest.
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Q. I'm a lone parent/carer - how can I attend the evening programme?
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Snacks for kids
Each morning the 5-7s and 8-11s children's programmes have a short snack break so please ensure your child takes a small snack (a biscuit/piece of fruit) and a drink, labelled with their full name in a non-breakable container. Please don't use glass bottles or products which contain nuts as some children have severe nut allergies. -
Bikes, scooters and roller blades
For safety and security reasons, no roller blades, scooters or bikes will be allowed in the buildings or Skyline. They also must not be left in, or outside, the children's venues during the programme. -
Safety and security issues
Please remember that Spring Harvest is a large event - parents and guardians to exercise the same caution as they would at home. It is important for children to follow your normal rules about talking to strangers and wandering around alone. -
Personal belongings
Please ensure that any coats, jumpers, cardigans or any other personal belongings your children bring to the venue are clearly named just in case they get left behind.
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