The Buttermere Room

The Buttermere Room is dedicated to children aged 2 to 5 years who attend our pre-school sessions, supported by the 15 or 30 hours per week Early Years Education Funding entitlement (available during term time only, 38 weeks a year). This government funding is available for eligible families and can be used to help cover the cost of childcare. A child is entitled to funding from the term after they turn 9 months, 24 months, or 36 months. For more information about eligibility and how to apply, please contact Thurrock Council Family Information Service at 01375 652 801 or visit www.askthurrock.org.uk. Alternatively, you can explore other details and eligibility criteria via www.childcarechoices.gov.uk or www.gov.uk/childcare-calculator.

In the Buttermere Room, we maintain a ratio of 1 adult to 5 children for children aged 2-3 years and 1 adult to 8 children for children aged 3-5 years. Our passionate team implements the values and ethos of Chafford Tots to Teens Childcare Services, offering a joyful, kind, and exciting environment that promotes learning through play. We follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) to ensure that all aspects of each child's development are nurtured.
Our enriching curriculum in the Buttermere Room is designed to celebrate each child's individuality while fostering positive relationships with both staff and peers. Children engage in a wide variety of activities, including free play, arts and crafts, carpet time, story time, rhyme time, sensory play, and physical play. We encourage outdoor visits every day to help children develop both physically and emotionally in the fresh air.

Each child is assigned a Key Person who ensures that their individual needs are met. Through this relationship, you will receive updates on your child's activities, sleep times, toileting, and meal information. These updates are shared both verbally at collection time and electronically via our online system.

Children are welcome to bring a comforter to help them feel settled. We encourage children to leave their comforters in their bag or on their peg when not in use, but our team will always do their best to look after these special items.

Our pre-school sessions are offered on a flexible basis and are available in either full-day (9 am – 3 pm) or half-day (9 am – 12 pm or 12 pm – 3 pm) options. These sessions are available Monday to Friday during term time only. If you require hours beyond the 15 or 30 funded hours, we can accommodate your needs. Please feel free to explore our Grasmere Room and contact us for more details about availability and extra hours.