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The Hollies Pre-school, formerly Hollies Playgroup, was opened in September 1976 by a group of Poynton mums, who happened to be teachers, when they could not find a playgroup in Poynton where they felt their children would develop within an ordered group during the very important pre-school years.
The Hollies quickly grew, as other parents wanted their children to benefit from this well run group, where each child was encouraged to develop their abilities and become more confident and independent.
Initially the Hollies was run as a private business but, when the owner returned to teaching, the parents took over the Pre-school and since 1979 the Hollies has been a committee-run pre-school affiliated to the PLA (Pre-School Learning Alliance). The committee is run by elected volunteers and looks after the finances of the Pre-school, raise funds to buy equipment, repair damaged items and generally take full responsibility for the day-to-day running and organisation of the Pre-school.
The committee carries out the very important task of the administrative side of the Hollies. If you think you can help please come along to the next meeting - see notices on the door. You do not have to become a member to attend meetings or help the pre-school as every Hollies parent is a part-owner and therefore has an equal responsibility to the group and are very welcome to take part in all the meetings. So do come along and take an interest in how the group is run, we do need you!
As previously mentioned, the Hollies Pre-School is a member of the Pre-School Learning Alliance which is the largest provider of pre-school care and education in the country. The benefits of PLA membership include support and advice on all aspects of pre-school care and education and also training courses, which some of the Hollies staff have attended.
In 1995 the Hollies became a registered charity which means we have access to some benefits previously not offered to us.
In April 2009, The Hollies relocated to their own premises on Hazelbadge Road, in the grounds of Lower Park School. The new building provides excellent indoor and outdoor facilities enabling all children to explore and develop their skills. The indoor areas include a designated art area, quiet room for sharing books and working on the computer and a home corner for imaginative play. The secure outdoor area provides a marked play area for trikes and cars to drive around, a large sandpit and seating area made from tree stump.
The move also enabled us to provide and extended service from 7:30 to 6:00 and provide a breakfast and afterschool club for the Lower Park School children. In addition we provide a holiday club for children from 2½ to 11 years.
We were inspected by OFSTED on 13th July 2009 and were very pleased with the outcomes. A copy of the report can be viewed on the OFSTED website - here (bottom of page). You can also download a PDF version here. (You will need the free Adobe Reader software to read it - you can get it here).
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