Policies & Procedures
The company's policies and procedures
Copies of our policies and procedures are available for all to read please ask a member of the team to locate you a copy.
Our policies are designed to ensure a high standard of service is provided and that all members of our nursery and visitors can enjoy a mutually enjoyable and beneficial experience.
Policies are regularly reviewed and new ones written in accordance with change to the environment, legislation and current affairs. It is essential that staff and parents work together to adopt these policies and feel able to comment on or participate in regular reviews of them.
Settling in
We understand the importance of attachment and recognise the benefits of a firm sense of belonging when socialising within a larger group. That is why we offer a sound induction process individually geared to each child and their family, we do not have set timescales for settling in. Parents are asked to spend time with staff talking about their child's capabilities and interests. We asked parents to fill in an information and permissions booklet to ensure we cater for every need.
Staff are more than happy to make home and other setting visits if it is considered a benefit to the child.
Once a child is registered with us they will be offered up to six free one hour settling in visits, this gives the children and their parent(s) an opportunity to make regular short visits to familiarise themselves with the nursery environment and it’s wider family.
Clothing and personal belongings
Please ensure that all items are clearly named, up to the age of three your child will be provided with a personal storage box in their base room making it secure and convenient for you to leave their belongings at nursery. The older children are encouraged to bring a bag containing their belongings, in preparation for big school.
Although we do provide protective clothing for your child when participating in wet or messy activities, we do request that you will child's clothing is practical and not their best. We continuously encourage skills of independence, for the older children this includes taking themselves to the toilet and taking off and putting on outdoor clothing. Clothing that is easy for them to manage will help them greatly.
Learning Environment
A Rich Play Based Learning Environment
Play underpins all areas of development and learning, children will flourish intellectually, creatively, physically, socially and emotionally when they are encouraged to freely explore and experiment in an environment that both challenges and inspires them.
The environment we have created helps children to:
- Feel valued as a member of the nursery family.
- Take risks and problem solve in a safe environment.
- Experience social skills of being part of a larger group.
- Provides endless learning opportunities.
- Become independent learners.
Each child attending the nursery is planned for as an individual, staff use weekly planning sheets to convey their key children's requirements and next steps. The team support children's individual interests, respect alternative approaches and provide additional resources to expand on the child’s knowledge and capabilities. We offer a balance of adult led and child selected experiences and activities that cover all areas of learning both indoors and out. The curriculum we follow is carefully planned in accordance with current statutory guidance, however we plan using a flexible approach that can easily be adapted to the individual needs and interests of each child attending our nursery. Staff continuously monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of their practice by observing the children and assessing individual progress or identifying any concerns, this information is discussed verbally with parents and colleagues and recorded in a child's learning journal.
The children enjoy getting involved with the planning of activities and the layout of the nursery. Children are regularly consulted and actively encouraged to assist in problem-solving, the staff discussed cause and effect with the children helping them to make their own decisions about their environment.
Snacks & Meals
We believe that mealtimes are a social event when children and adults should eat together. Menus are carefully planned to provide children with healthy, fresh and nutritionally balanced food. Please inform us of any dietary requirements your child might have and we will make sure these are met.
We understand that some children may be selective in what they eat and feel that a gentle but exciting approach to trying new healthy foods is essential.
We actively encourage and involve children by assisting them to grow their own produce in the nursery vegetable patch. This hands-on approach includes regular cooking and food preparation activities which promotes healthy eating and food hygiene.
To further encourage a healthy environment we ask every child in all rooms to bring a clearly labeled cup or bottle with fresh water in it, children are actively encouraged to help themselves and during hot weather or following physical activity they are reminded of the health benefits of drinking plenty.
