AAims and Objectives
Our aim is to provide a safe, happy and enjoyable environment to stimulate and enhance the development of nursery age children, through a wide variety of structured and unstructured play/experiences. Our commitment is that your child will go home stimulated, well fed, happy and clean so you can spend quality time together.
Equal Opportunities
We believe that each child is unique and should be encouraged to achieve his/her full potential. We aim to work within a framework, which ensures equality of opportunity for all children and families. We will treat every child and person as an individual. An equal opportunities policy is displayed in the Nursery.
Admissions
It is our intention to make our Nursery accessible to all sections of the community. To accomplish this we will do the following:
Advertise the Nursery in the places where all sections of the community can see the adverts.
Arrange our waiting list on a first come first serve basis. - Make clear that the Nursery is welcoming to all parents regardless of their cultural, ethnic, religious and social groups.
- Communicate Nursery information in more than one language if appropriate.
Our Curriculum
Our specially tailored curriculum is centred around the nationally approved Early Learning Years Foundation Stage. This includes:
1. Communication, Language and Literacy.
2. Personal and Social Development.
3. Knowledge and Understanding of the world.
4. Physical Development.
5. Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numeracy.
6. Creative Development.
These provide a solid foundation for independence, responsibility and confidence therefore preparing and encouraging future learning. We feel that children learn best through first hand experience and when they are enjoying themselves. As a result we make every activity FUN.
Staff Holidays
The Nursery closes for holidays at the following times:
· 1 week at Christmas
· 2 weeks in August
· 1 week at Easter
We want children to feel safe and happy in the absence of their parents, to recognise other adults as a source of authority, help develop friendship and to be able to share with their parents afterwards the new learning experiences in the Nursery. In order to accomplish this we will do the following:
Encourage parents to visit the nursery with their children during the weeks before an admission is planned.
We believe that a home visit is appropriate before each child starts the nursery.
Ensure families are supprted in the nursery for as long as it is necessary to settle their child.
Introduce new families into the group on a staggered basis, ie no more than two a day.
We operate a key person/ key worker system.
Children cannot play or learn successfully if they are anxious or unhappy therefore we aim to do the following:
· Help parents to ensure their children are comfortable in the Nursery.
· Benefit from what it has to offer.
· Be confident that their parents will return at the end of the day.
Personal Belongings
It is advised that children leave their own belongings at home but if your child is particularly attached to an item and needs it for comfort; he/she may bring it into the Nursery until the child is fully settled. These items should be marked clearly with their names; the Nursery does not accept any responsibility for the damage/loss of these items. All outer clothing inc. coats and cardigans should be labelled with the child’s name. A change of clothing should be left at the Nursery in case it is needed.
Security and safety
In order to protect your child throughout the day, staff will not release children to anyone other than those listed on the registration form. Parents are required to inform staff in writing if anyone else is collecting their child in advance and a password must be given when the child is being picked up.
Behaviour Policy
It is our policy to encourage positive behaviour with emphasis on both self-discipline and consideration for others. In a case of consistent misbehaviour, which is of concern to staff, parents will be notified of it verbally and as a team both staff and parents will agree on behaviour modification program for that particular child. If the unacceptable behaviour persists if necessary with the approval and involvement of parents/carers advice will be sought from an appropriate professional.
Nursery outings
The children will be taken out locally to parks, the library, a garden centre, the post office, etc. Our annual nursery outing will be to a place of interest such as the farm, the zoo, or model village.
Medication/ Illness
Parents will be asked not to bring into the Nursery any child who has been vomiting or had diarrhoea until at least 48 hours has passed since the last attack. During this time the child should be seen by a doctor and have under gone test to determine the course of the problem. At this time usually medicine would have been prescribed. Nursery staff will only administer medication to children that have been prescribed by the child’s GP these medication include Calpol or Paracetamol.
Children should be kept at home for 48 hours when prescribed antibiotics. Nursery staff will be able to administer prescribed medication only if the medication is clearly labelled with the child’s name, doses on it and prescribed by the child’s GP. Parents will be oblige to sign the medication book whenever medicine is brought in and collected on a daily basis, otherwise it will not be administered. Staff will also sign when they give medication to a child.
No medicine is to be left in the Nursery over night (except asthma pump).
Should a child become unwell during the day, the parent/guardian will be contacted in order to be made aware of the situation and maybe required to collect them, in which case, the child should be collected within 30 minutes, otherwise the emergency contact number will be called.
The parent will be expected to keep the child at home for a period of time depending on the illness. Parents will be asked not to bring into the Nursery any child who has been vomiting or had diarrhoea until at least 48 hours has passed since the last attack. During this time the child should be seen by a doctor and have undergone tests to determine the cause of the problem. At this time usually medicine would have been prescribed. Nursery staff will only administer medication to children that have been prescribed by the child’s GP.
Whilst at home the parent should monitor the child for signs/symptoms of diseases such as chicken pox, measles, mumps, rubella, meningitis, hepatitis, vomiting, diarrhoea and raised temperature. Please notify us if your child has signs/symptoms of any of these so we can inform other parents. Parents are expected to cooperate with the Nursery in promoting good health and hygiene of the children.
In a case of serious accident or illness, the parent will be contacted immediately along with a paramedic and first aid given, if necessary. If the parent or the emergency contact person cannot be contacted or unable to get to the Nursery on time, nursery staff will take the responsibility of accompanying the child in an ambulance to hospital.
A quarterly newsletter/magazine will be published to keep parents up to date with Nursery events and projects. Any input from parents/ carers is always welcomed.
Safeguarding & Welfare Procedure
Here at Artilda’s Nursery, we are very keen for all children to benefit from and enjoy a safe, secure and happy environment whilst with our staff both on and off the premises.
It therefore naturally follows that we always endeavour to look out for their welfare and safekeeping at all times.
Settling in policy
The settling in procedure commences from the initial visit to the nursery. Parents/carer are encourage to bring the child along when they first visit the nursery. The second stage of the settling in process is when the child is visited at home by two members of staff. The final stage of the settling process is when the child actually starts attending the nursery.
On the first day the parent/carer is allowed to remain on the premises for a maximum of two hours, preferably not playing directly with their own child. Sometimes it is best that the parent/carer sit upstairs and listen. After this period of time the parent/carer may leave not forgetting to kiss their child and say “see you later”.
On leaving the parent/carer will be reminded to telephone the nursery at two hours interval to receive feedback on how well their child is settling-in. Staff are encouraged to be honest with the parent/carer. If the child is unusually distressed after four hours then the parent will be asked to return to the nursery to offer comfort to their child. Staff expects each settling-in child to be less tearful after the third session.
For children one year and over a daily written report is given to the parent for a period of up to two weeks. For babies under age one year this daily report continues until they have reached age one year. However if staff have some concerns about the child’s learning and development in the age groups specified then the day report will continue for longer.
The staff team keep an eye out for any significant changes in the child’s behaviour, demeanour and outward appearance and actively seek reasons and answers as to why a change is occurring.
Below, we have set out the policies we have here at Artilda’s to deal with these issues and an explanation of what steps will be taken in each case.
Complaints Procedure
If parents have any concerns concerning the treatment, progress and development of their child they should first discuss these with the Deputy Manager. If the matter is not resolved you may speak with the Manager who can be contacted most times including week ends on the Nursery telephone number (or on her mobile number – 07951 195 517 or email – Moveta@artildasnursery.co.uk). However, if the matter is concerning a particular member of staff please do not hesitate to contact the Manager directly on the same contact numbers. You can also address a letter to the manager stating your complaint and pop into our Communication Box which can be found outside our administration office. Your complaint will be treated with strictest confidence. If the matter is still not resolved please contact OFSTED 0845 601 4772. Please find following this page a copy of our Concern and Complaints Form. If you wish to put your complaint in writing you are welcome to complete the enclosed Concern and Complaints Form. Once completed please sign and insert into an envelope and place in the managers Communication Box.