Partnership with Parents & Carers
We recognise that you are the prime educator of your child and would like to embrace this and develop a close relationship with you to help your child to achieve their full potential.
We operate an open door policy and all parents are welcome at any time during the day. Our friendly staff team will always make time to discuss your child’s development achievements and progress or other aspects of nursery life with you. All children receive a daily diary of their nursery day and activities they have participated in this gives us the opportunity to share information about your child’s learning and interests at home to enable us to support you to extend their learning it also allows you to share information on a personal basis as well.
We hold regular parent’s information sessions at times suitable to yourselves where you are invited to look at your children’s achievements, learning and development. At your child’s first parents information session you will be given a “what to expect when” booklet to allow you to follow your child’s development at home and to contribute to their tracking and summary reports.
A parent’s information board is situated in the entrance hall to keep parents informed of nursery news. You will also find our own information leaflets and our regular newsletter here. A suggestions box is on the wall where you may wish to comment on our services or make suggestions on improvements we could make to improve our service to you.
We also support parents and offer advice to families by signposting them to other professionals or services that may be able to offer them support. Once a term on a Saturday we invite parents into the nursery for a play and learn session each month is linked to a specific area of the early year’s foundation stage (we also include breakfast!)
Information For Parents
We start the day at 7.30am and finish at 6.30pm. Please be punctual when arriving and leaving, as this can affect out ratios and insurance. Lateness may incur an additional charge which will be added to your bill.
Children can attend on a sessional or full time basis. If parents need other hours than those stated in our sessions, please ask the management. If at all possible we will do our best to accommodate you at an extra charge.
Admissions
We offer nursery places on a first come first served basis whilst adhering to our Ofsted registration that allows us a certain number of children of each age group. The staff will work with you to settle your child in to nursery life. We offer a free settling in period which is usually a week of visits where children will gradually build up the time they spend with us.
During the settling in process your child will also be offered a home visit to support the transition into nursery and be allocated a Key Person.
Parents are always welcome to phone the nursery at any time during the day to see how their child is.
If your child is absent please inform the nursery by telephone explaining why, as we need to keep a record of this. If your child has a hospital or clinic appointment the nursery must be notified about who will be collecting them and at what time. Unfortunately we still have to charge you if your child is absent with an illness due to staffing. We charge based on 50 weeks per year which is averaged out over a 12 month period, so that all parents receive 2 weeks free care per year. if you are taking a family holiday please contact the nursery in advance.
If your child is ill please telephone to inform the nursery. This is most important so that staff can organise meals and snacks and ratios of staff for the children present.
If children hurt themselves in nursery immediate action will be taken. If it is serious the child will be taken to hospital. You must sign a written consent form when your child starts nursery.
If a minor accident occurs it will be recorded in the nursery accident book and when you come to collect your child you will be asked to sign it.
A qualified member of staff may only administer medication that has been prescribed by a G.P. with instruction of correct dosage, and how many times your child needs to take the medication must be written down on the nursery form and signed by you.
If your child comes into nursery with an injury we ask parents to sign a form stating this as this helps us with our safeguarding procedure.
Children should wear comfortable, casual clothing. Uniform is optional. No responsibility will be accepted for loss or damage to any articles of clothing or jewellery. Children with pierced ears should only wear studs. Staff cannot accept any responsibility for jewellery worn in the nursery.
You will need to provide your child with a pair of pumps, slippers or indoor shoes in a suitable bag (no plastic bags please) that can be left in the nursery.
This helps keep our building clean and hygienic for the children during the winter months and in wet weather. It is also advisable to leave a complete change of clothing in case of accidents.
Handprints operates a Key Person system within the setting as Research has shown that a Key Person approach is the most effective way of ensuring that children develop a strong relationship and secure attachments.
We believe that relationships between adults and children are crucial for the child’s happiness and security.
The Key Person approach gives every child the reassurance to feel secure and cared for, allowing them to become familiar with the nursery enabling them to feel confident and safe within it.
Your child’s Key Person meets the needs of each child in their care and responds sensitively to their feelings, ideas and plans for their next steps in their development.
The early year’s pupil premium (EYPP) is additional funding for early years settings to improve the education they provide for disadvantaged 3- and 4-year-olds.
Handprints started claiming the pupil premium in 2015. This money is spent on equipment and services to support identified children eligible for this extra funding.
Details of how this is spent can be found in the entrance of the nursery in the nursery action plan.
If you think your child is eligible for this funding please talk to your child’s Key Person.
