Important Information
Starting Nursery And Key Worker Information
We understand how important it is for you and your child to find nursery provision that can meet your child’s individual needs, provide them with outstanding play, care and education as well as meeting your expectations and suiting your family’s needs.
That is why before starting your child at the Nursery we advise you and your child to come and have a look round, meet and chat with our friendly staff team and share experiences with our parents.
During your look around you will meet with our Nursery Manager who will answer any questions you may have. You will be asked to complete a few forms that will give us essential information about your child.
Click here for an enquiry form
You will then plan with the Nursery Manager induction dates to suit you and your child.
Induction
We recognise that all children are different in the way they react to a new environment, and so we encourage parents to stay with their child for short periods of time until both parent and child feels comfortable and confident about being left in nursery, these are called inductions.
We ask that all parents carryout at least two induction sessions (depending on the needs of the parent and child) before the child starts nursery.
1st Induction
The parent and child both attend a pre-planned nursery session (this session normally lasts for 1 hour). During this session the parent and child will play alongside the other children and the key worker will provide support. Once the child is settled the parent may leave the nursery for a short period of time before the session ends. During this time the child will be engaged in play and reassured of the parent’s return.
2nd Induction
During the second induction the parent will meet with their key worker and settle their child into the play session. After the child has settled the parent may then leave the setting for about an hour (depending on child and parents needs). If the second induction is successful than the child will start nursery on a pre-planned start date.
All children are individual and some children may take longer to settle than others. The Nursery team is experienced and receptive to the children’s needs and in situations where children find it difficult to settle we give lots of reassurance and cuddles and distract children with play. Your child’s key worker will be on hand to give advice on settling in strategies.
For children that find it hard to settle a longer induction period may be required.
Curriculum
We are committed in providing our future generation with the best possible varied education through play providing our little adults with confidence, a passion to learn and skills that will help them become self assured positive and skilful adults.
With the use of positive interaction from our well-trained and qualified childcare team, we aim to provide many opportunities to inspire children and interest them in the world that surrounds them.
With the support of our staff children can develop and explore their curiosity and imagination to help make sense of the world. We encourage our children to problem solve and investigate their play, to use imagination and creativity on tasks as they build on new ideas and learn new concepts.
Healthy Eating
We understand how important a healthy lifestyle is for our growing children and that good nutrition plays an essential role in our children’s learning. A well balanced diet and plenty of exercise improves our children’s concentration as well as giving them bags of energy to play and learn.
Our Snacks
The nursery is committed to provide healthy snacks for our children both morning and afternoon prepared by the nursery staff and children. We plan our snack menus by incorporating fresh seasonal fruit and vegetables and tastes and smells.
The snacks that we provide will be;
Fresh and eaten on the day of preparation
Will not have added salt or sugar
Be free from harmful additives and preservatives
We avoid using processed foods in our snacks and a vegetarian option is always available. Your child’s key worker will work closely with you and your child’s individual dietary requirements.
Lunch boxes
To continue our commitment of healthy food for our children we encourage parents to replace chocolate bars with fruit and juice drinks with water.
Snack Times
Not only are snack times opportunities to refuel healthy minds and bodies but it is also a time of learning. Mealtimes provide an excellent opportunity to learn essential social skills such as listening, sharing, talking and independence, as well as motor skills.
During snack times children are encouraged to count the number of children and give out plates and cutlery. They are encouraged to pour their own drinks and help clean up after themselves.
Snack times are social times and so with adult support children are encouraged to talk about their food, where it came from, shape, tastes and texture and to share eating experiences from their own cultures.
Drinks
Each child at nursery is provided with fresh bottled water that they can access independently at all times. For children that are unable to access their drinks independently fresh water will be offered every hour.
Curriculum
As part of our curriculum we have included fun and interesting planned food sessions run by our key workers to explore new foods. We feel it is essential that children learn the basics of foods, where it comes from, how to wash and prepare foods and encouraging children to explore different foods.
Weaning
Weaning can be a difficult and daunting time. We are available for advice and information and have produced Weaning packs to help parents.
Parental Involvement
A child’s first educator is their parent/carer and in order to give our children the best possible start we feel it is essential that we work in partnership with our parents. The partnership that we have with our parents is invaluable and we work extremely hard to build trust and open communication.
We encourage our parents to be involved in their child’s care and education and parents are welcomed to attend any session that their child is attending. As a parent you may also wish to join in with one of our activities or outings.
Daily Record Sheets
The Nursery will use ‘daily record sheets’ to inform you of your child’s day. The Record Sheet will provide you with information such as: food and drink consumed, nappy changes, activities and play carried out, temperament etc.
Parents Evening
The Nursery hold three parent evenings a year. This is a time for parents to come into the nursery and celebrate achievements with key workers from both nursery and at home. You will be able to look through your child’s progress pack and receive a report of your child’s progress. This is also a great opportunity to show you some of your child’s work. If you would like to discuss your child’s progress you do not have to wait until the next parents evening. Just simply give us a call and we will arrange an appointment with you.
Parent Talents
We recognise that all of our parents are talented and this is your opportunity to shine! If you have a skill that you could teach our children then come and share it. Whether it’s creative, culinary or banging bongos you maybe just what we need.
There are opportunities to volunteer within the Nursery and other areas of our centre. Please click on link below for more information:
Parents Panel
Would you like to become more involved in the decision making of the nursery? Would you like to meet other parents? Then the parents’ panel may be for you! The group is a team of parents that work in partnership with the nursery manager and staff to continually strive to improve the service. As a parent you know what you want your nursery to provide for your children so come along and join!
Parent Feedback
The feedback that we receive from our parents plays an important role in the evaluation of our service to our families. In order to improve the service we provide we need comments from you.
Security
At the Roberts Day Nursery we pride ourselves on the security of our children.
Premises
To ensure excellent security of our premises all access to the nursery and garden can only be accessed by nursery staff through security coded doors which are supervised at all times. All visitors and parents to the Centre have to report to reception where a member of staff signs the visitor in.
Password System
When a child first starts the nursery, parents are asked to provide a password that is used for authorisation for the collection of children. If the parent is unable to collect the child from nursery then the authorised collector will be asked to show I.D. and will be asked for the child’s password. Children are never released without a password being given.
Staff
In order to keep our children safe from harm all Staff, Students and Volunteers that work within the Nursery and Centre go through rigorous checks to ensure their suitability to work with children. These checks are carried out during the recruitment process. Every member of staff has a DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service) check and these are updated every three years. Each staff member is also required to sign an annual medical and conviction declaration to ensure that no changes have taken place over the year.
Physical Play
The Nursery believes that physical education is extremely important in helping our children to grown into active healthy adults. We pride ourselves in giving our children many opportunities to have fun whilst being active.
We have excellent garden facilities with a wide range of equipment to help develop gross and fine motor skills in a safe and secure environment. Children have several opportunities throughout the nursery session to access the garden in all weathers.
We follow a garden equipment plan that ensures varied equipment is available covering all six areas of learning so it is not only a place to be active but also an environment to learn.
Outings
Exploring the outside environment is an essential part of learning new skills needed for everyday life. Knowing this we include visits and outings in our curriculum and this is planned within our monthly topics.
In the past we have enjoyed trips to a local caravan park, hospital, Blue Reef Aquarium, parks etc as well as trips on trains, buses and boats.
When planning trips we ensure that we exceed the recommended staffing ratio from Ofsted and encourage parents to come and join the fun!
Visits
As well as outings our children benefit from the many visitors coming into the nursery. Together these sessions promote the building of confidence, development of speech and language as well as maths skills, encourage physical development and movement as well as personal, social and emotional development and the joy of sharing new experiences with others.
Our visitors have included:
Miller’s Arc Farm
Miller’s Arc Farm is a working rare breeds farm that travels around the country giving children the opportunity to have hands on experience with animals such as donkeys, pigs, sheep, ducks etc
Zoo Lab
Zoo Lab is a company specialising in educational programmes suitable for all age groups introducing children to creatures normally only read about. During our last visit the children had the rare opportunity to handle exotic animals such as snakes, spiders, African Land snails, giant millipedes and lots more