Parent & Carer

Parent&Carer

As parents you will have a very clear idea of what you want for your child. We see ourselves as an extension of the network which you put in place to help protect and develop your child towards your goals.

It is a three way partnership, involving the child, practitioner and parent. We seek to embrace all three elements and we welcome regular contact and input between home and nursery. Should you have any concerns at any time, please do not hesitate to speak to the nursery owners Janine Pethick or Emma Berryman, who will be able to help.

We have a procedure in place to ensure that any dissatisfaction is dealt with immediately. A step by step approach is explained in the ‘Complaints and Compliments Policy'.

Admissions

We operate an ‘Inclusion and Equality Policy‘ and ensure that all children have access to nursery places and services irrespective of their gender, race, disability religion or belief or sexual orientation of parents.

Tiny Tots have to take into account the following when allocating a child a place at the nursery:

Availability of places, taking into account the staff/child ratios, the age of the child and the registration requirements.
The nursery’s ability to provide the facilities for the welfare of the child, including appropriate staffing arrangements.

Prior to a child attending nursery, parents must complete and sign a Parent and Carer Contract and Registration Form. These forms provide the nursery with personal details relating to the child. For example, name, date of birth, address, emergency contact details, parental responsibilities, dietary requirements, collection arrangements, fees and sessions, contact details for parents, doctor’s contact details, health visitor contact details, allergies, parental consent and vaccinations etc.

Settling In Sessions

Once a child has a place confirmed at nursery, a number of settling in sessions will be arranged to ensure that your child has a smooth transition into nursery life. We will spend time together getting to know your child, and understanding what you want for them. We encourage you to take up our free trial sessions. Settling In Policy.

Daily Routines

Caterpillar Room

0 to 2 Years

New parents need time to readjust and reorganise their busy lives.
We take care of all your baby’s individual needs when they arise, including preparing fresh food at each meal time.
We keep a full record of nappy changes, feeds and sleeps to mirror home routine. A flexible range of activities stimulates your baby between feeds and sleeps.
Active learning starts from birth as babies use all their senses to discover the world around them. To encourage hands-on play the babies will explore tactile objects in treasure baskets.
Our baby room provides top quality furnishings including nursing chairs to help staff to hold small babies whilst feeding and comforting.
We encourage parents to drop in or phone at any time, and we are glad to visit parents at home on maternity leave if getting to the nursery is difficult.

Ladybird Room

2 Years

We continue to record information, including some more detailed observations and assessments around the children’s individual development.
Whilst the children will take part in some structured activities, planning will be fluid and will be led by children’s interests. At this stage children feel compelled to collect, fill, dump, stack and knock down and Heuristic play allows toddlers to experiment.
We ensure that every child receives the daily nourishment that they need, however we will not place any pressure on a child to eat anything that they may dislike. We promote independence by providing a low level worktop for children to help themselves to snacks, whilst promoting healthy eating at all times.
We also do what we can to help with toilet training when your child is ready.

Dragonfly Room

3 to 4 Years

Parents are starting to think about primary school for their children.
Children are becoming more independent and vocal. The activities are structured to emphasise the Early Learning Goals, giving the children opportunity to playfully investigate whilst reflecting their individual interests. At this age children are encouraged to spend some time playing in larger groups, and this helps to enhance social skills through conversation and communication.

Transitions

Meeting with Parents

Before your child moves room parents will be invited to meet their child’s new key worker. Your child’s current key worker will also attend and together you will be able to look at learning journeys, discuss progress, next steps and new routines.

School Transition

The smooth transition for a child from nursery to the local primary school is very important to us. We will arrange opportunities for children to visit their designated school and for teachers to spend time at our nursery so the children are familiar and feel confident at their new setting. We will agree a format with the local primary schools for sharing assessments and information about the children in our setting who will be attending their school. Also we will ensure that the transition in to school for children with complex needs is dealt with sensitively and is appropriate to their specific requirements. This transition would take place under the guidance of outside agencies.

Please refer to the ‘Transition Policy’.

Parent/Carer Information Sessions

Information sessions for parents and carers run once per term. Usually these sessions run for around an hour from 6pm. Sessions are always themed and inform parents about our current planning, forest schools activities, phonics,

E safety etc. Key Workers are always in attendance to discuss children’s current progress.

All About Me

We see babies and young children as unique individuals each with differing abilities and interests. To enable us to focus the nursery experiences around your child as they start nursery or move from room to room an ‘All About Me’ document is completed with the parents and key person. This highlights the child’s favorite activities, personal needs and gives you an opportunity to meet the staff, who will be caring for your child.

Learning Journeys

Each child in the setting will have their own learning journey to celebrate their achievements both within the setting and in the home. It is important that evidence is gathered over time by your child’s key worker as well as parents and carers. We see this as a three way partnership between the key worker, parents and children. You will be asked to regularly input into your child’s learning journey. This will ensure that evidence towards your child’s development is taken from a wide range of experiences. If your child attends more than one setting, information will need to be shared.

Tiny Tots Communication Book

This is a communication book for children attending the 0 to 2 year room. In this book we will show your child’s daily routine which will include feeds, sleep times, nappy changes and a brief comment about their day. There will be space in the book for you to make comments.

2 Year Old Progress Check

At some point after your child turns 2, the professionals working with your child must give you a written summary of how your child is progressing against the 3 prime areas of learning;

communication and language;
physical development; and
personal, social and emotional development.

This check will highlight areas where your child is progressing well and where they might need some extra help or support. You might find it useful to share the information from the check with other professionals such as health visitors ( who can use it as part of the health and development review).

Pastoral Care

At Tiny Tots we strive to guide children to build positive relationships and to explore the world of feelings, behaviour and values. Our aim is to celebrate all success, establish a culture of praise and acceptance and develop an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust.

Healthy Eating

We pride ourselves in providing excellent nutritional and food safety standards as a result of this the nursery was awarded the Nippers’ Nutrition level 5. Young children need nourishing food and plenty of water if they are to receive the energy they need to grow and learn. We use fully trained cooks at The Coffee Pot, who prepare fresh meals daily using local produce. Further information on a healthy lifestyle can be found www.nhs.uk/change4life.

We offer the following menus in accordance to the children’s age and stage of development:

Stage 1 menu: weaning – pureed fruit and vegetables.
Stage 2 menu: a varied diet for 12 months and over.

Involving Parents, Carers & Children in Planning Healthy Menus

It is key that we work together to plan a diet which is balanced between Tiny Tots and home. To achieve this we encourage our parents, carers and children to have a say about what food is on the menu. A Healthy Food Survey will be completed during your first settling in session.

We will promote positive attitudes to healthy eating through play opportunities and discussions. On a weekly basis the children, with support from nursery staff, will plan and prepare their own tea and when possible the children will use the fruit and vegetables they have grown.

Special Diets

We understand that many children suffer from intolerances and allergies to certain foods. We are able to accommodate these needs through a comprehensive special diet procedure ensuring that we take every precaution possible.

Clothing

Whilst we provide waterproof clothing, painting aprons and bibs, we do ask that you bring a spare set of clothes for your child. All clothing should be clearly labelled, including shoes. Many activities will take place outside in the garden and in the woodland so please ensure that your child wears appropriate clothes. Seasonal clothing such as sun hats or wellies should be brought to nursery as required. During the winter months, children must come prepared for a day in the woods by wearing layers of clothing, hats and gloves.

Whilst outside in sunny weather the children need light-weight cotton clothing suitable for the sun, long sleeves and long legs, avoiding strappy dresses, tops and vests, especially if your child is prone to sunburn. Please refer to the ‘Sun Care Policy‘ and for further information visit www.sunsmart.org.uk.

Complaints

Complaints Procedure

Our nursery believes that parents are entitled to expect courtesy and prompt, careful attention to their individual needs and wishes. We hope that at all times you will be happy with the service provided and that you might like to voice your appreciation to the staff concerned.

Complaints will be dealt with professionally and promptly to ensure that any issues arising from these complaints are handled effectively and to ensure the welfare of all children.

Formal Complaints

STAGE 2

If the issue remains unresolved or parents feel they have received an unsatisfactory outcome, then these concerns must be presented in writing to Emma Berryman and Janine Pethick. They will then investigate the complaint and report back to the parent within three working days. This will be fully documented in the complaints log book and will detail the nature of the complaint and any actions arising from it.

STAGE 3

If the matter is still not resolved, a formal meeting will be held between Emma Berryman and Janine Pethick, parent and the senior staff member to ensure that it is dealt with comprehensively. A record of the meeting will be made along with documented actions. All parties present at the meeting will review the accuracy of the record, sign to agree and receive a copy, which will signify the conclusion of the procedure.

STAGE 4

If the matter cannot be resolved to their satisfaction, then parents have the right to raise the matter with Ofsted. Ofsted can be contacted on 0300 123 4666. Please refer to our ‘Complaints and Compliments Policy‘.

Equal Opportunities

The nursery takes great care to treat each individual as a person in their own right, with equal rights and responsibilities to any other individual, whether they are an adult or a child. The nursery is committed to providing equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice for all children and families according to their individual needs. Discrimination on the grounds of gender, age, race, religion or belief, marriage or civil partnership, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, pregnancy or maternity, ethnic or national origin, or political belief has no place within this nursery.

For further information please refer to the ‘Inclusion and Equality Policy‘.

Ofsted

Ofsted is the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills. They regulate and inspect nurseries to ensure they are working towards achieving excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages.

Ofsted will inspect our setting and carry out regulatory visits to determine whether we effectively support children through the EYFS and deliver the aims of the framework. Following an inspection of a setting, the nursery will receive a full report documenting the inspectors’ findings.

For further information please refer to our Ofsted Report.