What is a Key Person?

A Key Person is a member of staff in your child’s room who has special responsibilities

for working with a group of children, giving them the reassurance to feel safe and cared

for, forming a close bond with your child and building positive relationships with their

parents/families/carers. A Key Person helps your child or baby to become familiar with

Nursery, throughout the settling in process and beyond, and is someone with whom your child develops a genuinely settled and close relationship. They ensure that your child’s needs are recognised and met at every session, and that they respond sensitively to their feelings, ideas and behaviour. A Key Person talks to parents to ensure they have a strong partnership and work together.

 

What does a Key Person do?

Your child’s Key Person ensures that your child’s needs are recognised and met at each

session. The Key Person is also key to your child’s transition into a new room, or into

school, and is instrumental in building or maintaining your child’s confidence and wellbeing.

In addition, your child’s key person will:

• Provide reassurance and comfort when children are in new situations or feeling unwell or anxious

• Be responsible for finding out about their key child and continually update and review this information

• Prepare next steps for their key child’s Learning Journey

• Keep and write developmental and progress records, and plan times to share and exchange information with parents/carers

• Provide regular information for parents/carers about activities undertaken by their child, for example, through wall displays, photographs and examples of children’s work.

• Plan activities which include your child’s development needs

• Undertake one to one meetings with you about your child’s progress

• Ensure your child’s race, culture, religion, language and family values are being met

• Monitor your child’s progress and talking, and encourage you to participate in their development

• Provide a handover to a second person (buddy) when not available themselves

 

Why does my child need a Key Person?

To ensure that your child’s care is tailored to meet their individual needs, and that one

person has a specific focus on their development, progression and emotional needs.

 

Do I keep the same Key Person for my child’s whole time at Nursery?

When your child changes room, their Key Person will also change. Your child’s outgoing

Key Person will hand over to their new Key Person and ensure that the in-depth

knowledge and understanding of your child is passed on. In addition, your child’s Key

Person will ensure that your child transitions effectively to the next room and that they are familiar with their new environment and the routine.

 

What are the benefits of Nursery’s Key Person system?

The EYFS and Ofsted recommend a “paired and shared” approach, in which each child is

allocated a Key Person as well as a second Key Person (Buddy). If your child’s Key Person

is absent the second Key Person takes over the care of your child.

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Although we allocate a Key Person for each child, they are not the only member of the

team that will interact and care for your child and we ensure all members of the team

know your child well. We allocate a Key Person to ensure that your child’s development

is recorded, their progress monitored, and all their specific development and emotional

needs are met through the individual, planning process. Our approach ensures that

children have secure attachments to several persons in their room in addition to their

Key Person and they are confident and secure in their care and environment at all times

of the day.