Parents Page | Watcombe Childrens Centre Nursery

PARENTS HANDBOOK

WELCOME

Welcome to our nursery. We hope this handbook will provide you with the information you need to get you started with nursery life. The website provides further information about the nursery including policies, terms and conditions. We also love a good chat and are always at the end of the phone or email, and more than happy to talk through any queries or concerns.
We can’t wait to get to know you and your child and to be a part of their Early Years journey.

With best wishes

Clare and the Nursery Team

SAFEGUARDING

A culture of Safeguarding sits firmly at the centre of our nursery.

Keeping children safe will always be our top priority and this is never compromised. All our staff have a sound knowledge of safeguarding and appropriate training is regularly updated. Our robust policies and procedures are carefully reviewed and kept up-to-date and relevant. Where needed, we will always work closely with our families and professionals, encouraging an open dialogue built on trust and honesty. Below is our ‘Safeguarding Statement’ which can also be found on our notice boards. Our policies provide more detail around safeguarding and child protection.

Relevant policy section: Safeguarding

WATCOMBE NURSERY SAFEGUARDING STATEMENT

Watcombe Children’s Centre Nursery acknowledges the duty of care to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and is committed to ensuring safeguarding practice which reflects statutory responsibilities, local and national government guidance and complies with best practice and Ofsted requirements.

Safeguarding training is mandatory for all staff. Full level 3 training is upkept for the role of DSL (Designated Safeguarding Lead)

The Designated Safeguarding Leads for Watcombe Childrens Centre Nursery are:

Clare Chamberlain (Manager) 01803 316959

Becky Hele (Senior Nursery Practitioner) 01803 316959

The Safeguarding Lead for the Board of Directors is Nik Salter

SETTLING INTO NURSERY

The first big step into nursery life is adjusting to all the different experiences that will be new to your child. We appreciate this can be daunting as well as exciting, and we are mindful of recognising those feelings and emotions. The settling in process aims to allow for a gentle transition, helping the children to feel safe and supported. All children are unique, and the process can look very different for each child. We always start with offering two settling sessions which are arranged with you prior to your child starting.

The first settling session is for one hour where you will spend time with your child in their room. It is an opportunity for your child to explore their new environment with the reassurance of you being close by. Your child’s key person will be a significant part of this visit and will be able to chat to you, as well as start to build a bond with your child.

The second settling session takes place within a few days of the first. After taking your child into their room, we aim to support you to leave them with their key person. They can hopefully build on the positive experience of their first session and adjust to their new surroundings. We ask you to stay within the nursery and will offer you a comfy chair in the lobby and hopefully an un-interrupted hot cuppa! This also gives an opportunity to finish off some paperwork, and chat through any final queries with management.

Your start date will follow, and nursery life begins! The settling support your child receives obviously continues. The first few weeks may see some ups and downs, but we always see a positive outcome in the end!

We do suggest that arrangements are in place for someone to be contacted if your child needs an earlier collection in these first weeks. We have many tricks up our sleeve and will always try everything to support your child to settle, but we will never leave a child distressed for a long period.

TAPESTRY

Tapestry is an online platform, which we use as our main communication tool. It is used to provide regular updates on what your child has been up to during their time at nursery. This includes photos and videos, as well as practical information such as sleep and food. The regularity of messages and content will depend on the age of your child and the room they are in. For example, a new baby in our Robins room can expect daily updates with detailed information, whereas our older children in the Owls room will see more of a summary of their whole week.

Alongside us sharing nursery life with you, we also encourage you to share your home experiences with us. This is a great way to link home and nursery, and support the children to feel valued in both aspects of their life. When first starting, we ask you to send in a selection of photographs of significant people in your child’s life. These are used to create a lovely family book which the children treasure throughout their time at nursery.

FOOD AND DRINK

We provide all meals and snacks required throughout the nursery day. All our meals are prepared and cooked on site by our nursery cook. A selection of cereals are on offer until 8:30am and a snack offered mid-morning. Our main meal is a 2-course cooked lunch served around 11:45. Tea is more of a buffet selection with items such as homemade scones and sandwiches. This is served between 3.30pm and 4pm depending on which room your child is in. Snacks always include an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables alongside savoury snacks such as bread sticks and homemade sweet treats.

We provide cows milk and oat milk and will top up the children’s own water bottles as required. The children have free access to their bottles and we encourage them to drink frequently throughout the day. We therefore ask that children do not bring juice in their bottles.

A copy of our menu is sent out at the beginning of each term via tapestry. Alternative ingredients are usually available to cater for allergies and intolerances. These are agreed on an individual basis.

Sample Menu

SLEEP AND REST TIMES

The settling in sessions provide a great opportunity to discuss routines such as sleep. Our approach to sleep very much depends on the individual but in all cases the children are offered a safe, quiet, separate space where they are able to comfortably rest. We are very mindful that each child (particularly babies) have different ways to drift off, so we do all we can to meet their individual needs. The babies have cots available and sleep mats are provided for the over twos.

If your child will be having a sleep at nursery, then we encourage you to bring their usual comforter to help them settle. If your child is starting in the baby room, then you are also welcome to bring in a sleep sack or personal blanket which provides familiarity to your baby.

ACCIDENTS & EXISTING INJURIES

Bumps and scrapes are an inevitable part of childhood, and something all children will experience at some point during their nursery years. We take every measure to ensure your child is kept safe whilst at nursery, but we cannot fully prevent the odd incident occurring. For a very mild injury, we would share this information using our usual communication methods. However, if it something more significant we will complete an accident form. These come through Tapestry, and will give a description of what happened in more detail. All our team are paediatric first aid trained and will administer treatment as appropriate.

Relevant policies: Health section

In the event of your child arriving at nursery with a previous injury, we ask all parents/ carers to inform us. In most cases we ask for this information to be shared on an ‘existing injury’ form. If a previous injury is identified during the day, you will be asked to complete the form retrospectively.

Relevant policy section: Health section, Safeguarding

SUPPORTING CHILDRENS BEHAVIOUR

Through caring interactions, emotional support and being good role models, our staff team aim to promote a culture of positive behaviour and kindness across the nursery.

We believe that children flourish in an environment where expectations are made clear, and relatable in an age-appropriate way. We believe as children develop, they deepen their understanding of boundaries and begin to consider the needs and feelings of others, as well as the impact that their behaviour has on others. We identify that these skills require adult support and guidance and ensure this is given in an appropriate and effective way. All scenarios are very different and there may be different strategies required. However, we always try to redirect and channel unwanted behaviour in a way which addresses the issue but avoids negative impact.

Each room is home to our family of behaviour mascots: ‘Oliver the thoughtful owl’, ‘Smokey the careful squirrel’ and ‘Rosie the kind robin’. These help to remind and support the children when unexpected challenges may arise and encourage them to build an early awareness of empathy.

Relevant policy section: Promoting inclusion, equality and valuing diversity

THE EARLY YEARS FOUNDATION STAGE
AND OUR CURRICULUM

As with all registered early years’ providers, we have a statutory obligation to ensure certain standards are met. These standards are set out by the Department for Education and upheld by Ofsted. We pride ourselves on exceeding minimum expectations and strive to always ensure a high standard of care and learning for our children.

Each child’s learning experience is supported through positive adult interactions, an engaging environment and a firm focus on play. Through an appropriate balance of child initiated and adult supported learning opportunities, each child follows a learning journey which places individual needs and interests firmly at the centre.

Our bespoke curriculum goals are designed to demonstrate our vision and aspirations for each child. They blend within the seven areas of learning, as set out within the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework, and form the starting point for each child’s developmental journey. These curriculum goals are displayed in the lobby area and available to view on our website.

During your time at nursery there will be several opportunities to catch up about your child’s experiences and the milestones they accomplish. We place a large emphasis on adults spending time with the children and not paperwork. Although there will be a small amount of shared assessment, there will not be regular formal written reports coming home. We are, however, always available for a catch up at any time. We can also signpost you to further information about the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework on request.

DROPPING OFF AND PICKING UP

We have two entrances for dropping off and picking up. One for the Owls room and one for the Squirrels and Robins. When you ring the bell we will be able to identify you from the CCTV. We aim to ensure that your child’s key worker will manage the door handover, but where this is not possible we will ensure it is someone who knows your child well. We always allow a little time for exchanges but at busy times, both time and privacy can be limited. Therefore, we encourage you to use Tapestry or give us a call if there are things to share in more detail.

You must inform us in the event of someone new collecting your child. We will then ask for an agreed identification method to confirm.

Parking: We are very fortunate to have our own parking on site, though spaces are limited. We request that everyone parks respectfully and in the designated spaces only. We have one disabled bay which many of our families rely on so please ensure this is kept free for blue badge holders. Certain times of the day can become very busy, and we thank you for your patience at these times. Keeping our car park safe and accessible is our top priority, so any person breaching this will be asked to find alternative parking arrangements.

WHAT TO BRING TO NURSERY

Arriving with a well-equipped bag is essential in ensuring your child’s needs can be met and they can make the most of their day at nursery. Please therefore ensure all of the following is provided.

At least 3 full changes of clothes (including socks!)
A water bottle or beaker appropriate for the age of your child
Seasonally appropriate clothing for both hot and cold weather (e.g. hats/ coats). (We will provide suncream).
A pair of wellies (to stay at nursery)
A wet weather suit (Robins room only)
Your child’s wet bag (provided by us)
Your child’s book bag (Squirrels and Owls - provided by us)
Nappies, wipes and creams as required (These should be bought to nursery in bulk and we will inform you when running low)
Formula milk or breast milk and bottles as required
A comforter as required

OUR TEAM / KEY WORKER SYSTEM

Our team are made up of a fantastic collective, differing enormously in experience, age, skill range, qualifications and general quirks! This brings a truly special group of people who love their roles and are passionate about supporting children. Each deliver something special in their own unique way.

There are many faces you will get to know during your time with us, but our staffing structure ensures consistency for the children and not too many faces to remember all at once! Each room has its own team who are supported by one or two senior members.

Before you child starts, they will be allocated a member of the team as their key person. This person helps your child to become familiar with the nursery throughout the settling in process and beyond. They are someone who will build a close relationship with your child, and ensure their needs are recognised and met at every session. At all times, our approach will be based around warmth, sensitivity and kindness when supporting and caring for your child. Although this person will have a specific focus your child, there are times where they cannot always be available. We therefore strive to ensure that children have secure attachments with other adults in the room and operate an effective ‘buddy’ system where appropriate.

TOILETING AND NAPPIES

We ask that you provide nappies, wipes and cream (if needed). We prefer you to bring in a bulk amount which are stored at nursery and will let you know when these are running low. We also support and encourage the use of re-usable nappies. The arrangements for the use of these can be discussed during the settling in process. Children in nappies are changed at regular intervals during the day and immediately when soiled.

When the time comes for transitioning out of nappies, we will fully support the potty-training process. This typically takes place in the Squirrels room (2 yrs) where we have many resources to assist. All our toilets are child friendly and we have a range of seats and potties. We will generally take your lead and mirror the method you are using at home to ensure consistency. However, we have a wealth of knowledge and useful information to signpost you to if you want any advice. We just ask you to supply lots of additional spare clothes during this period. Beyond this stage children are supported with toileting in a developmentally appropriate way. As they move up through nursery we promote and encourage more independence but will always provide the care as required for each individual.

Relevant policies: Safeguarding section, Health section

POORLY CHILDREN

Children inevitably pick up all sorts of illnesses and ailments throughout childhood. The very nature of nursery means that children can be exposed to a range of bugs which can spread quickly. We therefore have very robust processes which try to minimise this as much as possible. In the event of sickness and/or diarrhoea, we insist that a 48 hour exclusion period is ensured to prevent further spread. Our policy on both this and other illness exclusion periods are informed by the recommendations of Public Health England. The QR code is displayed on our notice boards or click HERE.

In the event of children experiencing common mild symptoms such as a cold, we will take a common-sense approach which is informed by our knowledge of your child and how they present at nursery. We will, however, never expect a child to remain at nursery if they are unwell and will always seek for them to be collected if necessary.

Relevant Policies: Health section

MEDICATION

It is fully expected that children may need medication administered at some point during their time with us. We will only administer medication where it is essential to do so, and a medication form has been completed. We typically only administer medicine which has been prescribed. Exceptions can sometimes be made for situations such as teething, but this must be agreed by a senior team member. All medication must be handed over to a member of staff, be in the original container and display all correct information. No medication must ever be left in a child’s bag.

If children are prescribed antibiotics they have not taken before, then we ask you to keep them away from nursery for the first 24 hours after the first dose in case of reaction.

If a child has received medication prior to coming into nursery (the same day) then this information must be shared and added to the medication form if deemed necessary.

Paracetamol/ Calpol . We cannot take bottles of nonprescription medicine from parents to hold on a ‘just in case’ basis, unless there is an immediate reason for doing so. We stock paracetamol-based medicine in the case of extremely high temperature on the basis that parents are on their way to collect. Such medicine would not be used to reduce temperature so that a child can stay in the care of the setting for a normal day, but to ensure the child is safe and comfortable until collection.

Long term medication may be kept at nursery if absolutely necessary. This is agreed on an individual basis and requires a meeting between the nursery and parent. A health care plan would usually be required.

Relevant policies: Health section

Where a child has a special educational need either on entry or identified during their time with us, we will always strive to ensure appropriate support is provided to meet the needs of that child and ensure they are able to access a high standard of inclusive care and provision.

Our Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) will work closely with staff, families and external professionals to provide appropriate learning challenges which are responsive to the diverse learning needs of each child. SEN support is approached very much on an individual basis and effective communication with parents or carers is considered essential to ensure the best approach. We therefore value honest discussions and effective information sharing by all involved parties.

We strive to support the varying needs of all our families, so our staff team and SENCo are always available to chat through any concerns, and signpost you to the appropriate organisations where appropriate.

Our nursery SENCo is Natasha Perry.