Handbook | Handbook |
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Childcare FacilitiesBaby Room The baby room caters for a maximum of six children, with two members of staff. Depending on baby’s age and stage of development, a wide range of experiences will be on offer such as; Sand, Water play, Stories and Songs, Rhyme Games and sensory play. We are also focusing a great deal on heuristic play, with a great emphasis on developing the child’s senses with a wide variety of experiences and tactile resources textiles. Nursery Staff will liaise closely with parents to ensure a smooth transition between the home and nursery environment. Provision for your Child For children in the baby room parents should supply 2 complete changes of clothes, together with nappies, wipes and creams and all bottles and food for the baby’s daily needs. Babies will be provided with a daily diary into which a parent is asked to provide any special instructions regarding feeding or the day to day health of your child. In return we will write a daily entry of your child’s experiences within the nursery. For children over 18 months, parents are requested to provide a change of clothing and a pair of soft indoor shoes and wellies for outdoor activities. Please note that for reasons of Health, Hygiene and Safety, children should not bring their own toys or sweets to the nursery. 24 Months – 3 Years Room (Tweenies Room) This is our Tweenies Room which caters for children between the age of 2 and 3 years. We can accommodate for 8 children throughout our sessions and provide a wide variety of fun learning play experiences. Within the room there are two fully qualified members of staff. Our daily routine is guided by the Sure Start curriculum. Our aim is to encourage the children to become independent learners and to prepare them for the transition to pre school room. This room has two staff members with eight children. All areas of the curriculum are covered and planning will incorporate the key areas of children’s development. The area will consist of, quiet corner, construction area, games, jigsaws & role-play. Topic group work, music & movement will also be provided for in this area. The child’s age and stage of development will be taken into account when planning a balanced curriculum of activities and the staff to child ratio will be strictly adhered to. 3yrs – 5 yrs Room This is our Pre School room where once again all areas of the curriculum will be covered and again the child’s age and stage of development will be taken into account when planning. This room has two full time members of staff, and one part time. We often also have students from James Watt College and work experience pupils often placed in this room. The preschool room is affectionately known as The Biggies Room, and children feel a sense of pride and achievement when they enter this room because they know that they are well on their way to big school! In the Biggie room, we focus on assisting the children to become successful learners, confident individuals and independent. They are encouraged every step of the way to achieve the best that they can. Praise is our most valuable tool. Children respond well to praise, and we use it in a daily basis. We encourage positive behaviour in the Biggies Room. We use visual aids to help the children understand how their behaviour can have consequences on the feelings of others. The children are encouraged to do as much for themselves as they can. This promotes their natural inquisitive nature, and also helps them to become more independent and ready for school. We work from the curriculum known as Sure Start, aiming to give the children the best possible start in life. This curriculum allows the children to take advantage of and investigate a wide variety of play opportunities, such as role play, arts and crafts, writing, construction, sand and water. Our aim is to send these little ones off to school with the knowledge, skills and confidence to do well in school. Snack Area The nursery will offer a café style snack bar, providing a balanced variety of snacks, to encourage greater independence and social interaction with other children. There will also be fruit provided each day for children. Packed Lunches Provision will be made for storage of lunch boxes and we would ask that parents and carers include only water or fruit juice no fizzy drinks please. Breast-Feeding Mums All mums are welcome to the Nursery and feed their babies in a warm, welcoming environment. Outings & Visits With parents’ permission, outings from and visits to the Nursery will be made as often as is possible. This will ensure children have a wide experience of the environment of other cultures and other outside agencies. We like to visit our local shops library etc as we have an important role to play in our community. These trips are risked assessed and recorded to ensure the child’s safety is paramount. Opening Times The nursery will be open from 8:00am – 6:00pm, Monday to Friday for 51 weeks per year. Could all parents please be aware that, due to our insurance policy, children are not allowed to enter the building before 8 am, and all must be vacated by 6pm. If children are present out with these times, we are not insured. Placement (Session Times)The nursery will cater for 24 children per session, either on a part-time or full-time basis.Part-time - 8:30am – 12:30pm Part-time - 1:00pm – 5:00pm Full-time - 8:00am – 6:00pm Could all parents please be aware, that we cannot accept children onto the premises before or after their session times, unless prior arrangement has been made with a member of staff. If children are early being dropped off, or late being collected, this interferes with both our insurance and also our child to staff ratio. ADMISSIONSAs a partnership provider Growing Places nursery must adhere to Inverclyde council’s admission policy for pre school children. Further clarification of this can be obtained by speaking to my self Rachel Cunningham or Margaret Anne Gallacher.A detailed admission & enrolment form should be completed before your child enters the nursery. It is important that this information is kept up to date, and the nursery should be made aware of any allergies the child may have and any medication the child requires, together with authority for Nursery management to administer. Prior to your child becoming three we will give you a form to fill in selecting the pre school establishment that you wish your child to attend any questions about the process can be discussed with us. Nursery FeesThe current nursery charges are:NURSERY FEES CHILDREN (0-2) RATE FULL TIME £140 FULL DAY £ 34 HALF SESSION £17 NURSERY FEES CHILDREN (2-3) RATE FULL TIME £140 FULL DAY £ 33 HALF SESSION £ 16.50 NURSERY FEES CHILDREN (3-5) RATE FULL TIME £140 FULL DAY £33 HALF SESSION £16.50 For 2nd child attending 15% discount. EXTRA HOUR £ 5 Fees must be paid in advance. If fees are late there will be a £10 late payment charge for each week late. A discount of 15% for second and subsequent children will be available. If you are booking in advance a non-returnable retainer of £50 for each month that the child is not here will secure your child’s place until the child starts. Baby requirements must be provided by parents. This is to include nappies, wipes & creams etc., as well as food and drinks. No refunds are made for periods of absence or where full session hours are not used. Notice Period A written notice period of two weeks prior to permanently removing the child from the nursery will be required. ATTENDANCEPlease understand the importance of your child attendance at nursery as this is their stepping stone to the school environment.Notice must be given to the nursery of all holidays and if your child is sick we would appreciate a call in the morning as if we don’t know if they are going to be absent we then can find it difficult to organise outings etc. All parents can have two weeks of Free Fees during the year as we now charge for our Christmas closure. Full fees will be charged for public holidays. Food In nursery, we make provision for children to have breakfast, lunch and dinner. These meals must be provided by parents. Breakfast Club is available from 8am till 9am, lunch from 11.30am till 12pm and dinner at 4pm. Please ensure that all meals to be served can be cooked in the microwave, or have been precooked, just to be reheated. A small snack is offered to the children twice a day: 9.30am and 2.30pm. Nursery purchases and provides these snacks which usually consists of fresh fruit, crackers or other such healthy nibbles. At nursery, we promote healthy eating, so please ensure that when giving children a packed lunch, only healthy food and drink should be provided. No sweets or fizzy drinks please! Clothing It is our policy at Growing Places that suitable clothing should be worn and in abiding by Inverclyde Councils Policy on wearing jewellery. There are forms of dress which are unacceptable in school, such as items of clothing which: • Potentially, encourage faction (such as football colours); • Could cause offence(such as anti-religious symbolism or political slogans); • Could cause health and safety difficulties, such as loose fitting clothing, dangling earrings, or clothing made from flammable material for example shell suits in practical classes; • Could cause damage to flooring; • Carry advertising, particularly for alcohol or tobacco; and could be used to inflict damage to other pupils or be used by others to do so. The council is concerned at the level of claims being received regarding the loss of children’s clothing and/or personal belongings. Parents are asked to assist in this area by ensuring that valuable items and unnecessarily expensive items of clothing are not brought to the establishment. Parents should note that the authority does not carry out insurance to cover the loss of such items and any claims submitted are likely to be met only where the authority can be shown to be negligent. Parents should note that the activities the children may become involved in may be restricted because health and safety requirements state that jewellery of any kind must not be worn where children are undertaking physical activities. This includes jewellery worn as result of body piercing. Curriculum, Assessment and ReportingOur curriculum offers a wide range of experiences for our children. We have a key worker system which ensures each child’s needs can be individually met and our planning will encompass the five key aspects of your child’s development. Our programmes are designed to incorporate local and national curriculum guidelines. • Knowledge & Understanding • Expressive & Aesthetic • Physical Development & Movement • Communication & Language • Emotional, Personal & Social Our children’s progress will be monitored by their key workers by observation and planned structured activities. They will have their own profile which parents and carers are welcome to look at at any time and have a chat with key workers. We will have a parent’s night for our 3-5 year olds although meetings for concerns can be arranged with key workers. For our younger children we send their profiles home and would ask for any comments to be added to relevant page. Once again parents are welcome to come into nursery and discuss their child’s progress. Growing places will liaise with all Primary schools to inform them of your child’s progress and address any concerns raised by yourself. Children are normally transferred between the ages of four and a half and five and a half years, although this may be negotiated in exceptional circumstances. We believe that communication and parental involvement with staff is essential, and will encourage parents to take an active interest in the activities of the nursery and to feel free to talk to any members of staff whenever they wish to do so. Weekly planning between Management & staff will evaluate the individual child’s progress within the older age group and activities planned according to needs. Information regarding the nursery will be posted on our notice board. Complaints Procedure – Staff and ParentsA complaints procedure will be in place, where staff or parent may air any grievance they may have regarding the running of the nursery. All complaints will be taken seriously, and management will deal with this appropriately. EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES & SOCIAL JUSTICEADDITIONAL SUPPORT NEEDSAt Growing Places Nursery, we are committed to meeting the needs of all children within our care. W always try our best to accommodate the needs of those with additional support needs to the best of our ability. We will liaise with outside agencies to ensure we are fully trained and are putting adequate provisions in place. If parents, carers or guardians wish to discuss this or their child’s needs with us, please do not hesitate to contact us. Confidentiality All of the details given to us will be treated in the strictest confidence, and only used to meet the needs of the children and ensure the smooth running of the nursery, and to ensure we are meeting the child’s needs to the best of our ability. All staff have agreed to and signed a confidentiality agreement, stating that they will not disclose or discuss any confidential information to those out with the business. Cleaning Procedure All equipment used within the nursery is cleaned regularly. All rooms are cleaned on a daily basis, with each room having its own cleaning regime and rotas to ensure all the work is being carried out. All our cleaning procedures are available by request within the nursery. Illness Nursery staff should be notified of any illness that your child may suffer from, particularly any contagious or infectious disease. If your child has been suffering from certain illnesses such as diarrhoea or vomiting, it is imperative that 24 hours elapse after the last bout before the child returns to the nursery, this is to try and stop the infection spreading to other children. In case of other contagious diseases you must abide by the length of time specified by your GP. If a child becomes unwell during the day it will be nursery policy to contact the emergency contact numbers provided. As a last resort parent’s business numbers will be contacted. We will do our utmost to care for and comfort the child until they are picked up. The nursery will have eye examinations for pre-five children prior to going to school. We also have regular visits from the dentist. Growing places Nursery is a No Smoking Zone Security The security and safety of your child will be our utmost concern and this will be maintained at all times. In line with our procedures, all children will be received by a member of staff on their arrival, and should be collected from a member of staff upon leaving the nursery. A password procedure will be in operation that will be explained in full when your child joins the nursery. If staff feel that whoever picks a child up is not fit to be responsible for them e.g. too young, under the influence of drink or drugs it is our policy that we will not hand the child over to that person and that other arrangements must be made. Child Protection We have a duty of care to our children under the child protection act 1989. We will work closely with other agencies namely Strathclyde Police, Social Work Services and Health services to support and protect children, should a child protection situation arise. We have a duty of care for the children in the nursery, and it is our duty to follow up any claims of child protection. Our Child Protection Officer is Stacy Campbell. Confidentiality Any information concerning the children, their parents and families or the nursery staff will be treated with the strictest confidence at all times. In-Service Training Management are acutely aware of the importance of the ongoing development & expansion of the 0 – 5 curriculum, and will therefore keep abreast of these developments. Information in Emergencies We make every effort to maintain a full educational service, but on some occasions circumstances arise which lead to disruption. Establishments may be effected by, for example, severe weather, temporary interruption of transport, power failures or difficulties of fuel supply. In such cases we shall do all we can to let you know about the details of closure or re-opening. We shall keep you in touch by using letters, notices in local shops and community centres, announcements in local churches and announcements in the press and on local radio. If it is short notice, we will endeavour to contact you by telephone. Accident and Emergency Policy First aid kits are available throughout the nursery. If for any reason, a child should become injured whilst in our care, appropriate first aid will be administered. We will also fill out an Accident Book, which must be signed by both staff members and parents. If an accident is deemed serious, parents, carers or guardians will be contacted immediately. If an emergency situation arises, the emergency services and parents will be contacted. All members of staff are first aid trained. Fire We carry out fire drills once every month, to ensure that all staff and older children fully understand what this means, and what to do. Margaret Anne Gallacher oversees these fire drills. Medication Policy We are willing to administer medication to children whist in our care, but there are restrictions. We will only administer medication, provided that the medication has been prescribed by a doctor. We will also only administer medication if the child has previously had at least one dose of the medicine, to ensure that there will be no allergic reactions. The medication will then also only be administered if a medication sheet has been filled in and signed by a member of staff and the parent, guardian or carer. Allergy Policy & Procedure If your child has an allergy you MUST provide nursery with a prescribed bottle of antihistamine and all relevant information prior to the child starting. In the event of your child having an allergic reaction while at nursery whilst awaiting medical assistance the designated staff will assess the child’s condition and administer the appropriate medication in line with perceived symptoms and following closely the instructions given by the paediatrician during the staff training session. Bad tummy ache Itchiness Irritated Distressed tickly throat Vomiting WILL BE GIVEN A SPOON OF ANTIHISTAMINE Pale Drowsiness Difficulty breathing Blue lips Losing consciousness WILL BE GIVEN THE EPIPEN ADRENALINE WebsiteJust a quick note to parents to remind them to check out the nursery’s website next time you are online. The address is:www.growingplaces-nursery.co.uk The website is full of information and pictures of the nursery and information on what the children have been doing recently. There is also a feedback section in which parents leave their comments and suggestions regarding the nursery. The website is updated regularly and we are looking at training staff on how to update it, so that it can be done on a more regular basis. We encourage feedback and involvement from parents, and the website is a perfect opportunity for both. Contact DetailsCan we please ask parents to ensure all their contact details are up to date. If in doubt, check with any member of staff who will happily check your form and amend any details. It is very important that we have relevant and up to date contact details, should an emergency arise.PROMOTING POSITIVE BEHAVIOURAt Growing Places, we are committed to providing a stimulating, safe and friendly environment, which allows the children to develop and learn for the future. In line with this objective, the nursery encourages and actively promotes positive behaviour and will ensure that this message is communicated enabling children to feel loved, safe and secure. All staff will work together for the child’s well being, praising whenever possible to boost child’s self esteem and dealing with situations with firm, patient affection without giving in. We will work with the child to explain why a deed cannot be tolerated and make it clear we are condemning the action and not the child. Reprimands will be dealt with quietly and always away from the other children, but children will not be made to sit apart as a result of unwanted behaviour. Instead they will be encouraged and praised for expressing themselves in a positive manner. We will teach by example, and where practical let the child experience the consequences of his/her actions. E.g. – by helping clean up following a spillage. We will encourage children to co-operate and work in harmony with each other, solving conflict by negotiation and non-violent resolution taught through co-operative games etc and promotes self- respect and personal development through positive behaviour. Children will be taught that all violence is unacceptable, and we have a no bullying rule and a commitment to a non-violent environment which staff and children will abide by. Quality childcare involves valuing every child equally, and affirming the positive value of different skin colours, genders, religious, cultural and family backgrounds. We aim to give children a realistic picture of the world they live in, and correct distortions and prejudices about that world. Parents play an essential part in promoting positive behaviour, and we would encourage all parents to support our policy. Constructive feedback is always welcome, and Growing Places seeks to involve both parents and other relevant agencies and organisations to achieve our goals. AdressesDepartment of Education 105 Dalrymple Street GreenockData Protection act 1998Information on children, parents and guardians is stored on a computer system and may be used for teaching, registration, assessment and other administrative duties. The information is protected by the Data Protection Act 1998 and may only be disclosed in accordance with the codes of Practice. For further information contact the establishment.
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