Aims and Objectives – At the Daisy Chain Nursery children are able to learn through play in a happy, safe and welcoming environment.
Activities – The activities that we provide are designed to extend the children’s knowledge and skills, and cover all aspects of the national curriculum. Our equipment is developmentally appropriate to the children in that area and meets BSN Safety standard. Behaviour – All staff working at the nursery act as children’s role models. We encourage the children to be polite, by teaching them to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ and to be friendly to everyone around them. A full copy of our behaviour policy is available from the Administration Manager. Should you have any queries with the way we manage behaviour, please don’t hesitate to talk to us about it. Checks on staff – All our staff have undergone enhanced police checks through the Disclosure and Barring Service. Any students or visitors to the nursery who do not hold current DBS checks will be accompanied at all times by a qualified member of staff. Clothing – Please make sure that your child is dressed in appropriate clothing when attending nursery. All of the children have access to paints, glue, sand, water, mud in the garden etc, so please keep this in mind when selecting clothes for them to wear. All outer clothing should be clearly marked with your child’s name. We do have a range of Daisy Chain t-shirts and jumpers embellished with the nursery logo, and very reasonably priced. Please ask for more details. Cooking – We know how much children love to cook and we will include it as part of the curriculum so that we can encourage healthy eating habits at an early age. Complaints – If you ever have any concerns with the nursery, please come and discuss your anxieties with your child’s key person or a member of the management team. You can also contact one of the parent representatives. We do encourage you to give us any feedback on areas where we can improve our service. A full copy of the complaints procedure is available on request. Child Protection- All parents and carers must be aware that we are obliged by law to inform Social Services if we have concerns about a child’s welfare. The safeguarding of the children in our care may include a duty to share confidential information with others involved in protecting children. Development Monitoring – We monitor your child's development using an online system called 'famly', which offers secure access to regular photographs and updates. Parents can also add to this journal, creating a wonderful two-way medium for us to share their developmental journey. Equal Opportunities – We operate a strict equal opportunities policy that applies to both staff and children. Each child and adult is treated as an individual regardless of age, sex, colour, religion or ethnic background. A full copy of our Equal Opportunities Policy is available on request. First Aid –Almost all our staff are First Aiders. There will always be at least one qualified member of staff on the premises. If your child requires first aid during the day an accident form will be completed and you will be asked to sign it when you collect your child. Funding: How does this work? – The Government offers funding towards nursery fees, starting from the term after a child is three years old to help cover nursery costs. Children must be registered with the nursery on the Headcount Day. You are able to claim up to 15 free hours per week of nursery education for a maximum of 38 weeks a year. The funded elements are clearly indicated on your half termly bill. In addition, some two year old children are now eligible for early years funding, and some three/four year olds will qualify for 30 hour funding. For more information, and to see if you qualify, please log onto www.childcarechoices.gov.uk or speak to Donna Sims, Nursery Admin Manager on 01243 370401. Free Flow Play – Free Flow play offers children an element of choice. It helps them develop decision making skills and their independence. It is the role of the nursery staff to observe each child’s development, and present activities that will meet their next stepping-stone on the curriculum. By observing children as individuals rather than as one age group we are able to progress each child along the curriculum at a rate appropriate to their ability. Garden – We will promote Free Flow play by providing activities outdoors that are usually associated with the indoors, e.g., dressing up, home corner and building bricks. In addition we can enjoy all the garden has to offer in terms of planting seeds, enjoying the wildlife in the local area as well as taking in plenty of fresh air. Health and Safety – The health and safety of all the children and adults at the Daisy Chain is of paramount importance. All of the children’s toys and equipment are checked regularly for any breakages or faults. We have a comprehensive Health & Safety Policy which is available for all parents to read. Please notify us if you have any areas of concern. Illness – We ask that you do not send a sick child to nursery. If your child becomes ill whilst at nursery, staff will contact you to come and collect them. If you are unable to collect your child, we will ask you to make arrangements for your child to be collected. We operate an exclusion period of 48 hours for sickness and/or diarrhoea as directed by the Health Protection Agency. If your child is prescribed antibiotics, please do not send them back to nursery until 24 hours after they have received their first dose and are well enough to be away from home. Joining in – We will encourage your child to participate in all aspects of nursery life. As a parent we invite you to come into the nursery at any time and participate in our activities. Key Person System – All children are allocated a member of staff as their key person. This member of staff is responsible for settling your child into nursery, making observations on their development for their records and planning developmentally appropriate activities for your child. They are your first point of contact at the nursery. Late Collection –Under Ofsted regulations we must ensure two members of staff remain with a child therefore please let us know as soon as possible if you believe you are going to be late so that we can make the necessary arrangements for their continued care. A lateness penalty of £10 will be charged for children who are collected late. Medication –If your child is on prescribed medication, then we are able to administer this on your behalf, subject to you signing the medication book. If your child is asthmatic and uses an inhaler, then we need a spare one to be kept at nursery at all times. All prescribed medicine must be clearly labelled with the child’s name and dosage required. It must also be in date. Medication will be kept in the kitchen, out of the reach of the children. Nursery Fees – Fees are due during the 1st week of each half term. We accept payment by Standing Order, Childcare Vouchers and Tax-Free Childcare. Open door Policy – If you have any concerns with your child at nursery, or with the way in which the nursery is operating, please feel free to speak to a member of the management team at any time. We rely on the honest feedback of parents to ensure that we can continue to improve and exceed our high standards. Outings – At times we will be organising outings for the children. Parents will always receive notification about this and a signed consent form would need to be filled in. Parents in Partnership – It is our intention to make parents feel that they know everything the nursery has to offer their child and how staff work to achieve this. This nursery provides many opportunities for parents and staff to communicate effectively with one another about the children. We offer key person sessions, pre-visits, home visits, parent’s information board and Facebook page. In addition parents have access to Tapestry, our online development tool which creates a journal of your child's development that both you and the nursery can contribute to. Qualifications – The nursery will always exceed Ofsted requirements for staff qualification levels. The Manager has a level 4 childcare qualification and many years of experience in a nursery setting. Our nursery practitioners are qualified to level 3 in childcare and development. Our staff access regular training and would be delighted to discuss their areas of expertise with you. We support all Nursery Assistants who join the team to gain Level 3 status. Registration Form – If you would like your child to join us, and we have confirmed that we are able to offer them a place at Daisy Chain please complete a registration form and return it to us as soon as possible. A registration fee of £40 will need to be paid at this point. Sunshine – During our summer months, please provide your child with a sunhat and appropriate sun cream. We ask that you apply it before they start nursery, and we will re-apply it when they go outside. Suggestions – If you have any suggestions for the nursery to consider, please come and talk to us, or write a message on famly. We are always open to new suggestions! Tax-Free childcare - Many families will benefit from using this government scheme. For more information visit www.childcarechoices.gov.uk Transition to School – We have developed excellent links with the local primary schools to make the transition from nursery to school as easy as possible for the children. Reception teachers are invited into the nursery in the summer term to see the children where they are comfortable. We provide parents with an information pack on school-readiness and support the children with a focussed transition program in the months before they leave us. Telephone – If you wish to contact the nursery, please ring 07786 619691. Alternatively you can ring the Emsworth nursery on 01243 370401. Upset Tummies – Please do not bring your child to nursery if they have diarrhoea, or are vomiting. Both these illnesses spread very quickly amongst children of this age. Please allow a clear 48 hours from the last episode of illness before they return. Where possible, we will rearrange their session for another during the same week. Vouchers – The nursery is able to accept digital vouchers. Please let the Manager or Admin Manager know if you wish to use these to offset your fees. Volunteers – We would be delighted to have some regular parent volunteers to help with the nursery. Please let the Manager know if you could spare some time to join us. What you need to provide for your child – Please provide your child with a spare set of clothes (in case they get messy or wet), and a suitable hat to wear outside. During the winter months it would be useful if your child could bring their wellies to wear outside, so that we can keep the hall floor dry with their indoor shoes. If your child wears nappies, please supply enough for the session. We supply wipes, and nappy sacks. Daisy Chain Drawstring bags are available for £3.50 to keep their belongings in. Please see a member of staff if you would like to purchase one. Waiting List – We operate a waiting list at the Daisy Chain and places are available on a first come, first served basis. Please contact the Admin Manager on 01243 370401. eXtra Sessions – If you require an additional session for your child, please see the Nursery Manager. Fees for extra sessions are payable on the day. Yummy food! We know how important good nutrition is to the healthy development of our children, and nursery is the perfect place to start educating children about healthy eating. We provide children with a varied snack menu and encourage the children to pour their own drink of either milk or water. Our staff will sit with the children, encourage them to taste the food and engaging in conversation to make snack time a social part of the day. We also encourage parents to pack their children healthy lunch boxes, avoiding any peanuts and chocolate. Please ask a member of staff if you would like some ideas on what to put inside. Zzzzzzzzzz – We have a quiet area where children can sleep if they wish. Please let a member of staff know if your child has a regular sleep time in the morning. We hope that you have found this of benefit. If you have any further questions, please contact the nursery staff who will be happy to assist you. Kayti & Sean Curtis The Daisy Chain Nursery |