Our nursery unit is situated over three separate indoor rooms with play and learning areas scatterred throughout, which will enable both planned and freeflow learning. We have a fabulous outdoor provision area for learning too. The learning environment will consist of quality resources and outstanding teaching to ensure our children develop and thrive at all times.
Our Early Years foyer will be displayed with a parental noticeboard – ‘You Say – We Do’ – and this will be updated on a continual basis.
At Little Discoverers, we feel it is of paramount importance to build effective relationships with parents as you are the children’s first and most enduring educators. When parents and practitioners collaboratively work together, it will result with a positive impact on your child’s development both academically and spiritually. Your contribution in terms of attending termly reviews and organised workshops will be appreciated.
Below are certain skills which we consider to be vitally important to help your child to have a positive start at our Nursery:
- Recognising their own name (trays, pegs etc.)
- Using the toilet unaided
- Dressing themselves with minimal support
- Recognising and putting on their own coats and taking personal belongings
- Speaking using short sentences
- Recognising primary colours
- Counting up to 10
- Taking turns and sharing
- Caring for each other
Other ways in which you can help to mirror our environment at home and help us with the learning are outlined as follows:
- Positive praise
- Setting clear boundaries
- 10-12 hours’ sleep
- Encourage writing, cutting and sticking
- Reading
- Outdoor play in all weathers
- Promoting healthy eating and snacks
Each child will be provided with their own learning journals in which a personal record of achievements will be kept. In the journals, examples of your child’s work, images and records of observations will be stored. You will be able to view your child’s learning journals during the review meetings. We will also be using the journals to indicate areas of development and ensure planning is tailored to the needs of your child. Parents are requested to bring in any images of work from home to add in to the journal.
At Early Years Foundational Stage (EYFS), assessment is always ongoing until the end of reception. The EYFS Development Matters comprises into four age groups: 16-26 months, 22-36 months, 30-50 months and 40-60 months. Each age band consists of statements relating to children’s development. Practitioners within Little Discoverers Nursery will use these statements for the OAP (observation, assessment and planning) approach.
Each area of the EYFS curriculum has an Early Learning Goal, which is the standard that a child is expected to achieve by the end of their reception year in order to meet the standards for their age. The Early Learning Goals cover all of the 7 areas of learning as specified in the EYFS Curriculum.
Each Early Learning Goal will be graded using the following:
Emerging – working towards the expected level
Expected – working at the expected level
Exceeding – working at greater depth
We will invite you to attend a meeting with your child’s key worker, usually once a term. During the review, your child’s progress will be discussed. The key worker will regularly analyse the wealth of information we gather about your child and identify learning areas where your child could benefit from receiving additional support in order to maximise their potential and achieve their Early Learning Goals.
Children will be provided with a healthy, nutritious snack every day – this will be available for the children free of charge. We would like to humbly request parents for a voluntary contribution of £2 per week towards this.
Furthermore, your child will be provided 1/3 pint (189ml) of milk daily for free.
It is an inevitable fact that children are more likely to succeed in their academic life when they attend school consistently; this begins at Nursery. When parents make attendance a priority, it will result in your child developing healthy life habits. Please ensure your child attends the nursery regularly with punctuality. If your child is ill or is unable to attend nursery, please inform the nursery as soon as possible by leaving a voice message. If your child will be absent or has to leave due to a prior appointment, please ensure you inform the nursery well in advance providing evidence. However, we humbly request parents to arrange appointments outside of your child’s nursery time in order to limit disruption towards the teaching and learning.
Parents should provide the nursery with up-to-date information regarding their child’s specific medical needs. For example, if your child has an EHCP or any other medical requirements, key workers will be informed prior to your child enrolling at the nursery. Please read our medicine policy for more details.
Safeguarding our children is of paramount importance; part of this is ensuring your child’s data is kept in confidentiality at all times.
A new data privacy law was introduced to the UK at the end of May 2018 and we have created our confidentiality policy based on this and to inform you on how we use and protect your information.
All the information we collect from parents in your child is necessary to meet our legal requirements as an Early Years provider, Ofsted, local authority and EYFS.
The information we hold include:
- Personal information (such as name, date of birth and address)
- Characteristics (such as ethnicity, language, nationality, country of birth and funding eligibility) for children
- Attendance information (such as sessions attended, number of absences and absence reasons) for children
- Relevant Medical information for children
- Special Educational Needs information for children
- Assessment information for children
- Bank details for adults
- Proof of identity for adults
- Birth certificates for funding for children
- Details of any accidents / incidents / existing injuries
- Relevant documentation for child protection and safeguarding concerns
- Funding information and details
We will share information with:
- Department for Education (DfE)
- Schools that the children attend after leaving us
- Our local authority
- Ofsted
- Health Visitors
- Social Workers
- Inclusion teams, SEN panels, funding etc.
- Local Children’s safeguarding boards / LADO
- Other providers that children attend
- Multi agency professionals working with individual children
- Area SENCO’s
Whilst the majority of children’s information provided to us is mandatory, some of it will be provided to us on a voluntary basis. In order to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation, we will inform you whether you are required to provide specific information or whether you have a personal choice in this.
We will not share information about children without consent unless we are lawfully obliged to as part of a process/investigation.
Nursery Fees 2021/2022
Our nursery fees are extremely competitive and represent excellent value. Whilst we provide affordable fees we also maintain the highest standards of quality and service.