Parents Letter
Safeguarding
All staff are safeguard trained and we have four staff that have designated safeguard training, it is our duty of care to record and report any concerns that we may have. We follow the policies and procedures set out by the Warwickshire safeguarding team. If we have a concern, this will be recorded on a green form, you will be notified if we complete a green form for your child, should this not cause any risk of harm. Any green forms will transition with your child should they move to a different setting and when they progress into school.
We are also here to offer advice and support to children and their families, please feel free to contact us at any time if you feel you may benefit from some extra support or would just like to discuss any worries or concerns you may have. You may also seek advice via the FIS family information service.
With the cold and wet weather please ensure that your child is dressed appropriately and provided with a coat and wellies, gloves and a hat, also a separate pair of indoor shoes. Children access the outdoors throughout the year in all weathers therefore, appropriate clothing is very important.
Safe interactions between children and dogs
The benefits of owning pets are well established. Living in a household with pets can
have physical and emotional benefits for children as well as teaching them about
responsibility and caring for living creatures. However, in recent years several children
of different ages have been seriously injured or have died from attacks by dog. It is
therefore important that professionals working with children and families are aware of
the issues around dangerous dogs and the risks they can pose to children & young
people.
We ask that dogs do not come onto the nursery premises, they are not permitted.
Top Safety Messages
Please use and share these simple prevention tips:
Close supervision is essential – remain nearby, watch carefully and listen whenever
children and dogs are together in your setting
Teach and reinforce rules consistently – help children understand how to behave
safely around dogs, revisiting this regularly as they grow and develop
Learn to recognise your dog’s body language – understanding early warning signs
can help prevent incidents (refer to guidance from organisations such as the RSPCA
and Dogs Trust)
Manage interactions around trigger times – avoid contact when dogs are eating,
sleeping, or playing with toys, as these can increase the likelihood of a negative
response
Sun Safety Advice for Children
Following record breaking temperatures in the UK during May, public health
organisations are urging parents and carers to take extra care in protecting children and
young people from sun exposure. Babies and young children have far more sensitive
skin than adults, and repeated sun damage can increase the risk of skin cancer later in
life.
Babies under 6 months should be kept out of direct strong sunlight entirely. From March
to October, children should wear suitable clothing, spend time in the shade; especially
between 11am and 3pm, and use at least SPF30 sunscreen on any exposed skin,
including the face, ears, hands and feet. To support healthy development, all children
under 5 are also advised to take vitamin D supplements. More information can be found
here:
[britishskinfoundation.org.uk]
Preventable Injuries: Burns and Scalds
This week we are focusing on a common but preventable injury.
Key Risks to Highlight
Children’s skin is much thinner than adults, increasing severity of burns
Injuries often happen quickly in everyday situations
Common hazards include:
Hot drinks and food
Hair straighteners
Bath water that is too hot
Cooker hobs and pans
Simple prevention tips:
👉 Keep hot drinks out of reach
👉 Use back rings on cookers first and turn pan handles in
👉 Put hair straighteners on a high shelf to cool
👉 Put cold water in baths first, then top up with hot
First Aid
💧 Remove clothing, nappies and jewellery
💧 Cool the burn for at least 20 minutes with cool (not cold) running water
💧 Cover the burn loosely with cling film or a clean, non-fluffy cloth
💧 Do not apply creams or oils
💧 Seek medical advice if the burn is larger than a 50p coin or you are unsure
Safer sleep
The safest sleeping position for a baby is on their back. Sleeping a baby on their front or side greatly increases the risk of SIDS.
Always place your baby on their back to sleep (unless your doctor has advised you not to for medical reasons).
The risk of SIDS is particularly high for babies who are usually placed on their back to sleep but are sometimes placed on their front or side.
Keep your baby’s sleep surface flat. Don’t incline, tilt or prop the mattress, cot or your baby – these don’t help with reflux and are unlikely to improve cold symptoms.
Every baby and young child deserves to sleep as safely as possible in every childcare setting and the government is taking a vital step towards making this a reality. From September Ofsted will assess safer sleep arrangements in early years settings.
At Jack in the box children that sleep during their nursery session have a waterproof sleep mat, this is covered with a fitted sheet that securely tucks over the corners of the sleep mat, they also have a blanket that is tucked underneath their armpits and big enough to tuck under the mat to prevent the blanket moving over their face. Children under one will have a sleep in a cot with fitted sheets and a blanket.
Car parking/gates
When dropping off/collecting children please use the nursery car park located at the rear of the premises. When parking please ensure that you park respectfully and do not block the driveway that provides access to the houses. The car park gates will be closed between busy periods 8.45-11.15am and 1.15-3.15pm. If you arrive and the car park gates are locked please park elsewhere and access the building via the front gate instead.
The playground gates will also be locked during the morning and the afternoon whilst children are playing outdoors. If you arrive and the gates are locked please ring the bell and someone will come and let you in.
Handwashing
Please use the handwashing station provided next to the outdoor shed to wash your child’s hands prior to coming into nursery to reduce the spread of infection.
Children’s bags/belongings
Please ensure that you provide a bag for your child with any items they may require during their session at nursery. This should include; spare clothes (outfits including, pants, socks, trousers, tops) nappies, wipes, nappy cream.
Children bringing nappies can we recommend that you provide 5 to avoid your child running out, also enough wipes to at least last the duration of the day.
Can we please ask that children’s bags are not too big, we only have limited space for storage and we have lots of children attending.
Please ensure that all items are clearly labelled with your child’s name.
Toilet training/nappies/pull ups
We are keen to support your children through this stage of their development. Can we encourage that when transitioning from nappies to pants you begin with having a potty visible for your child to use at home and encourage them to use this at each nappy change (we will do this at nursery too), you may then progress to them wearing no nappy at home and encouraging the potty at regular intervals eventually into wearing pants. Once your child is confident in using the potty regularly without wearing a nappy we will support this at nursery. Please ensure that you provide your child with plenty of spare clothes, pants and socks.
If children are not toilet training please ensure that they wear nappies, when lots of children are in pull ups, nappy changing times become very time consuming with having to fully strip each child off to change pull ups. Therefore, we ask that children in baby and toddler room wear nappies and not pull ups.
Also although we know it is cold outdoors please do not put too many layers on your child as it is always nice and warm within the setting, this includes leggings/tights underneath trousers.
No shoe policy
We follow a no shoe policy indoors for staff and visitors to the setting, we will be providing shoe covers to go over outdoors shoes, these will be put on and taken off at the entrance door.
We also ask that children are provided with a separate pair of indoor shoes (if you decide to bring slippers these must fit your child’s feet and not be a trip hazard) and wellies or separate shoes for outdoors. Ensure that they are clearly labelled with your child’s name. We want to reduce the spread of germs and keep the indoor areas/carpets clean leaving mud outdoors. Additionally, this will ensure that carpets and floor areas are clean for smaller toddlers and babies that are crawling and for all children when they are playing at floor level.
If your child does not bring a separate pair of indoor shoes you will be asked to bring some in for them to wear.
Nursery fees
Fees are required to be paid a month in advance however, we appreciate that this may be difficult therefore, if this is not possible fees must be paid weekly prior to your child attending. If fees are not paid in advance your child will not be allowed to stay for their session. In addition to this, any late payments will be charged at £10 per week. If continuous missed payments occur you are at risk of your child’s place being withdrawn. Fees are still payable during periods of absence and illness. During non funded weeks paid fees are still due.
Illnesses
We ask that children do not attend nursery if they are not 100%. Children must be able to participate in all activities both indoors and outdoors whilst at nursery. If children have sickness and/or diarrhea they must remain absent for 48 hours from the last bout of illness. We also ask that you do not give children calpol prior to coming to nursery as this can mask signs and symptoms of illness. If your child needs calpol please ensure that they remain at home.
Please also ensure that you use the handwashing station provided prior to children coming into nursery, we continue to encourage regular hand washing and hygiene routines throughout the day. This includes the cleaning of toys and equipment too.
Absence
Please ensure that you inform nursery if your child is going to be absent. This may be due to a holiday, a day trip or sickness. You can notify us via phone, text, whatsapp or email.
If your child is absent due to holiday, illness or a day at home you will still be charged for this session, this includes additional hours during non-funded weeks, for example if your child receives 15 hours funding but attends for 18 hours per week, during non-funded weeks you are still expected to pay for the additional 3 hours therefore, we encourage you to use these additional hours and book your child in.
It is our policy to record reasons for children’s absence. Whilst nursery attendance is not compulsory, if your child is in receipt of funding it is important that they have regular attendance to avoid losing their funded place.
Medication
We are only able to give prescribed medication to your child whilst they are at nursery, this means that the medication needs to have a prescription label with your child’s name clearly stated and the required dosage of medication. We cannot give over the counter medication, this includes medication such as cough syrup, calpol and nurofen. If your child requires long term medication such as an inhaler, we will require a health care plan to enable us to administer this. You can get this from your child’s health visitor.
Tapestry
Please ensure that you have logged into your child’s tapestry account, for new starters parents will have received an email with login details to activate your account.
Staff will add weekly newsfeeds where you can see photos of activities the children have been participating in throughout the week (please note; your child may not be on all of the photos). During focus weeks you will receive more detailed information which is personal to your child and their development, this will also include information about their next steps of development and how you can support this at home.
Tapestry is also lovely for you to share with us any photos or updates of achievements, day trips, milestones reached at home.
Staffing
Management- Sam, Clare
Deputy Manager- Kirsty
Babies/Toddlers- Kirsty, Vicky, Nicola, Izzy, Molly, Freya
Preschool- Jade, Lauren, Chloe, Ellie, Danielle, Ella
SENDco- Jade/Chloe
Kitchen- Adrienne
15 hour funded places for 2 help, working parents and universal 2,3 and 4 year olds
Funded hours will be offered between 8.30-11.30am and 1-4pm. You are welcome to book your child in for longer sessions if you require however, additional hours are payable at the hourly rate.
30 Hours Funding
30 hours will be offered 9-3 Monday-Friday. If you require longer sessions, you will be charged either side of the funded session at the hourly rate.
We do offer a breakfast club from 8-9am and a tea club from 5-5.45pm including food.
Preschool
Please encourage skills of independence with your child. This includes; handwashing, toileting, putting on their own coat/hat/scarf and attempting the zip. Please also use the photo register allocated next to the main door, to encourage your child to put their name card next to their keyperson.
By the time children reach preschool we expect them to have given up bottles and dummies completely, prolonged dummy and bottle use can cause dental issues as well as speech and language delays, children over 2 years old should not drink bottles of milk at bedtime or during the night, this can have a negative impact on children’s teeth and eating habits.
Postbox
We have our nursery postbox for children to post their dummies, bottles and/or comforters. In return they will receive a certificate and be able to choose a gift as a treat, we expect parents to support us in this and be completely honest (please do not give your child a dummy or bottle once they have given this up). Please ask if you require any advice and support.
School leavers
Supporting Smooth transitions:
Sharing stories about starting school
Getting ready to start school has very little to do with knowing the alphabet, numbers,
shapes or colours and lots to do with practical and emotional preparation. A child’s first
day at school can seem like a huge leap in the dark and can be a worrying time for
parents too. As we know children thrive on predictability and many do find the prospect
of change worrying. Sharing books about starting school is a great way to familiarise
children with new routine and address any worries in a relaxed and non-threatening
environment. Reading stories and discussing the events in the school day within your
familiar early years setting will not only help to ease the worries associated with these
changes but will also help prepare children for starting school. Here are few stories
which you may like to share in with your Preschool aged children:
Preschool Graduation
We will be having a preschool graduation on Tuesday 14th July 1.15-2.15pm at The Little Seedlings soft play at Dobbies Garden Centre. Parents are required to take their child and be present during the session. During this session your child is your responsibility. Children will be presented with a certificate and treat bag as their time at Jack in the box comes to an end and they prepare for their next adventure. We wish all children the best of luck for the future and hope they have a smooth transition into school.
Curriculum
As a setting we follow in the moment planning, this allows us the opportunity to make a real difference to children’s learning by seizing the moments when children first show interest and curiosity and immediately supporting their next steps.
Planning in the moment is nothing new, it is exactly what a responsive parent does every day with their child, it is also exactly what a skillful practitioner has always done. Every time an adult looks and listens to a child, they are assessing and planning how to respond. The adult will consider whether they can add anything in the moment to benefit the child (a teachable moment). If so, they will respond and interact accordingly.
Please use the link provided to broaden your understanding of the Early year’s curriculum and age related expectations noted in the early years outcomes. https://foundationyears.org.uk/files/2021/09/What-to-expect-in-the-EYFS-complete-FINAL-16.09-compressed.pdf
Focus week
Every child will be observed throughout their sessions at nursery, they will then have a focus week where more in depth observations are completed to support their next steps of development. When your child has a focus week you will be sent a message from their key person requesting for you to send your child’s interests over. This also gives opportunity to share any concerns or ask any questions you may have regarding your child’s development. At the end of the focus week your child’s focus observations will be uploaded to tapestry for you to view. It would be great if you could log in to view this and leave a comment.
When you receive the message to inform you that it is your child’s focus week, could you please write down any interests your child has at home. This could be anything from pulling pans out of the cupboard, collecting leaves outside, dancing to a favourite song, a day trip, special events, anything that your child has been talking about often or shown an interest in. Children thrive when learning around things that they are interested in therefore, any conversations and interactions relating to these interests will also benefit, enabling us to incorporate this into your child’s play, learning and development within areas of the setting to extend your child’s learning experiences.
Please use your child’s tapestry app to upload any photos of them as this would be great to see and share with their friends at nursery. We really appreciate your knowledge and understanding and value your opinion on the interests your child has at home. Sharing this information will help us to work in partnership towards your child’s learning and development.
Oral health and Brilliant Brushers
We encourage good oral health and food hygiene routines at Jack in the box for all children. Please ensure that your child brushes their teeth morning and night, we also recommend visiting the dentist regularly.
It is important to brush twice a day to ensure that bacteria and plaque is removed that causes tooth decay and gum disease. Baby teeth help children to eat and speak and guide the permanent adult teeth into position, so it is important to take care of them right from the start.
Brushing teeth has to be seen as a non-negotiable habit for children as it is not just about having a beautiful smile, it is also about safeguarding their overall health and wellness. Please ensure that your child brushes their teeth twice a day.
We are working with Brilliant brushers with our preschool children. They will each have received a take home oral health kit from Colgate, this is to encourage and support tooth brushing at home. During nursery sessions we follow the tooth brushing regime morning and afternoon, children will brush their teeth to the tooth brushing song. All children are really enjoying this routine.
If you have any questions or feedback please share this with us via tapestry or whatsapp.
Brilliant brushers will be visiting our setting in September to produce a short video to showcase our brilliant brushers programme to other settings. You will be asked to sign a consent form for your child prior to this.
Creative Flair
On Thursday mornings 11-11.30am preschool children participate in creative flair music and movement sessions. All staff that attend to provide the music and movement sessions are DBS checked. Sessions are at a cost of £2 per week and is payable in cash.
Resources
If you have any of the following resources that you no longer require, we would be grateful of donations:
Pop up tent
Plant pots
Seeds
Watering can
Bird houses
Cushions
Dates to remember
14th July- Preschool Graduation
Week beginning 20th July-Week ending 28th August- Non funded weeks
31st August– Bank holiday nursery closed
26th – 30th October– Non funded week
3rd November– Pix events photography
Thank you for your continued support.
Many thanks
Sam and Clare