Welcome to all of our new starters, the children have adapted well with their transition into nursery and have settled so well 😊
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. Children access the outdoors throughout the year in all weathers therefore, appropriate clothing is very important.
Outdoor play
Children have access to outdoor play throughout the day in all weathers. Please ensure that children have appropriate outdoor clothing this includes coats, wellies, hat, gloves. Please also provide spare clothes in your child’s bag should they get wet, muddy etc. Playing outdoors supports children’s physical and emotional development as well as great learning and exploration opportunities. Children enjoy wet weather play outdoors, playing in the rain offers a range of benefits that can contribute to children’s physical, emotional and cognitive development. Some benefits include Sensory exploration, emotional resilience, creativity and imagination, physical development and connection with nature. We have recently purchased some umbrella hats for the children and are asking for any donations of unwanted umbrellas. We also recommend puddle suits/waterproof trousers for outdoor play.
Car parking
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 9-11.15am and 1.15-3pm. If you arrive and the gates are locked please phone the nursery mobile and we will open the gates for you.
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.
No shoe policy
We are adopting 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. Â
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.
Illnesses
We are aware that there has been lots of illness since September including chicken pox and hand, foot and mouth. We continue to ask that children do not attend nursery if they are not 100%. 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.
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.
Please refrain from giving your child medication such as calpol prior to coming to nursery as this can mask symptoms of illness.
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.
Website
We regularly update our website with information regarding nursery, it may be parents letters, dates to remember or photos of activities that the children have particularly enjoyed. You can subscribe to the website to enable you to receive notifications of when updates are added to the website.
Staffing
Management- Sam, Clare
Deputy Manager- Kirsty
Babies/Toddlers- Kirsty, Vicky, Nicola, Izzy, Molly
Preschool- Jade, Lauren, Chloe, Jess, Hayley
SENDco- Jade/Chloe
We would like to welcome Hayley to the Jack in the box team, Hayley will be based within the preschool room and is working towards her level 3 in early years. We also welcome Jade back from her maternity leave 😊
Congratulations to Jess and David who are expecting their second baby due in February 2025.
15 hour funded places for 2,3 and 4 year olds
Funded hours will be offered between 8.30-11.30am and 1-4pm, any hours before, in between and after these times will be charged at the hourly rate. If for example you would like your child to have their funded sessions in the morning but would like them to stay for lunch you have the option to book them in 8.30-1 (space dependent) your child would receive funding 8.30-11.30am and you would pay from 11.30-1pm.
If your child will be attending solely for 15 hours these hours will be offered as 5 morning sessions or 5 afternoon sessions. All funding information can be accessed next to the handwashing station outside.
30 Hours Funding
From September 30 hours funding will be offered as 30 hours per week, across 5 days for 38 weeks of the year. Funding will be offered between the hours of 8.30-11.30am and 1-4pm. Children are able to do a full day however, anything either side and in between the funded hours will be payable at the hourly rate. Please note that there are limited spaces allocated for 30 hour funding, children do not automatically receive this at our setting even if you have applied for it and been accepted. We offer 30 hours to 10% of our intake, once these spaces are filled you will be placed onto a waiting list. Please be mindful that just because you are entitled to it does not mean that we will have the availability to offer it.
Toilet training
We have lots of children toilet training at the moment and 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.
Spare clothes
Can we please ask that all children are provided with at least 2 spare sets of clothes each session. Children will be exploring both indoors and outdoors throughout their sessions which may result in clothes becoming wet, muddy etc. we do not have spare clothes on site for children to use.
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
Oral health
Preschool children are encouraged to bring in their own toothbrush to enable them to brush their teeth after lunch times. It is important for children to form good oral health habits from an early age to avoid tooth decay. Early childhood tooth decay can impact speech, language and learning.
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.
Concept photography
Concept photography will be visiting nursery on Monday 4th November 9.30-11.30am. Children that already attend for this session will automatically be photographed. If your child does not attend for this session and you require them to be photographed please let us know to enable us to book a time slot for you to bring your child along.
Holly Grange House care home
Holly Grange House care home has recently opened nearby to nursery, we were contacted by them to arrange some themed visits to the care home with a small group of preschool children. This is a lovely opportunity which enables children to walk to the care home viewing and exploring the local community along the way alongside the experience of interacting with an older generation and sharing activities that they enjoy. Our first visit in September for a teddy bears picnic was a success and the children enjoyed some teddy bear treats in addition to creating their own playdough bears, listening to a bear themed story and music and movement to bear themed songs. We will next be visiting the care home on 5th November to enjoy a firework themed visit. All photos can be viewed via the nursery website.
Little monkey print
Children have recently created some artwork that will be sent off to be made into Christmas cards and other Christmas themed objects. We will soon receive the proofs of these images and you will be able to purchase these direct with little monkey print.
Christmas trio pack
After last years interest, we will be selling Christmas packs again this year. Christmas packs will include; a Christmas card, Christmas calendar and a decoration for a charge of £6. If you would like to order one please let us know to ensure us to add your child to the order list. Payment is to be made in cash.
During December we will also be offering reindeer food (£1.50) and hot chocolate cones (£2.50).
Christmas jumper day and fun week
Christmas jumper day will be Thursday 12th December, children and staff are invited to wear Christmas jumpers and bring a donation of £1 to support the charity save the children.
Christmas fun week will be week beginning 16th December children are welcome to come in wearing festive clothing, they will be participating in Christmas themed activities and we may even have a visit from Santa 😊
Resources
If you have any of the following resources that you no longer require we would be grateful of donations:
Artificial grass
Garden paint
Bird boxes
Guttering
Dinosaurs
Artificial flowers
Pegs
Garden decorations such as windmills, wind chimes etc
Umbrellas
We are also looking for affordable suggestions on how to store our wellies in our outdoor area.
Dates to remember
10th October– world mental health day- children are invited to wear something yellow
28th October– 1st November- No funding for all funded children (9 months, 2,3,4 year olds)
4th November– Concept photography nursery photos
5th November- preschool group to visit Holly Grange House care home
15th November– Children in need (children are invited to wear something yellow and/or spotty)
16th December– Christmas fun week (Santa visit)
23rd December-4th December- No funding for all funded children.
25th December– 1st January- Nursery closed
2nd January– nursery reopens
Thank you for your continued support.
Many thanks
Sam and Clare