Fees
Fees are paid half termly in which invoices are emailed to parents/carers during the last week of each half term, to be paid by the start date of the next half term. We ask that fees are paid promptly, and all sessions are still paid for if your child is away for any reason, such as illness, holiday, and if we have to shut for no fault of our own as our expenses still have to be paid. If you have any problems or queries regarding fees please speak in confidence to the manager.
Free Funded Hours
The Government has a funding scheme that we are part of in providing free funding for 3 and 4 year olds. Vouchers are given to children the term after their 3rd birthday, which entitles each child up to 15 funded hours. Any hours booked over 15 hours will be charged at our normal rates. Vouchers cannot be used between 8:30am – 9am for Breakfast Club. Information on nursery education grants can be found on the WSCC website. We also take 2 year old funding for children who are eligible. We accept childcare vouchers provided by parents work companies.
For children taking WSCC funding a small activity fee of £35 will be charged every half term to cover expenses such as Arts and Crafts, Cooking, Tapestry online journals, Dance lessons and Tatty Bumpkin etc. as funding does not cover this.
Nursery Policies and Procedures
In the setting we have a folder on the parent’s information table containing Polices on Health and Safety, Equal Opportunities, Confidentiality, Child Protection, Admissions, and Settling in Procedures etc. We encourage you to read through these and you may look at them at any time.
Policy bringing in Siblings to the Setting
Please note that if you bring a sibling into nursery when dropping off or picking up your child, that they are your responsibility and not that of the Dove Nursery staff. Please do not leave siblings unattended, especially babies in car seats.
Confidentiality
Any information about your child is treated in confidence, it is not passed on to other people without your permission except where required to do so by child protection procedures.
Starting at Dove Nursery
It is helpful to your child and staff if your child wears practical clothing to Nursery, so that they do not have to worry about getting best clothes messy and easy to handle when going to the toilet. Please name any coats, hats, gloves they bring in as well as Wellingtons for the winter months, and sunhats for the summer term. We ask that each child has slip on plimsolls or slippers to wear for indoor play during our sessions and for sports in the summer term, plimsolls or trainers.
When you arrive at the start of the session you are welcome to stay as long as you feel necessary to settle in although we have found that children do settle in quicker when parents/carers do not linger. You are welcome to phone us later during the session if you have any worries about your child settling, Tel no: (01273 492990).
Sessions
During the session we do have lots of free play, there is a wide range of activities for children to do which include construction, role play, home corner, jigsaws, cutting and sticking, painting, ICT, sand and water- play, books, games, bikes, cooking etc. Children enjoy circle time daily, singing favourite songs and rhymes and circle games. We also have regular visits from Tatty Bumpkin with simple yoga, including storytelling with music and movement. We also have Dance lessons every half term. We enjoy outside play in our garden and sessions on the common, walks in the woods and visits to Swains farm (next door to us) to see the animals.
Snack-time
All children bring in a piece of fruit or Veg for the fruit bowl to be shared in the morning sessions for snack-time with drinks of milk or water. We sometimes offer cream crackers or toast to add variety for the children. Children drink from beakers without lids so it would be helpful if you can introduce your child to one before starting nursery.
Lunch-time
Children who attend nursery between 12 and 1pm need to bring packed lunches in named lunch boxes with all perishable items separately named, to be kept in the fridge. We do have a healthy eating policy and ask that you do not send in crisps and junk food/sweets.
Music-time
This is a fun activity where children sing new and familiar songs with actions and movement, and join in circle games. We have daily music sessions singing along with the guitar accompaniment.
Children also enjoy music and movement sessions including fun with bean bags and lumi sticks in tumble tot sessions.
Outdoor Play
Children play outdoors everyday weather permitting so need suitable clothing to put on e.g. coats, hats, gloves, wellies, or sunhats in summer please make sure children are protected with sun-cream before coming to nursery.
Tapestry – Online learning journals
Tapestry is an online developmental record which is required by Ofsted to be kept on each child in the form of “Learning Journals”. Activities are planned in Communication, language and literacy, understanding of the world around us, physical, creative, problem solving, reasoning and numeracy as well as personal and social development. Children are observed and observations recorded in the child’s own journal. Parents are encouraged to work with their child’s Key Worker and welcome to discuss developments each term with nursery manager and your Child's Key worker. Parents will be given their own password from Tapestry so they can view their own child’s journal.
Illness
If your child is ill in the night, or before attending a session, please keep them at home it is not fair to children or staff if they attend unwell, Children should not return to nursery until 48 hours after the last bout of upset stomach, or sickness. If your child is not attending the session please let us know, and infectious illnesses please notify us.
Giving notice of a placement
Dove Nursery ask that you give half a term’s notice in lieu of fees if for any reason you have to give up your child’s place at Dove Nursery.
Dropping off and Pick up times
Please note that our starting time is 8:30am for breakfast club, and 9am, we ask that you do not drop your child off until the time they are booked in for. If your child is not booked in for breakfast club please do not bring them in before the 9am start.
Afternoon sessions finish at 3pm, please avoid ringing the bell before this time as it can be disruptive to the end of the session. If you have to pick up your child before the end of a session, please make arrangements with staff when you drop your child off that day.
What to do if you are running late
If for any reason you find you are going to be late to pick up your child, please let us know (01273 492990) so as we can reassure your child that you are coming and they do not worry.
A charge of £10 will be invoiced to any parent/carer who arrives more than ten minutes late to pay staff that has had to stay and wait for your arrival.
Staff should be informed if someone else is picking up your child.
A contact name and Tel no will be needed and in the case of a person unknown to the staff a password.
Evacuation policy
If for any reason we need to evacuate the setting, Children will be taken safely to Swains Farm (opposite the Cricket Pavilion) and parents will be contacted to pick their child up. No child will be left unattended, staff will supervised till everyone is collected. Children and Staff have regular Fire drill and evacuation practices during each half term.
What do I need to bring when I start Nursery?
A named bag with: a change of clothes, nappies or spare pants
Nappy sacks, wipes etc. if needed
Outdoor wear for winter and wet weather: Coat, Hat, Gloves, Wellies
Indoor shoes e.g.: Plimsolls or Slippers
Outdoor wear for summer and hot days:
Trainers/ (no flip flops) Sun Cream, Sun Hat.
For Morning sessions each child needs to bring a piece of fruit or veg to be cut and shared for snack time.
If staying for lunch: a packed lunch in a named container, with an ice pack in (or frozen yoghurt) to keep cool until lunchtime. We ask that you avoid putting in crisps, sweets etc. in lunch boxes as we have worked hard on our healthy eating policy
We hope you and your child will be happy with the Dove Nursery and enjoy your time with us. There is an “Open Door” policy so if you would like any information, or have any worries, or queries, please do not hesitate to ask.
Vivian (Manager)