Do you have policies and procedures that I can read?

Tiny Tots operates under strict policies and procedures which all staff are trained on and must follow. Copies are available to view at nursery for all attending families.

 

Do you open for Bank Holidays and holidays?

The nursery closes between Christmas and New Year and all English Bank Holidays. All bank holidays are non-refundable.

 

How often do you review your fees?

Our fees are reviewed annually in May through a structured process to look at the costs of operating the nursery. If we feel that the operating costs have risen we will then increase the fees. You will receive notice in June of any increase, with the first month of the increase being September.

 

When do I get my government funding?

Your child is entitled to funded hours from the start of the school term after their 3rd birthday. Tiny Tots provides two funding offers. The first is Universal (available to all) and comprises 15 hours free child care during term-time, 38 weeks of the year, which can be accessed completely free during Tiny Tots sessions. 

 

The second funding offer is available to eligible families and extends the 15 universal hours up to 30.

 

For both types of funding the nursery is required to complete a number of forms for the Local Education Authority which parents must sign each term. The Nursery Manager will identify all eligible children on our register and will contact you to fill in the necessary forms before submitting them on your behalf. The funding will be automatically deducted from the fees and will appear on the invoice as funded hours. There is a separate handout available which explains both types of funding that we offer in more detail and how to check your eligibility.

 

What group activities do the children have?

Your child's 'key person' is responsible for observing your child during their play and to devise activities that will assist their development and learning. Sometimes this will include group activities where children showing similar interests and skills can participate in an activity together. They will also have an opportunity to listen to stories, do shows and share and sing songs in groups. These group activities may occur both indoors and outdoors.

 

Do you take the children out for trips?

Sometimes children may go on walks to the local park, library for story time or around the local area. These trips will help extend children's learning. You will be asked to give permission for your child to attend when you register.

 

How do I know about my child's daily routine?

At the end of the day, your child's key person will feed back information about your child's day. For the babies and younger children, this will include information about their sleep times, mealtimes and nappy changes. The key person will also feedback information about activities and experiences that your child has been involved with over the day. If the key person is not there, the ‘buddy’ key person or another nominated staff member will be available to share that information with you.

 

How do you prepare my child for school?

We design a wide variety of experiences and activities for the children that encourage them to make decisions and become independent learners. When they arrive they will be asked to self-register – looking for their name card and placing it on the ‘who’s here today’ board.

 

They will learn about the letters of the alphabets, how to write their name, counting numbers from 1-20 and beyond, the days of the week, the weather and key events in the calendar. Mark making is key and is encouraged through the use of pencils, crayons, paints, in the sand tray and on the chalkboards. They will learn about mathematical concepts such as big and small, full and empty, big, bigger and biggest, as well as shapes, colours, animals and opposites. They will have the opportunity to use a variety of resources for exploration including sand, water, construction materials, paint, glue, chalks, scissors, measuring jugs and magnifying glasses, as well as being able to make believe in the role play area. More or less everything we do can be taken outside, and children will have regular dance sessions and physical activities outdoors.

 

Our interactive whiteboard will be used to teach the children all sorts of concepts interactively through fun games and characters. There is also a reading corner where the children can help themselves to books, a large chalk board on the wall for practising writing and group sessions held on the big rug; listening and telling stories, identifying words and signs and regular show and share sessions.

 

Through our monthly topics they will learn about themselves, the world around them, the seasons and other topics designed to engage them. Craft and creative activities are then linked to the current topic and the children’s work will be displayed on the walls and from the ceilings, giving them a sense of achievement and pride.

 

The children also cook, do yoga, participate in rugby tots or Monkey Music sessions with an external company that comes in, learn about planting and growing vegetables and participate in food tasting and dressing up.

 

We encourage independent play, listening and concentrating, making friends, sharing and socialising. Our "school week" sessions can have varying numbers of participants and focus on key skills:

• Greeting Others

• Taking Turns – listening and talking

• Taking Turns at Play

• Sharing

• Asking for Help

• Identifying Feelings

• Empathy

• Overcoming Fear and Anxiety

• Managing Frustration

• Calming Down

• Speaking up

 

Overarching everything, your child’s key person is there to identify their learning and development needs and to plan activities and experiences that will assist them starting school.

 

My child has an allergy. How can you ensure they do not become exposed?

When you complete the All About Me, we ask you to tell us if your child has any allergies. We have a specific operating policy for dealing with allergic reactions which we follow once you have made us aware of the allergy. It includes:

 

• Assessing children’s needs prior to commencement of attendance:

• Discuss with parents of the relevant child what signs and symptoms to look out for.

• Obtain written permission to administer medication.

• Request parents to enter details into medication log.

• Ensure that parents provide an adequate, in-date supply of the required medication. This must be kept at the setting all the time that the child is present and all staff must know where to find it.

• All staff will be made aware of your child’s allergy. Details of the allergy will be detailed on the allergy chart in the kitchen so that all food prepared for your child avoids the allergens identified. Every staff member must read and re-sign this chart every two months or whenever it is updated.

• Arrange additional training for staff, if required.

 

If your child has a severe allergy and requires an Autoinjector, we have staff onsite who are trained to administer this. Please ask to see a copy of our policy on this subject.

 

Who can I speak to if I have any questions regarding the nursery?

You can talk to our Manager, Bonnie Badham, at the nursery on 01285 885570 or e-mail tinytots@rugratsandhalfpints.com and we will be delighted to help. 

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