Our Team
We are building an enthusiastic and dedicated team of practitioners who work closely together across all aspects of the nursery, supporting and mentoring each other. They have been chosen for their ability to provide the highest standards of care to each baby/ child in their supervision, and their commitment to delivering an excellent service to the families who come to us.
All members of the team will be carefully screened and vetted and have a full DBS (Disclosure Barring Service) and we will have multiple staff with a current Paediatric First Aid qualification in each of our rooms.
Staff training is a high priority at our nursery. Each member of staff will undergo an in-depth induction programme during their first six months with us. If they are not already qualified, then they are required to work towards a Level 3 NVQ in Childcare.
In addition, every staff member will go on annual training off-site accessing a range of training topics across the curriculum, and we provide annual in-house training which covers key topics such as safeguarding, behaviour management, health and safety, manual handling and special educational needs, ensuring staff receive the latest guidance and updates each year. We will also have a number of specialists who have been trained in key areas such as speech and language, sensory play, outdoor play and physical development, and they will pass on their expertise to the rest of the team through presentations and handouts containing ideas, activities and guidance.
Each staff member will have their own personal training plan and will receive regular coaching and 1 to 1 sessions, an annual appraisal and yearly performance based bonus. We strive to keep our staff supported, motivated and appreciated. Low staff turnover results in continuity of care, close bonds and best practice.
The Role of the Key Person
Every child will be assigned a member of the team as their Key Person shortly after starting. The Key person will form a close bond with each child for which they are responsible, adapting activities to suit their needs and stage of development, monitoring and recording their progress and acting as the main point of contact for parents.
Children will have their own unique Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Diary which the key person will write in on their behalf. It will track their progress as we observe it, with photos and observations linked to the learning goals of the EYFS. This diary will go home with your child when they leave nursery to go to primary school.
In addition, we will track each child’s progress through the following assessments:
-
Starting point assessment – when your child joins us initially.
-
Two-year check – all children are required to have this check done at the key age of between two and three years old. We undertake this check at nursery and discuss this with you.
-
Tracking Overview – we will collect tracking information every six months to see how they are developing and compare this to their chronological age, to identify any children who are exceeding their age-related expectations or that may need additional support. Our goal will be to ensure all children are moving forward in every area of the EYFS during their time at Tiny Tots, regardless of where they started when they joined us. We will feedback your child’s progress at two parent’s evenings each year, held in April and October.
-
A Transition Report – this is required by your child’s primary school prior to their move. We undertake this at nursery and discuss this with you.
Whilst the key person plays a vital role, it is also important to say that every staff member will know, care for and help develop each child in their respective rooms. Your child will learn through playing and interacting with all the children and staff members in their room, and will learn to socialise, share and bond with many different people as a result.