The aim of this document is to ensure families see the support that they would receive for their child at Small Steps Day Care.   It provides clear information about what Small Steps Day Care have already put in place to ensure your child can achieve his/her full potential.

We work within the guidance of the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework and use this to promote each child’s learning and development.  We know that each child is unique and endeavour to meet their individual needs. We work within the setting's policies and procedures  and hold an up to date complaints policy.

 

Parents and their child visit our nursery on several occasions before they start at Small Steps.  A home visit is also offered to ensure that the key person knows as much about the child and family as possible. At this point any concerns raised will be discussed with the parent/carer and support put in place before the child starts. A learning journal is also started at home with the child and their family and then handed to the key person when the child starts at the setting.

At the setting we complete daily observations on each individual child and these observations then go into their personal learning journals. At the end of each term we go through each child’s learning journal to update it and using the observations to update their developmental tracker. We use the developmental trackers to track each child’s development and what age range they are at and we use these as a guideline against the EYFS to ensure each child is meeting their developmental age range. The learning journals are kept in reach of the children for them to look through and also add anything throughout the day. These are always available for parent/carers to take home and add/update. We then plan next steps for each individual child using the EYFS making sure we feel they are achievable for the individual child. We ask parents/carers if they have any concerns to make a time to see the child’s key person to discuss these concerns. If we at nursery have any concerns we would then arrange a time to discuss these with the parents.  Once we have parent’s permission we would then go on to contact any agencies needed.

We complete a progress report on all two year old children who attend our setting within the first few weeks of them starting.  We then arrange a time to go through this with the parent/carer asking them to add any information and discuss any concerns they have.  It is also a time we can raise any concerns we may have.

We have an appointed Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) in the setting who supports all staff and parents/carers. Other members of staff have also been on SENCO training. The SENCO and key person would go to any meetings, home visits and arrange for resources and equipment to be ready before first visit to nursery. We would make sure all staff went on any required training or any training we felt appropriate. We have regular meetings with our area SENCO for updates and training. We would work closely with parents/carers to work out a plan that could be followed at home and in the setting for continuity in care. All staff are aware that information on children can be found in learning journals along with any activities from speech and language therapists or other health care professionals.

We follow the EYFS guidelines and curriculum set out by the Government.  We include all children and plan for each individual child and their needs.  We differentiate to suit the level and learning style of the children and are provided both in and out, for example early writing skills can be promoted just as easily outside in our garden as they can inside at a table.  Our planning is done weekly and evaluated at the end of each week to ensure we are always improving.  The setting is set out so each child can move freely around the setting accessing all activities and resources.

In our setting each child has a home diary which is filled out by a staff member who has spent time with that child on that day giving the parents/carers information on how the child has been, what activities and play they have been interested in and any other relevant information.  These are sent home at the end of each day for parents/carers to also comment in and let us know of any relevant information. We do regular newsletters to update parents/carers of any changes in the setting and we also ask in the newsletter for them to do the same. In our lobby we have a parents/carers board where we advertise any local parenting courses available and any events going on at the local children’s centres. We have book bags the children take home each day where we can put leaflets and information booklets for parents/carers. Before each child starts we offer transition sessions and can arrange home visits to meet the child at home. We operate a open door policy so parents/carers can call any time of day and arrange a time to visit a key person any time not just in nursery hours as we know this can be hard due to commitments.

 

On starting nursery we will ask you to complete registration forms giving us all relevant information on your child to promote their safety and wellbeing. All staff in our setting have undertaken first aid, child protection and food hygiene training. Each day we complete daily opening checks to ensure the setting is safe and maintained. Policies and procedures are in place to ensure the safety of the children and staff. All staff and parents/carers are made aware of these and they are available to take home to look through. All staff are aware of the procedure to follow when administering medicines and if need be staff will be sent on relevant training where needed to administer certain medicines/first aid such as auto injector training. We use lots of different methods to praise the children such as stickers, friendship tree.

All staff undertakes inductions when first starting at the setting. We have regular staff meetings where information can be cascaded down if certain staff members may have been on training. We regularly complete online training based on child protection. All staff attend first aid and safe guarding training. We have regular appraisals and general one to one meetings to give updates on how we feel we are doing or of any changes that may be happening at home.

We work with all outside agencies when needed. We work closely with local schools and children’s centres. We have regular update meetings with our area SENCO.

Consent forms for outings are in with the registration forms which are to be filled out when a child first starts. We do not have many outings but have regular events at the setting inviting children and their parents/carers in the setting to join us.

Small Steps Day Care is accessible to all with additional facilities where necessary. For example we have wheelchair access with double doors into the garden and an accessible toilet.   Additional support from outside agencies will be sourced if required.

Upon your visit to the nursery we would give you a prospectus and registration forms inside this will include our settling in procedure. We would then arrange transition sessions for your child and if beneficial arrange home visits. We will also give you their learning journals with the forms ‘all about me’ and ask you to complete this just to give us a bit of information on what your child does/doesn’t like and a bit about how you feel they are developing. If the child attends more than one setting we would write to the setting with your consent to share information and work out a clear development plan/next steps so we are all working together towards the same goals.

A term before your child is due to start school our SENCO will arrange several meetings with the school SENCO and arrange times and dates for the child to go into the school with Small Steps SENCO/Key Person.

After your child starts school the Key Person will contact the school to see how your child has settled and to see if they can offer any further support. 

The setting is set out for each child to be able to move around freely accessing all resources and activities. We plan based on each individual child’s interests and developmental needs making sure each child’s experience is enriched with learning through play and is a positive experience.

The SENCO will work closely building positive relations with the child, family and outside agencies so a development plan is put in place that suits everybody and enable everybody to all work together for the best outcomes and support for the child. They will make sure all additional training, resources and equipment is accessed.

We have regular newsletters sent out to all parents giving them updates on the setting, staff and of any upcoming events. In the lobby we have a parents/carers board where we will advertise any local events or training and for the parents/carers to advertise anything. We also have a comments/suggestion box. We send out questionnaires which we then review and put into place. We use the home diaries for day-to-day communication.

If you wish to register your child at the nursery then please contact the nursery manager who will be happy to assist you and answer any questions you have.