After you have booked your place and paid your £25 deposit, you will be asked to complete a basic information form which gives us your details in case we need to contact you for any reason before your start date. We then organise an initial induction day, which involves you coming into nursery with your child, sitting with them in their room, completing the rest of the paperwork with your key person and reading the policies, whilst your child plays in the room, secure in the knowledge that you are still there.
We offer up to two weeks free settling-in period. Not every child needs all of this time, some children are quite happy to come to us after just a couple of sessions, but others may still be upset when you leave even after the two weeks. Each child is different and they all will be treated as individuals, we try to allow for that as much as possible, however we ask parents to attend a minimum of two settling in sessions to ensure a smooth transition.
During the settling-in period, we will work with you and your child to make the start to nursery a positive one. We have a parents room where you can relax, have a coffee, tea etc. whilst your child is playing.
Each child has a key person, a member of staff who will make observations on their progress and plan activities to improve their skills and be there for your child.
At the beginning of each month you will be given an invoice for your childcare fees. All fees are expected to be paid in advance but you may pay weekly or monthly. We accept payment by childcare vouchers, cash, cheque or BACS payment. The nursery charges will be explained to you on induction or as and when you need this information.
*Please note we do charge normal fees for bank holidays even though the nursery is not open.
Various activities such as dance and language are available. We are open to your suggestions, as we feel these are valuable learning opportunities that will support and encourage the children’s development alongside the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum.
We work towards the Early Years Foundation Stage Principles (EYFS) which is essentially, a curriculum for under fives, implemented by the government and OFSTED. The document identifies three prime areas of learning and four specific areas of learning which we aim to cover each day.
We operate a child-led facility, where we listen to the children and allow them to decide what activities or toys they wish to play with. All our planning is available to be viewed on the walls of the rooms for parents to see and add to if they wish. Adult initiated activities will also take place daily providing choices for the children.
Upon arrival, each child is given a ‘Learning Journey’. This is a folder which contains details about the child’s activities. These are available for parents to look at any time they wish but more formal viewings can be arranged.
We make our mealtimes a social event for the children, with everybody sitting together in the dining area with staff at each table serving the food with the children. This encourages a relaxed atmosphere with lots of conversation and development of social skills. All food is home cooked on the premises providing choice and for dietary needs.
We have three formal mealtimes in the nursery routine (babies are subject to eating habits and their own routine).
The Garden
We have an extensive garden here which we make full use of in all weathers. To encourage free flow to the outdoors, we have an undercover play area for each room. Every room opens directly onto the garden with the undercover area first. The garden is something we are passionate about and hope to enthuse our children with. We have a large grassy expanse which we use for garden games and apparatus. We have a vegetable patch for the children, encouraging them to be aware of the World around them.
ICT/Computers
All children have access to electronic toys which will develop their interest in computers and ICT. The Squirrel Room, Badger Room and the Wise Owls Room have access to Computers throughout the day. All software is age appropriate encouraging the children to experience a range of ICT equipment that will aid them in the future.
Outings
The children regularly go on walks and outings to explore the local environment. Our ratios when out of the nursery meet statutory guidelines.
Working in partnership with parents/carers is central to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and at Rubery Day Nursery we agree that the needs of each child as an individual are best met when parents and practitioners work together and communicate effectively.
A working in partnership meeting is a valuable opportunity for parents and nursery practitioners to consult together about children’s early experiences. This helps practitioners plan for effective learning at the setting, and helps them support parents in continuing their children’s learning development at home. All contributions from parents/carers are encouraged and welcomed.
Starting nursery or moving from one room to the next is an exciting time, but can also be a challenging and anxious time for both children and their parents/carers. We are committed to putting the needs of the child first whilst working with each other and parents/carers to make transitions as smooth as possible for all. We feel that it is important that this is planned and carried out in a way that meets the needs of each individual child. Working in partnership meetings allow proper introductions to be made and effective, focused communications to be made.
During a room transition, your child’s current key person will formally introduce the new key person along with the rest of the new room staff team. We enjoy giving parents a tour around their child’s new room and discussing the different learning environments and experiences your child will have. This we hope gives parents a more in-depth understanding of what a child’s daily routine will be like.
Your child’s key person will also invite you to join them for a working in partnership meeting each term when they complete your child’s development summary to keep you updated on your child’s progress. In between these intervals if you feel you would benefit from catching up with your child’s key person please contact them to arrange a working in partnership meeting.
If you have yet not booked a working in partnership meeting with your child’s key person, please speak to the nursery manager to arrange one.
