Policies

ADMISSIONS POLICY

Statement of Intent
It is our intention to make our setting accessible to children and families from all sections of the local community.

Aim

We aim to ensure that all sections of our community have access to the setting through open, fair and clearly communicated procedures.

We aim to meet the full requirements of The Welfare Standards for the Early Years Foundation Stage.

Methods

We ensure that the existence of our setting is widely advertised in places accessible to all sections of the community.

We ensure that information about our setting is accessible, in written and spoken form and, where appropriate, in more than one language. Where necessary, we will try to provide information in Braille, or through signing or an interpreter.

Rolleston Pre-School can accept children between the ages of 2 3/4 and 4 years old. Children can attend a maximum of 5 sessions a week. Children can attend a lunchtime session for a maximum of 5 per week.

We arrange our waiting list in birth order. In the event of there being a waiting list the following system will operate:

Children registered at John of Rolleston Primary School will be given priority.
Children moving into the local area who are 4 years old will be given priority.
Children in need will be given priority.

We keep a place vacant, if this is financially viable, to accommodate an emergency admission.

We are flexible about the opening times of the setting to ensure we accommodate the needs of individual children and families.
All parents will be given a starter pack prior to admission outlining information required for admission.
We would welcome a copy of your child’s full birth certificate.

A daily attendance register will be completed as children arrive and leave, this is essential for safety and for use in Fire drills and other emergencies.

Should you have any complaints or grievances concerning this policy please bring the matter to our attention by following the procedures detailed in our Complaints Policy.

BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT POLICY

Statement of Intent

Rolleston Pre-School believes that children flourish best when their personal, social and emotional needs are met and where there are clear and developmentally appropriate expectations for their behaviour.

Aim

We aim to teach children to behave in socially acceptable ways and to understand the needs and rights of others. The principles guiding management of behaviour exist within the programme for supporting personal, social and emotional development.

We aim to meet the full requirements of The Welfare Standards for the Early Years Foundation Stage.

Methods

We have a named person (Lolene Poxon) who has overall responsibility for our programme for supporting personal, social and emotional development, including issues concerning behaviour.
We require the named person to:

keep her/himself up to date with legislation, research and thinking on promoting positive behaviour and on handling children’s behaviour where it may require additional support; and to check that all staff have relevant in-service training on promoting positive behaviour. We keep a record of staff attendance at this training.
We recognise that codes for interacting with other people vary between cultures and require staff to be aware of – and respect – those used by members of the setting.
We require all staff, volunteers and students to provide a positive model of behaviour by treating children, parents and one another with friendliness, care and courtesy.
We familiarise new staff and volunteers with the setting’s behaviour policy and its guidelines for behaviour.
We expect all members of our setting – children, parents, staff, volunteers and students – to keep to the guidelines, requiring these to be applied consistently.
We work in partnership with children’s parents. We work with parents to address recurring inconsiderate behaviour, using our observation records to help us to understand the cause and to decide jointly how to respond appropriately.

Strategies with children who engage in inconsiderate behaviour

We require all staff, volunteers and students to use positive strategies for handling any inconsiderate behaviour, by helping children find solutions in ways which are appropriate for the children’s ages and stages of development.
Staff will praise and show appreciation of desirable behaviour such as politeness, sharing and caring for others.
We support each child in developing self esteem, confidence and feelings of competence and in developing a sense of belonging in our group, so that they feel valued and welcome.
We will ensure that at no time does a child receive positive adult attention in return for unacceptable behaviour.
When children behave in inconsiderate ways, we help them to understand the outcomes of their action and support them in learning how to cope more appropriately.

Under no circumstance will a child ever be:

physically punished, such as smacked, slapped or shaken;
shouted at, threatened, humiliated, embarrassed or frightened in any way;
isolated; or
withheld snacks or drinks.

We do not use any form of physical intervention, e.g. holding, unless it is necessary or part of a care plan to prevent personal injury to the child, other children, an adult or serious damage to property.
Details of such an event (what happened, what action was taken and by whom, and the names of witnesses) are brought to the attention of the Pre-School Manager and are recorded in the child’s personal file. The child’s parent is informed on the same day.
In cases of serious misbehaviour, such as racial or other abuse, we make clear immediately the unacceptability of the behaviour and attitudes, by means of explanations rather than personal blame.
Staff are aware that some unacceptable behaviour may arise from short-term upset and will make every effort to deal with it appropriately and with sensitivity.
Children subject to behaviour management will have those controls reviewed on a regular basis by the Manager.

Children under three years

We recognise that very young children are unable to regulate their own emotions, such as fear, anger or distress, and require sensitive adults to help them do this.
Common inconsiderate or hurtful behaviours of young children include tantrums, biting or fighting. Staff are calm and patient, offering comfort to intense emotions, helping children to manage their feelings and talk about them to help resolve issues and promote understanding.

If you are not happy with the way you or your child is treated by any member of staff or other parent at the Pre-School or you have any complaints or grievances concerning this policy please bring the matter to our attention by following the procedures detailed in our Complaints Policy.

COMPLAINTS POLICY

Statement of intent

We believe that children and parents are entitled to expect courtesy and prompt, careful attention to their needs and wishes. We welcome suggestions on how to improve our pre-school and will give prompt and serious attention to any concerns about the running of the setting. We anticipate that most concerns will be resolved quickly by an informal approach to the appropriate member of staff. If this does not achieve the desired result, we have a set of procedures for dealing with concerns.

Aim

We aim to bring all concerns about the running of our pre-school to a satisfactory conclusion for all of the parties involved.

Methods

To achieve this, we operate the following complaints procedure. All settings are required to keep a ‘Complaints Summary Record’ of all complaints that reach stage 2 or beyond. This is to be made available to parents as well as to Ofsted in accordance with the Children’s Act regulation regarding complaints.

Making a complaint

Stage 1

Your complaint will be logged by the Manager.

Stage 2

They will advise on the nature of investigation into that complaint (other than allegations about staff handling of children).

Stage 3

The Manager will advise of the time limit to complete any investigation and will agree the means of reporting the outcome.

Stage 4

If the outcome is unacceptable the complainant may appeal to the management committee.

Stage 5

Should this still not satisfactorily resolve the issue, the complainant may request external mediation through the Pre School Learning Alliance.

Stage 6

All formal written complaints will be referred to Ofsted. Parents may approach Ofsted directly at any stage of this complaints procedure. In addition, where there seems to be a possible breach of the setting’s registration requirements, it is essential to involve Ofsted as the registering and inspection body with a duty to ensure the National Standards for Day Care are adhered to. The contact details for Ofsted are:

Royal Exchange Building
St Ann’s Square
Manchester
M2 7LA

08456 404045

enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk

These details are displayed on our setting’s notice board.

If a child appears to be at risk, our setting follows the procedures of the Area Safeguarding Children Committee in our local authority. In these cases, both the parent and Pre-School are informed and the Pre-School Manger works with Ofsted or the Area Safeguarding Children Committee to ensure a proper investigation of the complaint, followed by appropriate action.

Should you have any complaints or grievances concerning this policy please bring the matter to our attention by following the procedures detailed in our Complaints Policy

CONFIDENTIALITY POLICY

Statement of Intent

It is our intention to respect the privacy of children and their parents and carers, while ensuring that they access high quality early years care and education in our setting.

Aim

We aim to ensure that all parents and carers can share their information in the confidence that it will only be used to enhance the welfare of their children.

Methods

We keep two kinds of records on children attending our setting:

1. Developmental records

These include observations of children in the setting, samples of their work, summary developmental reports and records of achievement.
They are kept at Pre-School and can be accessed, and contributed to, by staff, the child and the child’s parents.

2. Personal records

These include registration and admission forms, signed consents, and correspondence concerning the child or family, reports or minutes from meetings concerning the child from other agencies, an ongoing record of relevant contact with parents, and observations by staff on any confidential mater involving the child, such as developmental concerns or safeguarding children matters.
These confidential records are stored in a lockable file or cabinet and are kept secure by the person in charge in an office or other suitably safe place.
Parents have access, in accordance with the access to records procedure, to the files and records of their own children but do not have access to information about any other child.
Staff will not discuss personal information given by parents with other members of staff, except where it affects planning for the child’s needs. Staff induction includes an awareness of the importance of confidentiality in the role of the key person.

Other records

Issues to do with the employment of staff, whether paid or unpaid, remain confidential to the people directly involved with making personnel decisions.
Committee Members and students are advised of our confidentiality policy and required to respect it.

Access to personal records

Parents may request to see information relating to their child at any time, however requests for detailed or copies of information will need to be put in writing to the Manager.

The Pre-School Manager informs the chairperson of the management committee and sends a written acknowledgement.
All third parties are written to, stating that a request for disclosure has been received and asking for their permission to disclose to the person requesting it. A copy of these letters is retained on the file.
‘Third parties’ include all family members who may be referred to in your child’s observation files.
It also includes workers from any other agency, including social services, the health authority, etc. It is usual for agencies to refuse consent to disclose, preferring the individual to go directly to them.
When all the consents/refusals to disclose have been received these are attached to the copy of the request letter.
A photocopy of the complete file is taken.
The Pre-School Manager and chairperson of the management committee go through the file and remove any information which a third party has refused consent to disclose. This is best done with a thick black marker, to score through every reference to the third party and information they have added to the file.
What remains is the information recorded by the setting, detailing the work initiated and followed by them in relation to confidential matters. This is called the ‘clean copy’.
The ‘clean copy’ is photocopied for the parents who are then invited in to discuss the contents. The file should never be given straight over, but should be gone through by the Pre-School Manager, so that it can be explained.
Legal advice may be sought before sharing a file, especially where the parent has possible grounds for litigation against the setting or another (third party) agency.

All the undertakings above are subject to the paramount commitment of the setting, which is to the safety and well-being of the child. Please see also our policy on Safeguarding Children.

Should you have any complaints or grievances concerning this policy please bring the matter to our attention by following the procedures detailed in our Complaints Policy.

DISCIPLINE POLICY

Statement of Intent

Discipline rules and procedures help to promote orderly employment relations as well as fairness and consistency in the treatment of individuals. It is Rolleston Pre-School’s policy that similar offences receive similar treatment, based on the following procedure.

Aim

We aim to ensure fair and effective treatment of any disciplinary matter and to avoid arbitrary action.
This policy complies with statutory grievance procedures as set out on the Employment Act 2002 (Dispute Resolution) Regulations 2004.

Methods

Disciplinary action against an employee arising from a breach of rules or failure to meet the required standard in regard to conduct, attendance or job performance will be taken only according to the procedure established below. It provides for the following:-

A full and speedy consideration by management of all the relevant facts.

Clearly defined authority to take disciplinary action at the various stages of procedure.

Opportunity for the employee to state his/her case and the right to be accompanied if he/she wishes by a workplace colleague of their choice.

A right to appeal against first written warning/final written warning and suspension from work/dismissal.

Disciplinary action will be taken at management’s discretion in the following stages depending on the severity of the offence;

Stage 1 – Verbal Warning

Cases of minor misconduct or unsatisfactory performance are usually dealt with informally. For less serious offences, the employee will, in the first instance, receive a verbal warning from the Pre-School Manager.

Stage 2 – Written Warning

If informal action does not bring about an improvement, or the misconduct or unsatisfactory performance is considered to be too serious to be classed as minor, Rolleston Pre-School will provide employees with a clear signal of disapproval which will result in a formal warning in writing from the Pre-School Manager to the employee. This warning will be issued only after a proper investigation in which the employee’s case has been heard and will state that the employee will be liable to disciplinary action after a further offence.

Stage 3 – Further Disciplinary Action

In the event of a further failure after a written warning or for extremely grave offences, the case will be referred to the Chairperson of the Pre-School Management Committee. After a full investigation of the circumstances as soon after the incident as possible and including a hearing of the employee’s case, a final decision on the appropriate disciplinary action will be taken by the manager investigating the case. This will take into account the employee’s previous record and warnings as well as the gravity of the offence.

The decision will be given in writing to the employee. Disciplinary action at this stage can take the form of a final warning, transfer to other employment, or dismissal after receiving due notice.

In no case will a decision to transfer or dismiss an employee be taken by Pre-School Manager without reference to the Chairperson of the Pre-School’s Management Committee.

In the absence of the Pre-School’s Manager or Chairperson of the Pre-School Management Committee, the Pre-School Deputy Manager or Senior Supervisor has the authority to suspend an employee with pay until the next working day, when the case can be dealt with at an appropriate level of management.

Summary Dismissal

Certain offences, however, must be regarded as being so serious as to render the offender liable to summary dismissal without notice. The following offences, if committed whilst at work or on company premises, are considered to be liable for summary dismissal:

Attempting bodily injury to another person.

Stealing or malicious damage to the property of other employees or of the company.

Sleeping whilst on duty.

Being under the influences of drink or drugs during working hours.

Making false statements in regard to matters affecting employment.

Falsification of records, time sheets or expenses.

Willful neglect in the care of the Pre-School’s property and deliberate disregard of instructions and safety precautions.

Willful disclosure to a third party of confidential information.

Rights of Appeal
Employees have the right to appeal as follows:

Stage 1 – Verbal Warning

Employees have no opportunity to appeal.

Stage 2 – Written Warning/Final Written Warning

Employees should appeal in writing within 7 days of receiving a written warning.

Stage 3 – Suspension from Work/Dismissal

Employees can appeal any such decision within 7 days of suspension or dismissal from the Pre-School.

It is important, and in the interests of both Rolleston Pre-School and its employees, to keep written records during the disciplinary process. Records should include:

the complaint against the employee;
the employee’s defense;
findings made and actions taken;
the reason for actions taken;
whether an appeal was lodged
the outcome of the appeal;
any grievance raised during the disciplinary procedure; and
subsequent developments.

Allegations Made Against all Adults with Access to Children

All Allegations will be taken seriously
Validity of the allegations will be checked
Advice will be sought from the Local Authority Designated Officer (L.A.D.O.)

Staffordshire Education Premises – 01785 278997

First Response – Staffs County Council – 0800 1313 126 – 8.00 am – 6.00 pm Monday to Friday

Out of Hours – 01785 354030

They will advise on the nature of the investigation to follow, whether suspension is appropriate and what action is to be taken as a result of the investigation.

Should you have any complaints or grievances concerning this policy please bring the matter to our attention by following the procedures detailed in our Complaints Policy.

EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY POLICY

Statement of Intent

Rolleston Pre-School welcomes, and values all children, families, staff and volunteers and is committed to providing equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice with dignity and respect to all.

Aim

We will, through activities and mutual respect, seek to create a secure environment, which is free from prejudice and discrimination and provides positive images of adults and children living in our society. We will make use of opportunities to talk about the rich and varied differences between us all.

This policy complies with current UK and European legislation, e.g.

Race Relations Act 1976;
Race Relations Amendment Act 2000;
Sex Discrimination Acts 1975 and 1986;
Disabilities Discrimination Acts 1995 ands 2005;
Children Acts 1989 and 2004; and
Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001.

We aim to meet the full requirements of The Welfare Standards for the Early Years Foundation Stage.

Methods

We have an Equalities Named Co-ordinator (ENCO), Lolene Poxon, who has overall responsibility for our programme for Equality and Diversity.

Admissions

Our setting is open to all members of the community.

We advertise our service widely, e.g. school notice boards, newsletters, community publications, etc. (see our Admissions Policy).
We ensure that information about our setting is accessible, in written and spoken form and, where appropriate, in more than one language. Where necessary, we will try to provide information in Braille, or through signing or an interpreter.
We base our admissions policy on a fair system.
We ensure that all parents are made aware of our Equality and Diversity Policy.
We do not discriminate against a child or their family, or prevent entry to our setting, on the basis of colour, ethnicity, religion or social background.
We will ensure that people with disabilities can participate successfully in the services by carrying out an assessment of need and making reasonable adjustments to the setting to accommodate those needs or directing them to other more suitably equipped settings.
We take action against any discriminatory behaviour by staff or parents. Displaying of openly racist insignia, distribution of racist material, name calling, or threatening behaviour are unacceptable on or around the premises and will be dealt with in the strongest manner.

Training

We seek out training opportunities for staff and volunteers to enable them to develop anti-discriminatory and inclusive practices, which enable all children to flourish.
We review our practices to ensure that we are fully implementing our policy for equality, diversity and inclusion.

Curriculum

The curriculum offered in the setting encourages children to develop positive attitudes about themselves as well as to people who are different from themselves. It encourages children to empathise with others and to begin to develop the skills of critical thinking.

We do this by:

making children feel valued and good about themselves;
ensuring that children have equality of access to learning;
recognising the different learning styles of girls and boys, making appropriate provision within the curriculum to ensure each child receives the widest possible opportunity to develop their skills and abilities;
positively reflecting the widest possible range of communities in the choice of resources;
avoiding stereotypes or derogatory images in the selection of books or other visual materials;
ensuring that our topics include an insight into life, culture and customs from around the world;
creating an environment of mutual respect and tolerance;
helping children to understand that discriminatory behaviour and remarks are hurtful and unacceptable;
ensuring that the curriculum offered is inclusive of children with special educational needs and children with disabilities;
ensuring that children learning English as an additional language have full access to the curriculum and are supported in their learning; and
ensuring that children speaking languages other than English are supported in the maintenance and development of their home languages.

Valuing diversity in families

We welcome the diversity of family lifestyles and work with all families.
We encourage children to contribute stories of their everyday life to the setting.
We encourage parents/carers to take part in the life of the setting and to contribute fully.
For families who speak languages in addition to English, we will develop means to ensure their full inclusion.
We offer a flexible payment system for families of differing means and offer information regarding sources of financial support.

Food

We work in partnership with parents to ensure that the medical, cultural and dietary needs of children are met.
We help children to learn about a range of food, and of cultural approaches to mealtimes and eating, and to respect the differences among them.

Parental Involvement

We are committed to ongoing dialogue with parents improve our knowledge of the needs of their children, to support their families and work together towards racial equality;
We work with other professionals to support parents and meet the needs of their children;
We encourage and support parents to play an active part in the governance and management of the setting and information about meetings is communicated in a variety of ways – written, verbal and in translation – to ensure that all parents have information about and access to the meetings.

Please see our Parental Involvement Policy for further information regarding our partnership approach to equality and diversity within our setting.

Should you have any complaints or grievances concerning this policy please bring the matter to our attention by following the procedures detailed in our Complaints Policy or contacting Lolene Poxon, ENCO.

GRIEVANCE POLICY

Statement of Intent

Rolleston Pre-School recognises that from time to time employees may wish to seek redress for grievances relating to their employment. We believe that our employees are entitled to expect prompt and careful attention to their concerns, problems or complaints.

Aim

We aim to encourage free communication between employees and their Supervisors or Managers to ensure that questions and problems arising during the course of employment can be aired and, where possible, resolved quickly, fairly, consistently and to the satisfaction of all concerned.

This policy complies with statutory grievance procedures as set out on the Employment Act 2002 (Dispute Resolution) Regulations 2004.

Methods

Employees should aim to resolve most grievances informally with their line manager, thus allowing for problems to be resolved quickly. If a grievance cannot be settled informally, the employee should raise it formally with management in accordance with the following statutory grievance procedure:

Stage 1

Where an employee has a grievance arising from employment he or she should raise the matter in writing with the Pre-School Manager. The Pre-School Manager should invite the employee to attend a formal hearing to discuss the grievance. The employee may have a statutory right to be accompanied, depending on the nature of the grievance. After due consideration, the Pre-School Manager will give a decision in writing, if possible within five working days of the matter being raised.

Stage 2

If the matter is not resolved, the employee may raise the matter with the Pre-School Management Committee Chairperson, who will obtain the Pre-School Manager’s record of the grievance, will record any additional information and will hear the grievance within five working days and inform the employee of the statutory right to be accompanied if appropriate. A decision will be given in writing, if possible within five working days of the date of referral.

Stage 3

If the matter is still not resolved, and the employee still remains dissatisfied, the Rolleston Pre-School will arrange an appeal. The employee may raise the grievance in writing with the Pre-School Management Committee Senior Officers and are allowed to be accompanied. The Senior Officers will obtain the record and will give further consideration to the problem. A decision will be given in writing, if possible within 10 days of the matter being referred to stage of the procedure. This decision will be final.

It is important, and in the interests of both Rolleston Pre-School and its employees, to keep written records during the grievance procedure. Records should include:

the nature of the grievance raised;
a copy of the written grievance;
the employer’s response;
action taken;
whether there was an appeal and, if so, the outcome; and
subsequent developments.

Should you have any complaints or grievances concerning this policy please bring the matter to our attention by following the procedures detailed in our Complaints Policy.

HEALTH & SAFETY POLICY

Statement of Intent

Rolleston Pre-School believes that the health and safety of children is of paramount importance. We make our pre-school a safe and healthy place for children, parents, staff and volunteers.

Aim

We aim to make children, parents and staff aware of health and safety issues and to minimise the hazards and risks to enable the children to thrive in a healthy and safe environment.

We aim to meet the full requirements of The Welfare Standards for the Early Years Foundation Stage.

Methods

The member of staff responsible for health and safety is Sarah Eccleston. She is competent to carry out these responsibilities, undertaking health and safety training and regularly updates her knowledge and understanding. The member of the Pre-School Management Committee responsible for health and safety is Jane Hamnet. We display the necessary health and safety poster on the Notice board by the inner door.

Risk assessment

Our risk assessment process includes:
checking for hazards and risks indoors and outside, and in our activities and procedures. Our assessment covers adults and children;
deciding which areas need attention; and
developing an action plan that specifies the action required, the timescales for action, the person responsible for the action and any funding required.

We maintain lists of health and safety issues, which are checked:
daily before the session begins;
weekly; and
annually – when a full risk assessment is carried out.

Insurance cover

We have public liability insurance and employers’ liability insurance. The certificate for public liability insurance is displayed on the noticeboard.

Awareness Raising

Our induction training for staff and volunteers includes a clear explanation of health and safety issues so that all adults are able to adhere to our policy and understand their shared responsibility for health and safety. The induction training covers matters of employee well-being, including safe lifting and the storage of potentially dangerous substances.

Records are kept of these induction training sessions and new staff and volunteers are asked to sign the records to confirm that they have taken part.

As necessary, health and safety training is included in the annual training plans of staff, and health and safety is discussed regularly at staff meetings.

We have a no smoking policy.

Children are made aware of health and safety issues through discussions, planned activities and routines.

Security

Systems are in place for the safe arrival and departure of children. The times of the children’s arrivals and departures are recorded.

The arrival and departure times of adults – staff, volunteers and visitors – are recorded.

Our systems prevent unauthorised access to our premises.

Our systems prevent children from leaving our premises unnoticed.

The personal possessions of staff and volunteers are securely stored during sessions.

Doors

We take precautions to prevent children’s fingers from being trapped in doors.

Floors

All surfaces are checked daily to ensure they are clean and not uneven or damaged.

Kitchen

Children do not have access to the kitchen area.
All surfaces are clean and non-porous.
There are separate facilities for hand-washing and for washing up.
Cleaning materials and other dangerous materials are stored out of children’s reach.
When children take part in cooking activities, they:
are supervised at all times;
are kept away from hot surfaces and hot water; and
do not have unsupervised access to electrical equipment.

Electrical/gas equipment

All electrical/gas equipment conforms to safety requirements and is checked regularly.
Our boiler/electrical switchgear/meter cupboard is not accessible to the children
Fires, heaters, electric sockets, wires and leads are properly guarded and the children are taught not to touch them.
Storage heaters are checked daily to make sure they are not covered.
There are sufficient sockets to prevent overloading.
The temperature of hot water is controlled to prevent scalds.
Lighting and ventilation is adequate in all areas including storage areas.

Storage

All resources and materials from which children select are stored safely.
All equipment and resources are stored or stacked safely to prevent them accidentally falling or collapsing.

Outdoor area

Our outdoor area is securely fenced.
Our outdoor area is checked for safety and cleared of rubbish before it is used.
Adults and children are alerted to the dangers of poisonous plants, herbicides and pesticides.
Where water can form a pool on equipment, it is emptied before children start playing outside.
Our outdoor sand pit is covered when not in use and is cleaned regularly.
All outdoor activities are supervised at all times.

Hygiene

We regularly seek information from the Environmental Health Department and the Health Authority to ensure that we keep up to date with the latest recommendations.
Our daily routines encourage the children to learn about personal hygiene.
We have a daily cleaning routine for the setting which includes play room kitchen, and toilets.
We have a schedule for cleaning resources and equipment, dressing-up clothes and furnishings.
The toilet area has a high standard of hygiene including hand washing and drying facilities.
We implement good hygiene practices by:
cleaning tables between activities;
checking toilets regularly;
wearing protective clothing – such as aprons and disposable gloves – as appropriate;
providing sets of clean clothes; and
providing tissues and wipes.

Activities

Before purchase or loan, equipment and resources are checked to ensure that they are safe for the ages and stages of the children currently attending the setting.
The layout of play equipment allows adults and children to move safely and freely between activities.
All equipment is regularly checked for cleanliness and safety and any dangerous items are repaired or discarded by a nominated Health & Safety Officer.
All materials – including paint and glue – are non-toxic.
Sand is clean and suitable for children’s play.
Physical play is constantly supervised.
Children are taught to handle and store tools safely.
Children who are sleeping are checked regularly.
Children learn about health, safety and personal hygiene through the activities we provide and the routines we follow.

Food and drink

Staff who prepare and handle food receive appropriate training and understand – and comply with – food safety and hygiene regulations.
All food and drink is stored appropriately.
Adults do not carry hot drinks through the play area(s) and do not place hot drinks within reach of children.
Snack and meal times are appropriately supervised and children do not walk about with food and drinks.
Fresh drinking water is available to the children at all times.
We operate systems to ensure that children do not have access to food/drinks to which they are allergic.

Outings and visits

We have agreed procedures for the safe conduct of outings.
Parents sign a general consent on registration for their children to be taken out as a part of the daily activities of the setting.
Parents always sign consent forms before major outings.
A risk assessment is carried out before an outing takes place.
Our adult to child ratio is high, normally one adult to four children.
Named children are assigned to individual staff to ensure each child is individually supervised and to ensure no child gets lost and that there is no unauthorised access to children.
Staff take a mobile phone on outings, and supplies of tissues, wipes, pants etc as well as a mini first aid pack, a snack and water. The amount of equipment will vary and be consistent with the venue and the number of children as well as how long they will be out for.
Records are kept of the vehicles used to transport children, with named drivers and appropriate insurance cover.

Lost child

As outlined in our Lost Child Policy.

Animals

Animals visiting the setting are free from disease and safe to be with children, and do not pose a health risk.
Our pets are free from disease, safe to be with children, and do not pose a health risk.
Children wash their hands after contact with animals.
Outdoor footwear, worn to visit farms, are cleaned of mud and debris and should not be worn indoors.

Fire safety

Fire doors are clearly marked, never obstructed and easily opened from inside.
Smoke detectors/alarms and fire fighting appliances conform to BSEN standards, are fitted in appropriate high risk areas of the building and are checked as specified by the manufacturer.
Our emergency evacuation procedures are approved by the Fire Safety Officer and are:
clearly displayed in the premises;
explained to new members of staff, volunteers and parents; and
practised regularly at least once every six weeks.

Records are kept of fire drills and the servicing of fire safety equipment.
A fire risk assessment is carried out termly.

First aid and medication

At least one member of staff with current first aid training is on the premises or on an outing at any one time. The first aid qualification includes first aid training for infants and young children.

Our first aid kit:
complies with the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981;
is regularly checked by a designated member of staff and re-stocked as necessary;
is easily accessible to adults; and
is kept out of the reach of children.

At the time of admission to Pre-School, parents’ written permission for emergency medical advice or treatment is sought. Parents sign and date their written approval.

Parents sign a consent form at registration allowing staff to take their child to the nearest Accident and Emergency unit to be examined, treated or admitted as necessary on the understanding that parents have been informed and are on their way to the hospital.

Our accident book:
is kept safely and accessibly;
all staff and volunteers know where it is kept and how to complete it; and
is reviewed at least half termly to identify any potential or actual hazards, to identify any patterns or trends.

Ofsted is notified of any injury requiring treatment by a general practitioner or hospital doctor, or the death of a child or adult.

When there is any injury requiring general practitioner or hospital treatment to a child, parent, volunteer or visitor or where there is a death of a child or adult on the premises, we make a report to the Health and Safety Executive using the format for the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences.

Dealing with incidents

We meet our legal requirements for the safety of our employees by complying with RIDDOR (the Reporting of Injury, Disease and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations). We report to the Health and Safety Executive:

any accident to a member of staff requiring treatment by a general practitioner or hospital; and
any dangerous occurrences. This may be an event that causes injury or fatalities or an event that does not cause an accident but could have done, such as a gas leak.
any dangerous occurrence is recorded in our Incident Book. See below.

Information for reporting the incident to Health and Safety Officer is detailed in the Pre-school Learning Alliance’s publication, Accident Record.

Our Incident Book

We keep an incident book for recording incidents including those that that are reportable to the Health and Safety Executive as above.

These incidents include:
break in, burglary, theft of personal or the setting’s property;
fire, flood, gas leak or electrical failure;
attack on member of staff or parent on the premises or near by;
any racist incident involving a staff or family on the centre’s premises;
death of a child, and
a terrorist attack, or threat of one.

Administration of medication

We have a procedure for the administration of medication available as required.

Sickness

Our policy for the exclusion of ill or infectious children is discussed with parents. This includes procedures for contacting parents – or other authorised adults – if a child becomes ill while in the setting, as explained in our starter pack or available on request.

Ofsted is notified of any infectious diseases that a qualified medical person considers notifiable.

Hospitalisation

If a sudden emergency should arise the child must be taken to hospital or the Doctors Surgery as soon as possible and the following procedure followed:
If necessary send for an ambulance – dial 999
Contact the parents – if you cannot contact the parents the Police can do this for you.
Take the following details with you to hospital: Child’s name, age, address and telephone number. The name of the child’s doctor, The parents’ employer’s details (if at work), Date of last tetanus immunisation. All these details will be on the child’s registration form.
Be sure that the person accompanying the child has the above details with them and can give an accurate account of what has happened to the child.
If you transport the child to hospital by car another member of staff should telephone the hospital, so they can prepare for your arrival.
Be sure that if a member of staff has to leave the group to go to hospital with a child that there is a list of stand-in people to contact quickly and easily. Try to maintain your adult to child ratio and calmly continue with the session, reassuring the children that all will be well.

Safety of adults

Adults are provided with guidance about the safe storage, movement, lifting and erection of large pieces of equipment.
When adults need to reach up to store equipment or to change light bulbs they are provided with safe equipment to do so.
All warning signs are clear and in appropriate languages.
The sickness of staff and their involvement in accidents is recorded. The records are reviewed termly to identify any issues that need to be addressed.

Records

In accordance with the Welfare Standards for the Early Years Foundation Stage, we keep records of:

Adults
names and addresses of all staff on the premises, including temporary staff who work with the children or who have substantial access to them;
names and addresses of all members of the management committee;
all records relating to the staff’s employment with the setting, including application forms, references, results of checks undertaken etc.
All visitors to the setting are signed and timed in and out.

Children
names, addresses and telephone numbers of parents and adults authorised to collect children from Pre-School;
the names, addresses and telephone numbers of emergency contacts in case of children’s illness or accident;
the allergies, dietary requirements and illnesses of individual children;
the times of attendance of children, staff, volunteers and visitors;
accidents and medicine administration records;
consents for outings, administration of medication, emergency treatment; and
incidents.

In addition, the following procedures and documentation in relation to health and safety are in place:
Risk assessment.
Record of visitors.
Fire safety procedures.
Fire safety records and certificates.
Operational procedures for outings.
Vehicle records including insurance.
List of named drivers.

Administration of medication.
Prior parental consent to administer medicine.
Record of the administration of medicines.
Prior parental consent for emergency treatment.
Accident record.
Sick children.
No smoking.

Should you have any complaints or grievances concerning this policy please bring the matter to our attention by following the procedures detailed in our Complaints Policy.

LOST CHILDREN POLICY

Statement of Intent

In the event of a child becoming lost while in the care of Rolleston Pre-School, we will put into practice procedures. These ensure that a systematic approach to find the child is taken and consideration is given to the levels of risk to the child.

Aims

In the event that a child is lost, we will ensure a search is made for the child as soon as possible, parents and authorities are notified at the appropriate stage, and a high level of care is maintained to other children at Pre-School while procedures are followed.

Lost Child on Outings Procedures

Staff will spend no more than five minutes checking the area then ring 999
Our procedure for a lost child is placed inside our confidential file which is always taken on any outing.
If coach travel is part of the outing, number of people will be counted and double-checked on the coach prior to leaving.
If the child is lost on the outing’s venue, the supervisors will insist that all adults and children return to a meeting point, and will despatch staff to search for adults and parents.
A count will be made to confirm all who are present. Adults will be asked when they last saw the child, and what clothes he/she was wearing. All adults will be asked to look for the child as they proceed with the outing, and a member of staff will stay at the meeting point so that if the child is found, this can be reported to the senior supervisor.
The senior supervisor will alert officials at the venue that there is a missing child and take their advice.
The person in charge of the setting contacts the child’s parent who makes their way to the outing venue as agreed with the person in charge.
The police should be telephoned to report the situation and staff will follow their advice.
On the arrival of the emergency services the senior supervisor is responsible for appraising them of all information in respect to the missing child and what action has been taken.
Where possible, at the end of the outing a member of staff will remain at the venue to assist in the search, and if successful to bring the child back. If the parents are not on the outing, the senior supervisor will telephone the parents and advise them of the situation.

The investigation

When the situation has been resolved the Pre-School Manager and members of staff should review the reasons for it happening and ensure measures are taken to ensure that it does not happen again.

The incident would be recorded and discussed at management level and any required changes to procedures are made.
The incident is reported under RIDDOR (the Reporting of Injury, Disease and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations) arrangements and is recorded in the incident book; the local authority health and safety officer may want to investigate and will decide if there is a case for prosecution.
OFSTED is informed.

Should you have any complaints or grievances concerning this policy please bring the matter to our attention by following the procedures detailed in our Complaints Policy.

NON-COLLECTION OF CHILDREN POLICY

Statement of Intent

In the event that a child is not collected by an authorised adult at the end of a session, we put into practice agreed procedures. These ensure the child is cared for safely by an experienced and qualified practitioner who is known to the child.

Aims

In the event that a child is not collected by an authorised adult, we will ensure that the child receives a high standard of care in order to cause as little distress as possible. We inform parents/carers of our procedures so that, if they are unavoidably delayed, they will be reassured that their children will be properly cared for.

Methods

Parents of children starting at the Rolleston Pre-School are asked to provide specific information which is recorded on our Registration Form, including:
home address and telephone number – if the parents do not have a telephone, an alternative number must be given, perhaps a neighbour or close relative;
place of work, address and telephone number (if applicable);
mobile telephone number (if applicable);
names, addresses, telephone numbers and signatures of adults who are authorised by the parents to collect their child from the setting, for example a childminder or grandparent;
information about any person who does not have legal access to the child; and
who has parental responsibility for the child.
On occasions when parents are aware that they will not be at home or in their usual place of work, they record how they can be contacted in our Collection Book.
On occasions when parents or the persons normally authorised to collect the child are not able to collect the child, they record the name, address and telephone number of the person who will be collecting their child in our Collection Book. We agree with parents how to verify the identity of the person who is to collect their child.
Parents are informed that if they are not able to collect the child as planned, they must inform us so that we can begin to take back-up procedures. We provide parents with our contact telephone number. We also inform parents that – in the event that their children are not collected by an authorised adult and the staff can no longer supervise the child on our premises – we apply our Safeguarding procedures as set out in our Safeguarding Policy.
If a child is not collected at the end of the session, we follow the following procedures:
The Collection Book is checked for any information about changes to the normal collection routines.
If no information is available, parents/carers are contacted at home or at work.
If this is unsuccessful, the adults who are authorised by the parents to collect their child from the setting – and whose telephone numbers are recorded on the Registration Form – are contacted.
All reasonable attempts are made to contact the parents or nominated carers.
The child does not leave the premises with anyone other than those named on the Registration Form and in the Collection Book.
If no-one collects the child after one hour and there is no-one who can be contacted to collect the child, we apply the procedures for uncollected children.
We will contact:
First Response, Staffordshire County Council

0800 1313 126 (8am-6pm Monday to Friday)

01785 354030 (out of hours)

The child stays at Pre-School in the care of two fully-vetted workers until the child is safely collected.
Social services will aim to find the parent or relative if they are unable to do so, make arrangements with another suitable adult.
Under no circumstances are staff to go to look for the parent, nor do they take the child home with them.
A full written report of the incident is recorded in the child’s file.
Depending on circumstances, we reserve the right to charge parents for the additional hours worked by our staff.
Ofsted may be informed (telephone number 08456 404040).

Should you have any complaints or grievances concerning this policy please bring the matter to our attention by following the procedures detailed in our Complaints Policy.

PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT POLICY

Statement of Intent

We want children to benefit most from early years education and care by parents and Pre-School working together in partnership.

Parental involvement is important for the following reasons:

A child’s ability to learn is considerably improved when parents become involved.
Parent participation in the group provides a higher ratio of attentive adults to encourage conversation, etc.
The adult’s enthusiasm and warmth is important as children respond readily to a caring, involved attitude.
As much as 50% of a child’s intelligence is established in the first five years of life.
It helps the adult to become more aware of how a child develops and how to encourage developmental needs.
It provides a situation where adult friendship can occur.
By sharing out the jobs, the supervisors have more time to spend working with the children.
It gives parents a chance to develop new skills or keep in practice old skills, and can often restore lost confidence.

Aims

Our aim is to support parents as their children’s first and most important educators by involving them in their children’s education and in the full life of the Pre-School. We also aim to support parents in their own continuing education and personal development.

Method

In order to fulfil these aims we:

encourage parents to talk to us by making any initial contacts friendly, supportive and welcoming;
build two-way relationships based on mutual trust and respect, ensuring that parents feel valued and belong;
listen, understand and ensure empathy to gain trust and confidence;
are committed to ongoing dialogue with parents to improve our knowledge of the needs of their children and to support their families;
inform all parents about how the setting is run and its policies through access to written information and through regular informal communication. We check to ensure parents understand the information that is given to them;
encourage and support parents to play an active part in the governance and management of the setting;
inform all parents on a regular basis about their children’s progress;
involve parents in the shared record keeping about their children – either formally or informally – and ensure parents have access to their children’s written developmental records;
provide opportunities for parents to contribute their own skills, knowledge and interests to the activities of the setting;
provide information about opportunities to be involved in the setting in ways that are accessible to parents with basic skills needs, or those for whom English is an additional language;
inform parents about meetings and fundraising events and hold them in venues that are accessible and appropriate for all;
welcome the contributions of parents, in whatever form these may take; and
provide opportunities for parents to learn about the curriculum offered in the setting and about young children’s learning, in the setting and at home.

The following documentation is in place:

admissions policy;
complaints procedure;
record of compliments, comments and complaints;
activities provided for children

Should you have any complaints or grievances concerning this policy please bring the matter to our attention by following the procedures detailed in our Complaints Policy.

PHOTOGRAPH POLICY

Statement of Intent

Rolleston Pre-School recognises that every child is entitled to a safe and happy environment. All adults associated with Rolleston Pre-School are committed to the safe and appropriate use of photographs.

Methods

We have a designated Pre School camera

This is only used by employed staff

Photographs are only printed on the premises

The Manager agrees the use of all photographs

The Manager oversees the deletion of images

All staff mobile phones are kept in a secure location away from the children

All visitors, students, contractors are asked for their mobile phones on arrival to be kept in a secure location away from the children.

Should a child need assistance when going to the toilet, we follow our toileting procedures.

When children are arriving at the start of a session, toilets are monitored by staff.

Should you have any complaints or grievances concerning this policy please bring the matter to our attention by following the procedures detailed in our Complaints Policy.

POLICY ON EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITIES

(including learning difficulties, disabilities and inclusion)

Statement of intent

Rolleston Pre-School is committed to identifying and meeting the needs of all children including those children with specific special educational needs (SEN) and disabilities. We value all learners, recognising and celebrating their achievements. We respond to children’s needs and strive to overcome potential barriers to learning.

Aims

We aim to meet those needs through a range of strategies including the following:

the graduated response;
having regard for the Department of Education and Skills Code of Practice; and
working in partnership with parents and other agencies to adhere to this.

Methods

We designate a member of staff (Jill Huckerby) to be special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) and give his/her name to parents. Her role as SENCO is to support staff, parents and children in ensuring that the needs of the children are being included in all aspects of planning and practice.
The SENCO is responsible for ensuring that individual records are maintained.
The SENCO will attend special educational needs in-service training whenever possible.
We provide a statement showing how we provide for children with SEN/disabilities.
We ensure that the provision for children with SEN/disabilities is the responsibility of all members of the setting.
We ensure that our inclusive admissions practice ensures equality of access and opportunity.
In addition to our admission policy, arrangements for a child with an identified special educational need will intentionally be flexible and adaptable in order to promote inclusion.
We will, as far as possible, adapt our materials, environment and approaches to deliver quality learning activities to children, whilst meeting their individual needs.
We ensure that our physical environment is as far as possible suitable for children with disabilities.
We aim to work closely with parents of children with SEN/disabilities at all times and take into account their views, choices and knowledge of the child. We are aware of the vital role that parents play in supporting their child’s education.
We work with children and their families and sometimes require confidential information to be disclosed. The disclosure of any confidential information will be treated with professionalism and respect.
We will obtain parental consent before contacting other professionals (unless there are concerns about safeguarding).
We ensure that parents are informed at all stages of the assessment, planning, provision and review of their children’s education.
We provide parents with information on sources of independent advice and support.
We liaise with other professionals involved with children with SEN/disabilities and their families, including transfer arrangements to other settings and schools.
We cannot always obtain funding for extra help to provide one on one care, where required, but will try. Parents will also be supported to obtain their full entitlement.
We use the graduated response system for identifying, assessing and responding to children’s special educational needs (see attached).
We recognise that children develop at their own pace and that our curriculum has been planned to enable ALL of our children to develop their potential.
We believe that all children have a right to a broad and balanced Early Years Curriculum.
We use a system of planning, implementing, monitoring, evaluating and reviewing individual educational plans (IEPs) for children with SEN/disabilities to enable the adequate progress of those children with special educational needs. These will be revised at least 3 times annually in conjunction with parents.
We will differentiate our activities so that they are accessible by all children in order that individuals experience success and gain confidence.
We ensure that children with SEN/disabilities are appropriately involved at all stages of the graduated response, taking into account their levels of ability.
We ensure our key worker system enables each child to receive adult time and attention.
We use a system for keeping records of the assessment, planning, provision and review for children with SEN/disabilities.
We provide resources (human and financial) to implement our SEN/disability policy.
We give careful consideration to the deployment of staff to support the needs of individual children.
We ensure the effectiveness of our SEN/disability provision by collecting information from a range of sources e.g. IEP reviews, staff and management meetings, parental and external agency’s views, inspections and complaints. This information is collated, evaluated and reviewed annually.
On transfer to another setting, records are given to parents who are encouraged to pass them on to the receiving school or setting. With parents permission we will liaise directly with the receiving school or setting.
This policy will be reviewed and updated annually.

Should you have any complaints or grievances concerning this policy please bring the matter to our attention by following the procedures detailed in our Complaints Policy.

RECRUITMENT POLICY

Statement of Intent

It is our intention to employ fair recruitment and selection procedures that are based on merit.

Aims

We aim to ensure that we recruit the best person for each vacancy through an open and fair recruitment procedure that engages suitably experienced and qualified people from all religious, social, ethnic and cultural groups.

Recruitment and Selection Procedures

All applicants will be required to bring to interview two forms of photograpic evidence of their identity i.e. Passport/Driving License or I.D. Card plus any existing CRB certificates and qualification certificates.

All adults with access to children will have their identity confirmed.

All applicants will be required to complete an application form and employment history and all gaps will be considered and may require explanation.

The interview will take the form of a half day practical/observation assessment within Pre-School followed by a formal interview.

At interview the panel will ask questions from an agreed framework, based on the person specification. All interviewers will score each candidate against the questions and complete an Interview Form which will allow them to keep a concise report of the interview.

Interviews will always test out applicants attitudes to ensuring safeguarding practices.

The interviewing panel will compare notes and scores on each applicant to reach a consensus about who should be offered the post.

The offer of employment will be verbally communicated to the candidate as soon as possible, to be followed up with a written offer subject to satisfactory I.D. checks, criminal record checks, two work/character references, qualification checks and medical checks.

All employed, paid staff will be subject to a CRB check which will be repeated every 3 years. No CRB undertaken by other settings will be accepted.

If the successful applicant does not accept, the interview scoring system will make it clear who should be offered the position next, if there is an alternative candidate.

Details of the successful applicant will be notified to Ofsted.

The successful applicant will be subject to a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check prior to starting work. If this is not possible, other checks will be carried out and the new employee will not be left alone, unsupervised with children. This is repeated every 3 years. We will not accept a CRB from a previous employment.

An annual ‘self certification’ will be required from all adults to sign that there is no change in their ability to work safely with children.

Two referees will be required and both contacted.

All new appointments will be subject to a 13 week temporary contract, reviewed at weeks 4 and 8 with confirmation of permanent contract at week 13. In unusual circumstances this contract may be extended for a second temporary period.

Staff appointed will be expected to maintain an up-to-date knowledge base by continuous training as required.

Staff will receive regular support and development sessions with their appointed supervisor or manager.

Rejected candidates will be informed in writing or verbally within two weeks of a successful candidate accepting an offer of employment.

All completed forms and documents pertaining to the recruitment process will be retained for at least six months. Those relating to the successful applicant will be retained on his/her file.

All reasonable travel expenses of external candidates will be reimbursed on production of appropriate receipts.

We are committed to recruiting, appointing and employing staff in accordance with all relevant legislation.

Should you have any complaints or grievances concerning this policy please bring the matter to our attention by following the procedures detailed in our Complaints Policy.

SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN POLICY

Statement of intent

Rolleston Pre-School believes that every child is entitled to a safe and happy environment. All our staff and others associated with our setting are committed to this philosophy.
We are committed to protecting any child from abuse, be it physical, emotional, sexual or severe and persistent neglect. We will work with children, parents and the community to ensure the safety of children and to give them the very best start in life.

We are committed to responding promptly and appropriately to all incidents or concerns of abuse that may occur and to work with statutory agencies in accordance with the procedures that are set down in ‘What to do if you are worried a child is being abused’ (DoH 2004) and Staffordshire’s ‘Safeguarding Children’ Board.

Areas of Concern will be:-

Physical Abuse

Any visible marks not in line with normal childhood activities associated with that child’s age and stage of development, that has no explanation.

Emotional Abuse

Changes in personality or behaviour with no known cause.

Sexual Abuse

Inappropriate sexual knowledge, language, or activity beyond that expected of a child at that age or stage of development.

Neglect

Persistent failure to provide for a child’s basic needs resulting in the impairment of health or development.

As defined in ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children (H.M.Govt.2006 read at www.tso.co.uk).

Methods

Any child arriving with visible marks will have these recorded, discussed and action decided upon.
Injuries noticed later will be recorded, discussed and action decided upon.
Information received will be taken seriously, recorded, discussed and action decided upon.
Information from children will be taken seriously, recorded, discussed and action decided upon.
If concerns arise that are outside the knowledge or skill area of our staff, the appropriate outside agency will be contacted for advice.
All paid staff having access to children will be vetted as per our recruitment and selection procedures. Other adults (volunteers/parent helpers/students) will not be left alone with children.
All accusations about any adult with access to children in our care will be dealt with in accordance with the safeguarding children section of the disciplinary procedures.

Contact Information
Nominated Safeguarding Co-ordinator: Lolene Poxon

First Response, Staffordshire County Council

0800 1313 126 (8am-6pm Monday to Friday)

01785 354030 (out of hours)

Ofsted, National Business Unit, Royal Exchange Buildings,

St. Ann’s Square, Manchester, M2 7LA

08456 404040
We notify Ofsted of any incident or accident and any changes in our arrangements which may affect the wellbeing of children.

Should you have any complaints or grievances concerning this policy please bring the matter to our attention by following the procedures detailed in our Complaints Policy.

SETTLING IN POLICY

Statement of Intent

We want children to feel safe and happy in the absence of their parents, to recognise other adults as a source of authority, help and friendship and be able to share with their parents afterwards the new learning experiences enjoyed at Pre-School. We also want parents to have confidence in both their children’s well being and their role as active partners within the setting.

Aim

We aim to make the setting a welcoming place where children settle quickly and easily because consideration has been given to the individual needs and circumstances of children and their families.

Methods

Before a child starts to attend the setting, we use a variety of ways to provide his/her parents with information. These include written information (including our prospectus and policies), displays about activities available within the setting, open days and upon request individual meetings with parents.
During the half-term before a child is enrolled, we provide opportunities for the child and his/her parents to visit the setting.
We may offer a home visit to ensure all relevant information about the child can be made known and to explain and complete with his/her parents the child’s registration records.
When a child starts to attend, we explain the process of settling-in with his/her parents and jointly decide on the best way to help the child to settle into the setting.
We are happy for parent, carer or close relative, to stay with the child for as long as is necessary to settle them, gradually taking time away from their child, increasing this as and when the child is able to cope.
Younger children will take longer to settle in, as will children who have not previously spent time away from home. Children who have had a period of absence may also need their parent to be on hand to re-settle them.
We judge a child to be settled when they have formed a relationship with a member of staff; for example the child looks for the member of staff when he/she arrives, goes to them for comfort, and seems pleased to be with them. The child is also familiar with where things are and is pleased to see other children and participate in activities.
When parents leave, we ask them to say goodbye to their child and explain that they will be coming back, and when.
Within the first six weeks of starting we provide a statement of how the child is settling in and ask parents to also record their views of their child’s progress.

Should you have any complaints or grievances concerning this policy please bring the matter to our attention by following the procedures detailed in our Complaints Policy.

STAFFING & EMPLOYMENT POLICY

Statement of intent

We provide a staffing ratio in line with the requirements of the National Standards for Day Care to ensure that children have sufficient individual attention and to guarantee care and education of a high quality. Our staff are appropriately qualified and we regard their on-going development as being central to the process of pre-school education as well as for individual improvement. We carry out checks for criminal and other records through the Criminal Records Bureau in accordance with statutory requirements.

Aims

To ensure that children below school age and their parents are offered high quality early years care and education.

We aim to meet the full requirements of The Welfare Standards for the Early Years Foundation Stage.

Methods

To meet this aim we use the following ratios of adult to child:
children aged two years of age: 1 adult : 4 children; and
children aged three – seven years of age: 1 adult : 8 children.
A minimum of two staff are on duty at any one time.
We hold regular staff meetings to undertake curriculum planning and to discuss children’s progress, their achievements and any difficulties that may arise from time to time.
We work towards offering equality of opportunity by using non-discriminatory procedures for staff recruitment and selection.
All staff have job descriptions which set out their staff roles and responsibilities.
Our Pre-School Manager holds a Level 3 childcare qualification and all other members of staff hold or are working towards Level 2 childcare or an equivalent or higher qualification.
We provide regular in-service training (at least four days per annum) to all staff – whether paid staff or volunteers.
Our staff also keep up to date with best practice in early years care and education through relevant publications, workshops and collaboration with other providers.
Our setting budget allocates resources to training.
We provide staff induction training in the first week of employment. This induction includes our Health and Safety Policy and Safeguarding Children Policy. Other policies and procedures will be introduced within an induction plan.
We support the work of our staff by holding regular supervision meetings and appraisals.
We are committed to recruiting, appointing and employing staff in accordance with all relevant legislation and best practice.
We use Ofsted guidance on obtaining references and criminal record checks through the Criminal Records Bureau for staff and volunteers who will have substantial access to children.

Should you have any complaints or grievances concerning this policy please bring the matter to our attention by following the procedures detailed in our Complaints Policy.

STAYING HEALTHY POLICY

Statement of Intent

Rolleston Pre-School regards snack and meal times as an important part of the Pre-School session. Eating represents a social time for children and adults and helps children to learn about healthy eating.

Aim

At snack and meal times, we aim to provide nutritious food, which meets the children’s individual dietary needs. We aim to meet the full requirements of The Welfare Standards for the Early Years Foundation Stage.

Methods

Before a child starts to attend the setting, we find out from parents their children’s dietary needs and preferences, including any allergies.
We record information about each child’s special dietary needs in her/his registration record and parents sign the record to signify that it is correct.
We regularly consult with parents to ensure that our records of their children’s dietary needs – including any allergies – are up to date. Parents sign the up-dated record to signify that it is correct.
Staff have access to children’s dietary information.
We implement systems to ensure that children receive only food and drink that is consistent with their dietary needs and preferences as well as their parents’ wishes.
We plan menus in advance, and display the menus of snacks for the information of parents.
We provide nutritious food for all snacks, avoiding large quantities of saturated fat, sugar and salt and artificial additives, preservatives and colourings.
We include a variety of foods from the four main food groups:
meat, fish and protein alternatives;
dairy foods;
grains, cereals and starch vegetables; and
fruit and vegetables.
We include foods from the diet of each of the children’s cultural backgrounds, providing children with familiar foods and introducing them to new ones.
We take care not to provide food containing nuts or nut products and are especially vigilant where we have a child who has a known allergy to nuts.
Through discussion with parents and research reading by staff, we obtain information about the dietary rules of the religious groups, to which children and their parents belong, and of vegetarians and vegans, and about food allergies. We take account of this information in the provision of food and drinks.
We provide a vegetarian alternative on days when meat of fish are offered and make every effort to ensure Halal meat or Kosher food is available for children who require it.
We require staff to show sensitivity in providing for children’s diets and allergies. Staff do not use a child’s diet or allergy as a label for the child or make a child feel singled out because of her/his diet or allergy.
We organise snack times so that they are social occasions in which children and staff participate.
We use snack times to help children to develop independence through making choices, serving food and drink and feeding themselves.
We provide children with utensils that are appropriate for their ages and stages of development and that take account of the eating practices in their cultures.
We have fresh drinking water constantly available for the children. We inform the children about how to obtain the water and that they can ask for water at any time during the session.
We inform parents who provide food for their children about the storage facilities available in the setting.
We ensure children do not bring food items from home containing nuts as other children may be intolerant.
We give parents who provide food for their children information about suitable containers for food.
In order to protect children with food allergies, we have rules about children sharing and swapping their food with one another.
For children who drink milk, we provide whole pasteurised milk.
We are aware of the Children’s Act regulation requiring us to inform Ofsted of cases of food poisoning and will abide by this.

Should you have any complaints or grievances concerning this policy please bring the matter to our attention by following the procedures detailed in our Complaints Policy.

STUDENT PLACEMENT POLICY

Statement of Intent

Rolleston Pre-School recognises that qualifications and training make an important contribution to the quality of the care and education provided by early years settings. As part of our commitment to quality, we offer placements to students undertaking early years qualifications and training.

Aims

We aim to provide for students on placement with us experiences that contribute to the successful completion of their studies and that provide examples of quality practice in early years care and education.

Methods

We require students to meet the ‘suitable person’ requirements of Ofsted.
We require schools placing students under the age of 17 years with the setting to vouch for their good character.
We supervise students under the age of 17 years at all times and do not allow them to have unsupervised access to children.
Students who are placed in our setting on a short term basis are not counted in our staffing ratios.
Trainee staff employed by the setting may be included in the ratios if they are deemed competent.
We take out employers’ liability insurance and public liability insurance, which covers both trainees and voluntary helpers.
We require students to keep to our confidentiality policy.
We co-operate with students’ tutors in order to help students to fulfil the requirements of their course of study.
We provide students, at the first session of their placement, with a short induction on how our setting is managed, how our sessions are organised and our policies and procedures.
We communicate a positive message to students about the value of qualifications and training.
We make the needs of the children paramount by not admitting students in numbers that hinder the essential work of the setting.
We ensure that trainees and students placed with us are engaged in bona fide early years training, which provides the necessary background understanding of children’s development and activities.

Should you have any complaints or grievances concerning this policy please bring the matter to our attention by following the procedures detailed in our Complaints Policy.