This Booklet will tell you about the Day Nursery Our address is: Blagdon Nursery School and Children Centre Willows Day Nursery Blagdon Road Whitley Reading Berkshire RG2 7NT

Telephone number: 0118 937 5484 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.blagdonnursery.reading.sch.uk

Nursery Manager: Mrs Sarah Bell Assistant Manager: Mrs Becky Prado A full list of staff is displayed in the reception area and displayed in the entrance of both rooms.

Willows is a 29 place purpose built day nursery. We cater for children from 3 months to 4 years with quality provision. Willows was last inspected in December 2014 and was judged as Good in all areas. At the age of 2 children who attend Willows are registered for the nursery school. From the term after their third birthday children may transfer to the Blagdon Nursery School as soon as a place becomes available in accordance with the admissions policy. Willows Opening times: The Nursery is open from Monday to Friday 8.00am until 6.00pm. We are open all year round except Bank Holidays, Training Days and between Christmas and New Year. The dates can be located on our website and are published in advance for all parents and carers. Our closure policy can be found in your welcome pack. Sessions: Morning session: 8am-1pm Afternoon session: 1pm-6pm Full day session: 8am-6pm A price list is available upon request and on our website.

Staffing ratios are: Under 2’s 1:3 Over 2’s 1:4 Over 3’s 1:8

Children will be registered when the Nursery has the following information           

Name of child/family Date of birth or expected delivery date of child Birth certificate or passport Address (proof of address with post-code E.g. utility bill,) Names of parents/ carers & first contact in case of an emergency Telephone numbers of all contacts Ethnic origin and languages spoken at home Medical information Dietary information Day care requirements £50.00 Cash deposit & £10 per session

Waiting List A child may be put on the waiting list once a pregnancy has been confirmed by completing a registration form. You will be notified as quickly as possible when a place has become available. Once this has been agreed and the deposit has been paid in full then a full child details and a fee contract form will need to be completed.

Willows is a purpose built nursery, specifically designed for the younger children in mind. There are two large play areas and a cosy sleep area for the younger babies. There is access to a covered outside play area directly from the nursery rooms which is separated from the Blagdon Nursery School garden. Both gardens have a spongy safety surface suitable for those who are learning to crawl and toddle. We also have an accessible grassy area with a vegetable patch, digging area and herb garden. We plant, grow, harvest our fruits and vegetables which we use in our cooking activities with the children. There is a security door in the main entrance and a security door to the playrooms and access to the nursery is electronically controlled by nursery staff. Butterflies Room

Dragonflies Room

The Curriculum The Early Years Foundation stage Curriculum is followed in the nursery. The children spend their time both inside and outside all year round, so it is important that they have the correct clothing for going outside. Play is at the centre of the curriculum as it is through play that children actively explore and learn about the world around them. The children spend their time discovering and experimenting, acquiring knowledge, developing and refining their skills and interacting with staff and each other. Activities provided will vary according to individual needs and those of the age group, and will cover many aspects of learning. The 3 Prime areas and 4 Specific areas of the curriculum are delivered through planned topics: Personal Social and Emotional Development: Children are encouraged to show respect for each other and the nursery environment. They learn to share, take turns and develop friendships. Children are encouraged to work at their own pace and to use independence and confidence when faced with new challenges. They are helped to manage their feelings and behaviours. Physical Development: The children have opportunities to improve control and coordination of their bodies while learning to move and handle equipment. They learn about keeping healthy and self-care. Communication and Language: Children develop their communication through involvement in a variety of activities. They are encouraged to talk and listen to both adults and each other and develop their understanding.

Literacy: They are given opportunities to develop skills which will later support them when learning in reading and writing. Mathematics: The children learn to count, sort, compare, measure and recognise patterns. Mathematics is part of many activities and through using different resources the children develop their mathematical skills and knowledge. Understanding of the World: Young children have a natural curiosity about their environment and "how things work". As well as the scientific content of many of the topics, the children are encouraged to experiment with clay, sand, water, magnets and investigate the world and people around them. They also have the opportunities to use a range of information technology, for example they have use of a camera, remote controlled car, and a computer to aid their technological skills. Expressive Arts and Design: A very wide range of tools and materials are provided and the children are encouraged to experiment and develop a great variety of creative skills. The children also have the opportunity to sing, dance, make music and develop their imaginative play. Children are also given the opportunity to play with everyday household items in Heuristic Play. We are delighted if parents contribute to our collections. We display a topic planning calendar in each room and on the parents’ notice board in reception. Staff may ask you to contribute, perhaps by lending something for children to see, or by coming in to share a story linking with our topics.

Settling in – A qualified and experienced member of staff will be the Key Worker for your child. They will be your contact and will provide daily feedback to you about your child’s time at nursery. They will work closely with you to help support, develop and care for your child through their journey at Willows. The Key Worker will call and make an appointment for you to visit before your child starts with us, this will help them become familiar with the new environment. Parents are welcome to stay with their children until they feel happy to leave them in our care. Learning Journals with observations and assessments will be kept on your child. Your child’s key worker will show and explain the systems we use to plan for your child’s continuing development. Willows Day Nursery is flexible with regard to the settling in period of all children and will liaise with parents to support both their needs and those of their child. We believe that parents and staff should work closely together to ensure the continuity between home and nursery and we welcome any relevant information, suggestions, or constructive criticism you care to provide. Transition from Butterflies to Dragonflies Transition into Dragonflies occurs once a space is available and when your child is ready to move. Thought and care is taken with transition between the groups. Short regular visits are made prior to starting in the new room, and children begin to build a bond with their new Key Worker.

Lending Library Parents/ carers and children are encouraged to borrow books from the Library on a weekly basis. Each child will be given a book bag when they start. These should be returned when the child leaves Willows. A charge will be made for any loss or damage of the books. Behaviour Management The nursery has a Behaviour Management policy on how staff manages challenging behaviour of young children. The use of any form of physical or emotional chastisement, verbal humiliation or aggressive handling of a child is totally unacceptable at Willows. Copies of this policy are available in your welcome pack and can be found on our website. Special Educational Needs & Disabilities We aim to provide all children, including those with SEND, access to a broad and balanced curriculum based on The Early Years Foundation Stage. We aim to fully integrate children with special educational needs, recognise their achievements and celebrate their successes. A close partnership with all parents is developed from time of registration. Parents are informed about the procedures for assessing SEND and are kept fully informed at every stage of the process. Safeguarding We provide a safe and secure environment for children to play and learn. All staff are trained in child protection and work together to ensure that safeguarding procedures are met at all times. We always discuss any child protection issues with the parents unless it is judged that informing the parents may place the child at further risk of harm.

The team consists of highly experienced fully qualified Early Years Practitioners and trainees who provide a happy and caring environment through which your child can learn & develop through play. All staff have Disclosure Barring Service checks (DBS) and are cleared to work with young children. Security is paramount and children will only be allowed to leave with the named identified person/s as agreed with the parent/carer prior to the child starting nursery and they are over the age of 16 years old. A password system for emergency collections is in place which will be given by the Key Worker. Staff are encouraged to participate in courses and further their professional development. All staff are First Aid trained and receive regular statutory training. Staff wear purple sweatshirts and lilac T shirts with a logo of Willows Day Nursery. Students from local secondary schools and local colleges can join us for short or long term placements where they can observe and have some involvement with children as part of their work experience programme. The students are always supervised by qualified experienced staff and never left alone with children in our care.

The daily routine will be developed in close liaison with parents/carers so as to meet the individual needs of the children. There will be time for creative activities, quiet activities, music, story, outside play and rest times. A general day may look as follows 8.00 – 8.30 8.30-10.00 10.00 10.15

11.30 12.15 2.00 2.15

3.30 4.00 6.00

Nursery opens- Breakfast Planned activities for each room- theme based Snack time Group activities- rest for babies/ creative activities / outside playtime/ story or rhyme time Lunchtime Sleep time/ Quiet time/ activities for older Toddlers Snack Time Group activities/- rest for babies/ creative Activities / outside playtime/ story or rhyme Time Tea Time Free play quiet activities Nursery closes

Menus Menus are displayed in the reception area- Chartwells provide all our freshly made meals and they are cooked on site. There is always a vegetarian option available. We can cater for specific dietary needs. If a child has an allergy to some foods a written letter specifying the allergies from the doctor will be requested to ensure we provide a suitable and nutritious healthy meal for your child. We must be made aware of any allergies or intolerances to foodstuffs before your child start at the setting. Baby Feeds We ask parents to supply their babies' formula milk for their feeds. We have a food preparation area for this purpose complete with sterilising equipment. Parents/ carers will be informed of their child’s eating and drinking habits on a daily basis. Nappies & Toileting needs We ask parents to supply their own child’s daily supply of nappies, wet wipes and creams in a nappy or toileting essential bag. Bags can be purchased from nursery for £3.00. We request these are stored on their child’s peg for each session. Staff will assist parents in potty and toilet training when appropriate for the child. Clothing All clothing should be named; the Nursery takes no responsibility for lost or damaged clothing. We provide information details of a name label company in your child's enrolment pack. We shall provide aprons & bibs but please do remember a messy child is a happy child!

Absences – Illness or Holiday Parents/ carers are asked to contact the nursery as soon as possible if your child will be absent through holidays or sickness. In the event of absence illness or holiday we cannot refund fees or offer alternative sessions. Our Child sickness policy and charging policy is included in your welcome pack and available on our website. Any child who is unwell should not be brought to the nursery and we reserve the right to refuse to accept them until we are satisfied they are well enough to attend. Any medications given to children will only be with prior written consent from the parent/carer- these will be logged in the medications register. Medication prescribed by the doctor with a pharmacy label will only be administered by Nursery staff after the child has been taking them for more than 24 hours at home and only on written authorisation from parents/carer. If a child is taken ill parents will be informed at the first possible opportunity and asked to collect them as soon as they can. Our medication policy is included in your welcome pack and available on our website. Accidents and Sun Care All accidents will be dealt with by a qualified first aider (list in each playroom) and recorded on an Accident form, parents will be asked to also read and sign the accident form. Parents must inform the nursery of all allergies and relevant medical information prior to starting nursery. Parents will be asked to sign an agreement allowing the use of sun screen to be put on children which will be used in the warm weather. We request parents to supply their own child’s sun cream clearly named.

Car Parking Parents are not allowed to use the staff car park at any time; it is dangerous as staff are leaving and arriving throughout the day. Ample parking is available on Blagdon Road; however parents should be aware not to park on the yellow zig-zags or to block local residents’ driveways.

The Governing Body of Blagdon Nursery School and Children Centre reserves the right to make amendments to terms & conditions and agrees to give one months notice of any changes.