POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

This page contains a summary of some of our Policies and Procedures. These policies reflect the Early Years Foundaton Stage. If you require the full document please contact us.

The setting's policies help us to make sure that the service provided by the setting is a high quality one and that being a member of the setting is an enjoyable and beneficial experience for each child and her/his parents.

The staff and committee of the setting work together to adopt the policies and they all have the opportunity to take part in the annual review of the policies. This review helps us to make sure that the policies are enabling the setting to provide a quality service for its members and the local community.

Safeguarding Children

Our setting has a duty under the law to help safeguard children against suspected or actual 'significant harm'

Our employment practices ensure children are safeguarded against the likelihood of abuse in our setting and we have a procedure for managing complaints or allegations against a member of staff.

Our way of working with children and their parents ensures we are aware of any problems that may emerge and can offer support, including referral to appropriate agencies when necessary, to help families in difficulty.

Settling In

The first days: We want your child to feel happy and safe with us. To make sure that this is the case, the staff will work with you to decide how to help your child to settle into the setting.

Clothing: We provide protective clothing for the children when they play with messy activities.

We encourage children to gain the skills that help them to be independant and look after themselves. These include taking themselves to the toilet and taking off, and putting on, outdoor clothes. Clothing that is easy for them to manage will help them to do this.

Harpole Pre-school Complaints Procedure

All complaints should be taken at first to the registered provider, whose name is on the registration certificate in the pre-school room.

Any complaints made against staff, committee, volunteers or parent helpers will be properly logged and investigated by the committee or nominated members of the committee.

Investigations will be thorough, unbiased, factual and fully recorded.

Child Discipline Procedure

On no account must a member of staff physically discipline a child. Corporal punishment (smacking, slapping or shaking etc.) must not be used in pre-school.

Responding in “like” behaviour ie: biting is not an appropriate approach to modify unacceptable behaviour neither are sanctions appropriate that would lead to a child’s humiliation or lowering of self-esteem.

If a child’s behaviour is found to be annoying, disturbing or in any way unacceptable to others, an adult will remove the child from the situation.

The adult should try to explain to the child the reason for them being removed and the possible consequences of their actions. The child should then be taken back, if appropriate, to apologise to the child/children. This is not something that should be forced. A possible alternative such as shaking hands can also be acceptable.

Administration of Medicines

It is the pre-school’s policy not to administer any medications. If a child needs any medicines it is felt these should be administered before the start of the session by the parent/guardian, which should be sufficient to last to the end of the session. If it is unavoidable that the child has medication at pre-school the medicine book needs to be completed.

Illness/If a child falls ill at Pre-school

Parents are requested to keep their children home if they are ill or have any infections and to alert the pre-school of the nature of the illness so other parents can be informed and observations kept on the other children. If the child has had sickness or diarrhoea the child should be kept at home until at least 48 hours has lapsed since the last attack. Cuts or open sores should be covered by a plaster or other dressing. The pre-school has a mobile phone. If a child is taken ill during a session and it is beyond the medical training of the staff on site, the group leader should stay with the child whilst another member of staff contacts either 999 or the child’s parent, whichever is appropriate.

Payment of Fees

The fees for the shorter sessions are £9 and the fees for the longer sessions are £12. The fees are payable half termly on receipt of a bill from the pre-school, although monthly bills can be arranged. We are in receipt of nursery education funding for three and four year olds; where funding is not received, then fees apply. Any shortfall between nursery funding and session fee, will be billed to parents every half term. For a child to keep their place at the setting, fees must be paid.

Fees must still be paid if children are absent without notice for a short period of time. If your child hasto be absent over a long period of time, please talk to the chairperson.

The fees are reviewed annually by the Committee. However, the committee have the right to increase the fees at any given time and adequate notice will be given to parents.

Holidays/Sickness

As a charity, we are, unfortunately, unable to offer reduced rates for holidays. Therefore if your child is taken out of pre-school to go on holiday, the sessions he/she misses will still be billed as normal. The same applies to any sessions missed through illness. For your child to keep his/her place at the pre-school, you must pay the fees.

Notice Entitlement

If a parent/carer decides to take his/her child out of the setting, a notice period of one month is required.

The pre-school also reserves the right to withdraw a place from a child if deemed necessary by the committee. In these circumstances a one-month notice period also applies.

Operational Plan

A full copy of the pre-school’s policies and procedures are available to view within our operational plan. All parents are welcome to look at this. If parents wish to take something home, please speak to a member of staff first.

Full copies of our Ofsted reports and relevant action plans can also be found in the operational plan.

Special Needs

As part of the setting's policy to make sure that its provision meets the needs of each individual child, we take account of any special needs a child may have.

The setting works to the requirements of the 1993 Education Act and The Special Educational Needs Code of Practice (2001).

Our Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator is Sharon Matthews.

Photographs/Video

At Harpole Pre-School we regularly take photographs and videos of the children which we use for display purposes, as evidence of activities in their keyworker folder and for assessment. If you have any concerns about this please speak to a member of staff. On special occasions, ie Christmas, we may invite professionals in to record the children performing and to take photographs which may be printed in the local newspaper. On these occasions, a permission form will be given out to parents to sign.