Parent News

Dear Parents and Carers

We hope you have been enjoying the lovely weather and for those of you lucky enough to get away we hope you have had a lovely break.

Just a reminder that Michelle is on annual leave and will be back in the office on the 11^th August. Leanne will be in the office Monday to Thursday and Tracy will man the office on Fridays.

Bumblebees would like to remind parents to check the small white board on the door to see if your child needs more nappies, wipes or sun cream.

Policies

Please find attached our Supervision policy.

Snails

The focus in the snails this week will be creative and sensory exploration.  The children will encouraged to explore the sensory balls, wet sand, soft toys and their own reflections in the mirrors. Creative activities, this week, include body painting, painting with feathers, water play with paint and mark making with chalks. The children will also be exploring the ict toys, musical instruments and shape sorters.

Planned activities within the Snails surround each child’s current interest in conjunction with supporting and extending their development.  To find out what activities are planned for your child for this week, please see your child’s keyworker who will be happy to take you through the planning.

Alisha –  Day off Monday                       Leanne – Day off Friday

Caterpillars

This week the Caterpillars team will focus on garden time with the see-saw and walkers, they are also interested in water and ice play.   The children will investigate the musical instruments, shape sorters, soft play and heuristic play.   Creative activities this week include sensory corn flour and table painting. The book of the week is Muffin hide & seek.

Planned activities within the Caterpillars surround each child’s current interest in conjunction with supporting and extending their development.  To find out what activities are planned for your child for this week, please see your child’s keyworker who will be happy to take you through the planning.

Days off Jamie – Tuesday (Day off)    Tara  - Annual leave 

Ladybirds

The current interest in the Ladybirds is role play and small world.  This week the children will be bathing the babies, cooking in the role play area, exploring the transport and the happy land village.  The book of the week is ’Spot goes on holiday’.   Creative activities this week include transport and table painting, collaging vehicles and gloopy cars

Planned activities within the ladybirds surround each child’s current interest in conjunction with supporting and extending their development.  To find out what activities are planned for your child for this week, please see your child’s keyworker who will be happy to take you through the planning.

Days off   Abi – Thursday (Day off)        Kim – Annual leave

Bumblebees

This week the children’s interests are Food and Physical Developments, the children will be making muffin pizzas, pretending to go food shopping as well as pretending to cook for themselves and their friends. In the garden the children will be jumping in and out of hoops, playing with the bats and balls to improve their hand/eye coordination and running games. To help the children develop their understanding of the world the children will be talking about their families and looking at puzzles of people who help us. Activities to support creative development including big chalk drawings, exploring shaving foam and junk modelling.   Literacy supported, this week, through using a range of stationary, drawing around stencils and drawing ourselves. The books this week will be looking at cook books.

 Planned activities within the Bumblebees surround each child’s current interest in conjunction with supporting and extending their development.  To find out what activities are planned for your child for this week, please see your child’s keyworker who will be happy to take you through the planning which is now displayed on the large notice board outside the Bumblebees room.

Days off      

Jani – Wednesday            Jenni – Monday  (Day off)     Amy – Monday (Day off) 

 

Butterflies                       

This week the children’s interest is wildlife and focussing our attention on the birds that we see around nursery.  To help us focus our attention on looking for birds we will be making our own binoculars so that we can spot different birds. As we know that we can be a little bit noisy and this might scare the birds away, we shall be making a ‘hide’ to secretly watch the birds and also some bird feeders with the hope that this will encourage the birds into the garden. We shall make a chart to note down how many ‘big’ birds we see and how many ‘small’ birds we see, it will be up to the children to categorise them accordingly. After listening to the birds we shall try and re-create their bird song using our musical instruments or just our voices, we shall also recreate our own birds when we have a little bit of fun and decorate biscuits to look like them, hopefully they will turn out better than our last attempt when they looked more like snowmen!!

Planned activities within the Butterflies surround each child’s current interest in conjunction with supporting and extending their development.  To find out what activities are planned for your child for this week, please see your child’s keyworker who will be happy to take you through the planning.

Days off   Stani – (Annual Leave)        Tracy – Tuesday (Day off)    Lee – Annual Leave

 

Supervision policy

 

Aim of policy

 

The purpose of this policy is to outline the responsibilities of the team in regards to supervision of children and to keep children and team safe.

 

Points to consider

 

At all times:

 

•          There will always be at least two staff members on duty whilst children are in attendance.

 

•          When children are outside there will always be at least one staff member present who will remain outside at all times. If they need to go inside for any reason, they will need to request to swap with a team member to ensure there are no breaks in supervision.

 

•          In areas where children are inside there will always be at least one staff member present.

 

•          Students who are not employed by Castle are not permitted to be left alone at any time with a child or children.

 

•          Students not employed by Castle cannot be included in any adult/child ratios.

 

•          Castle will adhere to the staff child ratio guidelines as set by Ofsted, detailed below:

 

NATIONAL STANDARDS ADULT/CHILD RATIOS

 

Children under 2    1:3

Children aged 2 Years     1:4

Children aged 3-5 Years  1.8

Children aged 4 -5            1:13 with EYP or QTS

EYP/EYT = Early Years Professional status/ Early Years Teacher Status

QTS = Qualified Teacher Status

All adults working with children including; students, cover team members and volunteers must all be police checked with the Disclosure and Baring Service.

No one without a clear enhanced DBS obtained may be left alone with children for any period of time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blog 28th July 2014

Parent News

Dear Parents and Carers

We hope you are enjoying this lovely weather we are currently enjoying, to reassure you all, we do apply sun cream morning and afternoon and during the hottest days the children are not allowed out between the hours of 11am and 3pm.

Michelle is now on annual leave and will be back in the office on the 11^th August. Leanne will be in the office Monday to Thursday and Tracy will man the office on  Fridays.

Can we please remind you that you do need to sign your children in on the register when they arrive and when they leave.  This is an OFSTED requirement but it also is important with regards to safeguarding your children, as we use this register as a checklist with regard to fire evacuation etc.

Caterpillars, Ladybirds and Bumblebees would like to request that you bring in photos of relevant people in your child/children’s lives, if you have not already done so, so that they can make a family book. This resource is excellent for helping settle children and really do aid their emotional development.

 Policies

Please find attached our Fire Safety policy.

Snails

The focus in the snails this week will continue to be transport. The children will be encouraged to sail boats in the water, move trains around the tracks, play with the happy land village and read stories about transport. Creative activities, this week, include collaging cars, painting with cars and making marks in sand with the trains.  The children will also be encouraged to sort shapes, build with blocks and enjoy looking at themselves in the mirror.

Planned activities within the Snails surround each child’s current interest in conjunction with supporting and extending their development.  To find out what activities are planned for your child for this week, please see your child’s keyworker who will be happy to take you through the planning.

Alisha –  Day off   Thursday                   Leanne – Day off Friday

Caterpillars

This week the Caterpillars team will continue to focus on sensory play and messy play.   The children will investigate heuristic and water play, soft play, as well as experimenting with ICT toys.  Creative activities this week include, exploring musical instruments, chalk drawings and table painting.

Planned activities within the Caterpillars surround each child’s current interest in conjunction with supporting and extending their development.  To find out what activities are planned for your child for this week, please see your child’s keyworker who will be happy to take you through the planning.

Days off Jamie – Monday (Day off) Wednesday (Annual leave)   Tara  - Friday (Day off)   Stacy – Tuesday (Annual leave)

Ladybirds

The current interest in the Ladybirds is water play and cars.  This week the children will be exploring red corn flour, pushing cars around the chalk road in the garden and exploring the water using sea life creatures and boats.  The book of the week is ’Doing the Animal Bop’.   Creative activities this week include sand painting, drawing and exploring the texture and scent of the sensory play dough.

Planned activities within the ladybirds surround each child’s current interest in conjunction with supporting and extending their development.  To find out what activities are planned for your child for this week, please see your child’s keyworker who will be happy to take you through the planning.

Days off   Abi – Wednesday (Day off) Tuesday (Annual leave)            Naomi – Wednesday & Thursday (Annual leave)   Kim – Friday (Annual leave)

Bumblebees

This week the children’s interests are Princes  & Princess and Vegetables, they will be dressing up as Princesses, making a castle in the role play area, as well as opening a fruit and veg shop. To help the children develop their understanding of the world, the children will be exploring ICT toys, using the remote ladybirds, simple programmes on the computer and using the camera to take pictures. Activities to support creative development include drawing Princes and Princesses, collaging vegetable shapes and fruit printing.   Literacy supported, this week, through writing letters on paper and in the sand as well as using letter lollies & letter factory. The books this week will be looking at Princess stories and looking at vegetable stories as well as non-fiction books.

 Planned activities within the Bumblebees surround each child’s current interest in conjunction with supporting and extending their development.  To find out what activities are planned for your child for this week, please see your child’s keyworker who will be happy to take you through the planning which is now displayed on the large notice board outside the Bumblebees room.

Days off      

Jani – Wednesday            Jenni – Monday (Annual leave), Tuesday (Day off)    Jade –  Friday (Annual Leave)    Amy – Monday (Day off)  Wednesday (Annual leave)

 

Butterflies                       

This week the children’s interest is imaginative play and the home corner will be turned into different scenarios each day.  The children will be washing and cutting hair in our hairdressers on Monday, Tuesday they will be taking care of any ailments in our doctor’s surgery. On Wednesday we shall be operating our own restaurant and this theme will be carried over to tea where some children will be waiters and the others can order from our menu. Thursday we shall be looking after sick animals in our vets and Friday we shall be selling things in our bric and brac shop.

Good news in the garden as our crop of tomatoes have just begun to turn red, we are looking to grow a pumpkin in time for Halloween so we can harvest it to make something yummy to eat and then carve the reminder to scare all our parents!

Planned activities within the Butterflies surround each child’s current interest in conjunction with supporting and extending their development.  To find out what activities are planned for your child for this week, please see your child’s keyworker who will be happy to take you through the planning.

Days off   Stani – (Annual Leave)        Tracy – Tuesday (Day off)    Lee – Annual Leave

 

Fire Safety policy

Aim of policy

This policy is designed to eliminate/reduce the risks to the health and safety of children, staff and users of the Nursery from fire and related hazards. 

 

Points to consider: Castle Daycare & Preschool can only ensure the health and safety of everyone using the Nursery with the co-operation of staff following/putting the procedures in place during evacuation in a fire emergency or training exercise.

 

The nominated fire warden is: Leanne Ellis

 

Castle Daycare and Preschool aim to achieve this by:

 

Having a procedure to ensure robust systems

 

In order to ensure robust systems exist to respond to an event of fire:

 

The Nursery Manager will:

 

•         Undertake a fire alarm/ bell test at least once a term.

•          Test emergency lighting every six months.

•          Keep a record of the tests to include date and time, faults/ issuers occurring if appropriate.

•          Develop a local setting fire evacuation procedure to include exits to be used, assembly area etc.

•          Carry out a Nursery evacuation procedure (fire drill) every quarter as a minimum.

•          Keep records of the fire drills to include time of drill, evacuation time and comments.

•          Ensure all staff members are aware of and understand the local setting evacuation procedure.

•          Ensure that all staff members have undertaken basic fire safety training during their initial induction and senior staff will undertake additional training annually.

 

All Nursery staff will:

 

•          Ensure that fire exits are not blocked.

•          Ensure routes of access and egress remain clear

•          Undertake regular fire safety training.

 

 

Procedure in the event of fire

 

In the event of fire

 

Any member of staff will

 

•          Alert all staff and children by sounding the alarm.

•          Evacuate the building with the children in their care in accordance with the local setting evacuation procedure.

•          Take out any registers for which they are responsible.

 

The Manager (where the Manager is not present the most senior Member of staff present) will:

 

•          Check toilets, utility room and kitchen. 

•          Ensure that registers of children are complete.

•          Ensure every child, member of staff and others are fully accounted for through taking registers and enquiry of staff.

•          Contact the fire service and other emergency services if required.

•          Act as the main point of contact for the fire service and other appropriate services.

•          Take responsibility for contacting parents/guardians/carers.

 

The water mains are outside the double gates on the street, the gas is in the box on the external wall by the staff room. Electricity mains are in the electricity cupboard by the front door and the fuse box is in the pantry in the kitchen.

 

 

 

IN THE EVENT OF FIRE NO ONE MUST GO BACK INSIDE FOR ANY REASON UNTIL THE FIRE SERVICE STATES IT IS SAFE TO DO SO.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Parent News

Dear Parents and Carers

Thank you for all that attended the Summer BBQ we were very lucky with the weather and we hope you all enjoyed yourself, congratulations if you were a lucky winner of one of the prizes.

We are very excited that the Bumblebees room refurbishment will take place on the 21^st and 22^nd August. We will have more information nearer the time but the 2-3’s will use the other rooms in the nursery during this quiet period.

Forest school has now finished for the summer holidays, we hope all the children that had a chance to take part enjoyed themselves and it will resume again in September. Please remember to label your child’s car seat if they are taking part and to ensure that they are dressed appropriately.

Michelle will be taking annual leave from the 24^th July and will be back in the office on the 11^th August. Also Leanne will be leaving for her maternity leave on the 22^nd August.

 

 

Policies

Please find attached our Risk Assessment policy.

Snails

The focus in the snails this week will be transport. The children will be encouraged to explore the cars in the water, play with the happy land village and sing songs about transport, for example ‘The wheels on the bus’. Creative activities, this week, include painting with cars, making marks in corn flour using vehicles and collaging trucks.  The children will also be encouraged to experiment with the ict toys and the musical instruments.

Planned activities within the Snails surround each child’s current interest in conjunction with supporting and extending their development.  To find out what activities are planned for your child for this week, please see your child’s keyworker who will be happy to take you through the planning.

 

Alisha –  Day off   Thursday                   Leanne – Annual leave Tuesday

 

Caterpillars

This week the Caterpillars team will continue to focus on sensory play and explore bubbles, ice and water.   The children will investigating puzzles, pop up toys, parts of the body and rolling of balls.  Creative activities this week include, mark making with chunky pencils and chalks, cling film painting and table painting.

Planned activities within the Caterpillars surround each child’s current interest in conjunction with supporting and extending their development.  To find out what activities are planned for your child for this week, please see your child’s keyworker who will be happy to take you through the planning.

Days off Jamie – Tuesday          Tara  - Wednesday

Ladybirds

The current interest in the Ladybirds is small world and ict toys.  This week the children will be exploring simple concepts e.g big and little, changing the sounds of a musical instruments and soft play. The book of the week is ‘Baa moo, what will we do’.   Creative activities this week include, painting with stampers, collaging with tissue paper and smelly play dough.

Planned activities within the ladybirds surround each child’s current interest in conjunction with supporting and extending their development.  To find out what activities are planned for your child for this week, please see your child’s keyworker who will be happy to take you through the planning.

Days off   Abi – Monday   

Bumblebees

This week the children will develop their mathematic skills using their number line to count 10, recognising numbers by connecting the dots to reveal a number, using the numbered bean bags and exploring clocks. To help the children develop their understanding of the world, the children will be making dens for themselves and exploring with torches, making a den for the farm animals and exploring the ict ladybirds.   Activities to support creative development include collage activities, mixing colours and body painting.  Literacy development shall be supported, this week, through painting using a variety of media and chalks. The story of the week will be ‘Aliens love underpants’ which links in with the display the children have been working on.

The team would like to let you know that the children’s coat pegs have been rearranged and are now in alphabetical order. Also just to remind you to check your child’s tray so you don’t miss their latest masterpiece and please remember that it is important to label your children’s clothes.

 Planned activities within the Bumblebees surround each child’s current interest in conjunction with supporting and extending their development.  To find out what activities are planned for your child for this week, please see your child’s keyworker who will be happy to take you through the planning which is now displayed on the large notice board outside the Bumblebees room.

Days off      

Jani – Wednesday            Jenni – Tuesday, Wednesday (Annual leave), Thursday (Day off)    Jade – Annual Leave

 

Butterflies                       

 This week the children’s interest is holidays as they see some of their friends leave for school or for the summer holidays.  The children will be making their own postcards, taking part in a sand castle challenge in the garden, making a map to show where they have been on holiday and making their own sun hat/visor. The children’s fine motor skills will be encouraged through the use of play dough and transporting small objects using tweezers, they will use story cards to sequence stories and come up with an alternative ending.

Planned activities within the Butterflies surround each child’s current interest in conjunction with supporting and extending their development.  To find out what activities are planned for your child for this week, please see your child’s keyworker who will be happy to take you through the planning.

Days off   Stani – Friday   Tracy – Monday (day off), Tuesday & Wednesday (annual leave)

 

Risk Assessment policy

Aim of policy

 

To give guidance on how and when to complete risk assessments.

 

Points to consider

Risk assessments are to assess hazards to anyone on the nursery premises, or in case of external trips to the children, staff and parents in our care.

 

The Heath and Safety Executive (HSE) considers risk assessment to be:

“a careful examination of what, in your work, could cause harm to people to enable you to decide whether you have taken enough precautions or you should do more. It should identify and take into account all significant factors that can affect the chance and extent of harm and reach a conclusion on whether and how the management of such factors needs to be improved to eliminate or lessen that chance”.

 

There are five points to consider when carrying out a risk assessment:

Identify the hazard

Decide who may be harmed and how

Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions

Record your findings and implement them

Review your assessment and update if necessary

 

See the current Nursery Risk assessments

 

Castle Daycare and Preschool aim to achieve this by:

 

Carrying out thorough and regular risk assessments on all aspects and areas of the nursery.

The person responsible for carrying out risk assessments in this nursery is

Kim Elliott

 

Daily Health and Safety checks should also be made to ensure no hazards arise between risk assessments.

 

The person/people responsible for carrying out these daily checks are

Jenni Smyth, Jamie Corking, Alisha Beswick, Tracy Cox, Abi Shorter

 

More information on how to complete risk assessments can be found at:

www.hse.gov

Castle Daycare & Preschool will actively monitor the performance of its nurseries in the management of risks under their control and the implementation of nursery risk assessments and health and safety action plans.

Whilst the company accepts the main responsibility for implementation of this policy, individuals have an important role in co-operating with those responsible to ensure a healthy and safe working environment. Individuals are required to abide by rules and requirements made under the authority of this policy.

The Nursery’s Manager is responsible for the implementation of the risk assessments and health and safety action plans and referring any actions required or concerns to the Director.