Our Policies

  1. Behaviour Management Policy
  2. Admissions Policy
  3. Valuing Diversity and Promoting Equality Policy
  4. Special Educational Needs policy
  5. Safeguarding Children Policy
  6. Employment and staffing
  7. Parental Involvement
  8. Outdoors
  9. Covid 19 policy
  10. Other policies

1. Behaviour Management Policy ^ Back to top

Positive and negative behaviour is recognised as a means of communication. The reaction of another child or adult can have a huge impact on the way the behaviour may develop. Staff will always remain calm and respectful, demonstrating a positive role model, and will never shout or become threatening towards children.

Children have the right to feel emotional - we will help them to recognise their emotions and help them to manage them in an acceptable way – e.g. “I see you’re angry, what can I do to help?”

We will give children the vocabulary to explain their feelings, and help them consider the impact it can have on others – using stories and puppets for example.

We have only 3 Nursery rules:

We will promote positive behaviour through recognition and praise whenever possible, to show how this behaviour is valued.

Our approach to behaviour management will always be age appropriate and we will consider a child’s stage of development, and the behaviours that would be appropriate for such. Where children are still learning to play alongside their peers, for example, we will support them through this phase.

We will ask children to consider whether they feel their behaviour is appropriate e.g. “do you think it is safe to throw the logs – could you hurt someone?” Encouraging them to consider why their actions are inappropriate.

When conflict does occur we will observe the situation carefully before intervening, giving children a chance to resolve it themselves. If this is not appropriate an adult will intervene. When one child is hurt or upset, for example, we will ask what we can do to make them feel better (e.g. fetch a tissue, get the toy back, ask someone to say sorry). We will always deal with this child first.

On some occasions it might be necessary to speak further to the other party involved. In this instance we will try to get their side of the story. Then explain why the behaviour is not acceptable, offering alternative scenario e.g. “what could you do next time someone is in your way instead of pushing them?”

Thinking Time

When emotions are running high it may be appropriate to remove a child from the situation. In this case we will have ‘thinking time’. An adult will sit with the child until they have calmed down, and then discuss the behaviour with them in terms of:

Thinking Time will also be used when a child repeatedly disregards an adults instructions. We will give 2 requests – the second one using the phrase “last chance before we go to thinking time” If the behaviour persists then the child will be removed from the situation and given thinking time as above.

We recognise that children can display undesirable behaviour for many reasons. In some situations we will need to discuss the behaviour with parents/carers – if the behaviour affects other children or adults (e.g. biting), if the behaviour is frequent or if the child is not responding to usual management techniques. This will usually be done by the family’s keyperson, or the supervisor. We aim to get as much information as possible about the child and any possible causes of behaviour, this will help us to be better prepared to deal with the situation. To help us build up a picture of the behaviour we may instigate the use of a home: nursery diary.

If we feel we are not making satisfactory progress in helping children to manage their behaviour we will ask parental permission to seek further advice from our area inclusion officer.

Bullying

We do not consider children of this age to be capable of mindful bullying. However, in some cases children can be unkind towards each other, and we will always challenge this. In dealing with this we will consider the child’s understanding of the situation, drawing attention to the effect of their behaviour on others.

Behaviour concerns

We address unwanted behaviours using the agreed and consistently applied initial intervention approach. If the unwanted behaviour does not reoccur or cause concern then normal monitoring will resume.

Behaviours that result in concern for the child and/or others will be discussed between the key person and Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) /manager. During the meeting, the key person will use their knowledge and assessments of the child to share any known influencing factors (new baby, additional needs, illness etc.) in order to place the behaviour into context. Appropriate adjustments to practice will be agreed and if successful normal monitoring resumed.

If the behaviour continues to reoccur and remain a concern then the key person should liaise with parents to discuss possible reasons for the behaviour and to agree next steps. If a cause for the behaviour is not known or only occurs whilst in the setting then the SENCO will suggest using a focused intervention approach to identify a trigger for the behaviour.

If a trigger is identified then the SENCO and key person will meet with the parents to plan support for the child through developing an action plan, in the form of a Learning Journey Individual Education Plan (LJIEP). If relevant, recommended actions for dealing with the behaviour at home should be agreed with the parent/s and incorporated into the plan. Other members of the staff team should be informed of the agreed actions in the action plan and help implement the actions. The plan should be monitored and reviewed regularly by the key person and SENCO until improvement is noticed.

If, despite applying the initial intervention and focused intervention approaches, the behaviour continues to give occur and/or is of significant concern, then the behaviour coordinator and SENCO will invite the parents to a meeting to discuss external referral and next steps for supporting the child in the setting.

It may also be agreed that the Early Help process should begin and that specialist help be sought for the child if deemed necessary – this support may address either developmental or welfare needs.

Advice provided by external agencies should be incorporated into the child’s action plan and regular multi-disciplinary meetings held to review the child’s progress.

2. Admissions Policy ^ Back to top

We aim to ensure that the Nursery is welcoming and accessible to all members of the community regardless of gender, special educational needs, disability, culture, language or religion.

All policies of Ivegill Nursery comply with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and the 2005 Amendment.

We are registered to take children from the age of 2 years up to 5 years old. There is a maximum number of children per session and once this number is reached no further children may be admitted to that session.

In the event of all sessions becoming full places will be allotted according to the following criteria:

There is no fee for placing the child's name on the registration list.

Every attempt will be made to allocate those sessions the applicant prefers but particular sessions cannot be guaranteed in advance as it will depend on the previous bookings and number of sessions being requested.

Our fee structure is openly displayed in the Nursery foyer, and copies are available on request. Fees are payable half-termly in advance. In case of financial difficulties please see the supervisor.

3. Valuing Diversity and Promoting Equality Policy ^ Back to top

We are committed to ensuring that our setting is fully inclusive in meeting the needs of all children. We recognise that children and their families come from a wide range of backgrounds with individual needs, beliefs and values. They may grow up in family structures that include one or two parents of the same or different sex. Children may have close links or live with extended families of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins; while other children may be more removed from close kin, or may live with other relatives or foster carers. Some children come from families who experience social exclusion, severe hardship; discrimination and prejudice because of their ethnicity, disability and/or ability, the languages they speak, their religious or personal beliefs, their sexual orientation and marital status. Some individuals face discrimination linked to their gender and some women are discriminated against because of their pregnancy and maternity status. We understand that all these factors can affect the wellbeing of children within these families and may adversely impact on children’s learning, attainment and life outcomes. We are committed to anti-discriminatory practise to promote equality of opportunity and valuing diversity for all children and families using our setting. We aim to:

Admissions

Our nursery is open and accessible to all members of the community.

We base our admissions policy on a fair system.

We do not discriminate against a child or their family in our setting, including preventing their entry to our setting based on a protected characteristic as defined by the Equality Act (2010).

We provide information in clear, concise language, whether in spoken or written form and would provide information in other languages if necessary (wherever possible).

We will provide information on our offer of provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities.

We ensure that all parents are made aware of our Valuing Diversity and Promoting Inclusion and Equality Policy.

Other procedures

We make reasonable adjustments to ensure that disabled children can participate successfully in the activities and in the curriculum offered by the setting.

Employment

All applications for employment will be assessed on merit and suitability for the post without prejudice.

We may use the exemption clauses in relevant legislation to enable the service to best meet the needs of the community.

The applicant who best meets the criteria is offered the post, subject to references and checks by the Criminal Records Bureau. This ensures fairness in the selection process.

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 ensure that staff are confident and fully trained in administering relevant medicines and performing invasive care procedures when these are required.

We review our practices to ensure that we are fully implementing our policy for promoting equality, valuing 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.

Our environment is as accessible as possible for all visitors and service users. If access to the settings is found to treat disabled children or adults less favourably then we make reasonable adjustments to accommodate the needs of disabled children and adults. We do this by:

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.

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 as appropriate.

Monitoring and Reviewing

To ensure our policies and procedures remain effective we will monitor and review them annually to ensure our strategies meets the overall aims to promote equality, inclusion and valuing diversity.

We provide a complaints procedure and a complaints summary record for parents to see.

4. Special Educational Needs Policy ^ Back to top

At Ivegill Nursery we believe that all children, regardless of their individual requirements, have the right to a broad, balanced, purposeful early years experience. We provide an environment in which all children are supported to reach their full potential. In order to do this we aim to identify any requirements a child might have and work closely with parents/carers, and other agencies as necessary. We recognise that change can be particularly difficult for children with additional needs, and we make every effort to ensure the transition into, and out of nursery is as smooth as possible, tailored to meet individual needs (see transition policy). We will work within the requirements detailed in: Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage ( Sept 2017) Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) code of Practice: 0-25 years (July 2014) Equality Act 2010

Aims

  1. Admit children with SEND to our setting in a flexible manner that suits the child and their family.
  2. To ensure we are fully prepared to work with children who have specific pre-diagnosed conditions before their starting date. This might mean further research into a condition, specific medical training or looking at physical adaptations to the setting, where reasonable and practical, for example.
  3. To identify children's SEND as early as possible, using a variety of observations and assessments, and monitoring procedures. Parents/carers will be involved with and informed of each assessment.
  4. Work together with parents/carers to plan ways to support their child, deciding on programs or plans of action according to each child's requirements.
  5. Differentiate and adapt our activities and environment to support all children.
  6. Ensure all plans are appropriate and relevant to the child's needs.

Identifying special educational needs

As well as ongoing informal assessments, we undertake more formal termly assessments of all children's progress, including two-year-old checks. This helps us to identify any potential areas of difficulty so we can ensure children are supported as soon as possible. Where an additional need is identified during a child's time within the nursery we will implement the graduated approach as detailed in SEND code of practice 2014, with 4 stages of action - assess, plan, do, review. As part of the graduated approach, we will always work alongside parents/carers. We may also:

SENCO

We have a named Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) within the setting, this is our nursery lead practitioner - Samantha Irving. Lisa Nelson is the deputy SENCO and will take over in Samantha’s absence. The SENCO has a specific role within the setting and is responsible for-.

- ensuring parental involvement throughout, and with other professionals in respect of children with SEND

- advising and supporting other practitioners in the setting

- ensuring that appropriate Learning Journey Individual Education Plans are in place, which takes into account individual children's wishes and preferences.

- ensuring that relevant background information about individual children with SEND is collected, recorded and updated

As SENCOs Samantha and Lisa undertake training specific to special educational needs, thus ensuring that we are always up to date with new research, resources and procedures. We do, however, also ensure that all staff members are aware of their responsibilities towards those with additional needs.

Personal Care

Any necessary personal care (including changing nappies) will be given by staff to ensure the child is comfortable while at nursery. This will be in consultation with the child's parents and with their permission.

Diet and Medication

Staff or helpers will administer and record any special diet or medication after discussion and agreement with the child's parents. In accordance with our medications policy.

Staff Training and Support

We will give staff every opportunity to increase their knowledge and skills to ensure that they are able to:

5. Safeguarding Children policy ^ Back to top

All nurseries and those involved in registered childcare in Cumbria now have to follow guidelines set by Cumbria LSCB. In the event of a member of staff becoming concerned that a child has been abused he/she will discuss the matter with the Supervisor who may then have to notify the local Child Protection team. The full policy which includes confidentiality can be viewed in nursery or feel free to email us for a copy.

6. Employment and staffing ^ Back to top

Policy Statement

We provide a staffing ratio in line with the Welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage 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 carry out checks for criminal and other records through the Criminal Records Bureau in accordance with statutory requirements.

Procedures

Ratios

Vetting and staff selection

Changes to Staff

We inform Ofsted of any changes in the person responsible for our setting.

Training and Staff Development

Staff taking medication/other substances

Managing staff absences and contingency plans for emergencies

7. Parental Involvement ^ Back to top

In the following policy and any other correspondence or paper work from the nursery when we refer to ‘parents’, we mean both mothers and fathers; these include both birth and adopted parents, as well as step-parents and foster parents or guardians and parents who do not live with their children, but have contact with them and play a part in their lives. At Ivegill Nursery we have a true open door policy. We:

8. Outdoors ^ Back to top

Here at Ivegill Nursery children have access to both the indoor and the outdoor environments for the majority of the day. Children are free to choose where they spend their time.

The outdoor learning environment provides different learning opportunities to those available indoors, and we believe that children benefit from being able to access a carefully planned outdoor space for long periods of time.

Research points to many benefits of outdoor learning. We endorse the view of The Council for Learning Outside the Classroom who state:

• Learning outside the classroom supports the development of healthy and active lifestyles by offering children opportunities for physical activity, freedom and movement, and promoting a sense of well-being.

• Learning outside the classroom gives children contact with the natural world and offers them experiences that are unique to outdoors, such as direct contact with the weather and the seasons.

• Playing and learning outside also helps children to understand and respect nature, the environment and the interdependence of humans, animals, plants, and lifecycles.

• Outdoor play also supports children’s problem-solving skills and nurtures their creativity, as well as providing rich opportunities for their developing imagination, inventiveness and resourcefulness.

• Children need an outdoor environment that can provide them with space, both upwards and outwards, and places to explore, experiment, discover, be active and healthy, and to develop their physical capabilities.

• The outdoor environment offers space and therefore is particularly important to those children who learn best through active movement. Very young children learn predominately through their sensory and physical experiences, which supports brain development and the creation of neural networks.

• For many children, playing outdoors at their early years setting may be the only opportunity they have to play safely and freely while they learn to assess risk and develop the skills to manage new situations.

• Learning that flows seamlessly between indoors and outdoors makes the most efficient use of resources and builds on interests and enthusiasms.

• Anyone who takes children outside regularly sees the enjoyment, and sense of wonder and excitement that is generated when children actively engage with their environment.

We ask that children are dressed for the weather, whether it be hot and sunny or cold and wet, and spare clothes are essential.

We will only stay indoors if the weather is extremely bad.

Also please note that we cannot ask individual children to stay inside – even at parental request, as this would be both unfair to the child and impractical. We will however ensure that children are dressed appropriately for the outdoors.

If you feel that your child isn't well enough to spend time outdoors, we ask that you consider whether they are well enough to attend nursery.

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9. Other policies ^ Back to top

Fuller versions of the above policies are available in a booklet in the cloakroom for viewing or you can request a copy. If you would like an electronic copy of any policy please email ivegillnursery@gmail.com We also have policies on Health and Safety, Confidentiality and Privacy, Records and Information Sharing, Failure to collect a child, Missing Children, Administering Medicines, Managing children with allergies or who are sick or infectious, Outings, Whistleblowing and E Safety in the same booklet.