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Day to day

Age of Admittance

We accept children from the age of twelve months to five years.

Days and Hours of Opening

The nursery is open from 7.30am to 6.00pm Monday to Thursday and 7.30am to 4.00pm Friday. We close for one week at Christmas, one week at Easter and public holidays which vary year to year. Please see our important dates for details.

The session times are:

Early Start: 7.30am – 8.00am

Half Day: 8.00am – 1.00pm or 1.00pm – 6.00pm

Short Day: 9.00am / 8.00am – 4.00pm

Full Day: 8.00am - 5.00pm / 6.00pm

Practicalities

The children constantly indulge in messy play so please dress them in old clothes.

We ask that children avoid bringing sweets, chocolate, drinks etc. to avoid squabbles and encourage healthy eating patterns.

Please let us know of any allergies or phobias that your child may have so that we can be sensitive to their needs.

Children are required to change into indoor footwear when at Hopscotch. This ensures safe "floor play" and movement inside. Children are also required to change into outdoor shoes/wellies and put on a coat when undertaking outdoor activities. We encourage them to do this themselves so please dress them in sensible shows they’re able to put on themselves.

During the summer months, we insist that children wear sun cream for outside play and ask them to arrive with it already on. Parents can provide their own or opt to use our sun cream, please let us know your preference.

Toys with small parts become easily lost. Special toys can also cause jealousy amongst others. For this reason, we ask that all toys are left in children’s bags during the session time.

Play guns and other weapons are discouraged

Settling Period

We want children to feel at home when at Hopscotch and in order to accomplish this we:

Encourage parents to start settling their children into nursery at least one month prior to their start date. Initially we arrange for a 20/30minute session for the child and ensure the parent/carer notifies us of any important information regarding their child, handing over any forms they’ve completed. We only ask for such a short period of time initially as it enables the child to know they have been left, but not long enough to become distressed. We would then build the length of sessions depending on the child’s individual needs, ensuring they’re confident enough to be left at nursery. At Hopscotch we appreciate that each child is an individual and therefore feel it is impractical to have a set way of settling children into nursery. We therefore treat each child’s settling period uniquely, working around their personal needs.

We work in partnership with our parents/carers to ensure they are comfortable with the process. Parents/carers are introduced to their child’s key person from the initial session and the key person is responsible for the rest of the sessions from then on. At Hopscotch we feel it is crucial to ensure continuity for all the children. We believe children settle most willingly if they stay in control of the settling in process during the early days. This means that during those first sessions parents may need to reassure them by staying with them while they become familiar with and confident in their new and perhaps very different surroundings. All children respond differently to a new environment that requires them to be more independent and the settling in period will vary enormously. Parents are encouraged to bring in familiar toys or comforters from home, making the child feel at home. However long this takes, our staff are there to support the family through this transition.

Children cannot play or learn successfully if they are nervous or unhappy. Our settling procedures aim to help parents to help their children to feel comfortable at nursery and to be confident that their parents will return at the end of the session.

Arrival and Departure of Children

It is essential that parents/carers always notify a member of staff of their arrival and hand over their child. If a child arrives unaccompanied, Hopscotch will ring the Children’s Social Work Services and/or the Police after ringing the parents to ensure the family is safe.

The nursery must be informed if anyone other than the parent/carer, or the persons mentioned as authorised on the registration form to collect your child changes. You would then need to give the nursery a password which you would have also given to the person collecting the child.

The nursery closes promptly at 6.00pm each day. All staff have set shifts which are dictated by child/staff ratios and should finishes promptly on time. Any parent/carer who is late collecting their child at the end of their specific session will have to pay a charge which helps to cover the additional staffing costs incurred for this reason.

If the parent or other responsible adult listed on the registration form are unable to collect the child, the parent should give details to the staff of the person who will be collecting. This must include their name, physical descriptions and any other information staff or parent may deem appropriate OR a password which is then to be shared with the staff on duty when the child is to be collected. If the Nursery is not satisfied as to the credibility of such a person, the Child shall not be released.

If Hopscotch deem the person collecting the child unfit, for example due to substance misuse, they can refuse to allow the child to leave in their care. We will keep the child in our care until someone suitable is available to collect the child. Should there be no-one else, we will ring social services and if necessary, the police.

If your child is not collected on time, our legal liability relating to the staff/child ratio will be infringed as two members of staff must remain at the nursery until the last child has been collected.

The charge is £5 for the first 5 minutes, with an additional £5 for every 10 minutes thereafter. We take lateness very seriously as the Nursery is only insured until 6.15pm when all staff and parents/children should have vacated the premises.

If you have made no contact to the Nursery within 30 minutes (6.30pm) after closing time, the manager/senior member of staff will have no choice but to contact the Children's Social Work Services for the Bath and North East Somerset area, after having tried all contact details on the child’s registration form.

Fees

A non-refundable administration fee of £50.00 will be payable by the Customer on submission of the Registration Form in order to secure your place. The childcare provided is charged per session and is inclusive of all meals, resources, nappies, snacks and extracurricular activities, unless otherwise specified.

Fees are reviewed twice yearly in January and September and we reserve the right to increase fees in line with the UK’s cost of living. We will, to the best of our ability, give all current parents at least one month’s notice prior to the new fees becoming effective.

Fees are payable monthly in advance and must be cleared by the 5th of every month. If fees are not paid on the due date, parents will incur a late payment charge of £10. If fees remain unpaid after more than one month, we may exclude children from the nursery. Fees are still payable in cases of absence and there is no reduction for sickness or holidays taken during any week the nursery is open. If you wish to remove your child from our care or reduce their sessions, four weeks written notice must be given to the manager.

Early Years Entitlement

We offer entitlement for all those eligible from 2 - 4 years for 50 weeks of the year. The Government pays towards your child’s nursery hours; however, this does not include snacks, meals, resources, trips and extracurricular activities, nor the expected level of pay for our nursery practitioners. We therefore ask for these additional costs to be covered by yourselves. We do offer completely free sessions, which must be taken from 1-6pm only, please contact us for further details. You are able to use your entitlement hours between 8am and 6pm Monday to Friday.

All those eligible to the 2-year-old and universal entitlement may take 11 hours per week for 50 weeks of the year. If you are eligible for the extended entitlement, you may take 22 hours per week for 50 weeks of the year.

We do offer completely free childcare for those eligible for the 2-year-old and universal entitlement. We offer this as afternoon sessions, between 1pm and 6pm, please note, meal charges may apply. If you require this, please talk to us individually.

Notice of Absence

The Nursery must be informed by 10.15am if a child is not brought into nursery on a day when s/he is normally present. The parents/carers must also give reason for the absence and the expected date of return. If the Nursery has not heard from the parent/carer the child’s key worker will call to question their absence. If the nursery has not heard from the parent after five working days, Hopscotch reserves the right to de-register the child and offer the place to someone else. If for any reason (e.g. illness) a child cannot be brought to the nursery when s/he would normally be present, the parents/carers are required to pay the normal fees.

We closely observe absences, monitoring children's attendance patterns to ensure they are consistent and there is no cause for concern. We will question parents, should we have any concerns towards the child’s welfare. Should your child be unable to attend our setting on their nominated day, we would ask that you give an explanation by phone, tapestry or email. If a child is absent from the nursery without advance notification, the child’s key person will attempt to make contact to ascertain a reason for their absence. Once a reason has been obtained it is documented and submitted to the DSL so that frequency and reasons for absences can be monitored. If a child is on a Child Protection Plan or a Child in Need Plan and is absent without notification, contact from the nursery will be daily and continuous until we are able to make contact with the parent. If we fail to make contact within 48 hours by phone or mail, this may result in Hopscotch contacting Children’s Social Work Services. (This is in accordance with the Children’s Act 2004.) These processes support safeguarding the children in our care.

Parental/Carer Involvement

Hopscotch cannot over-stressed the importance of continuity between home and the Nursery. Our aim is to develop an honest, open and supportive relationship with each family which complements life in your home rather than opposes it. We are very aware of our influence as a role model for your child and without your extensive knowledge of your child, we would be unable to enhance their development. Nursery staff are always available to discuss your child and their development. With this in mind we ask for your continuous comments in your child’s learning journals and to complete our ‘Home Interests’ forms in order to implement their interests to further their development.

Medication

Hopscotch will only administer prescribed medicine which is clearly labelled, indicating it has been prescribed by a doctor and is within its use by date. Children on medication can only return to nursery 24hrs after their first dose. This is to ensure that any reactions a child may have to the medication will occur when they are cared for by their parents/carers. We will only give the dosage stated and to the person whose name appears on the prescription label. Parents are to complete our short or long term medication form, depending on the type and duration of the medicine. It will be administered by a first aider, keeping in line with the instructions on the prescription label. Parents should notify us IMMEDIATELY if the child’s circumstances change, e.g. a dose has been given at home, or a change in strength/dose needs to be given.

Sickness and Medical Procedures

If a child becomes ill during the nursery day, their parent(s) will be contacted and asked to pick their child up as soon as possible. If a child suffers from sickness and diarrhoea, they should not return to nursery until they have been clear for at least 48 hours. If a child has suffered from a fever, they must not return to nursery until they have been clear for at least 24 hours. The nursery has the right to refuse admission to a child who is unwell. This decision will be taken by the manager/senior staff member on duty and is non-negotiable. If a child is on antibiotics the nursery will follow the instructions given by the doctor as to when the child is able to return to nursery. Due to Hopscotch only administering prescribed medication, we will send home a child with a rising or falling temperature. If the child’s temperature reaches 37.8oC or above, the parent will be rung and asked to collect their child, however the practitioners within the setting reserve the right to judge the welfare of the child and may feel the need to ring the parent, regardless of the child reaching 37.8oC. Similarly, we will react if your child’s temperature falls to 35oC.

All parents/carers are asked to complete any dietary requirements/allergies on their child's registration form. This is then transferred onto our list of 'Dietary/Medical Requirements and Personal Preferences.' This list contains any important information, such as: allergies; dietary preferences; permission for trips out; permission to use photos for marketing purposes and or social media; permission to contact other professionals; and information about the child attending another setting. This list is displayed in the Office, Kitchen and portable snack trolley. We also give a copy of each child's allergies/medical/personal preferences to the Early Years Catering company for the children's lunches, which is updated weekly.

If you have marked ‘Yes’ on the nursery registration form, the nursery has permission to seek necessary medical advice or treatment should the need arise. Some diseases are notifiable i.e. Public Health England and Ofsted must be notified as soon as possible and within 14 days, please ask a member of the team or see the poster in the Nursery Office for further details.

The Early Years Foundation Stage

The government requires that all Ofsted registered pre-schools and nurseries in Britain adhere to the standards set out in ‘The Early Years Foundation Stage’ (EYFS 2021) framework produced by the Department for Children, Schools and Families. These are standards both for care and education of children and their aim is to improve children's experiences. It works alongside the ‘Every Child Matters’ outcomes of staying safe, being healthy, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution and achieving economic well-being.

A part of this is the Learning and Development requirements, which is divided into seven areas, they provide a framework for practitioners to ensure that children are gaining the skills and knowledge that will support and prepare them for their further learning at Key Stage 1 and beyond.

We are required to ensure that each child has a thorough grounding initially in the 3 prime areas which are highlighted in green. The other 4 areas are not forgotten and all children are constantly supported in these when they are of interest.

These areas of development are:

Communication and Language

Personal, Social and Emotional

Physical

Literacy

Mathematics

Understanding the World

Expressive Arts and Design

In line with the EYFS we closely follow the Birth to 5 Matters curriculum to help asses each child’s development. Each area of learning progresses through age related stages or stepping-stones to the final ` Early Learning Goals' at 40-60 months. It is appreciated that children do not all conform to these and may vary in the speed at which they achieve them. We differentiate according to age and ability through the process of detailed planning by the whole team. None of these areas are delivered in isolation, they are all equally important however we place a high emphasis on the 3 prime areas as we feel these are the scaffolding in which a child needs to further their learning. It must be emphasised that all learning at Hopscotch is through the 3 characteristics. Children are given the freedom to select from a range of activities during a session, which we believe increases their desire to learn. The subject areas are given a meaningful focus by employing the children's own ideas and interests and allowing them to feel a valued part of the whole planning and learning process.

To find out more follow this link,

https://www.birthto5matters.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Birthto5Matters-download.pdf

Transitions to Schools

Hopscotch children at present feed into a large number of Bath schools, including Widcombe Infant School, Moorlands Infants, St. John's R.C. School, St. Phillips, Combe Down and Oldfield Park Infant School. Close links with these schools have been forged over many years. The schools have welcomed this liaison and all parties feel that this had led to an exceptionally smooth transition for those children moving on from Hopscotch. Reception teachers, Head teachers and SENCO's have visited Hopscotch during the year, as a way of an introduction to the children. Other schools have been contacted to forge similar close connections and Hopscotch continues to build on this.

Reports and relevant transfer information are passed on prior to the children starting school.

The child’s learning journal will show an overview of the child’s knowledge, understanding and abilities. It also shows their progress against the expected levels and in turn will give the school a good idea of their readiness for reception. With parents’ permission this can be shared with the school. We also provide a transition report which highlights the above in a short summary, this is shared with the school.

Personal Property Policy

Children should not bring sweets or valuables to the nursery (e.g. jewellery, toys, things of personal significance, etc.), since staff cannot be held liable for any such belongings being lost or damaged.

Creativity policy

Hopscotch nursery aims to provide an environment that will enable ALL children to access a range of creative arts and creative learning and thinking opportunities. Creativity allows children to develop their creative talent and imagination. We aim to provide a physical and mental stimulating environment, in order for children to extend their creative ideas and be confident to make suggestions bring forth ideas that challenge others and themselves. We regard all approaches to creativity to be important. We accept, value and positively promote all types of imaginary play, artistic tendencies, cultural art and music. We acknowledge that the vast majority, if not all, of children’s play is creative in one respect or another. Creativity is a characteristic way of thinking, making choices and solving problems. Practitioners provide interesting resources/situations that engage the children’s attention and are encouraged to recognise and value all forms of expression and communication, thus prompting further exploration and investigation. We aim to constantly provide changing materials in order to fuel the children’s creative instincts and that will stimulate curiosity, creativity, communication and activity, such as: stones; shells; wood; etc. Through open ended questioning and the use of personal experiences or emotional situations as creative tools, we encourage and increase children’s developing imagination. Practitioners also present the children with new situations, tools, materials and music every day in order to continue their curiosity and learning. We believe all children take a huge role in the creative aspects of day to day life and it is always valid and valued. Our main aim is for children to have the self-belief in themselves to always speak up and voice their ideals and ideas, as well as feel confident and self-assured about their ideas and beliefs they express to others.

Clothing Policy

Every child must be provided with a complete change of clothes on a daily basis. It is an essential component of educative play that children are able to enjoy art and craft activities with, for example, glue, paste, paint, sand, playdough, water, etc. Inevitably children will transfer some of these materials to themselves and their clothing. We attempt as far as possible to purchase ‘washable’ resources, but in practice not everything washes off all clothing materials. Parents should, therefore, dress their children with this in mind. The nursery will accept no liability for clothing damaged while the child is at the nursery. We promote children’s independence and ask for simple clothing to allow them to go to the toilet, dress and undress with as little help from the adult as possible. We ask that children are provided with suitable clothing depending on the weather and that all their belongings are clearly labelled.