Admissions
St Giles Nursery School welcomes all families and children.
We do not discriminate against any child with regard to their family setting or background nor do we discriminate against a child’s sex, race, colour, religion, age or disability.
We will ensure that the existence of the setting is widely advertised in places accessible to all sections of the community. We will ensure that information about our setting is accessible – in written and spoken form and, where practicable, in different languages. Where necessary, we will try to provide information in Braille, or through signing or an interpreter. We will keep a place vacant, if it is financially viable, to accommodate any emergency admission.
Our nursery will ensure the equal opportunities policy is widely known, and we are proud that our professionals are ambassadors of this policy. We will describe our setting and its practices in terms which make it clear that it welcomes fathers and mothers, other relatives and other carers, including childminders. We will describe our setting and its practices in terms of how it treats individuals, regardless of their gender, relationship status, special educational needs, disabilities, background, religion, ethnicity or competence in spoken English.
We will monitor the protected characteristics of children joining the group to ensure that no accidental discrimination takes place. We operate a waiting list and priority of places will be offered based on the criteria below:
1. All looked after and all previously looked after children
2. Children who have an Education and Health Care plan
3. Children with a ‘Child in Need Plan’ or a ‘Child Protection Plan’
4. A brother or sister attending St Giles Nursery school at the time of application who will still be attending at the expected time of admission
5. Children who will be taking either a full 15 hours or a full 30 hours entitlement with us
6. Closest distance from home to St Giles Nursery School (measured using Google Maps driving distance)
Once a registration form has been completed, parents will be contacted as soon as a place becomes available via telephone and email. If we do not hear back within seven days of the date of the email, we will assume that parents no longer wish to reserve a place. Once contact has been made, parents have seven days to accept the place, otherwise it will be withdrawn.
HOME VISIT AND WELCOME SESSIONS
Welcome sessions are a supportive alternative to home visits. You and your child will be invited to a session with a few other nursery children. This will offer the opportunity to talk and play in a relaxed atmosphere before your child begins in nursery.
We regard welcome sessions as one of the most vital stages of our induction process. We positively encourage all parents to look favourably on home visits as a non-threatening, positive experience and one that will be beneficial to all parties concerned, i.e. the children, parents and staff. We offer this to all families should they wish.
Welcome, Sessions Provide:
an opportunity for both child and parents to meet the Family Wellbeing Practitioner and or teaching team member in their own homes or a quiet session where they feel comfortable and secure;
We offer the opportunity for parents to have individual consultation with the Family Wellbeing Practitioner or teaching team member to discuss any questions or concerns about their child. These concerns can be very varied in nature and include health or family problems, fears about how the child may or may not settle in school, questions about the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum and general Nursery School routine, and about school life.
The Family Wellbeing Practitioner or teaching team member will also provide information and images to share with the family and child to support their understanding of nursery school life; from Tapestry.
The welcome session or home visit will enable the child an opportunity to have individual contact with the Family Wellbeing Practitioner or teaching team member and to be able to share whatever is important to them;
At these meetings, the Family Wellbeing Practitioner or teaching team member will use the opportunity to gain information which is a vital part of the settling-in process and will help adults when working with the child in school, such as likes and dislikes, favourite activities, position in family and previous pre-school experiences.
Settling In
The first few weeks when a child is settling into a nursery setting is a time of crucial importance to their later happiness in the setting. All children are individuals and while some children will adjust fairly easily to the new environment and new routines, others will take longer to feel comfortable and secure. We want children to feel safe, stimulated and happy in the setting and to feel secure and comfortable with staff. We want you to have confidence in your children's well-being and your role as active partners with nursery.
We aim to make the nursery a welcome place where children settle quickly and easily, consideration will be given to the individual needs and circumstances of children and their families.
Before a child starts to attend the setting, we use a variety of ways to provide families with relevant information. This includes written information (including our welcome pack and policies) and individual meetings with parents/carers;
Before a child is enroled, we provide opportunities for the child and his/her parents/carers to visit the setting and may offer a home-visit in discussion with the family.
Before a child starts to attend, we work with his/her parents/carers to decide on the best way to support the child into settling at the nursery. This will be recorded on the child’s settling plan and shared with all staff.
Parents/Carers and staff work together to complete an entry profile about the child.
During the settling in period, each child and family will be allocated a key person and made aware of the second key-person.
We encourage parents/carers and children to attend settling in sessions before they start. This gains familiarity with staff, peers and routines.
Before a child starts, we explain and complete with his/her parents/carers the child's registration records.
We reassure parents/carers who are anxious about their child by giving them information about their child’s activities and welfare whilst in the setting. Parents are encouraged to contact the nursery to enquire about their child if they wish.
Children are permitted to bring comfort objects to the setting; this includes blankets, teddies or any other comfortable object.
The nursery welcomes extended family and encourages parents/carers to invite them to visit us.
Each child should bring the following;
- Waterproof coat
- Waterproof trousers
- Wellington boots
- Gentle wipes
- Full change of clothes (if toilet training, extra sets of underwear & trousers/shorts/skirts)
- Nappies and creams (with name written on) as required ...in a Small bag/rucksack
Summertime - sun hat and sun-cream (labelled with your child’s name)
Wintertime-Hat and gloves/mittens, spare socks.