On their first day, your child will be welcomed by their key person. Most children settle in quickly, make new friends and look forward to their time at nursery. We always work with parents to ensure that their child’s start at nursery is as calm and happy as possible.

Key Person

During your child’s time with us you may often hear the phrase “Key Person.” Whilst children are looked after in groups it is important that we meet the individual needs of your child and ensure your child has the opportunity to bond with a “Special Person” at the nursery. It is also important that you also have a specific person whom you get to know and are comfortable sharing information with.

Each child is assigned a ‘Key Person’ at the settling in stage. It is their role to share information with you about your child and to ensure your child’s individual needs are met. They observe your child in order to be able to plan for your child’s learning and development and to make assessments on their progress.

If you are not aware of who your child’s Key Person is, please ask.

How can you help?

Before your child starts coming to the nursery, talk to him/her about it. Tell your child that you will be leaving but coming back to take them home!

Is parting a problem?

If you are worried about leaving your child, do speak to us about it. This is very natural and very common. Try not to show your child that you are apprehensive, as you may unwittingly transmit this negative message to the child.

It is also quite normal that your child may be upset. If you have visited us and talked positively about what is going to happen, this will help a lot. Before you leave your child, please say goodbye. It may result in tears but reinforced with the message that you are coming back soon; it will help them to cope. If you leave when the child is not looking, this could create a problem of mistrust, making it harder for the child to settle and for us to care for them. Do ring us if you are worried after you have left. There is always someone able to answer the phone and this will help to reassure you.

What you will need to bring

For Babies:

• A new tub of their usual milk powder and clean bottles with lids (named please). Please speak to us if you wish your baby to have Mum’s breast milk
• Nappies and wipes
• Changes of clothing, hat, and coat (named)

For Children Over 1 Years Old:

• Nappies and wipes if still needed
• Changes of clothes and extra pants (especially if toilet training!)
• Sun hat or coat, hat and gloves depending on the weather
• Pair of wellies for the garden
• Waterproofs

What to wear

In order to feel free to explore and experiment with all kinds of materials, including messy ones, it is advisable to send children dressed in clothes that are easily washable and preferably not new. It is good for children to practice the skills, which will make them independent. Simple clothing which they can handle themselves will enable them to go to the toilet unaided and to put on and take off their outdoor clothes without being too dependent on other people for help. E.g. jogging bottoms in preference to jeans.

The nursery also requests that each child brings in a pair of wellington boots and a waterproof coat for wet weather, which are clearly labelled.

Healthy Eating

We provide breakfast, cooked lunches, and teas.

Our meals are provided by Bridgwater & Taunton College Restaurant; both the College Restaurant and the Childcare Centre have a 5-star rating from Environmental Health. You can be assured that your children’s meals are prepared within a clean and healthy area and are made from local and seasonal produce.

If you have any special dietary requirements for your child, please do not hesitate to contact us for your child’s personal needs.

Mid-morning and mid-afternoon the children have cafe – including milk or water and fresh fruit / vegetables; this can also include crackers, breadsticks, rice cakes, crumpets and more!

Children are encouraged to prepare their own snack and often cut their fruit and pour their own drinks. Water is also available throughout the day for children to access. We would ask that children also bring in their own named water bottle for use throughout the day.

Parent Partnership

Making it Work With Parents

We deeply respect the role that parents play as the principal carer in their child’s life and we want to develop a close working relationship with you so that we are consistently meeting your family’s needs. We find that open, two-way communication is the best way to handle this so we always make time to talk at the beginning and end of each day and you will receive information about your child’s nursery day verbally, in writing or through photographs.

All around the nursery you will see documentation of children’s experiences and evidence of their work. We keep you to up to date with events at nursery through our monthly parent newsletter and our Facebook page

Essential to our success is the relationship between the nursery and parents and carers. This relationship is crucial to the well being, development and progress of your child. During your time here at the nursery we will encourage and promote a two way flow of information, knowledge and expertise. The more we know about you and your child and the more you know about us, the more successful we will be in creating a partnership that is fully supportive of your child.

Our email system is monitored by staff throughout the day and we normally can get back to you within a few hours. Anything more urgent, then just pick up the phone.

Security

Bridgwater & Taunton College Childcare Centre will endeavour to maintain a secure environment at all times. The nursery team must be notified if your child is being collected by a relative or any other nominated person over the age of 18. We will not let children leave with anyone without prior permission from the parent/carer.

Health and Safety

Any health and safety queries please arrange to meet with the nursery manager. We would ask all parents to make sure gates and doors are closed when entering or leaving the building and that they are mindful of little fingers.

Medication

It may be necessary from time to time for your child to receive medication. Providing your child is well enough to attend nursery and is not contagious the nursery team are happy to administer prescribed medication if we are given prior written consent on the appropriate form.

Medication will only be administered by our qualified nursery team and witnessed by a second team member.

If your child is unwell

The nursery has the right to refuse admission to any child who they feel is unwell or has an infection which could be passed on to others. Parents are requested not to send their child to nursery if they are suffering from any infectious diseases. This includes high temperatures, vomiting and diarrhoea, impetigo, obvious rashes or if they are not feeling well enough to attend.

Children suffering from diarrhoea and sickness must be kept at home for at least 48 hours after the symptoms have cleared.

The nursery will do all that is possible to care for children who become unwell while at nursery. We do understand that it is difficult for working parents/carers to leave work early, but if a child becomes too distressed or unwell to remain at nursery, we will ask for them to be collected.

Accidents and incidents

The nursery makes every effort to provide a safe environment for your child and carries out daily risk assessments to remove any hazards. Despite this, accidents can happen, all accidents and incidents are recorded, monitored and parents/carers informed. You will also be asked to sign an accident form.

If the accident is of a more serious nature, we will contact the child’s parent/carer or emergency contact to advise what has happened and action we have taken. If necessary, we will contact the emergency services.

It is nursery policy to always ring you if your child has had a bump to the head.

Arrival with existing injury

If your child has had an accident at home, please let the nursery team know and tell us what happened.