It is important for us to get to know each child and their family prior to them joining Young Discoverers so we offer a home visit to every child before they start. The Key Person and the Room Supervisor will arrange a convenient time to come to see you where they can take time to find out all about each unique little one. We ask about routines, things that upset or worry your child, how they like to be comforted and what they can do developmentally before they join us. It is important that we follow your routines as closely as we can and discussions with you will continue once you join us as routines will change over time. This is also the time for us to begin to understand what each child can do and where their next steps for learning are, this contributes to our entry assessment with us.
We value each parent as their child’s most enduring educator. Each child is designated their own key person who will have visited you at home at a time convenient to the parents, usually early evening. This is an important part of our settling in process and something we really enjoy doing as it helps us to get to know you and your child, and a time for you to share your concerns and worries about starting nursery, and a time for us to provide you with the reassurance that we will give your child the love care and fun that they deserve. The home visit also helps us to better understand each child’s preferred learning style and to assist us in making our early developmental judgements in line with the EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage)
We encourage parents to come along as many times as they wish for stay and play sessions (at no charge) and to join us for lunch, as all children are unique and all need different amounts of settling in time with us. Please note this has been adapted in line with Government Guidance, Stay and Play sessions accompanied by Parents will be limited for the foreseeable future, PPE may be required to be warn during any prearranged visits and social distancing measures will apply. We will do everything possible to ensure the transition into Nursery is made with a minimum amount of stress to your child and will work with and discuss an anxieties your child may have to find a workable solution to move forward with their starting date.
We follow the EYFS ( Early Years Foundation Stage 2012) which is a non- statutory guidance material which supports practitioners in implementing the requirements of the EYFS If you would like to download your own copy it is available on the Foundation Years website as well as the Department of Education website : www.education.gov.uk/publications
Your child’s allocated key person will undertake a range of observations that provide the evidence of a child’s understanding across the EYFS and this enables the staff to plan for the next steps in their learning ensuring all children are making good progress with us. The development statements are a checklist as children develop at their own rate and in their own ways and staff will discuss your child’s progress regularly
We use an on line provider to enable us to send all observations, videos and assessments directly to parents via their smart phone, tablet or PC. Parent Zone is part of Connect Childcare and ensures parents never miss a moment in their child’s development at nursery. We will provide you with the details of this free service when you join us.