In order for Kiddlywinks to meet you and your child's needs, Kiddlywinks Day Nursery recognises the need for an assurance to Parent and Carers that the nursery will maintain consistent high standards in the delivery of service that it offers.

In Kiddlywinks Day Nursery we Aim to:

• Create an environment that stimulates and nurtures the child to create, explore, imagine, and investigate, with positive adult interaction that celebrates all successes no matter how small they may be, thus ensuring that the child finds learning enjoyable, exciting and rewarding.
• Ensure that staff who work with the children and their families are motivated, enthusiastic and professional with the appropriate qualifications for the delivery of high quality childcare.
• Provide opportunities for all children to reach their full potential at an early age through the provision of high quality resources and materials, an age appropriate curriculum that is responsive to needs and interests and activities that enrich the experiences of children as they play.
• Regularly audit the children's progress and development, supported by regularly maintained developmental records in order to plan the child's consolidation and extension of learning.
• Carry out daily safety checks of premises and materials and regular maintenance and cleaning of all resources to ensure that health and safety issues for all using the facility are recognised and addressed.
• Regularly inform parents of their child's progress through our open door policy, parent's evenings, newsletters and access to their child's records if requested.
• Ensure that all staff employed by Kiddlywinks has Police clearance to work with children and also ensure that students and visitors will never be left alone with children.
• Ensure that the correct child/staff ratios are maintained at all times.
• Ensure that there will always be two members of staff at the nursery when children are present. There will be at least one member of staff for every four children under the age of three and at least one member of staff for every eight children over the age of three.
• Endeavour to promote strong supportive partnerships between parents and staff in the education and care of the child, through close liaison and the nursery's open door policy.

During your child's initial settling in period you will be helped by a member of staff to complete appropriate forms in relation to your child and his or her care. You will also be asked to read the Nursery's Policies and Procedures and on completion of this you will be asked to sign an agreement between yourselves and Kiddlywinks Day Nursery

Most children find change difficult and sometimes it can be distressing for Parent/Carer and the child. We encourage several short visits to the nursery where Parents/Carers will be asked to stay with their child to help familiarise them with their new environment prior to their start date.

This will also give you the opportunity to talk to staff, meet your child's key person, see other children enjoying the facilities and help your child to feel confident within the setting. Children are often upset initially and you may find this distressing when it comes to leaving your child, however staff fully understand and expect your child to require one to one support and cuddles during the early days.

Nursery staff are here to support Parents/Carers also, so please feel free to discuss any concerns or worries and the staff who will do their utmost to put you at ease. Our 'open door' policy means you can call in at anytime or telephone to get an update on your child progress.

Once your child becomes familiar with their new setting, they will quickly build new friendships and enjoy the wealth of resources and opportunities on offer within the nursery.

Kiddlywinks Day Nursery is open Monday to Friday, 51 weeks of the year with the exception of bank holidays and over the Christmas period, Christmas Eve to the 2nd of January.

Opening times are 8.15am - 5.45pm, however we can offer an early start or late finish between the hours of 8am and 6pm, please see details below regarding charges for this service. We offer full day care or sessional day care. Part time sessions can be a combination of different days and am's and pm's. Sessional times are either 8.15am to 1.00pm or 1.00pm to 5.45pm.

Children who attend morning sessions can extend their time with us for additional hours in the afternoon on a casual basis if we have room for them. This will be charged at an hourly rate. Please enquire for prices.

Please label all your child's items, as this will ensure their safe return:

• A photograph of your child
• Nappies, creams and wipes
• Dummy / bottles
• Any necessary medication (Inhalers etc)
• Indoor shoes e.g. plimsolls or slippers
• Spare clothes for spills and accidents
• Extra underwear
• Sun hat and sun cream
• Toothbrush

Comforters can be brought to nursery and as time goes by and your child becomes more confident we will encourage your child to put them in the "special things" box for a little while. At no time will comforters be withdrawn from your child if it causes distress. Due to limited space in the reception area we encourage the use of a small rucksack or bag to store your child's belongings on their peg.

Please do not send your child to nursery in their best clothes because although we provide aprons for messy activities, little people always manage to miss the apron and cover themselves in paint and glue etc.

All children and their families are treated with respect and valued for their individuality. Kiddlywinks staff are committed in providing equality for all and encourage all those who visit and use the facility to share the same ethos. Staff plan activities and play opportunities to encourage children to learn about equality and respect for all. All children are offered access to the full range of activities within the nursery and accessibility plan to ensure equal access for all. This is in line with new government recommendations.

The nursery considers it important to provide a range of experiences and an environment that will instil in the children a positive outlook towards people in our society whom they may see as different from themselves.

Staff are trained in supporting children with additional needs and have fully adopted the II Early Support" ethos in helping every child succeed. We have very positive relationships with wider support agencies and work with a wide array of specialists both in and outside the nursery, to ensure that all children and families have the support they need through the creation of liThe Team Around the Family". This approach is aimed at ensuring that there is a better co-ordination of multi agency services and improved continuity of care for the child and his or her family.

Kiddlywinks staff recognises parents as the most important people in children's lives and work to promote a partnership of care through information sharing and through a designated key person system. This key person will support you and your child during their transition into the setting and share information with colleagues. This shared care and learning partnership is aimed at ensuring that there is consistency in care and learning approaches, specifically aimed and designed around the needs and preferences of your child.

The nursery aims to demonstrate through its work that it positively values and respects children of all ethnic origins/racial groups, religions and cultures, linguistic backgrounds and abilities. The Kiddlywinks staff are committed to offering respect and equality of opportunity to all children and adults who use the nursery and we expect all those who choose to use the nursery to share our philosophy.