CHATELHERAULT NURSERY CLASS
NURSERY
HANDBOOK
2015 - 2016
Welcome to Chatelherault Nursery Class
Dear Parent/Carer
Welcome! Our handbook is designed to be helpful and information and to provide you with as much information about nursery life as possible.
We aim to create a warm, caring, safe and happy environment with friendly, encouraging and supportive ethos for everyone here at Chatelherault Nursery - children, parents and staff alike. We provide a broad range of experiences to enable all children to develop as successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors.
With your support, and that of other agencies, we are sure we will achieve this aim. We aim to work in partnership with you in order to develop a close home and nursery link which we feel will work to the benefit of all our children.
We look forward to getting to know you and your child as we work together, and hope that your son or daughter enjoys attending our nursery class.
Please do not hesitate to contact me or the nursery team if you require further information or clarification.
Yours sincerely
Dianne Lynas
(Head Teacher)
Vision and Values
Our Vision
Aiming high, working together
to achieve our potential in a happy,
supportive and inclusive school
Our Values
Knowledge
Skills
Confidence
Respect
Aspiration
Health
Our Nursery Team
Management TeamMrs Dianne Lynas / Head Teacher
Mrs Lesley Winters-McCann / Acting Head Teacher
Miss Kirstine McDonald / Depute Head Teacher
Playroom Team
Mrs Senga Nicholson / Early Years Team Leader
MrsAlyson Coffield / Nursery Teacher
Miss Alison Laird / Early Years Worker
Mrs Pamela Smeaton Ward(Mon - Wed)
Mrs Carole Lawson(alternate Wed, Thu - Fri) / Early Years Workers
Contact Us
Address:Chatelherault Nursery Class
Silvertonhill Avenue
HAMILTON
ML3 7NT
Telephone Number:01698 282929
E-mail:
Website:
Nursery Information
Age Range:3 – 5 years
Status:Non-denominational, we respect and welcome children, parents and carers of all religions, faiths and beliefs.
Capacity: 30 children am session and 30 children pm session
Opening Hours
Morning Session:
8:45am to 11:55am
Afternoon Session:
1:00pm to 4:10pm
Nursery Admissions and Enrolment
The nursery provides a learning environment for young children, parents from any area may apply for their child/children to attend the nursery class. Please feel free to contact us to find out more about our service. Parents can register their children by completing application forms (these are available throughout the year) and returning these to the main office. All nursery places are allocated in line with South Lanarkshire Council’s policy for admissions and the outcomes of applications are normally communicated to parents in May.
Once your child has been allocated a nursery place you will be invited to enrol at nursery. During this visit you will have the opportunity to meet our team,hear about the nursery, complete paperwork and ask any questions that you may have. You will be given a nursery handbook and a starting date time. Not all children begin on the same day so that staff can spend more time with the children on their first few days.
Settling Into Nursery Life
We are pleased to welcome you to Chatelherault Nursery Class and hope that your time with us will be enjoyable. Starting nursery class can be a very emotional time for both of you, but it need not be a stressful experience. Together we will do everything we can to help your child be happy here.
As a team we usually find that children settle after a few days, however every child is unique and each child settles differently. On your child’s first day, staff will be waiting to welcome you and your child into the room. When your child has settled there will be an opportunity for you to meet with the key worker to discuss the ‘All About Me’ booklet and complete some administration forms. We recommend that your child stays for approximately one and a half hours. Staff will work in partnership with you to agree a settling in programme that meets the needs of both you and your child.
Home Visits
Before your child starts Nursery, you will be offered a home visit where staff will come and meet you and your child in your home environment. It also ensures that when you and your child visit the nursery you are met by someone you know. This provides an excellent opportunity for any questions to be answered or concerns to be discussed and in addition to this your child’s Personal Plan is started. As part of us getting to know your child you will be left with an ‘All About Me’ booklet which you and your child should complete together and bring along to the nursery on the first day.
Key Workers
Each child needs someone with whom he/she is familiar and who knows his/her particular needs. This person is your child’s key worker and each key worker is responsible for a group of children. The groups are named as follows: Caterpillars, Butterflies and Ladybirds. This team member will become a familiar person to enable you and your child to settle into nursery. The Key worker will be your first point of contact to discuss your child’s progress and any concerns you may have however, the class teacher and Head of Establishment are always available should you require to speak with them.
Entrance/Exit of Nursery Building
The doors at the entrance to the nursery are security entry. In order to enter the building you must press the buzzer and wait for a member of staff to let you in. To exit push the bar firmly to open the door. Please be vigilant and ensure that only you and your child exit as our cloakroom can be busy.
Signing In and Out of Nursery
When you enter the reception area in the morning/afternoon please use the signing in book to record who is collecting your child at the end of the session. The person collecting must sign the pick-up sheet. Children are expected to self-register using their group pictures.
If there is any change in arrangements and the named person cannot collect, it is important that you contact us by telephone to inform us of who is collecting your child. We cannot let your child go with anyone without your consent. We are aware that security procedures can be frustrating and take time however we appreciate your support and patient in ensuring the safety of your child.
Please be aware that the cloakroom area is very busy at the start/end of sessions. We ask that you don’t sign your child out until you have collected him/her from the playroom. For the safety of your child please hold their hand after you have signed him/her out in order that they do not leave the premises without you.
Welcoming Time
At the beginning and end of each session, a staff member is available to welcome children and to talk to parents. Staff rotate weekly, one staff member will welcome at the reception area and the other staff members will welcome children into the playroom. When entering the playroom children will post their name card in the Post Box and then choose from a wide range of activities that support their learning.
Cloakroom Space
Your child will be allocated a peg for their coat, backpack and area for storing their outdoor shoes. In the interest of health and safety could you please ensure that your child has a change of soft shoes that can be left in the nursery. The nursery staff will work with your child to paint their names on their indoor shoes using fabric paints, please inform your child’s Key Worker if you prefer us not to do this.
Clothing/Uniform
The children learn through hands-on experiences at this stage in their development. This means that they will experiment with a variety of materials. Please do not send your child in clothes which cannot take ‘messy play’ because, even though aprons are provided, it is amazing how far glue and paint can spread. In the busy nursery environment accidents and spillages can happen, please leave a spare set of clothing i.e. trousers, top, pants, and socks in your child's shoe bag. Children have opportunities to play outdoors in all weather therefore we ask that your child is dressed appropriately for the weather conditions e.g. wellingtons on rainy days. A nursery uniform is available from A. P. Alston (Quarry Street, Hamilton). Please note that it is South Lanarkshire Council’s Policy that no football or rugby colours should be worn.
Snack Time
During each session children have a light snack. The staff follow the Scottish Government Guidelines contained in The Nutritional Guidelines for Early Years and Setting the Table. We adhere to local authority policy in providing healthy snacks. The daily snack menu is displayed in the nursery corridordoor and member of staff supervises the children during snack times. You will see from the menu that we actively promote healthy eating.
Children will be encouraged to develop good eating skills and table manners, and will be supported in accessing the self-service snack. You will be advised if your child is not eating well. All children receive free milk and water is freely available for those who are allergic to, or don’t like, milk. Fruit and water can be accessed throughout the session. We also ask that you donate a piece of fruit each week. This can take the form of a single piece of fruit, a tin of fruit in fruit juice or pre-packed pieces of fruit from supermarkets. This initiative has resulted in our children tasting a variety of exotic and tasty fruit. This is entirely voluntary but every child benefits.
On special occasions or festivals appropriate food is served e.g. at our Burns Supper we have haggis, neeps and tatties and at the Chinese New Year we sample Chinese style food. We celebrate children’s birthdays, but due to health and safety reasons insist that birthday cakes are “shop bought” and sealed. It is essential that you inform staff of any food allergies or intolerances so that we can include this information in your child’s care plan.
We make regular visits to the school dining hall, this helps to further develop a healthy diet and supports Nursery to Primary transition. If your child has special dietary requirements, allergies or food intolerances, please speak to a member of staff who will assist you, where necessary, in completing the appropriate paperwork.
Weekly Toy Fund
It is procedure in every South Lanarkshire nursery that £2.50 per child is collected on a weekly basis for what is known as “Toy Fund”. This money is used for a variety of purposes e.g. healthy snacks, purchase of additional resources and treats. Should your financial position dictate that you are unable to pay this, please speak to Mrs Lynas. Money should be placed in children’s money bag; this can be handed to any member of staff.
Our Curriculum
Chatelherault Nursery Class follows the guidelines set out by the Scottish Executive and South Lanarkshire Council. We use the Curriculum for Excellence to ensure that all pupils maximise their potential.
Our curriculum aims to:
- Develop the whole child
- Celebrate each child’s individuals’ interests, strengths and talents
- Celebrate the unique potential of every child
- Recognise that early childhood is a distinctive and valuable period of learning
- Acknowledge that parents and family are integral to the child’s life
- Provide opportunities for our children to be Successful Learners, Confident Individuals, Effective Contributors and Responsible Citizens
In order to learn about and respond to each child’s individual pattern of learning and development staff:
- observe children playing and learning
- take part in and talk about children’s experiences
- talk with parents about their insights into their child’s learning and development
Planning for Effective Learning
Research has shown that children learn best and benefit fully when they are actively involved and consulted on their learning. We plan responsively to take into account children’s interests and establish clear goals for learning that are designed to meet the needs and achievements of individual children. We provide a caring, happy and stimulating learning environment which provides children with good opportunities to access and benefit from a wide range of experiences.
Each child will have a Learning Story, this is located in the reception area and parents/carers are encouraged to look at it at any time. It will be sent home over the course of the year and will be a focus for discussion during parent/pupil/staff consultations.
Curriculum for Excellence
What is Curriculum for Excellence?
Curriculum for Excellence aims to provide flexible and enriched curriculum for children and young people from 3–18. It is underpinned by the values of wisdom, justice, compassion and integrity. The purpose of Curriculum for Excellence is to enable each child or young person to be a successful learner, a confident individual, a responsible citizen and an effective contributor.
What are the curriculum areas in Curriculum for Excellence?
There are eight curriculum areas:
Expressive ArtsReligious and Moral Education
Health and WellbeingSciences
Languages (Literacy)Social Studies
Mathematics (Numeracy) Technologies
Literacy, numeracy and health and wellbeing are given added importance because these skills are vital in everyday life. These are classified as the ‘Responsibility of All’, meaning that all stafftake cognisance of them in all aspects of nursery life. Each curricular area is divided into ‘Experiences and Outcomes’, which details the knowledge and skills children should develop.
Learning is divided into two phases.
The GENERAL PHASE is from nursery to the end of Secondary School Year 3. Learning is divided into levels. These levels replace the 5-14 levels that you may be familiar with. The levels are as follows:
LEVEL / STAGEEarly / the pre-school years and P1 or later for some
First / to the end of P4, but earlier or later for some
Second / to the end of P7, but earlier or later for some
Third and Fourth / S1-S3, but earlier for some
The SECOND PHASE is from Secondary School Year 4 and beyond
LEVEL / STAGESenior Phase / S4 – S6 and college or other means of study
Assessment and Observations
The nursery team use improved ways of assessing children’s learning and take account of national and local guidance. Your child’s progress will be reported to you so that you know how well he/she is doing. Assessment within the nursery is continuous i.e. during free play or planned experiences the staff observe, listen and take notes or photographs of each child's progress. Regular meetings of staff occur to discuss children's progress and further experiences are planned to extend or reinforce children's learning as necessary.
Control of Infection
We follow strict guidelines issued by Lanarkshire NHS board to control the risk of infection and as such would ask you to keep your child absent from nursery for 48 hours if they have either sickness or diarrhoea.
Child Protection
We follow South Lanarkshire Council Child Protection Guidelines and Procedures and as such are duty bound to report any concerns, injuries or if we feel a child is not being looked after properly. All children have the right to feel safe and protected and we teach our children protective behaviour strategies so they know who they can talk to if they are worried about something.
Home and Nursery Links
We work in partnership with parents and value the role which parents play in young children’s education. The use of Story Sacks, Rhyme of the Week, library books and Sam Bear promote the home/nursery partnership. It is recognised that parents may wish to consult the nursery regarding some aspects of their child’s nursery experience or welfare. In such circumstances parents should not hesitate to call the school to discuss any concerns or arrange a time to speak to a member of the nursery team. There are also times when the nursery may approach a parent to discuss a matter.
Each child has a Communication Folder in their tray, this will be used to issue letters, newsletters and for the Snack/Toy Fund money bags. Where possible we will issue all communication on a Friday so that parents/carers can life the folder and take it home before returning it on Monday.