Holwell Nursery School Prospectus
2016-2017
Holwell Nursery School,
Crouch Lane,
Holwell,
Sherborne,
Dorset.
DT9 5LP
Tel: 01963 23368
Welcome to our Nursery
Introduction
Thank you for your enquiry and welcome to Holwell Nursery. All of the following information is provided to give you a detailed outlook as to what we do here at Holwell. If you do have any further queries, please do get in touch.
We open 50 weeks of the year, Monday - Friday 8am – 5.30pm daily.
Nursery Manager: Miss Emma Fairclough
Chairperson: Mrs Vicky Napier
Mission Statement
Here at Holwell, we believe in providing a caring, nurturing, fun and friendly environment for all children who attend. We are an inclusive community and welcome everyone to Nursery.
OUR AIMS AT HOLWELL…
Whilst your child(ren) attends Nursery, we aim to provide:
- A caring, safe and stimulating environment for your children to be in, we believe that children thrive and enjoy their Nursery experience when they are happy and secure.
- Legal, statutory ratios to appropriately and safely care for your child(ren).
- An appropriate, up-to-date curriculum (Early Years Foundation Stage 2014)
- Appropriate and adequate staff with suitable and relevant qualifications. “The daily experience of children in EY settings and the overall quality of the provision, fully depends on all practitioners having appropriate qualifications, training, skills and knowledge” (EYFS statutory guidance, 2014)
- Positive parental partnerships.
- Plan and provide relevant next steps within your child’s learning.
- Age appropriate activities for your children.
- Rich, fulfilling interactions for all children.
OFSTED graded: GOOD
“Staff build warm and trusting relationships with the children, which supports them to feel safe and secure. Staff plan a good range of activities which challenge and excite the children and support them to make good progress” (OFSTED report 2014)
We provide sessional care for 50 weeks of the year, for children aged 3 months up to 4 years of age. We have 3 separate rooms which accommodate the different age groups of the children who attend. The rooms and ratios are as follows:
Caterpillars (Babies) 3 months – 2 years.1:3 ratio
Butterflies (Toddlers) 2 years – 3 years.1:4 ratio
Humphrey’s (Pre School) 3 years – 4 years. 1:8 ratio
As part of statutory, legal regulations, we adhere to these ratios at all times.
Our building…
Parts of the building in which Nursery is based, is in fact over 300 years old and has been standing since 1778 and has previously stood as a local Primary School and has since turned into a charity based, committee run Nursery. We are all very proud to have such wonderful surroundings to provide for your children.
Meet our staff…
Emma Fairclough
Nursery Manager
Level 2, 3 and 5 Childcare qualification
Foundation Degree in Early Years (FdA)
Leadership and Management Level 3
First aid, Safeguarding Level 3, Food Hygiene, Safer Recruitment. Designated Safeguarding Lead
Mother of 1.
Alison Rutland
Pre School Deputy/SENC0
Level 3 Childcare qualification
NVQ 3 Management
First aid, Safeguarding Level 3, Food Hygiene.
Sarah Colmer
Under 3’s Deputy
Level 3 Childcare qualification
Level 4 management
First aid, Safeguarding level 3, food hygiene.
Mother of 1
Nina Conduit
Toddler Room Supervisor
Level 2 and 3 Childcare qualification
First Aid, safeguarding level 2
Mother of 2
Di Jennings
Nursery assistant
Level 3 Childcare qualification
First Aid, Safeguarding level 2
Mother of 2
Marina Noonan
Nursery assistant
Level 3 Childcare qualification
First Aid, Safeguarding level 2.
Mother of 1
Emily-May Barlow
Nursery assistant
Level 3 Childcare qualification
First aid, Safeguarding level 2
Helen Errington
Nursery Assistant
Level 2 Childcare qualification
Working towards Level 3
First Aid, Safeguarding level 2
Mother of 2
Felicity Knowles
Nursery assistant
Level 3 Childcare Qualification
Affiliated to The Pre-School Learning Alliance
Chairperson: Mrs Vicky Napier
Nursery Manager: Miss Emma Fairclough
Victoria Allum
Nursery Assistant
Level 3 Childcare qualification.
Safeguarding, First Aid.
Mother of 1.
Katherine Vickery
Administrator
Safeguarding level 2
Mother of 2
Meet the Committee…
Member / RoleMrs Vicky Napier / Chairperson
Role Required / Treasurer
Mrs Alison Richardson / Secretary
Mrs Heidi Muir / Member & a parent at Nursery
Miss Emma Myles / Member & a parent at Nursery
Mrs Sophie Meads / Member & a parent at Nursery
Mr Matthew Hickman / Member & a parent at Nursery
Our committee…
Here at Holwell, we are run by a management committee, who essentially oversee all that we do at Nursery. Our committee is made up of 6 members, all of whom are parents here at Holwell. We hold 5 meetings a year, where all members of the committee get together and discuss all that is going on at Nursery and to make various decisions. We are also a charity run Nursery and we rely on various acts of fundraising to secure new pieces of equipment to develop our setting further. We are continually looking for new recruits to join our committee, so please do feel free to come and discuss with Emma if you are interested.
Fundraising at Nursery
As we are a charity based Nursery, we rely on various forms of fundraising, in order for us to purchase new equipment or to maintain our building. We do rely heavily upon parents to support us through these various events and we do try and make the events as much fun as possible.
Learning at Holwell
At Holwell, we ensure the implementation of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS 2014) curriculum for all of the children who attend Nursery.
The EYFS is based upon 7 areas of learning and divided into 3 Prime areas and 4 Specific areas:
3 prime:Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Communication and Language and Physical Development.
4 specific:Mathematical Development, Literacy, Understanding the World and Expressive Art and Design.
These 7 areas underly all that we do for and with the children and all staff have vast knowledge and experience of this particular curriculum. Practitioners consider your child’s individual needs and use this information to plan a challenging and enjoyable experience for the children in our care. EYFS 2014.
Within our planning, we reflect upon how the children learn and this is implemented through our day to day practice, using characteristics of effective learning, which are:
Playing and exploring – children investigate and experience things and ‘have a go’
Active learning – children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties and enjoy achievements.
Creating and thinking critically – children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things.
EYFS, 2014
Settling In
We offer free Taster sessions for both you and your child. This is a time where you can come along and drop your child off with us, and leave them for an hour to determine how they will settle and to provide you with reassurance. During the taster sessions, staff will determine what your child likes to do, how they best settle and how they react to being left. Upon returning all of this will be relayed back to you to ensure future continuity of care whilst your child attends Nursery here with us at Holwell. We will also provide you with a child induction pack, which will include:
All About Me BookletAll About You BookletSet of Core PoliciesKit List
Key Person informationOpportunity to check all details on registration pack (Please bring along your child’s birth certificate)
You will also be introduced to various aspects we ask of you:
Providing family photo’s for My Family BookletTapestry Introduction
Planning BoardChild’s tray/peg/bag
We want you to feel happy and confident in leaving your child and ultimately we want your child to enjoy their experience here with us. Upon their first full day, we will accommodate your requirements and your child’s key person will work closely with you as to how best you feel that your child will settle.
Key Person
Every child is designated a Key Person, who oversees their learning whilst at Nursery. Your child’s key person is responsible for making observations, linking observations to developmental stages, planning and implementing next steps in learning and planning for your child’s interests. The key person is always there for both you and your child, and if you have any questions we offer a very open policy. We hold an annual parents evening, where you can come along and discuss your child’s progress with their key person, and alongside this, the manager shall also focus a presentation on a particular topic relating to Nursery life. Your child will also receive 3 end of term summaries within the academic year that are completed by your child’s key person. A copy of which shall be sent home to you. We also operate a buddy system. This is to ensure continuity of care for your child, if their initial Key Person is absent from Nursery.
Online Learning Journeys
From September 2015, we successfully implemented a new system of observing your children whilst they attend Nursery, this is called Tapestry. Your child’s Key Person will use this to record observations, comments, photos and videos using a tablet supplied by Nursery and sending it to you through via the Tapestry app you can get on all mobile devices, or from a computer via Once you have signed the Tapestry User Agreement, you shall be sent an activation email, in which you can set up your own password and pin in order to access your child’s own journal. I would also like to take this opportunity to re-iterate that all photos are prohibited from being publically shared, or uploaded onto any social media website. All relevant documentation is available from the office upon request.
“Tapestry is a great source of information and updates.” Parent 2016.
“We love it, don’t stop using it!” Parent 2016
Transitions
What transitioning means for your child….
Every child that attends Nursery shall go through a transition. The younger the child is, the more transitions they shall encounter. An effective transition is when your child is due to move on up to the next room. Here are the transitional periods that happen here at Holwell:
Caterpillars Butterflies Humphrey’s School
A transition is a vital part of your child’s life and we, as a setting, aim to make this as smooth as possible for your child and for yourself.“Staff support children exceptionally well as they progress to the next room in the nursery” (OFSTED report 2014)
When a child is due to move on to their next room, their current key person speaks to parents and informs them of what will happen. They will then begin the process by completing a transition form that will be given to the new key worker/new setting/school.
The new key person will then begin to ascertain ‘starting points’ for each child that transitions. This is to determine what stage each individual child is at and details your child’s like and interests whilst at Nursery. Each transition will be reviewed once they’ve made the full transition, a settling in review shall be at 6 weeks and developmental review shall be at 12 weeks.
Security
Holwell Nursery operates a strict security regime that all staff and parents/carers MUST adhere to at all times. Please note:
Door entry: Only staff are to open the door for other people waiting. You, as parents, do not know everyone who enters the building. Staff members do. We cannot have any unauthorised persons on the premises. NO CHILDREN are to open the door.
Door entry code: Only staff members have access to this code.
Children’s password: If anyone unbeknown to any of the staff, are to collect your child, a password will be requested for you to provide to us and the person collecting your child, a description is also expected. If a password is not supplied, the child shall not be allowed to leave the building until parents/carers permission has been sought.
General Information
Absences: It is important that you inform the Nursery at the earliest possible time, that your child shall be absent. Please call 0196323368.
Sickness: Please see the following list of excludable infections/illnesses:
Illness/Infection / Isolation PeriodSickness and/or Diarrhoea / 48 hours from last episode of sickness / diarrhoea
Rashes/Skin infections
Chickenpox / Minimum of 5 days from the onset of the rash or until ALL spots are dry and crusted over.
German Measles * / Four days from the onset of the rash
Measles * / Four days from the onset of the rash.
Impetigo / Until lesions are crusted and healed.
Scarlet Fever * / Child can return 24 hours after antibiotic treatment has commenced.
Hand, Foot and Mouth / Until skin has visibly healed.
Respiratory Infections
Whooping cough * / 5 days from starting antibiotic treatment or 21 days from onset of illness if no antibiotic treatment is given.
Flu / Until recovered
Other infections
Conjunctivitis / Until treatment is sought
*Notifiable diseases, if an agreed arrangement has been made, to inform out local PHE office.
All policies and procedures are available from the office and on our website.
Uniform: It is not a requirement for your child to wear uniform. However, if you would like your child to have one, please visit:
and create a parent account for free
If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact the Nursery on 0196323368
Many thanks, Emma Fairclough, Nursery Manager
Fun at Holwell
We look forward to seeing you again.