Can I book a show around?

Yes, we love to invite families in to see our nursery, we arrange a time that is suitable for both us and you and look forward to showing you round. If you have any questions, please bring them with you. There may be times where we have to offer a virtual show around to ensure the safety of the children, for example, due to Covid.

What are your registration details?

Ofsted are our Governing body, and our registration number is: EY2609934

What do need to provide for my child’s day at nursery?

Change of clothing (including underwear), nappies, nappy cream and wipes (if they are unable to use ours), Formula milk, Bottles, pair of slippers, sun hat, wellies, woolly hat, scarf, appropriate coat, comforter, dummy.

What about sun lotion?

During the warmer months we ask that parents apply sun cream before their session this will be topped up by at lunchtime. Please provide your own sun cream if your child has sensitive skin. Sun cream permission is included on our standard permission forms when you register.

Do you accept Childcare vouchers?

Yes, we accept all forms of vouchers, but we may need to register with new ones. You may need some information from us to set these up such as our Ofsted number.

What if I need someone else to collect my child?

This is not a problem, although please inform us as soon as possible. A password system will be set up for a person we haven’t met before.

How will I know and find out how my child is getting on?

The staff will keep an up-to-date record on your child’s progress, they will share this information through observations, photos, and videos on Babysdays online system. We hold regular parent’s evenings to discuss your child’s progress with your child’s key person. At the end of each session a staff member will talk through your child’s day, sharing vita information such as what they have eaten, sleeps, etc…

What happens if I collect my child late?

We understand this can happen as some things as out of our control such as traffic or appointment’s running over. We ask for you to let us know if this is going to happen as soon as you are aware. The extra time will be charged at our usual rate and added on to the next invoice. However, if you just arrive late without letting us know then unfortunately you will be charged a late fee, as per your contract.

Nursery meals?

We have breakfast up until 8.30am which is a mixture of cereals and fruit. Morning snack is served from around 9.30am which is usually toast and fruit. Our lunch is prepared and cooked on site by Chef Jacqui, this is served at 12. We have afternoon snack around 3pm, which consist of things such as breadsticks, cheese, and crackers etc. Tea is served at 5pm and is usually things like past, jacket potato, ham, and cheese toasties. Our 4-week menu can be viewed and changed twice a year. We can accommodate all allergies and most preferences such as those on a vegan, dairy free or gluten free diet.

Do we accept funding?

Yes, we accept 2-year funding to those eligible. 3- and 4-year-olds automatically get universal funding. We also accept extended 30 hour funded to those 3- and 4-year-olds that are eligible.
To check if you are eligible for 2 year finding – Please visit https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/get-help-paying-childcare/free-early-education-and-childcare-2-year-olds

Can I get help with childcare costs?

Yes, depending on your circumstances you may be able to get help with your childcare costs. Please visit this link to see what you are eligible for: https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

What are your opening hours?

We open from 7.30am until 5.30pm.

What age ranges do you cover?

We take children from 3 months old to 4 years in the nursery and from 4 years to 14 years in the breakfast, afterschool, and holiday club.

My child was sick in the night but seems fine this morning, can they still come to nursery today?

No unfortunately not, we have a strict policy on exclusion periods. For sickness and diarrhoea children must be away from the nursery for 48 hours from the last symptom.

Can I supply food for my child?

Yes, we are very flexible with meals and you can choose to supply your own meals (funding children nursery meals are included and won’t be refunded).

What is EYFS?

E.Y.F.S. stands for Early Years Foundation Stage. The EYFS is a curriculum set up by the Government that states how we as early years practitioners do things. The EYFS is split into 7 areas in total.

3 prime areas: Communication, Personal social and emotional, Physical
And 4 specific areas: Maths, Understanding the world, Literacy, Expressive art and design

Within these areas, we must ensure children are making progress in each area.

My child is starting potty training. Can you help with this?

Yes we strive to help in all areas of your child’s development we take this at your child’s pace. We follow your routine from home as close as possible and keep you in touch at every step. We use lots of praise and sometimes we may use sticker/ reward charts to help in this area.

What is a ‘key person’?

A key person is a member of staff within your child’s room who your child best associates with. This member of staff will be chosen by your child; the key person will write observations and monitor your child’s development. The key person will change throughout the child’s transition through nursery this is to ensure the key person is always within the room to best settle the child within each area. Our staff work incredibly closely, and a buddy system ensures there is always a named member of staff responsible for your child.

We are going on holiday. Do I need to let Nursery know?

Please let us know as soon as you can about your holiday dates. This helps us organize our staff, which in turn lets us keep to our ratios effectively.

Can my child attend Nursery during school holidays?

Yes, we are open all year round, however we do close for the 8 bank holidays throughout the year. If you only pay for term time only you do not attend throughout the holidays, however if we have space you can come in there will just be an extra session charge in accordance with our prices. Please check your contracts for details of all year round or term time only.

What if my child is ill whilst they are at Nursery?

If your child is ill, we will give you a call to notify you. We have a strict illness policy that must be followed to ensure the safety of all in the nursery. If a child has a high temperature, constant cough or change in taste or smell we ask that a PCR covid test is negative before coming back to nursery. We are unable to give medication that is not prescribed, if your child has prescribed medication then this will be recorded on Babysdays, original packaging stating the child’s name, dose and date must be seen. We ask that children are fit and well to attend nursery and, in the event, they become unwell that parents are contacted and collect promptly.

Will my child be able to have a daytime sleep?

In our Baby room the children sleep usually in line with their usual routine which can be at any time of day. In the Acorns room children that have a sleep, usually go down on a bed with their own blanket after lunch, this is the same for preschool (Oaks) for those that still need a sleep. We ask that parents inform staff if they have any preferences in regards to your child sleeping, for example time limits.

What if my child has an accident at nursery?

Accidents do happen at nursery but of course we try our best to prevent them. If your child has an accident, we will let you know upon collection or beforehand depending on the severity of the accident. We will fill in an accident form on Babysdays to outline the incident (causes, treatments, outcomes etc). We will provide any first aid needed (all staff members are first aid trained). For any bigger incidents that we cannot deal with we will consult professional advice through 999. We will keep you up to date throughout this process by call or face to face. We will log all accidents and incidents on Babysdays. Parens will get an email asking them to sign the record.

Will my child get to play outside?

We play outside at least once every day throughout all ages of the nursery. The only time we will not is if weather is terrible all day and we feel the children are not going to gain anything positive from the experience. Children over 2 will be out more often and children within the parrots room will be out every day at some point throughout the day. We use the outside area for many different activities including bikes, scooters, team games, role play, sand pit, physical challenges, free play, water play. Outside is an extension to our provision and still offers lots of learning experiences.

Are all staff DBS checked? (Previously CRB)

Yes all members of staff full time, part time, volunteers, students hold a current DBS check that is carried out prior to the member of staff starting with us. Staff members also sign up to the update service which keeps this always check up to date and this allows us to check each member of staff’s DBS check to ensure no new information is received (cautions or arrests). Any people visiting nursery to deliver extracurricular activities, such as Little Giggles and Mini Kickers, also have to have a DBS check.

How do I pay for childcare?

You can pay for your childcare in many ways including cash, cheque, BACS, vouchers, standing order. We invoice you prior to the month so invoices go out towards the end of the month ready for the following month to be paid by the first of each month. Funding for those eligible (2-year-old and 3+ years) will be taken off within the invoice so you can see how this works.

What do I need to do if I want to withdraw my child from nursery?

If leaving due to unhappiness within the setting we urge you to talk to us about any issues as we strive to solve most issues swiftly. However, we understand that changes sometimes must be made when wishing to leave we ask for one month’s notice which helps us organize staff.

What is a learning journey?

The learning journey is an online profile which showcases your child’s achievements, next steps, and general fun things that we have achieved. This will contain photographs, observations, links to our curriculum and goals that we set to work on with the children. This will also include home link observations where parents and carers can add observations and pictures from home life which will help us at nursery for individual planning. When your child goes to school or moves setting, we complete a transition document to ensure the new setting has all the relevant developmental information about your child, we would ask for consent before any information is shared. The transition document really helps the new setting understand your child’s progress and continue planning for their learning.

My child is new at Squirrel’s. What processes are in place to help my child settle in?

We understand that leaving your child is one of the hardest things to do. We work very closely with you to ensure we know your child as well as possible ready for this big day. We have many strategies that we use to help including our key person system whereby one of our staff will take the lead in your child’s care and build a strong relationship with them to help with transitions into nursery. We also work to your timescale so do not encourage anything to move faster than you are ready for (if you do not feel comfortable with any of the steps do not hesitate to let us know and we can have a rethink). We pride ourselves in being very adaptable to any situation so we will try new strategies to help children settle and get to love nursery as quickly as possible. We offer a settling process where you will come along with your little one to have a play at nursery, at this time you can chat to your child’s key person and give them lots of information about your child before they start (this is also recorded in an All about me form). You can then do 2 shorter sessions before they start where we ask you to stay close by to support the transition into nursery.

Can I collect my child from nursery early?

Yes, no problem you may collect your child whenever you wish, however if appropriate it may be best to let us know of early collections to prepare the child as some children don’t always enjoy changes in routine. And the children may be out This may also change routines for us e.g. sleeping routine or feeding routines.

My child has allergies. Will they be safe at nursery?

Nursery should be informed of any allergies so contingency plans can be made to keep these allergens away from the child. We strive to ensure that every child is safe while at nursery so we will prepare separate snacks and meals keeping in with the child’s diet. We prepare all meals on site and from scratch so these can be adapted with any allergens or preference’s in mind. We are adaptable to most situations so just let us know and we can adapt to your child’s needs. If needed we ask that prescribed adrenalin pens are kept on site.

What should I do if I’m unhappy with some aspect of my child’s care?

Please come and talk to us. The management team are very approachable, just request a time and we will set aside some time to talk through any issues you may have. You can also email us or give us a call. We like to sort out problems before they grow into bigger problems so will be happy to talk about any issues big or small. You and your child’s happiness is our overall goal so we strive to achieve this as best we can.

My child has a favourite teddy bear / comforter. Can this be brought into nursery?

Comforters can be brought to nursery as this will help a child through any difficult transitions, however as you can imagine a busy childcare setting things can go missing. We will try our hardest to keep this comforter safe and will take time to put this safe when the child is not using it but things of great expense or of a sentimental value should be kept at home just in case. We ask that any belongings are clearly named.

Will my child be taken out anywhere? e.g. park, library, day trips

This is a big part of what we do here at Squirrels, we take the children for a visits to local parks, woodlands, pet shops, garden centres, walks to look at the church, local fields and green spaces, to visit the police station, look at the traffic lights etc, when this happens the children and staff wear yellow high vis jackets, take a first aid kit and a bag of supplies. Going out daily on foot or in our Squirrels Vans is something were very used to doing and the children soon get used t this and enjoy the adventures.

What does my child need to wear for nursery?

Whilst at nursery your child needs to be comfortable. You may like to send your child’s slippers for them to wear during their time at nursery. All of the staff wear slippers within the rooms and shoes are not allowed within the under 2’s rooms. Aprons will be encouraged for messy activities however we still advise against the children wearing their best clothes for nursery. Bibs will be provided and used within the under 2’s room as well as flannels or wipes for after messy activities. Although we have a small range of spare wellies ideally you will send your child with their own wellies and waterproof clothing for use during the winter months so they can enjoy puddle jumping and playing in the snow. During the summer we ask that you apply sun cream before the child’s setting. You can also purchase a nursery uniform for your child; a polo shirt is £8.00, and a sweatshirt is £10.50 (please ask staff for more details and to try on our testers) A uniform order form can be downloaded from the website.

Do you allow students?

Yes we have a few students working with us at different stages through their careers all students carry out a full induction in which we outline what they are allowed and not allowed to do. Within this we talk through our student policy which is available in our policy section. Students are never left alone with the children and also are not allowed to carry out other tasks such as medication or toileting. We see the education of new practitioners as vitally important so enjoy having students and giving them positive role models to learn from.