Thursday 27 February 2014

Week commencing 3rd March


Dear Parents

 

Building news

Haydon and Dennis will be working away this weekend to get more of the painting and jobs done.

The new sink in Bluebells should be fitted on Friday, we will also be having the sink in the baby room brought up to the same height as the new work surface.  

I am not sure yet when the baby room redecoration or flooring will be done but as soon as I know I will let you know!

 

Events

The Sunflowers are going to see the Gruffalo on Friday. For those parents meeting us here we are leaving here at 9.45 and for those of you meeting us at G Live we will be there at 10.15!

 

Parents Evening is 13th March from 6.30 -8.30. Pop in at any time to chat with your child’s key person and meet other parents.

 

It’s Mothers’ week from 24th March. All Mummies can stay and play any day this week.

Pop in any day from 8.45-11 am and 2.30 – 5pm and stay for as long or as little as you would like.

We will also be having a Mothers’ tea party on Friday 28th March for all the Mummies to come along to from 4pm -5pm

The teams will be able to give you more details about our Mothers’ week

 

Buttercups

The Baby room is now shoe free.

Please use the shoe rack outside the baby room in order to keep the corridor clear.

 

Please can we ask all parents to come into their children’s room at pick up time. We only have a small nursery and it can be hard for other parents to come in if you all stand by the door/gate to your child’s room.

 

Sainsbury’s Active Kids vouchers

We are collecting Sainsbury’s active kids vouchers so we can get some new garden toys. So get everyone you know collecting please!


This week’s activities

Each key person will be responsible for designing an activity based on their key children’s needs; however, all children who are in on that day will have the opportunity to access the activity too.

If the key person is on holiday or off, another staff member will be able to lead the activity in their place so that the children do not miss out.

For more information on the Early Years Foundation stage, the guidance we use to support our planning and practice, visit:


 

Buttercups

Monday – Charlotte’s group are rolling balls to each other

Tuesday – Julia’s group will be enjoying lift the flap books together

Wednesday – Becci is helping the children with their independence skills as they put on their own coats

Thursday – Nilem’s group are exploring the sand tray

Friday – Magda’s group will be role playing with the  dolls

Charlotte is off Friday, Julia is off Monday, Magda is off Tuesday, Nilem is off Friday and Becci is in all week

 

Bluebells

Monday – Leanne’s group is creating patterns using paint and the toy diggers

Tuesday  - Donna’s group are using the parachute and balls as they develop large physical skills

Wednesday – Sophie’s group will be counting using the small bean bags

Thursday – Leanne’s group is singing songs to support language development

Friday – Sophie’s group will be exploring the sensory bottles.

Donna is off Friday, Leanne is on holiday all week, Sophie is off Monday and Rose is in all week

 

Sunflowers

Book of the fortnight:

24th – 3rd Mar – Horsey by Simon Puttock

10th – 17th Mar –One Two That’s my Shoe by Alison Murray

Monday – Chloe’s group will be using compare bears to count and recognise numbers

Tuesday- Becci will be celebrating pancake day with the children as they take part in Pancake day crafts

Wednesday – Chloe’s group is making a collage using magazines

Thursday – Jess’s group are exploring what happens with coloured ice cubes in shaving foam

Friday – Jess’s group are creating pictures using cotton buds and paint

Jess is off on Tuesday, Chloe is off Thursday and Alison works 9.30 -2.30 Monday to Thursday.
 
Caroline and the South Hill Team

Inclusion policy – talented and gifted children


Inclusion policy – talented and gifted children

 

Aim of policy

Castle Daycare & Preschool is committed to providing all children in our care every opportunity to achieve to the highest standards of their ability. This policy helps to ensure that this happens for all the children at our setting including children who may be talented or gifted.

 

Points to consider

In order to be able to confidently identify talented or gifted children it is important to have a shared idea of what that means. Below is a definition of gifted, talented and more able children:

 

Gifted – The top 5% of age related intellectual or academic ability within the

setting.

 

Talented – The top 5% of age related practical or creative power or other

natural ability or tendency within the setting.

 

More able – children who have the potential to or who are working above age

related expectations in academic or practical subject areas within the setting.

 

Castle Daycare and Preschool aims to achieve this by:

 

·   Having regular, well thought out observations so that all children’s needs can be identified

·   Having a talented and gifted coordinator who will attend training and support the child, family and key person.

 

The talented and gifted coordinator in this setting is:

__________________________Jess Smith____________________________________

 

·   Where the attainment of a child significantly exceeds the expected level of attainment, practitioners may use materials designed for use with older children, or extend the opportunities for work within the area or areas for which the child shows particular aptitude.

·   Individual Education plans (IEP’s) may be used to identify areas to support and develop and well thought time scales put into place.

·   Balance must be found between stretching and challenging the child to develop them and ensuring they are still allowed to be a child.

Friday 21 February 2014

week commencing 24th February


Dear Parents

 

Building news

This weekend the Bluebells floor is being fitted which will make a big difference!

Some of the smaller jobs will also be completed. Next week Hayden will be back with us getting some more bits finished.

All the children will be back in their own rooms on Monday.

 

As the floor is being laid in the bluebells and the office there will be no access to emails or the answer phone on Friday (21st) afternoon. The phone will be available as normal.

 

Events

 

The fire-fighters visited the nursery on Tuesday and the children had great fun trying on the uniform, sitting in the fire engine and using the hose!

 

Parents Evening is 13th March from 6.30 -8.30. Pop in at any time to chat with your child’s key person and meet other parents.

 

It’s Mothers’ week from 24th March. All Mummies can stay and play any day this week.

Pop in any day from 8.45-11 am and 2.30 – 5pm and stay for as long or as little as you would like.

We will also be having a Mothers’ tea party on Friday 28th March for all the Mummies to come along to from 4pm -5pm

The teams will be able to give you more details about our Mothers’ week

 

Sainsbury’s Active Kids vouchers

We are collecting Sainsbury’s active kids vouchers so we can get some new garden toys. So get everyone you know collecting please!

 

This week’s activities

Each key person will be responsible for designing an activity based on their key children’s needs; however, all children who are in on that day will have the opportunity to access the activity too.

If the key person is on holiday or off, another staff member will be able to lead the activity in their place so that the children do not miss out.

For more information on the Early Years Foundation stage, the guidance we use to support our planning and practice, visit:


 

Buttercups

Monday – Magda’s group are singing their favourite nursery rhymes

Tuesday – Julia’s group will be expressing themselves through movement as they dance to music

Wednesday – Charlotte’s group is investigating raw and cooked leeks as part of our St David’s day celebrations

Thursday – Nilem’s group are exploring the small world farm set

Friday – Becci is supporting the children’s social development as they take turns

Charlotte is off on Friday, Julia is off on Monday, Magda is off Tuesday, Nilem is off Friday and Becci is in all week

 

 

Bluebells

Monday – Leanne’s group is looking at shapes as they play with shape puzzles

Tuesday – Rose is supporting the children’s language skills as they explore and talk about daffodils

Wednesday – Sophie’s group is making daffodil cards to celebrate St David’s day

Thursday – Donna’s group are playing with the skittles

Friday – Donna’s group will be celebrating St David’s day by exploring leeks

Donna is off Friday, Sophie is off Monday, Leanne is off Wednesday and Rose is in all week

 

Sunflowers

Book of the fortnight:

24th – 3rd Mar – Horsey by Simon Puttock

10th – 17th Mar –One Two That’s my Shoe by Alison Murray

Monday – Chloe’s group is making St David’s day cards

Tuesday – The children will be getting creative with Becci as they make pictures by printing with leeks

Wednesday – Jess’s group is looking at our friends feelings and how we respond to others

Thursday – Jess’s group will be talking about St David’s day and decorating Welsh flags

Friday – Chloe’s group is planting daffodils into wellies

Jess is off Tuesday, Chloe is off Thursday and Alison works 9.30-2.30 Monday to Thursday
 
Caroline and the South Hill Team

Inclusion policy- diversity


Inclusion policy- diversity

 

Aim of policy

Castle Daycare & Preschool is committed to providing all children in our care every opportunity to achieve to the highest standards of their ability. This policy helps to ensure that this happens for all the children at our setting regardless of their age, gender, ethnicity, attainment or background.

 

Points to Consider

Our setting aims to be an inclusive setting. This means that equality of opportunity must be a reality for our children. We make this a reality through the attention we pay to the different groups of children within our setting:

·   girls and boys;

·   minority ethnic and faith groups;

·   children who need support to learn English as an additional language;

·   children with special educational needs;

·   gifted and talented children;

·   Any children who are at risk of disaffection or exclusion.

 

Castle Daycare and Preschool aims to achieve this by:

 

·   setting suitable challenges for children;

·   responding to children’s diverse needs;

·   overcoming potential barriers to the access to and development of individuals and groups of children within the setting;

·   Providing other support to meet the needs of individuals or groups of children. (This may include accepting advice from a range of professionals.)

·   Celebrating all children as individuals and ensuring a sense of belonging at Castle Daycare & Preschool.

 

We achieve inclusion by continually reviewing what we do, through asking ourselves these key questions:

§ Do all our children achieve as much as they can?

§ Are there differences in the achievement for different groups of children and if so what are the reasons for these differences?

§ What are we doing for those children who we know are not achieving their best?

§ Are our actions effective?

 

 

We aim to give all our children the opportunity to succeed and reach their full potential. When planning for them, practitioners take into account the abilities of and differences between all of their children.

 

For some children we use strategies that may normally be appropriate for children of a different age group dependent of the individual needs of the child. This is done to ensure that all children are able to make progress at their own level and at appropriate different rates of development.

 

When the attainment of a child falls significantly below the expected level practitioners will enable the child to succeed by planning work that is in line with that child’s individual needs.

Where we have these concerns they will be highlighted to our SENCO who is

 

________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

Practitioners are familiar with the relevant equal opportunities legislation covering race, gender and disability discrimination.

 

All Practitioners ensure that children:

·   feel secure and know that their contributions are valued;

·   appreciate and value the differences they see in others;

·   take responsibility for their own actions;

·   participate safely in clothing that is appropriate to their religious beliefs;

·   are taught in groupings that allow them all to experience success;

·   use materials that reflect a range of social and cultural backgrounds, without stereotyping;

·   have a common curriculum experience that allows for a range of different learning styles;

·   have challenging targets that enable them to succeed;

·   Are encouraged to participate fully, regardless of disabilities or medical needs.

In our setting the play, learning, achievements, attitudes and well-being of every child is important. We follow the necessary regulations to ensure that we take the experiences and needs of all our children into account when planning activities for the children.

Thursday 13 February 2014

Inclusion policy – Special Educational Needs and/or disabilities


Inclusion policy –  Special Educational Needs and/or disabilities

 

Aim of policy

 

Castle Daycare & Preschool is committed to the integration of children with Special Educational Needs and/or disabilities at all of their nurseries.  We believe that provision for children in the early years and assessment of their needs are of paramount importance and will give the best long term benefits to children, families and the whole community.

 

Points to consider

 

We recognise that all children, including those with Special Educational Needs and/or disabilities have the same rights to development, care and play.  All children attending our nurseries will be offered the same opportunities with support and assistance available to overcome any disadvantage they may have to face.  We will help and encourage every child, regardless of individual needs to reach their full developmental potential. 

 

Castle Daycare and Preschool aim to achieve this by:

 

  • All our nurseries will have an appointed Special Needs Co-ordinator who has knowledge of the Code of Practice (2001) and the Equality Act 2010 in relation to special needs.

 

  • We promote positive images of those with special needs.

 

  • We offer wheelchair access where possible.  Where appropriate, ramp and lift access will also be provided.

 

  • Where appropriate our nurseries will assess each child’s needs in terms of access, where appropriate our nursery will be adapted to accommodate the child/ren.

 

  • We will provide suitable bathroom, toilet and changing facilities.

 

  • By ensuring play areas will be accessible to all children.

 

  • By treating all children as equals and encourage all children to participate in nursery activities, e.g. garden, music and movement.  When outings/visits are organised, children with special needs will always be included with appropriate travel and care arrangements made.

 

  • By ensuring resources including, play equipment, toys and books will be used to support all children’s understanding of ability and children’s individual needs.

 

  • By planning activities to include all children and ensuring children with special needs have full access to those activities.

 

  • By maintaining accurate records based on appropriate observation.

 

  • We will endeavour to employ members of staff who are experienced in the care of children with generic special needs.  The training needs of all staff will be identified.  Appropriate staff training and development will be a priority.

 

  • Staff will work closely with parents/carers as partners to give day-to-day care for the child.

 

  • Support will be offered to parents/carers by the staff team and/or referrals will be made or suggested.

 

  • By ensuring that staff, parents/guardians/carers are aware of the policy and procedures.

 

  • By ensuring confidentiality at all times

Friday 7 February 2014

week commencing 10th February


Dear Parents

 

Building update

This weekend (Saturday 6th) Haydon will be knocking out the new bluebells room. This will mean on Monday that the walls and floor may not look the best but will be safe for the children to be around.

Next week he will continue his work on the cot room and the following weekend he will be finishing the building work in the Bluebells room by adding new cupboards and a new sink.

 

Thank you for your patience at this time, it will be fantastic when it is all complete. As always if you have any questions or concerns just let me know.

This week’s activities

Each key person will be responsible for designing an activity based on their key children’s needs; however, all children who are in on that day will have the opportunity to access the activity too.

If the key person is on holiday or off, another staff member will be able to lead the activity in their place so that the children do not miss out.

For more information on the Early Years Foundation stage, the guidance we use to support our planning and practice, visit:


 

Buttercups

Monday – Nilem’s Group are Singing action songs such as “Wind the Bobbin”

Tuesday – Julia’s group will be playing a hide and seek game with toys and blankets

Wednesday – Magda ‘s group are getting physical as they practice standing and walking!

Thursday – Charlotte’s group is getting messy as they paint with their hands and feet!

Friday – Becci is supporting the children’s awareness of themselves as they name body parts

Charlotte is off on Friday, Julia is off on Monday, Magda is off Tuesday, Nilem is off Friday and Becci is in all week.

 

Bluebells

Monday – Donna’s group will be playing with the baby dolls together

Tuesday – Rose is making Valentine’s cards with the Bluebells

Wednesday – Donna’s group will be rolling hoops down the hill in the garden

Thursday – Leanne’s group are cooking Valentine’s day biscuits

Friday – Leanne’s group is reading stories together

Donna is off Friday, Leanne is off Wednesday, Sophie is off Monday and Rose is off Monday

 

Sunflowers

Book of the fortnight:

10th Feb – 17th Feb – The Shape of my Heart by Mark Sperring

24th – 3rd Mar – Horsey by Simon Puttock

10th – 17th Mar –One Two That’s my Shoe by Alison Murray

Monday – Chloe’s group will be practising their writing skills as they make Valentine’s cards for the people they love

Tuesday – Jess’s group are creating Valentine’s plates for the Valentine’s day tea

Wednesday – Chloe’s group are decorating butterflies as gifts

Thursday – Jess’s group are developing an understanding of different languages as they learn how to say welcome in different languages

Friday – Jess’ s group are building friendships as they play turn taking games.

Jess is off Tuesday, Chloe is off Thursday and Alison works 9.30-2.30 Monday to Thursday
 
Have a great weekend
 
Caroline and the South Hill team

Admissions procedure for children with Special Needs and/or Disabilities


Admissions procedure for children with Special Needs and/or Disabilities

 

Aim of policy

 

To make clear how we follow admissions of children with Special Needs and/or Disabilities in a sensitive and appropriate manner.

 

Points to consider

 

Prior to a place being offered, all children and their respective needs will be considered.  Our ability to provide appropriate facilities for the welfare of the child will be taken into consideration. This policy works with the Disability discrimination Act (1995), Equality Act 2010 and Every Child Matters (2003). Also refer to our inclusion policies. 

 

Castle Daycare and Preschool will aim to do this by:

 

The nursery manager will:

 

  • In consultation with the parent/carer of the child jointly assess the extent of the additional support requirement to meet the special need/ abilities of the child.

 

  • Where external agencies are already engaged in the care and development of that child, the nursery manager will consult with those agencies on the extent of the additional support requirement and the appropriateness of the nursery to meet those requirements.

 

  • When the nursery manager does not feel able to conclude her/his assessment of the setting’s ability to meet the needs of that child, the manager will, with support from appropriate professionals, obtain additional professional advice/guidance from the appropriate agencies.

 

When a child with Special Educational Needs and/or disabilities is admitted, the nursery manager and special needs co-ordinator will:

 

  • Agree a schedule of additional support with the parent/carer of the child to be signed and dated by the manager and the parent/carer.

 

  • Allocate a suitably experienced key person.

 

  • Review on a regular basis (subject to the extent of the additional support requirement but at least monthly) the nursery’s performance in meeting the needs of the child.

 

When a child with Special Educational Needs and/or disabilities is not admitted, the nursery manager will:

 

  • Inform the parents of the decision and provide valid reasons as to why the nursery is unable to meet the additional support requirements of the child.