Week Commencing 2nd November

Dear Parents and Carers

 

 

Staff news

Sadly Hannah and Alison will be leaving us during November. Hannah will be leaving us on the 12^th November. She has worked in childcare since she was 16 and has decided to have a career change, she is becoming a receptionist at a Doctors Surgery.

Alison has been with us since 2007 and a job opportunity has arisen in a local school, where she is off to be a TA. I am sure you will join us in wishing them both all the best.

Shula has been a floating member of staff since last November and she will be stepping into babies to become a full time baby member of staff.

We are currently recruiting for a new floating member of staff but until we find the right person we will be having staff cover from our Markenfield Road nursery.

We will also be using our own bank staff, Alba; most of you will have met her over the summer period. Alba has previously worked both here and at our Markenfield Road nursery.

I will keep you updated on our recruitment process.

 

Peppa Pig at G Live

A reminder that the Sunflower’s will be going to see the 1pm performance of Peppa Pig at G Live this Thursday! 

 

Illness

There has been no further cases of vomiting or diarrhoea however,  we are still having children with high temperatures.

 

 

Interactive Learning Diary

Don’t forget to check out all the exciting things your child has done this week, on their ILD profile.

We aim to put at least one observation up per week.

Follow the link below: http://www.interactivelearningdiary.co.uk/

 

Policy of the week

We will be displaying a different policy every week at the bottom of this newsletter.

If you would like to see this or any of our policies please ask Jess.

 

Our Policy this week is: Supporting children and families with English as an additional language (EAL)

 

 

 

Useful websites:

Here are the links for the Surrey Family Information Service, Free Early Education (the 15 hours funding) and Free Early Education for Two year olds.

 

www.surreycc.gov.uk/fis
www.surreycc.gov.uk/fee
www.surreycc.gov.uk/feet

 

Menus

There are no planned changes to this week’s menu.

See attached document for the weekly menu. If you would like to see a copy of our allergens menu at any time please ask!

 

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, please visit:

http://www.foundationyears.org.uk/ 

 

This week’s planned activities are also on the ILD’S.

 

Buttercups

Monday – Hannah’s group are using simple language while creating playdough shapes

Tuesday – Charlotte’s group are making poppy shaped biscuits alongside friends

Wednesday– Mel’s group will be investigating colour while splatter painting.

Thursday – Charlotte’s group is playing peek a boo games with the soft toy animals and blankets

Friday – Mel’s group will be colouring in firework themed pictures supporting fine motor skills

Charlotte is off Wednesday, Mel is off Tuesday, Hannah is in all week and Nilem is on holiday all week

 

Bluebells

Monday – Donna’s group are making poppy biscuits for Remembrance Day encouraging language throughout

Tuesday – Megan’s group will be practicing their counting skills while counting petals on poppies

Wednesday – Megan’s group is looking at their family board seeing who they can recognise

Thursday – Almu’s group will be encouraged to put their coats on by themselves supporting independence

 

Friday – Chloe’s group are investigating different materials and colours while creating firework pictures

Donna is off Friday, Chloe is off Thursday, Almu and Megan are in all week

 

Sunflowers

The Sunflowers have one detailed weekly focused activity to ensure all the children have the opportunity to take part in it.

This will work alongside their weekly planned activity list which you can see in the room and on the ILD’S.

This week’s activity is: Discussing Remembrance Day and creating pictures of poppies.

 

The children will be talking about Remembrance Day to encourage their knowledge. The children will create a picture of a poppy and be encouraged to hold the pencil correctly. The activity will be extended by supporting the children to write their name at the top.

 

The letter of the week is: Y

The children will be:

Using yellow paint

Linking words to the letter Y

Making the letter Y using playdough

Setting the easel up with Y stencils

Drawing Yo Yo’s

Junk modelling with yoghurt pots

Leanne is off Monday, Hector is off Wednesday and Becci is in all week

 

 

Supporting children and families with English as an additional language (EAL)

 

Aim of policy

 

At Castle we welcome everyone into our settings. This includes children who speak languages other than English. To speak a language other than English will be celebrated and not seen as a disadvantage or deficit for the children or family. Our strategy to support these children will be implemented by all staff members. Staff members will be given support and information to enable them to promote these strategies. It is the responsibility of the staff to be flexible and creative to ensure that effective communication takes place.

 

Points to consider

 

It is important to identify the child’s first language before they start at the setting, and to establish whether the parents are able to converse in English or if they will need alternative support to understand the routines and learning environment their child will experience.

 

Children from different cultures may find our setting unfamiliar, it is important that we include pictures, in the environment, with which the children can identify. They may include a variety of houses, landscapes, families or children playing.

 

See the Inclusion policies.

 

Castle Daycare and Preschool aims to achieve this by:

 

The nursery environment strives to be multicultural with a variety of multi cultural books and resources. The displays around the settings also reflect multiculturalism.

 

Steps to support children with EAL

 

• On the settling in sessions, we ask parents for key words in the child’s first language to enable us to use these to communicate with the child.
• We will keep language simple and literal initially so the child has the best opportunity to understand.
• We will give instructions to the child individually and with eye contact as we understand generalised instructions may be hard to follow.
• We will give the child time to respond as we recognise it takes time to translate.
• We will have key words relevant to the child on display with pictures around the room, to help staff communicate with the child and for the child to tell us what they want.
• We will encourage the child and their family to teach children and staff the names of objects in their own language.
• We will model correct sentences, without correcting the child, when they have tried to communicate.

 

Working with parents

 

Parents from other countries may have no personal experience of nursery as we know it. It is important that sufficient time is given to explain to them the key principles of our system and the routines their child will experience.

 

When completing the registration form we will take down the details of the country of origin, the religion, the language and key cultural needs of the child, these may include dietary restrictions which will be shared with all staff and our chef to ensure no misunderstandings.

 

All parents are encouraged to contribute to the learning of their child by visiting, sharing significant events/festivals and doing activities.

 

Race and Ethnic Minority Achievement

 

REMA offers a Consultation Service to any non-maintained (private, voluntary and independent) EYFS Preschool Provider.  This service is currently funded on an annual basis as part of Surrey’s Early Years Development and Childcare Plan.

 

The purpose of these visits is to help providers develop strategies to meet an individual child, or group of children whose first language is not English and may have additional language needs.  If a consultation is required for an individual child, parental permission will need to be gained.  General strategies can also be given that will help support a group of children whose first language is not English.  It is expected that staff will have already tried to support the child’s/children’s additional language needs in collaboration with the parents and Early Years and Childcare Service.

 

All Surrey preschool providers are circulated with the information about this service (through the Early Years and Childcare Service).  The visits take place on a first come, first served basis.

 

 

 

Consultation involves the following:

-        at least 30 minutes to one hour to observe the child/children in a preschool setting

-        discussion with the key person for 45 minutes to one hour

-        parents may need to be consulted and invited to take part in the consultation

-        the key person needs to be prepared to spend some time in the following weeks working with the child/children on agreed strategies

-        a follow up meeting with the key person and parents, (where appropriate) usually within three months, to review the child’s/children’s progress.

 

 

 

Kind regards,

 

 

Jess Smith

Manager, SENCO

Week commencing 26th October

Dear Parents and Carers,

 

Nativity and Carol Service

It has reached that time of the year again where we are starting to organise the Christmas productions!  Buttercups and Bluebells will be holding a carol service on Monday 7^th December at 4.15 and Sunflowers will be performing their nativity on Tuesday 8^th December at 9.45 and 4.15.  We thought we’d give you plenty of notice so you can make arrangements with work. 

 

Illness

There  have been several cases of vomiting and diarrhoea throughout the nursery L If your child catches the stomach bug, please can you keep them off of nursery until 48 hours after their last episode of being ill.  This is to try to prevent other children catching it. 

 

Halloween

On Friday 30^th we will be celebrating Halloween, if your child would like to dress up on this day they are very welcome to wear a Halloween costume to nursery!

 

Interactive Learning Diary

 

Don’t forget to check out all the exciting things your child has done this week, on their ILD profile.

 

We aim to put at least one observation up per week.

 

Follow the link below: http://www.interactivelearningdiary.co.uk/

 

 

Policy of the week

 

We will be displaying a different policy every week at the bottom of this newsletter.

 

If you would like to see this or any of our policies please ask Jess.

 

 

Our Policy this week is: 

Inclusion policy – talented and gifted children

 

 

Useful websites:

 

Here are the links for the Surrey Family Information Service, Free Early Education (the 15 hours funding) and Free Early Education for Two year olds.

 

www.surreycc.gov.uk/fis
www.surreycc.gov.uk/fee
www.surreycc.gov.uk/feet

 

 

Menus

 

Emily (our cook) is on holiday next week, see attached menu for the changes.

 

See attached document for the weekly menu. If you would like to see a copy of our allergens menu at any time please ask!

 

 

 

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, please visit:

 

http://www.foundationyears.org.uk/ 

 

This week’s planned activities are also on the ILD’S.

 

 

Buttercups

 

Monday – Hannah’s group will be dancing to music and moving to the beat.

 

Tuesday – Charlotte’s group are developing awareness of parts of their bodies by playing naming games.

 

Wednesday – Mel’s group will be making Halloween biscuits together, and talking about what they are doing to encourage understanding of words and sentences.

 

Thursday – Charlotte’s group will be developing their interest in books through looking at the ‘That’s That Not My Bear’ and ‘Where’s Spot?’ books. 

 

Friday – Hannah’s group are practising rolling over and reaching out for musical toys and balls.

 

Charlotte is off Monday and Tuesday, Hannah is in on annual leave all week, Mel is off Tuesday and Nilem is off Friday.

 

 

Bluebells

 

Monday – Megan’s group are drawing pictures and talking about the marks they have made in their pictures.    

 

Tuesday – Chloe’s group will be developing their ICT skills by using the cameras to take pictures of their friends and objects around the room.

 

Wednesday – Almu’s group are reading the story ‘How Do You Feel Today?’ to support their understanding of feelings and empathy.   

 

Thursday – Almu’s group will be developing their vocabulary as they talk about Autumn whilst playing in the garden.

 

Friday – Donna’s group are practising their self-care skills through using the toilet and washing their hands independently.

 

Donna is off Wednesday, Chloe is off Friday, Almu and Megan are in all week.

 

 

Sunflowers

 

The Sunflowers have one detailed weekly focused activity to ensure all the children have the opportunity to take part in it.

 

This will work alongside their weekly planned activity list which you can see in the room and on the ILD’S.

 

This week’s activity is: Creating Halloween pictures

 

The children are going to be making their own Halloween collages and pictures using a variety of media and materials.  They will be talking about the textures of the materials they are using and exploring  the colours they can make by mixing different coloured paints together.  The children will also be learning about Halloween. 

 

The letter of the week is: X

 

 

The children will be:

 

 

Using the letter X stencils at the easel

 

Playing with the xylophone

 

Thinking of objects that begin with the letter X

 

Playing ‘Alphabet Soup’ with the letter X

 

Exploring the X letter bottles.

 

 

Leanne is off Wednesday, Hector is off Thursday and Becci is in all week.

 

 

Inclusion policy – talented and gifted children

 

Aim of policy

Castle Daycare and 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:

________________________________________________________________________________

 

• 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 Support Plans (ISP’s) may be used to identify areas to support and develop and well thought time scales put into place.
• Adopting a differentiated approach to ensure appropriate stretch and challenge for all children within group activities.
• Balance must be found between stretching and challenging the child to develop them and ensuring they are still allowed to be a child.

 

 

Kind Regards

 

Charlotte Hampshire

Deputy Manager

Week commencing 19th October

Dear Parents and Carers,

 

Nativity and Carol Service

It has reached that time of the year again where we are starting to organise the Christmas productions!  Buttercups and Bluebells will be holding a carol service on Monday 7^th December at 4.15 and Sunflowers will be performing their nativity on Tuesday 8^th December at 9.45 and 4.15.  We thought we’d give you plenty of notice so you can make arrangements with work. 

 

Photographs 

If you have any photograph packs still at home please can you return them to us by Monday 19^th October, thank you.

 

Family photos

Buttercups and Sunflowers are creating family boards in their rooms, please can you bring in or email us a family photo of you all. 

 

Missing clothes

Buttercups are missing a pair of H&M navy blue trousers and a red and white stripy top and Sunflowers are missing a pink Next hoody.  Please can you check to see if they have been taken home by mistake.

 

Illness

There  has been one case of vomiting and diarrhoea in Sunflowers L If your child catches the stomach bug, please can you keep them off of nursery until 48 hours after their last episode of being ill.  This is to try to prevent other children catching it. 

 

 

Interactive Learning Diary

 

Don’t forget to check out all the exciting things your child has done this week, on their ILD profile.

 

We aim to put at least one observation up per week.

 

Follow the link below: http://www.interactivelearningdiary.co.uk/

 

 

Policy of the week

 

We will be displaying a different policy every week at the bottom of this newsletter.

 

If you would like to see this or any of our policies please ask Jess.

 

 

Our Policy this week is: 

Inclusion policy- diversity

 

 

Useful websites:

 

Here are the links for the Surrey Family Information Service, Free Early Education (the 15 hours funding) and Free Early Education for Two year olds.

 

www.surreycc.gov.uk/fis
www.surreycc.gov.uk/fee
www.surreycc.gov.uk/feet

 

 

Menus

 

There are no planned changes to this week’s menu.

 

See attached document for the weekly menu. If you would like to see a copy of our allergens menu at any time please ask!

 

 

 

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, please visit:

 

http://www.foundationyears.org.uk/ 

 

This week’s planned activities are also on the ILD’S.

 

 

Buttercups

 

Monday – Charlotte’s group will be developing their balance, coordination and spatial awareness through exploring an obstacle course with the ‘Toddle Boxes’, hoops, tunnels and soft play blocks.

 

Tuesday – Hannah’s group are sharing experiences together as they roll or throw balls to each other.

 

Wednesday – Mel will be asking her children questions whilst they play with the dolls and baby bath to encourage their understanding of what is being asked.

 

Thursday – Charlotte’s group will be playing a hide and seek game in the garden and counting how many teddy bears they find to develop their awareness of numbers.

 

Friday – Mel’s group are developing their interest in how things work by pressing the buttons on the keyboards.   

 

Charlotte is off Wednesday, Hannah is in all week, Mel is off Tuesday and Nilem is off Monday

 

 

Bluebells

 

Monday – Donna’s group are reading stories together to develop their listening skills. They will talk about what is happening in the story and name pictures on the pages.

 

Tuesday – Chloe will be supporting her group’s understanding of action words through looking at picture cards of children doing different actions. 

 

Wednesday – Megan’s group are developing their imaginations by playing with resources which reflect everyday life.

 

Thursday – Almu’s group will be practising using the magnetic numbers to support their awareness of the shape of different numbers.

 

Friday – Chloe’s group will be playing a memory game using the emotion cards to develop their understanding of feelings.  

 

Donna is off Friday, Chloe is off Thursday, Almu and Megan are in all week

 

 

Sunflowers

 

The Sunflowers have one detailed weekly focused activity to ensure all the children have the opportunity to take part in it.

 

This will work alongside their weekly planned activity list which you can see in the room and on the ILD’S.

 

This week’s activity is: Exploring the numbers board in different ways

 

The children will be discussing the numbers they recognise, ordering numbers from 1 to 10 and from 10 to 1.   They will then be working out which number is missing when one is taken away.  The children are also going to be having a go at  sticking the exact amount of stickers under each number.  This activity will help to develop the children’s understanding that numbers follow an order and that every number is represented by a sign.

 

The letter of the week is: W

 

 

The children will be:

 

 

Talking about animals that begin with the letter W

 

Thinking of question words that begin with W e.g. why, where, when?

 

Playing ‘What’s the Time Mr Wolf?’

 

Drawing the letter W

 

 

 

Leanne is off Monday, Hector is off Thursday and Friday and Becci is in all week

 

 

Inclusion policy- diversity

 

Aim of policy

Castle Daycare and 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 and 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

 

Jess Smith

 

 

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.

 

 

 

Kind Regards

 

 

 

Charlotte Hampshire

Deputy Manager