Parent Zone

Here You can find some useful information for all parents about the structure and care provided at The Learning Cottage

During the day session children are having some structured activities as well as free play, to familiarise them with a routine, develop their listening skills and enjoy all learning opportunities provided for them.
You will receive regular emails, giving you information about the activities provided as well as our planning for the following week and possible ideas for parental involvement and help at home (discussing the topic with your child or reading a book etc)
Regular observations are taken of all children, which monitor their development in all areas. Strengths and weaknesses are noted and shared with parents to achieve the best provision for each individual child.
They are offered a healthy snack, which considers everyone’s allergies and dietary requirements.
Children are regularly encouraged to use the toilet by adults. Nappies are regularly changed for children who are in nappies.

Good to know

Starting at our setting

We explain and share our settling in process with the parents.  Children are settled sensitively with parental support and involvement over an agreed period of time that is at least a fortnight in duration (in line with the needs of each individual child).  Some children take only a week to settle depending on how many days he/she attends per week.  We want your child to feel happy and safe with us. To make this happen our staff will work with you to decide how to help your child to settle into the setting. On the first day of your child with us the key person will complete a form called ‘All about me’ so that the key person knows the child and the family well.  On this day parents are expected to stay for an hour with their child.

Child Protection

We are obliged to inform Children’s Services of any concern we may have that a child may be neglected, at risk or has been abused. The safety of children is paramount and may include a duty to share confidential information if needed. All our staff members have up to date Safeguarding training and are aware of child protection policy and procedures.

Ayeola Melbourne is our designated Safeguarding Lead.

Special needs

We welcome all children regardless to their additional needs. Our team of staff are committed to ensure inclusive practice for the children and their families.

Ayeola Melbourne is our designated Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO).

Please speak to her if you would like to discuss any concerns you may have.

Children’s development and learning

Children start to learn about the world around them from the moment they are born. The care and education offered by our setting helps children to continue to do this by providing all the children with stimulating activities that are appropriate for their age and stage of development. Our setting follows early year foundation stage curriculum. This curriculum divides children’s learning and development into seven areas. These are separated into Prime  and Specific areas of learning.

Prime areas are those which are building blocks and are fundamental throughout the curriculum. They are;

•  personal, social and emotional development;
•  communication and language development;
•  physical development

Specific areas grow out of the prime areas. They include essential skills and knowledge for children to participate successfully in society. They are:

• mathematical development
• knowledge and understanding of the world
• literacy
• expressive art and design

•  being able to get on, play and make friends;
•  becoming aware of other’s feelings and developing empathy;
•  being independent and look after their personal needs;
•  to respect other people’s ways of doing things and show good behaviour.

Communication and Language

This area of children’s development covers:

•  being able to communicate and understand what others say;
•  being able to use words to describe their experiences;
• Joining in with story time and singing time;

Literacy

This area of children’s development covers:

•  listening to – and talking about – stories;
•  knowing how to handle books and show interest in them;
•  knowing the purposes for which we use writing and

 making attempts at writing;

Mathematics

This area of children’s development covers:

• To be able to say numbers in order 1-10;
•  building up ideas about how many, how much, how far and how big;
•  building up ideas about patterns, the shape of objects and parts of objects,

and the amount of space taken up by objects;

•  starting to understand that numbers help us to answer questions about how

many, how much, how far and how big;

•  building up ideas about how to use counting to find out how many; and

being introduced to finding the result of adding more or taking away from the

amount we already have.

Understanding the World

This area of children’s development covers:

•  finding out about the world and how it works;
•  learning how to choose – and use – the right tool for a task;
•  learning about computers, how to use them and what they can do;
•  starting to put together ideas about past and present and the links between

them;

•  beginning to learn about their locality and its special features; and

learning about their own and other cultures.

Physical Development

This area of children’s development covers:

•  gaining control over the large movements that they can make with their

arms, legs and bodies, so that they can run, jump, hop, skip, roll, climb,

balance and lift;

• gaining control over the small movements they can make with their arms,

wrists and hands, so that they can pick up and use objects, tools and

materials;

•  learning about the importance of – and how to look after –

their bodies.

Expressing art and design

This area of children’s development covers:

•  using paint, materials, music, dance, words, stories and role-play to express

their ideas and feelings;

•  becoming interested in the way that paint, materials, music, dance, words,

       stories and role-play can be used to express ideas and feelings.

Staff: Children ratio

In our setting we always maintain the ratio of adults to children that is

required by the Statutory Guidance.

Children over 3     1:8

Children under 3   1:5

Children under 2   1:3

We also have volunteer parent helpers or students where possible to complement these ratios.

How parents take part in the setting

Our setting recognises parents as the first and most important educators of their

children.  All the staff see themselves as partners in providing care and

education for your child. There are many ways in which parents take part in making

the setting a welcoming and stimulating place for children and parents, such as:

• exchanging knowledge about their children’s needs, activities, interests and

progress with the staff;

• posting their children’s observations on Tapestry;
• helping at sessions of the setting;
• sharing their own special interests with the staff and the children;
• helping to provide, make and look after the equipment and materials used in

the children’s play activities;

• taking part in events and informal discussions about the activities and

curriculum provided by the setting;

•  building friendships with other parents in the setting.

Our Uniform

All uniform items can be purchased from

BUBBLEGUM SCHOOLWEAR

113 High Street

Thornton Heath

London, CR7 8RZ

Tel: 02086832337

Arrival and departure

Please bring your child on time as it can be disruptive for other children who are already engaged in circle time/activities.  Please collect your child on time as this can be distressing for your child and disruptive for the routine of the setting.

Similarly please try not to collect your child early unless there is a valid reason.

Don’t forget to give your password if someone else is collecting your child.

Key persons and your child

Our setting has a key person system. This means that each member of staff has a group of children for whom she/he is particularly responsible. Your child’s key person will be the person who works with you to support your child’s learning and development. You can find key person list at the door of each room of our setting.

Illness and medication

If your child is unable to come to the school due to illness or any other reason please call us on the first day of your child absence. Please inform your child’s key person if you are taking your child on a holiday. We can only administer doctor’s prescribed medicine to your child.  Please note that child’s name must be on the medicine.

Behaviour Management

Children’s behaviour is managed in partnership with parents.  We prevent bad behaviour by building a good relationship with the child, helping the child to develop empathy, by talking calmly and explaining the reasons why a particular behaviour is not acceptable and giving them tools to self-regulate their behaviour.

Toilets/ toilet training

Children have free access to dedicated toilets as they need. We encourage hand washing as routine after toileting and before and after lunch. If your child is still in nappies or in the process of learning to use the toilet, please bring a named bag containing nappy changing supplies and spare clothes. Children also need spare clothes as they are engaged in messy/water play or might have an accident. Children are changed using our specialist changing unit not on the floor and recorded daily.