When can my child start at Ladybird Pre-School Nursery?
Children may start at Ladybird Pre School Nursery from the age of 18 months and stay with us all the way through until they start in the Reception Class at your chosen primary school. There are excellent links with not only Sheringham Primary School but also primary schools in the surrounding area, so that the children’s transition into school will be fully supported whichever primary school you choose.
How does the funding work?
Ladybird Pre School Nursery accepts all Early Education government funding. The nursery also offers payable sessions should more sessions be required. For more information of Early Education government funding please visit https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/
The new government funding scheme is currently being rolled out to help support families of eligible working parents/carers by upping the number of free funded hours given to support childcare.
This extension of childcare support for families is being introduced gradually to ensure providers can meet demand.
When can my child have a funded place?
Fill in and sign a Funding Claim form each term and we will claim the funding for your child’s place on your behalf.
Need further information?
Visit www.norfolk.gov.uk/childcare or ring the Family Information Service on 0344 800 8001
| If your child’s birthday is between | Your funded place starts from the following |
| 1st January and 31st March | April |
| 1st April and 31st August | September |
| 1st September and 31st December | January |
Session Times
We are open Monday – Friday, 8am – 5pm
Term time only
Session Times:
Breakfast Club: 8.00am – 9.00am.
Early Drop Off: 8.30am – 9.00am
Morning Session: 9.00am – 12 noon.
Lunch Club: 12noon – 1.00pm.
Afternoon Session: 1.00pm – 4.00pm.
Late Pick Up: 4.00pm – 5.00pm
Please try not to arrive too early as we will be busy preparing for the session.
When you collect children at the end of session, please be prompt, the staff may not mind too much, but the children will.
Admissions Policy in brief
- Ladybird Pre School Nursery aims to make its setting accessible to children and families from all sections of the community and is committed to providing a fair and open admission and registration system.
- The nursery provides day care and education for young children from the ages of 18 months up to five years (school starting age).
- Please refer to the policy folder in the entrance hall for full details of our Admissions and Equal Opportunity policies in greater detail.
Housekeeping
Clothing
- Comfortable clothes are best for nursery. We play with lots of malleable resources, getting messy is part of children’s learning experience so please ensure you dress children in old clothes.
- We like the children to be free spirted and have a choice as to whether they wear their shoes either outside or inside.
- Please make sure that children bring a named coat to nursery as we have outdoor play at all times of the year. In hot weather it is essential that you apply sunscreen before leaving children at nursery.
- Any bags or clothes brought to nursery must be named.
Toileting
- Children do not have to be potty trained to attend the nursery. Please put children in pull up pants or a nappy – we will help support training on request. Please ensure children are wearing a clean/dry nappy for the start of their session.
Snack Time
A healthy snack is provided e.g. breadsticks, crackers, toast, scones, crumpets and a choice of fresh fruit and vegetables. However, under NCC Children’s Services rules, you may, if you wish send a snack for children. If you do, please ensure that it is healthy. We cater for children with a range of allergies, so please do not send NUTS, crisps or chocolate even if children are allergy free. If you send in a snack the snack fee will not apply.
A choice of milk and water are offered. All children are encouraged to pour their own drink (under supervision).
Lunch Club
Lunch Club runs from 12.00pm to 1.00pm. We ask that you provide children with a healthy packed lunch. We operate a “no nut policy” so please do not include nuts in children’s packed lunch. Please cut items such as grapes and cherry tomatoes into quarters.
Packed lunches are to be in a NAMED lunch box/bag with ice packs to keep them cool. We do not have the facilities to heat any items or place any items, except for medical purposes, in a fridge.
Communication
Please read the notice boards outside our main entrance regularly. Written information such as outing letters, newsletters etc will be e-mailed to you or handed to you when children are collected. The nursery has a Facebook page – please “like us” for regular updates and information.
If there is anything that you are unsure of, please do not hesitate to ask.
Photographs
From time to time, we take photographs of activities at the Nursery. Sometimes we like to use group shots in local papers, or on our Facebook page, to tell the community about our events. If you prefer NOT to allow any photo in which your child appears to be used, please let us know. A permission form is included in your starter pack.
Collection of your child
If you find that you are unable to meet children at the end of a session, please ring the nursery on 01263 824325 and tell us the name of the person who will be collecting on your behalf, please make sure they know your agreed password. Failure to contact us will result in us needing to contact you before letting children be collected by another person. This is to ensure children’s safety and wellbeing. In the event children are not collected we will action our ‘uncollected child’ policy.
Session Fees
Session fees will be invoiced monthly and need to be paid in advance. If you would find it helpful to pay weekly, please talk to Emma or Kirsty to arrange this.
Rising Two’s: 18-24 months
Session- £25.50 per 3 hour session
Breakfast club-£9.50 including breakfast
Early drop off- £4.75 excluding breakfast
Lunch club- £8.50 Parents/Carers to provide a packed lunch
Late pick up- £8.50 including a snack
2 Year Olds
Session – £22.50 per 3 hour session
Breakfast Club – £8.50 including breakfast
Early Drop Off – £4.25 excluding breakfast
Lunch Club – £7.50 parents/carers to provide a packed lunch
Late Pick Up – £7.50 including a snack
3-4 Year Olds
Session – £18.00 per 3 hour session
Breakfast Club – £7.00 including breakfast
Early Drop Off – £3.00 excluding breakfast
Lunch Club – £6.00 parents/carers to provide a packed lunch
Late Pick Up – £6.00 including a snack
Consumables £1.50 per session
Including snack, craft materials, wipes etc
Charged to funded children only, included in above session fees.
Late collection Fee: £3.50 per ¼ hour after booked session time. £5.00 per ¼ hour after closure of Nursery at 5pm.
Late Payment Fee: 10% of invoice value.
Registration Fee: £25.00
BACS payments can be made to:
Account number – 65783773
Sort Code – 08-92-99 using your child’s name as the reference.
If your child is absent, fees are still due as our running costs remain the same.
Please let us know in plenty of time if you will be away for any length of time. A month’s term time written notice is required if you are withdrawing children from the Nursery. Please let us know as soon as possible of any illness or hospital visits/stays. A child who has been off with diarrhoea & sickness should be free of symptoms for 48 hours before returning to Nursery.
Learning Experiences
Session Content
Our provision is based on the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and we are approved and regulated by Ofsted who inspect us regularly.
We follow a ‘curiosity’ approach which is child centred and a continuous provision, using best practice models of early learning and development. We follow ‘in the moment planning’ as a foundation alongside more enhanced provision to promote engagement and identify areas of focus. We also identify a child’s schema which helps us understand how your child learns through play (schematic play) For more information on schemas please talk to Emma.
- We use open-ended resources such as; loose parts, natural and authentic resources that encourage curiosity, investigation, exploration and thinking as well as resources linked to children’s interests that will encourage engagement.
- We enjoy visits to the local community and beyond such as – the seaside and our environment, visits to Sheringham Park, the Fire Station, the Lifeboat station and Sheringham Beach.
- We explore the natural environment.
- We celebrate cultural events.
- We do ask parents to make a voluntary contribution towards the cost of some of these activities.
Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
We plan our curriculum on the Early Years Foundation Stage.
*The Early Years Foundation Stage sets the standards that all early year’s providers must meet to ensure that children learn and develop well and are kept healthy and safe. It promotes teaching and learning to ensure children’s school readiness and gives children the broad range of knowledge and skills that provide the right foundation for good future progress through school and life.
(*Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage 2021)
We follow a social emotional learning programme called ‘Zones of Regulation’ that helps children identify emotions in themselves and others and begin to learn different tools to regulate their emotions.
If you would like more information on our curriculum and programmes, please contact the manager, Emma Bailey.
Key persons and Tapestry
Key Person
Children will be assigned a key person. Their role is to help ensure that the care and learning is tailored to meet children’s individual needs. The key person approach is aimed to create a close attachment between staff, children and family.
Who are our ‘Key Persons’
- Kate Daniels
- Todd Mitchell
The Learning Journey
We use an online E-Learning journal called Tapestry. Through Tapestry we record children’s development and progress and publish observations with attached photographs and videos. Learning Journeys provide a picture of the children’s development and experiences throughout their time at Ladybird Pre School Nursery. We encourage you to contribute towards children’s learning journeys by sharing special moments and achievements. This ensures that we create a unique picture of the children’s journey working in partnership with parents/carers.
Behaviour
The nominated person with special responsibility for Behaviour Management is Emma Bailey.
Our setting believes that children flourish best when their personal, social and emotional needs are met and where there are clear and developmentally appropriate expectations for their behaviour.
The principles that underpin how we achieve positive and considerate behaviour exist within the programme for promoting personal, social and emotional development.
We follow a social emotional learning programme called ‘Zones of Regulation’ that helps children identify emotions in themselves and others and use different tools to regulate these.
All staff use positive strategies for handling any behaviour issues, by helping children find solutions in ways which are appropriate for the children’s ages and stages of development.
We work in partnership with the children’s parents. Parents are informed about any concerns their key person may have regarding children’s behaviour. We work with parents to address any recurring behaviour, using our observation records to help us to understand the cause and to decide jointly how to respond appropriately.
For full details of our approach to Behaviour Management, please refer to the full policy which can be viewed on the website and is also kept in the entrance area. Please ask if you would like your own copy.
Safeguarding
We have two members of staff who are Safeguarding Lead Practitioners.
Emma Bailey
Kate Daniels
All other staff members have completed and receive regular safeguarding.
We ensure all staff and parents are made aware of our safeguarding policies and procedures. Please do not hesitate to contact the Nursery Manager or Chairperson if you are concerned about the welfare of a child. Alternatively, you may go directly to Children’s Services by telephoning 0344 800 8020.
Applicants for posts within the nursery are clearly informed that the positions are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Candidates are informed of the need to carry out ‘enhanced disclosure’ checks with the Disclosure and Barring Service before posts can be confirmed.
Full details of safeguarding are extensive and cannot be included here but the full policy is available on the website, in the policies file in the Nursery entrance or on request.
Privacy
Our record keeping system meets legal requirements. Means of storing and sharing information takes place within the framework of the Data Protection Act and the Human Rights Act. We are regulated by the ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office).
Personal records
These include registration and admission forms, signed consent forms, and correspondence concerning children or family, reports or minutes from meetings concerning children from other agencies, an ongoing record of relevant contact with parents, and observations by staff on any confidential matter involving children, such as developmental concerns or safeguarding.
These confidential records are stored in a lockable file or cabinet and are kept secure by the Manager in a safe place.
Parents/carers have access, in accordance with our Information Sharing and Confidentiality Policy (Access to Records), to the files and records of their own children but do not have access to information about any other child.
Transitions
Going to school
We liaise regularly with the local primary schools especially in the term before the children start school.
Reception teachers visit us and individual visits to the school are organised with nursery staff. Forms to enrol children at primary school can be found at www.admisssionsonline@norfolk.gov.uk. Alternatively, telephone 0344 800 8020 or use the QR code below;
The key person will complete a transition report and, with your permission, we will share this information with the children’s reception teacher to help support his/her transition into primary school.
About the Trustees
Ladybird Pre School Nursery is run by a group of Trustees who work closely alongside the nursery manager and staff team.
Some of the Trustees are parents who have children at the nursery whilst others once had children here who have moved onto school, and some are people passionate about Early Years Education.
If you feel that this is something that you would like to be involved in, then please speak to a member of staff or Trustee.
About the fundraising group
Ladybird Pre School Nursery has a fundraising group which raises money to provide extra exciting opportunities for the children. If you are interested in being part of this group, please speak to Kirsty our Nursery Administrator.
