Parents’ introduction
Little Steps Day Nursery was set up in 1999 by the owners Kate and Anthony Arter, working in close partnership with the principal. They support the team to ensure that high standards of care are provided, and attend parent evenings and forums on a regular basis, keeping up to date with the day-to-day running of the nursery.
This introduction is intended both for parents who are new to our nursery and for those whose children are making the transition to a new group.
The nursery’s aim is twofold. Firstly, we want to ensure that Little Steps is a source of delight for each child, a place where they can make new friends, learn new skills and enjoy new experiences. Secondly, we want to ensure that parents also benefit, confident in the knowledge that their child is safe, happy and stimulated in their absence.
Every member of the Little Steps team appreciates the emotional impact leaving your baby in the care of others can have and we aim to offer the support and guidance that you and your child may need. If you would like a personal home/nursery diary, please inform your Key Person when settling in.
Regular updates on nursery news and other key information can be found on our website: http://www.littlesteps.co.uk and on our Facebook page.
Information directly relating to the children and parents already attending Little Steps is also regularly shared via nursery emails.
Communication is paramount and you are welcome to call us at any time during the day to find out how your child is doing. We will always contact you if we have any concerns.
Staff use a daily chart to record what the children have particularly enjoyed doing that day, what they have eaten for breakfast, lunch and tea and also their sleep times.
The large blackboard in the main hall records each group’s daily activities so you can see how your child has spent the day.
We value your input and have a strong commitment to parent partnerships. To ensure that your voice is heard we hold a Parent Forum each term. Little Steps has four parent reps whose details can be found on the notice board in the main hall. Any queries, ideas or concerns can be passed on to them so they can then be discussed at the quarterly meetings.
Our strong ‘Key Person’ system helps all children and their parents/carers to settle. The Key Person will be the first point of contact for new parents and children. That person will do their utmost to build a good relationship with you during the ‘settling in’ sessions. We recognise the importance of building strong parent partnerships in helping the child to feel secure and confident in our care. The Key Person is also responsible for completing regular observations and early years development tracking, so needs to be able to spend time getting to know the child.
We ask all parents to ensure that they sign their children in and out of the nursery using the group sheets by the front door.
Just to remind you that the nursery hours are from 7.45 a.m. until 6.15 p.m. We will not answer the door before 7.45 a.m.