Our Policies

We Care!

Multi-Cultural Policy

We are a centre that reflects the ethnic and cultural mix of the neighbourhood. To ensure the promotion, recognition and celebration of this diversity, we have the following provisions:

Religious Festivals

We discuss how the different festivals are celebrated around the world using very simple and easy to understand approaches that serve to enrich the childrens' understanding of their own and other people's beliefs and cultures.

Positive Images

We continually research ways of providing a multi-cultural environment that will benefit all users and employees.

Food

We try to offer a range of food that reflects different cultures.

Training

We ensure that our employees and management board take part in training to enhance their awareness of the needs of all the users of this organisation.

Equal Opportunities

We shall respect your wishes if for various reasons, you may not want your child to participate in some events. As resources are limited, parents or carers might have to make alternative childcare arrangements for the day(s).

Key Person Policy

Smart Start Nurseries operate a ‘Key Person’ system where each child is assigned to an employee
The employee – ‘Key Person’ - will have the following responsibilities

1. Introduce themselves to the child and their parents/carers

2. Settle-in the child and discuss any concerns the parents/carers may have

3. Completing and maintaining the child’s developmental reports

4. Carrying out regular observation of the child

5. Ensuring that any significant progress or concerns are reported verbally, then in writing in the child’s contact book.

6. Build a relationship with the child and parent/carer

7. Sit with the child during mealtimes so as to observe and identify any concerns or issues about eating habits and to discuss such concerns with parents/carers – if any

8. Toilet-train the child if need be

9. If the parents/carers have any confidential concerns, they may approach their child’s ‘key person’ who shall listen and offer advice –if applicable

10. Such approaches may only be deemed confidential providing there are no childcare issues that could be of detriment to the child or bring the nursery into disrepute.

Any employee that has such concerns must bring them to the attention of the Childcare Manager immediately.

Parents in Partnership Policy

Partnership

We believe that a child’s experience at home is highly significant to achievement and by working in partnership; the results will have a measurable and lasting effect, to that end we will endeavour to:

• Share information about children’s cultural, medical, dietary, physical and emotional needs

• Raise Parental awareness.

• Provide practical support.

• Help to develop a network of parental support for children with special educational needs.

These will be promoted by:

• Sharing skills and the use of individual Education Plans (IEP’s)

• Encouraging and helping parents/carers or refer them to other agencies for more specialist help.

At Smart Start Nurseries, we recognise parents as the children’s first educators and therefore encourage them to be involved in their learning and development.

We operate an open door policy;

• Parents are free to interact with key-workers or management in person, by phone or in writing using the anonymous suggestion box in the reception.
• Key-Workers shall arrange regular review meetings to discuss children’s learning and development.