Safeguarding
Keeping your child safe is the highest priority at our centres. All our childcare practitioners have been DBS checked and been cleared through the disqualification by association process. None of our childcare practitioners are allowed to use their mobile phones in the centres and parents are asked to refrain from using their phones in the centres, to safeguard children.
Childcare practitioners have strict safeguarding protocols and a code of conduct to work to and have regular safeguarding supervisions where any concerns are discussed.
Key Person system and learning Journals (development profiles)
We operate a key worker system at our centres. This means that your child will have someone who knows them well and will be the person who will be with them the most. Their key worker will build a relationship with you as a parent and gather information about your child and their home life through the course of the settling sessions which they can then use to help your child feel more at home at our settings.
Your Child’s key worker will support their growth and development through close observation, careful planning and the regular completion of their learning journal on our interactive profiling software, which you can view on line. You can also contribute to your child’s profile on line or by email when you have something fun to share or achievements at home to celebrate. You will have regular opportunities to discuss your child’s progress with their key worker.
Resources and Activities
All our equipment and resources are chosen to make sure that your child has a lot of opportunities for quality learning experiences. Careful observation and planning makes sure your child’s interests are followed and developed to maximise opportunities to support their learning. We also have a linked teacher for each centre who advises and supports childcare practitioners to get the most out of learning and development for all children in the setting, according to their needs.
The centres operate free flow between indoor and outdoor areas. Children can learn in both an indoor and outdoor environment and we plan a range of activities, either indoors or out, on a daily basis, regardless of the weather. Outdoor play is particularly important for your child’s physical development.
Nutrition and health
All Little Owls Nurseries have a focus on health and wellbeing.
Menus are designed by a dietician and are freshly prepared and cooked onsite every day.
The food for each day has been designed by a dietician to ensure a well-balanced diet appropriate to your child’s age and stage.
All dietary requirements are catered for including allergies and special diets.
If your child stays during mealtimes they can expect a number of nutritional snacks, lunch and a light tea. Water is available at all times during the day.
The cost of meals and snacks is incorporated in your fees and is free to all children who attend during meal and snack times.
Nursery lunch is normally at 11.30 am and is normally a hot two course meal. Nursery tea is around 3:30 to 4pm and is normally a light tea of age appropriate sandwiches with fresh fruit and vegetables. Nursery Tea is not intended to replace your family’s evening meal together.
You may have seen recent publicity about the drop in child obesity in Leeds. The Henry program (Health, Exercise, Nutrition for the Really Young) is credited as a major contributor to this drop.
Our childcare practitioners are trained in ‘Henry’ and use the principles to ensure your child has a healthy start in life.
The link below gives more details
Exercise and personal care
Children play outside in all weathers and movement play is a strength in our centres encouraging children to take regular exercise and improve their physical development.
Personal care, independence and teeth brushing are all encouraged at our centres.
Potty training is undertaken in partnership with parents. When your child is ready, we can offer additional support from family services or your health visitor, if you need it.
All meals and snacks are cooked and prepared fresh every day. The food for each day has been designed by a dietician to ensure a well-balanced diet appropriate to your child’s age and stage.
If your child stays during mealtimes they can expect a number of nutritional snacks, lunch and a light tea. Water is available at all times during the day.
Booking a place
To secure a place at one of our centres you will need to fill in a registration form
A funded entitlement place is available free at the point of delivery and we will not require a deposit unless you take extra sessions, which will be paid for.
Once a child is booked in we aim to be as flexible as possible and, subject to availability, we may be able to offer extra “occasional sessions” if parents need to work extra days or just enjoy some free time.
For more information about childcare fee’s and eligible free places please contact us.
Collection of children
Children are never allowed to leave the nursery unaccompanied.
A register is kept of all the children on the premises and only authorised named collectors, on a child’s admission form, will be permitted to collect a child.
We ask that parents adhere to opening and closing times. Our centres charge for late collection at £15 for every 15 minutes.
Evacuation Procedures
In the event of fire, the alarm will be sounded by:
Detection by the smoke sensors
The person observing the start of a fire
Children and childcare practitioners will evacuate the building by the nearest fire exit and meet in designated areas. Childcare practitioners will take their registers with them to check off their children. Fire drills take place regularly and there is periodic testing and checking of the safety equipment. The childcare practitioners are aware of the fire procedures, which are displayed in each room. Fire drills will be held at least once a term. In the event of a fire the alarm will ring to vacate the building. This is connected to a central control point which automatically contacts the fire station.
In the event of a fire alarm the following evacuation procedure is used:
- Always use the agreed fire escape route
- Never enter the building to collect personal belongings
- Do not re-enter the building, until it is safe to do so.
Copies of the Fire Regulations and maps indicating evacuation routes are posted in every area.
Accidents
Occasionally accidents do occur. If your child is involved in an accident while at the nursery this will be entered into our accident book. Our policy is that parents are informed of accidents/ minor incidents which happen during the day. The childcare practitioners are first aid trained. The medical aid that we administer is limited to cold compresses, bandages or plasters. If a serious accident occurs during the time your child is in nursery an ambulance will be called and parent informed. If a parent cannot be contacted it may be appropriate to transport the child to a casualty department with a member of childcare practitioners who will remain with the child until the parent/responsible adult arrives.
We adhere to comply with RIDDOR reporting and OFSTED will be aware of any major accidents.
Medication & Health
When medicine is required it can only be administered if it has been prescribed by a doctor. Parents/carers must fill in a consent form, available from the children’s centre office, before any medication can be administered.
Meet our teachers
Several years ago, when a teacher stopped being a requirement in a Children’s centre nursery, Leeds City council decided to continue to commit resources to provide excellence in teaching and learning across Little Owls Nurseries
The qualified teacher team work flexibly to support quality of teaching and learning across the city. Their role includes training, role modelling, mentoring, support and guidance and each nursery works closely with their link teacher to develop and sustain good practice.
Across the teacher team there is a range of expertise and experience. Each teacher has a specialism to maximise the impact of the team.
The teaching team also supports special projects such as work with Opera North, Northern Ballet, Leeds City Art Gallery, Herd Farm and Leeds Rhinos. Two nurseries have recently been nominated for Creative Arts Awards.
Policies and Procedures
Our policy folder is available at all times for parents and carers to see on site at our centres. Your child’s settling in sessions are an ideal opportunity to look through our policy folder. Once your child has been registered with us you will be provided with a nursery pack containing relevant information which should be helpful to you for the duration of your time with us.
In accordance with nursery policies children who are ill, have an infection or contagious disease, will be excluded from the nursery until fully recovered. This is in the best interests of the ill child and the other children in our care. Children who have suffered from any bouts of sickness or diarrhoea should have been free from symptoms for 48 hours before returning. We would be grateful if you could notify us as soon as possible if your child is not coming into nursery as this enables us to continue with the day’s activities as planned.
In the event of adverse weather conditions or a severe infectious illness which prevents the correct number of childcare practitioners from attending, we may be forced to close the nursery.
In the unlikely event that you feel you need to make a complaint about the nursery, the details of the procedure can be found in the policy folder or by contacting a senior member of childcare practitioners.
If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of our service, you may contact Ofsted. If you would like further information about Ofsted, you can visit their website at www.ofsted.gov.uk/parents.
We aim to provide a high standard of care for the children and families we serve and it is therefore important that your voices are heard. We welcome any feedback or suggestions that may help us to improve our practice to ensure that you get a quality, inclusive service you can trust and rely on.