British Values Policy

January 2018

Fundamental British Values in the Early Years

The Dfee statutory requirements for early years providers state that the fundamental British values of democracy, rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance for those with different faiths and beliefs are already implicitly embedded in the 2014 Early Years Foundation Stage.

Seperately, the Counter Terrorism and Security Act also places a duty on early years providers 2to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism” (The Prevent Duty).

Statutory guidance on the prevent duty is available at:

Here are some examples of what it means in practise:

Democracy: making decisions together

As part of the focus on self-confidence and self-awareness as cited in Personal, Social and Emotional development

  • I will encourage children to see their role in the bigger picture, encouraging children to know their views count, value each other’s views and values and talk about their feelings, for example when they do or do not need help. When appropriate demonstrate democracy in action, for example, children sharing views on what the theme of their role play area could be with a show of hands.
  • I will support the decisions that children make and provide activities that involve turn-taking, sharing and collaboration. Children should be given opportunities to develop enquiring minds in an atmosphere where questions are value

Rule of law: understanding that rules matter as cited in Personal, Social and Emotional Development

As part of the focus on managing feelings and behaviour:

  • I will ensure that children understand their own and others’ behaviour and its consequences and to learn to distinguish right from wrong.
  • I will work with the children to create the rules and the codes of behaviour, for example, to agree the rules about tidying up and ensure that all children understand rules apply to everyone.

Individual liberty: freedom for all

As part of the focus on self confidence and self awareness and people and communities as cited in personal, social and emotional development and understanding the world

  • Children should develop a positive sense of themselves. I will provide opportunities for children to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and increase their confidence in their own abilities, for example through allowing children to take risks on an obstacle course, mixing colours, talking about their experiences and learning.
  • I will encourage a range of experiences that allow children to explore the language of feelings and responsibility, reflect on their differences and understand we are free to have different opinions, for example, in a small group discuss how they feel about transferring to Reception

Mutual respect and tolerance: treat others as you want to be treated

As part of the focus on people and communities, managing feelings and behaviour and making relationships as cited in Personal Social and Emotional development and understanding the world:

  • I will create an ethos of inclusivity and tolerance where views, faiths, cultures and races are valued and children are engaged with the wider community.
  • Children should acquire a tolerance and appreciation of and respect for their own and other cultures; know about similarities and differences between themselves and others and among families, faiths, communities, cultures and traditions and share and discuss practices, celebrations and experiences.
  • I will encourage and explain the importance of tolerant behaviours such as sharing and respecting others opinions
  • I will promote diverse attitudes and challenge stereotypes for example, sharing stories that reflect and value the diversity of children’s experiences and providing resources and activities that challenge gender, cultural and racial stereotyping

A minimum approach for example is having notices on the walls or multi-faith books. I will personally ensure that each child is able to make friends from people of differing faiths, backgrounds and cultures by trips to Families First and SNAP.

It is not acceptable to:

  • Actively promote intolerance of other faiths, cultures and races
  • Isolating children from the wider community
  • Failure to challenge behaviours that are not in line with the fundamental British values of democracy, rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance for those with different faiths and beliefs


Behaviour Management Policy

January 2018

Louise Nixon B.Sc PGCE has 27 years of experience of working with children. As well as having experience in both mainstream and special schools across all age groups she has worked specifically with children with behavioural difficulties. This provides a wealth of experience and understanding when dealing with challenging behaviour.

My aim is to provide an environment where children have happy, stimulating lives thus preventing children to feel the need to behave inappropriately. To this end we will:

  • Praise children for good behaviour on a regular basis
  • Model good behaviour by treating children and adults around us with respect
  • Provide interesting and stimulating activities within a child friendly environment thus preventing children from becoming bored and irritable
  • With our busy lives it is important that children get the correct amount of sleep, particularly when they are on a growth spurt. Tiredness can often result in poor behaviour. I aim to allow children to have periods of rest when they need it.
  • Observe children closely and plan for individual need.
  • Work closely with parents to support children’s exploration of appropriate and inappropriate behaviour
  • Wow cards to show parents something they are proud of

If children behave in a consistently manner e.g. hurting other children or destroying play equipment I will:

  • Contact parents to put in necessary strategies to ensure the behaviour stops.

This might include one, all or none of the following dependent on the incident:

  • Use observations to pinpoint trigger points
  • Improve the environment if possible
  • I will never use corporal punishment or any punishment that either physically or psychological may hurt them or humiliate them and will never threaten to.
  • Help children who find it difficult to get on with others by showing them how to play and be friendly with other children
  • Give the child more one to one time in which they may be able to explain why they are behaving in this way
  • Where this does not result in improved behaviour I will ask parents to seek outside help. I have a duty to protect all the children in my care and cannot allow children to hurt or upset each other in any way. All the children in my care are very sensitive to each other needs and go out of their way to help each other. That is something I wish to continue and to promote

Biting

Many children go through a stage of biting other children or adults. If this occurs the following procedure will be followed:

  • The child who is biting will be taken from the play area or have toys removed . The victim will be comforted and any medical treatment provided.
  • The child that has done the biting will be told in a manner appropriate to their age that the behaviour was unacceptable. The child will not be shouted at
  • Sanctions may be applied as per behaviour policy
  • I will use written observations and knowledge of the child to try and pinpoint trigger points and reasons
  • The incident will be reported in the incident book
  • Parents of both children will be informed
  • Parents of the victim will not be told the name of the perpetrator


Confidentiality

January 2018

Confidentiality

All information about children and their families is confidential and should never be discussed outside.

All the information kept on children will only be shared with the parents / carers. Occasionally it may be necessary to share records with outside agencies but parents would be consulted first

Records of progress across the Early Years Foundation Stage are usually passed to schools when the child leaves. If a parent prefers this not to happen the their wishes will be respected.

No information will be passed on to other agencies without permission form the parents / carers. Where there is an issue about child protection then the child’s welfare will be put first and the Safeguarding Policy put in place

Parents and carers have free access to all information kept on their own child. (Except in exceptional cases where Data Protection Act 1998 stipulates it is against the best interests of the child to do so). We also have regard to the Freedom of Information Act 2000


Working in Partnership with Parents and Carers

January 2018

Working in Partnership with Parents and Carers

Close working between early years practitioners and parents is vital for the welfare and education of the children in my setting. It is also essential for the early identification of children’s learning needs and to ensure a quick response to any area of particular difficulty. Parents, carers and families are central to a child’s well-being and I aim to provide a regular two-way flow of information between them and my setting. With this in mind I will:

  • Involve parents / carers in planning what their child will be doing at nursery
  • Discuss on a regular basis what each child has done during the day
  • Give information on what children have eaten, how long they have slept and any relevant toileting information.
  • I will record and act on any information provided by the parents
  • I will regularly discuss progress and development along with any concerns parents or staff may have
  • I am the ‘key person’ whose role it is to help the baby or child to become familiar with the provision and to feel confident and safe within, developing a genuine bond with the child (and the child’s parents) and offering a settled, close relationship
  • If parents want to speak to me then this can be arranged.

The following information will be provided for parents:

  • How the EYFS is being delivered in the setting, and how parents and / or carers can access more information
  • The range and type of activities and experiences provided for children, the daily routines of the setting, and how parents and carers can share learning at home
  • Our policies and procedures
  • Parents and carers have free access to all information kept on their own child. (Except in exceptional cases where Data Protection Act 1998 stipulates it is against the best interests of the child to do so).


Accidents and Emergencies

January 2018

Accident and Emergencies

Most children will have occasional falls and minor accidents at some point. I will take all reasonable stepsto ensure that hazards to children – both indoors and outdoors – are kept to a minimum, I recognise that children need to explore and test their own physical abilities and may therefore occasionally injure themselves. When such an accident occurs I will:

  • Comfort the child and provide any necessary first aid treatment
  • Record details of what happened in the accident book including any treatment given
  • Ensure that whoever collects the child signs the accident book
  • I will consider if any changes need to be made to the play equipment or routines etc in order to prevent the same accident happening again
  • I keep an appropriately stocked first aid box on the premises

In the rare event that your child needs hospital treatment I will contact you immediately and arrange to meet you at the hospital

I will notify Ofsted and the local child protection agency as soon as possible and in any case within 14 days of any serious accident or injury to or serious illness of any child whilst in our care and act on any advice given

I have a valid paediatric first aid certificate which is approved by Ofsted


Injury Form

Child’s name
Parent / carer’s name
Date
Injury observed
Any other relevant details
Parent / carer’s signature
Key worker’s signature

Medication and Sickness Procedure

January 2018

Medication and Sickness Procedure

(See also Accident and Emergency Policy)

I have a duty to ensure that all the children are helped to stay healthy. When a child is ill, they should be taken home as soon as possible and not return until they feel well and are not contagious. When a child is absent due to illness, parents should inform me as soon as possible. If the child has a specific diagnosis it is helpful to have that information. I also need to have sufficient information about the medical condition of any child with long-term medical needs.

If a child becomes ill I will:

  • Care for the child appropriately
  • Inform parents so that the child can be collected as soon as possible

Medication

I am happy to prescribe medicine to your child where is has been prescribed by a doctor, dentist, nurse or pharmacist. Medicines containing asprin will only be administered when prescribed by a doctor. Parents will be asked to sign a form showing the name of the medicine, dosage and times the medicine is to be given.

For non-perscription medication e.g. pain and fever relief or teething gel I require prior written consent of the parent and will only administer this when there is a health reason to do so.

I am not legally obliged to administer medication

If I have reason to believe that any child is suffering from a notifiable disease identified as such in the Public Health (Infectious Diseases) Regulations 1988, I will inform Ofsted. I will act on any advice given to me by the Health Protection Agency and inform Ofsted of any action taken

Intrusive Medication

If a child needs to have intrusive medication such as suppositories then the parents must first speak to me to arrange this. In cases such as this where the administration of prescription medicines requires technical / medical knowledge then individual training must be provided from a qualified health professional. Training should be specific to the individual child concerned


Health and Safety Policy

January 2018

Health and Safety

(See also: Accidents and Emergencies, Medication and Sickness Policies)

I am committed to the highest standards of health and safety for children. In order to do this I will:

Conduct a risk assessment and review it regularly – at least once a year or more frequently if the need arises. The risk assessment will cover outdoor and indoor spaces, furniture, equipment and toys. A record will be maintained of areas which have been checked.

It is my duty to:

  • Ensure that all children are supervised (by myself at all times)
  • Keep an accident book
  • Maintain a system for children’s arrivals and departures to ensure children’s safety and make sure all staff members and parents are aware of this system
  • Check outdoor space daily before the children go outside
  • Ensure fire regulations are adhered to including regular fire drills and that all smoke alarms, fire extinguishers etc are in working order
  • Ensure adults do not have hot drinks in the room where children are present.
  • Maintain a correctly stocked first aid box
  • Ensure that dangerous activities such as cooking are closely supervised
  • Ensure that sleeping children are always in sight
  • Ensure that materials offered to children are developmentally appropriate, as equipment suitable for older children may pose a threat to younger children
  • Teach children hand washing routines and other health related issues in a developmentally appropriate way
  • Ensure that when children are on outings, a risk assessment has taken place to include staff ratios. This risk assessment may not always be written but must have taken place

It is my duty to:

  • Know and implement all policies and national safety requirements relating to the premises and the children. This includes all new legislation as and when it becomes legally required.
  • Ensure that fire and safety equipment conform to the required safety standards
  • Ensure there is a clearly understood evacuation procedure which is practised on a regular basis
  • Ensure that insurance policies are up to date
  • Ensure that vehicles in which children and transported and the driver of those vehicles, are adequately insured

The following areas will be considered when a risk assessment takes place:

Area
Boundaries and gates
Water hazards e.g. ponds, drains, pools
Hazardous substances and equipment
Hazardous plants
Pets and other animals
Electricity and gas
Socket covers
Doors, windows and glass
Floors and stairs
Stacked furniture
Kitchen and food preparation / access to the kitchen
Hot appliances
Hygiene, cleanliness and minimising the risk of infection
Outings and trips
Fire safety
Condition of prams, pushchairs, highchairs and low chairs
Use of safety harnesses
Condition of toys and other equipment
Sandpits and their protection from contamination
Furniture, equipment and toys
Arrangements for monitoring sleeping children
Linens such as bedding and towels
Any hanging cords such as those on window blinds or drawstring bags
Date

Equality of Opportunity

Diversity Policy

January 2018

Equality of Opportunities (Diversity)

I work in accordance with all relevant legislation including the Equality Act 2010. I believe in promoting equal opportunities for everyone and value diversity in children, parents, carers and visitors. I believe that all children have an entitlement to have equal access to a broad balanced, relevant and differentiated curriculum. I strive to ensure that all children can develop self-confidence and high esteem whilst recognising and valuing differences between themselves and others.