Welcome to

Glen Urquhart Childcare Centre

Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation SC024692

Glen Urquhart Childcare Centre

Pitkerrald Road

Drumnadrochit

IV63 6XA

Telephone 01456 450 679 or 01456 459 225

Mobile 07506478858

e mail-

mail

Handbook 2016-2017

Our Centre is a community run group formed in 1996 providing a stimulating, caring, learning environment for children in the Glen Urquhart area and beyond.

The Glen Urquhart Childcare Centre offers quality wrap around care for children aged 3 until their 14th birthday. This includes Breakfast Club, government funded flexible Early Learning and Childcare for 3-5 year olds, Out of School Club and Holiday Club.

GLEN URQUHART CHILDCARE CENTRE

Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation SC024692

VISION and AIMS

Glen Urquhart Childcare Centre is delighted to welcome you and your child to our Centre. We strive to provide a safe, caring and stimulating environment in which children can feel happy and secure and ready to learn.

The Glen Urquhart Childcare Centre aims :

  • To provide a welcoming setting where all parents, children, staff, carers and visitors feel valued, included and involved.
  • To create an atmosphere that encourages and supports children to be safe, healthy, achieving, nurtured, active, respected, responsible and involved.
  • To continue to work in partnership with parents, carers, partner agencies and other people within our community.
  • To use whenever possible, the skills and knowledge of those in our wider community, working together and learning from one another.
  • To respect the equal rights of all children and their families. To promote tolerance by providing a broad range of experiences and resources.
  • To implement The Curriculum for Excellence, meeting the needs of individual children’s learning through play. Our Curriculum will be inclusive, be a stimulus for personal achievement and through the breadth and depth of experiences offered around our world, encourage children to be informed, responsible citizens.
  • To meet the national care standards for children aged 3 to 16 and use How Good Is Our Early Learning and Childcareand Building The Ambition as guidelines for implementing new procedures, policies and to further improve the standard and quality of care through self evaluation
  • To encourage children to choose, plan and evaluate their own activities and take control of their own learning, at a pace tailored to meet individual stages of development.
  • To support all staff with a planned and coherent programme of Continual Professional Development that meets the registration requirements of the SSSC.

Opening Times:

Early Learning and Childcare

The 600 government funded hours can be used flexibly throughout the year as long as no more than 16 hours are used in one week and no more than 8 per day. Staff will have conversation with you during enrolment to advice and support your choice.

Breakfast Club 08.00 – 08.50 - children escorted to

school by staff

Out of School Club 14.45 - 18.00 – children collected from school at

2.45pm and

3pm and from the Balnain school

bus by a

member of staff.

Holiday Club 09.00 - 18.00

Terms:

Autumn: August - December

Winter:January - Easter

Spring:Easter - Summer Holidays

School Term Dates

Autumn

  • Autumn term starts - 16 August 2016
  • Autumn term ends –7 October 2016

Winter

  • Winter term starts - 24 October 2016
  • Winter term ends – 23 December 2016

Spring

  • Spring term starts – 9 January 2017
  • Mid-term break 20 – 22 February
  • Spring term ends - 5 April 2017

Summer

  • Summer term begins – 11 April 2016
  • Summer term ends – 1 July 2016

Public holidays

  • Good Friday –14 April 2017
  • Easter Monday – 17 April 2017
  • May Day – 1 May 2017

In-service days

  • The first day back after summer - Monday 15 August 2016
  • Thursday 22nd and Friday 23rd September 2016
  • One day following the February mid-term break - Wednesday 22nd February 2017
  • Thursday 4th May 2017

Our holiday club will operate on certain weeks throughout the holidays and during all school in service training days.

Holiday Club Dates will be allocated for this school year during the 2017 summer break and will be emailed to Centre users and posted on our web site.

We now offer a Gaelic language learning experience, as part of our Early Learning and Childcare. Parents therefore have the option of enrolling for English or Gaelic medium Early Learning and Childcare, or can opt to do both, if spaces allow.

We are supported by a variety of other professionals to ensure we are “Getting it Right For Every Child” e.g. Health Visitor and Speech and Language Therapist.

We welcome secondary school and higher education students completing work experience and placements.

We have built strong links with the Toddler and Family Learning Groups in the village to ensure a smooth transition to Nursery.

We continue to foster a close working relationship with the associated primary schools and participate in various whole school activities. We also have regular access to the library, community rooms, theatre, gym hall and playing fields that form part of Glen Urquhart High School.

Play is central to a child’s life in the Centre.

Your child is at a very crucial stage of his/her development as it is now accepted that children learn more rapidly in the first seven years of their lives than at any other time. Therefore, it is really important that your child is given every opportunity to fulfill their full potential.

As a parent you play a vitally important part in the process. We in the Centre will play our part by treating your child as an individual. We also aim to offer him/her a variety of experiences and activities which we hope will be both enjoyable and create valuable learning opportunities.

STAFF AT THE CENTRE ARE OUR MOST IMPORTANT ASSET. ALL ARE TRAINED OR ARE IN TRAINING, REGISTERED WITH SSSC AND HAVE A PVG DISCLOSURES.

The Nursery Curriculum

The Nursery Curriculum is all about the development of the individual child and is based firmly on play and active learning.

Staff currently plan activities and experiences that promote and extend the children’s learning in all eight of the Curriculum for Excellence areas:

  • Literacy and English
  • Numeracy and Mathematics
  • Health & Wellbeing
  • Social Studies
  • Technology
  • Science
  • Religious and Moral Education
  • Expressive Arts

Since August 2009 our Centrehas been delivering experiences and outcomes from Curriculum for Excellence. These guidelines provide a flexible and enriched curriculum for all Scottish children aged 3-18 years. By providing structure, support and direction to their learning the Curriculum for Excellence should enable the children to become:

  • Successful Learners
  • Confident Individuals
  • Responsible Citizens
  • Effective Contributors

We will continue to further develop the nursery curriculum according to Curriculum for Excellence guidelines during 2016-2017

Building the Ambition: National Practice Guidance on Early Learning and Childcare

Enrolment and Admission Procedures

Nursery enrolments usually take place in February. Adverts will be placed in the Local Press, the local toddler groups, posted on our web site and face book page.

Transition from Home to Nursery

Children are invited to attend a Nursery welcome party prior to your child starting their sessions, or the month prior to starting as a 3-year old, to meet with staff and children and become familiar with the Nursery environment.

ENTRY DATE FOR NURSERY SESSIONS

Your child will receive a funded place for Nursery in the term after his/her third birthday. If your child is three before the end of February, he/she may start after the Easter break. Any children with birthdays after 1st March may start, in August. Please note that children who start after Easter will move into their second year of their pre school education in August. Children born in January or February, have the option to attend a further “advantage year” This can be discussed with staff throughout your child’s time with us. The above regulations comply with current government legislation.

ENTRY DATE FOR CHILDCARE, IF REQUIRED, PRIOR TO FUNDED NURSERY SESSIONS

Although funded sessions are not available until the term after a child’s 3rd birthday, children an register for childcare immediately after their 3rd birthday.

An hourly rate will be charged unless your child is eligible for the government funded Early Learning and Childcare.

Childcare fees are as follows:-

£4.50 per hour, charged per half hour after the first hour.

What is Nursery Education All About ?

We work with each child at their individual level building on the skills which they have learned and continue to learn at home. In the Nursery we hope to promote your child’s ability to:

  • Develop strategies for learning
  • Seek out and respond to learning opportunities
  • Choose, plan and evaluate their own activities and take control of their own learning
  • Collaborate and reflect with others
  • Think and share ideas while learning to value the thoughts and beliefs of others
  • Acquire knowledge, skills and understanding to use appropriately as they learn to cope with different situations
  • Communicate with peers and adults
  • Express themselves through the medium of art, craft, music , drama and movement
  • Develop self esteem and be more tolerant of others
  • And most importantly…………………have fun and enjoy themselves!!!!!

SOME ESSENTIALS YOUR CHILD WILL NEED FOR NURSERY

Gym shoes – or similar

It is essential that the nursery floor is kept clean anddry as the children learn through participating in many floor play activities. We also have access to the gym hall, and theatre in the High School, and both require indoor footwear.

Wellington Boots

These are necessary for outside play all year! We recommend that a labelled pair be left in the nursery, if possible.

Spare Clothes

Please provide a labelled bag containing a complete change of labelled, spare clothes in case of any accidents. This can be kept on your child’s peg.

Jacket/Coat

We aim to go outside most days. It can be chilly outside whatever the season.

Nursery sweatshirts

Nursery sweatshirts are available to purchase from the Centre office. It is not compulsory to wear but we prefer children to have them as they are easy indentified, saves good clothes and promotes a sense of belonging.

Arrival and Departure of Children at Nursery

All children must be accompanied into nursery and collected from nursery by a responsible adult over the age of 16 years old. To ensure your child’s safety Nursery staff must be informed if anyone other than the parent or usual carer is collecting a child.

We ask that you sign your child in at the start of the session and sign them out at the end.

Nursery Learning Experiences

Every day the children become more familiar with nursery routines and this helps to develop confidence.

Each child learns to recognise his/her name by seeing it written on pegs and cubby holes and by posting his/her name on arrival.

A weekly plan is displayed on the Noticeboard, opposite the Nursery door, at the start of each week. This provides information about the focus for children’s learning, snack, visitors, visits and on going interests being developed for the week. This learning plan is developed by taking ideas and thoughts from children’s interests.

We welcome family input into our plans. Please speak to any staff members about ideas or skills you can share.

Snack

The children will be given the opportunity to have snack every day. We aim to develop a range of social skills associated with eating and to develop a positive healthy attitude towards food.

Examples of the range of snacks we offer include:

Milk/ Water

Fruit Smoothies

Toast

Pitta/Naan breads

Pasta, noodles & rice

Crackers and cheese

Various biscuits, cakes, rolls or scones baked during the session

Breadsticks and dip

We always include fruit and vegetables such as:

ApplesCarrotsMelon

BananasKiwi fruit Cucumber

GrapesOranges Mixed vegetable soup

PearsStrawberries

The children are encouraged to take turns to prepare much of the snack themselves under adult supervision. They are also responsible for pouring out milk/water collecting the plates and cups and tidying away afterwards.

Daily Learning Activities

The Nursery Day

Play is central to the Nursery day. Children are encouraged to make their own choices and independently find, use and return the resources they require from the range available to them within the learning environment. Activities vary from day to day so that there is always something fresh and new to interest the children. All play activities offered to the children have an underlying educational purpose. Play is the process and means by which things are taught and children learn.

So why play?

  • Through play the mind and body are stimulated and active
  • It is pleasurable and enjoyable which in turn will help to motivate the children.
  • It helps build self-confidence
  • It allows the child to tackle new experiences in a familiar situation.
  • It can provide an escape, relieve boredom, allow for relaxation and the opportunity for solitude.
  • It helps the child to develop social skills and develop perceptions about other people.
  • Skills can be practiced and repeated as many times as is necessary for confidence and mastery.
  • Opportunities for sensory experiences which are the foundation of intellectual development are provided.
  • It provides reasons children can understand for acquiring skills and knowledge adults value.
  • Play creates context for language development.

Nursery Activities Include –

Sand and water play Baking

CookingPlaydough

PaintingJunk modelling

Gluing and cuttingJigsaws

TracingBoard games

Construction toys e.g. Duplo and LegoBuilding blocks

Outdoor activitiesStory corner

Mind Mapping IdeasICT equipment

Imaginative play e.g The home corner, the hospital etc

While participating in these activities, there are many cross curricular learning opportunities offered.

We have many resources we can share with home. Please ask a member of staff.

What Will Children Learn In The Nursery?

Through their play children will develop a broad range of skills and understanding, including learning to:

Co-operate with each otherShare

ListenTalk

MeasureWeigh

OrganiseThink

Become more independentDevelop more self-confidence

Control their bodiesDevelop their creative skills

Use appropriate vocabularyBehave appropriately

Children will also be given opportunities to:

Listen to storiesLearn poems and rhymes

Visit and meet others from their local environmentCare for animals and plants

Sing and take part in a range of musical activities

The majority of play activities undertaken in nursery do not result in an ‘end product’. The children get pleasure and experience from the process of ‘doing’. The lack of tangible product to take home does not imply the lack of work or learning on the child’s part. Staff welcome the opportunity to speak with Parents/Carers at the end of a session to explain how a child has spent his/her time.

Profiles/ Parent Interviews

Children are observed at play throughout the year. Information gathered is used to compile the child’s learning journey. Parents are welcome to see these at any time.

Please contact a member of staff to access them.

There are opportunities to meet formally with your child’s Key worker during the nursery year – Meet and Chat sessions and a Parent’s evening in February. In addition, a written report will be issued to you towards the end of the summer term.

Toilet Training

We have an equal opportunities policy and all children are welcomed to Nursery sessions regardless of whether they are toilet trained or not.

If your child has special toilet needs please discuss these with staff.

Only Nursery staff are involved in changing a child. A parent visiting Nursery can only change his or her own child.

We ensure that your child’s privacy and dignity are respected but if you do not wish to give us your consent to this personal care, please inform us.

Permission Slips and Photographs

A permission slip for changing children, taking photographs, audience photographs/videos, accessing the internet and applying sunscreen should be completed at the time of enrolment. Further consent forms for special events will be requested as necessary.

Nursery photographs, audio recording and videos are retained in school.

Children are automatically enrolled in the Highland Council’s Oral Health programme to allow your child to clean their teeth at Nursery is also required. If you do not want your child to participate you will have the option of opting out. This form is included in our Registration pack.

Accidents and Incidents

(including restraint for safety purposes)

Books are held in Nursery to record any accident, incident or restraint necessary for the safety of the children.

Parents/carers are informed verbally at the end of the nursery session, are asked to sign the report and are given a copy to keep. If necessary a copy of the report is forwarded to parents to be signed.

Parents are informed by telephone immediately should this be considered necessary.

Illness and Attendance

To get the most out of Nursery your child should attend for as many sessions as possible in the week.

In the unlikely event of your child becoming ill or having an accident while attending Nursery we will contact you by phone. If it is impossible to get in touch with you we will contact the emergency numbers you have given to us. For this reason it is vitally important that the information you gave us when you enrolled your child is kept up to date. Please notify us of any changes.

If your child is unwell before the Nursery starts it is really better that they stay at home . You are the person they will want to be with if they feel under the weather.