Parents Area
Welcome to Leechpool Caterpillar Nursery!
Below you will find all of the information you need about your child’s time at Leechpool Caterpillar Nursery. If you have any further questions, please feel free to chat with a member of the team or to send an email to nursery@leechpoolnurseryasclub.co.uk or afterschoolclub@leechpoolnurseryasclub.co.uk, and we will do our best to help.
General Notices:
ALL AREAS WITHIN LEECHPOOL SCHOOL GATES ARE NO SMOKING OR VAPING AREAS.
CHILDREN WHO RIDE SCOOTERS AND BIKES TO THE SCHOOL ARE WELCOME TO LEAVE THEM OUTSIDE OUR GARDEN AREA DURING SESSIONS BUT PLEASE REMEMBER CHILDREN MUST NOT RIDE THEIR WHEELED TOYS IN THE SCHOOL GROUNDS.
NO DOGS – DOGS ARE NOT ALLOWED THROUGH THE SCHOOL GATES.
We hope that you and your children enjoy being part of Leechpool Caterpillar Nursery and that many happy memories will be created and life-long friendships.
The Nursery’s Timetable and Routines
Our nursery believes that care and education are equally important in the experience which we offer children. The routines and activities that make up the day in the nursery are provided in the ways that:
- Help each child to feel a valued member of the nursery.
- Ensure the safety of each child.
- Help children to gain from the social and emotional experience of being part of a group.
- Provide children with opportunities to learn and help them to value learning.
- Provide opportunities for children to take risks in a safe environment.
Activities
We organise our sessions so that the children can choose from a range of activities and, in doing so, build up their ability to select and work through a task to its completion. The children are also helped and encouraged to take part in adult-led small and large group activities which introduce them to new experiences and help them to gain new skills, as well as help them to learn to work with others.
Outdoor activities contribute to children’s health, their physical development, and their knowledge of the world around them. Children have the opportunity and are encouraged to take part in outdoor child-chosen and adult-led play, as well as those provided indoors.
Session Timings
Our sessions run Monday – Friday (term-time only) as follows:
Morning Sessions: 08:50am – 11:50am
Afternoon Sessions: 11:50am – 14:50pm
All-Day Sessions: 08:50am – 14:50pm
We offer a relaxed drop-off time between 08:45am – 09:00am and collection time between 14:40pm – 14:50pm.
What to Bring
Please send your child with clearly marked bag containing the following items:
- Labelled filled water bottle (no juice or squash please)
- Weather-appropriate clothing – sun hats, raincoats, winter coats etc.
- Nappies, wipes and nappy bags (where appropriate)
- Change of clothing (all items clearly labelled)
- Lunchbox for afternoon sessions. (See “Snacks & Meals” for details on ordering hot lunches.)
Dressing for a session
We encourage children to gain the skills that help them to be independent and look after themselves. These include taking themselves to the toilet, taking off and putting on their outdoor clothes. Please dress your child in clothes that will be easy for them to practice these skills.
Please do not dress your child in their best trousers, skirts and dresses. Casual home clothes are preferable. Although we provide aprons for messy activities, we are keen here to have fun and that means getting messy!
Children do not need to bring in a change of footwear, but please send children in wearing sensible closed-toe shoes.
Uniforms
We have polo shirts and sweatshirts which we would like the children to wear, although these are not compulsory. Prices are as follows:
- Polo Shirts £8.50 each
- Sweatshirts £11.00 each
These will be available to buy at your settling-in session, and throughout the academic year. Occasionally, we have good-quality second-hand uniforms available. Please ask.
Snacks and Meals
The nursery makes snacks and meals a social time at which children and adults eat together. We provide a healthy snack to be eaten mid-morning along with milk and water. This could be fruit, vegetables, cheese, breadsticks, and cereals. We ask for a voluntary cash donation each half-term towards this.
If children are attending all day or for an afternoon session, they will need a healthy lunch including no more than one “treat”. This can be in a lunch box sent in from home or a hot meal ordered through the nursery. The children will all sit together and eat their packed lunch or hot meal at midday with the staff.
Please note, we are a nut-free school, so please don’t send any products that contain nuts (Nutella, peanut butter, chocolate spread, breakfast bars, any nut-based products etc.)
Hot Meals
Hot meals are £2.85 each. Orders need to be placed 2-weeks in advance, taking holiday and nursery closure into consideration. If you are interested in ordering a hot meal for your child, please speak to a member of our team.
Arrival and Collection
Getting to Nursery
If you are planning to drive to the nursery, please always respect the residents on the surrounding roads as well as the fellow parents. Where possible, please walk. Parents of nursery children are not permitted to drive into the school grounds.
Automatic Gates – Pedestrian Gates Only
The main school gates are “manned” by a member of Leechpool Primary School or Leechpool Caterpillar Nursery staff at the start and end of each session. Please wait outside until you are welcomed in. There is an intercom system in place if you require access outside of session start and end times.
Before the Session
When waiting to come in, please wait in our garden area until the front door is opened. The lunchbox and drinks trolley will be outside for you to place these items on. Children should not run around on the path or on the school field, and we ask that you please do not disturb the main school in any other way.
PLEASE DO NOT LET CHILDREN ON THE CLIMBING FRAME OR TOUCH ANY OF THE OTHER EQUIPMENT THAT IS OUTSIDE BEFORE OR AFTER THE SESSION.
Please say goodbye at the door. Staff are on hand to help the children with their coats and bags.
After the Session
Please wait in our garden until the main door is opened. A staff member will arrange for the children to come out to you one at a time to ensure that all children are accounted for at all times. A member of the team will relay any important information to you (for example, if your child has had a toileting accident, or has hurt themselves) if needed. If you would like to speak to a member of the team about your child’s time, please wait until all the children have been collected.
Collection
We need to know who will be collecting your child. If, for some reason, there is a change to the person collecting your child, please tell a staff member at the door, by telephone or by email. If it is someone new to us, please bring them in to introduce them to us. Please give us their name, relationship to the child and a password which can be used to identify them.
We understand that on the odd occasion you may be late collecting your child because of an emergency, or something beyond your control.
Fees
We accept nursery educational funding for three- and four-year olds, two-year olds (where applicable) and 30-hour extended funding. Further information can be found here.
Where funding is not available, fees apply.
Our fees are £17.00 per three-hour session and are sent via email on the Monday before the end of the current half-term. This payment will be requested in advance of sessions.
Payment will need to clear into Leechpool Caterpillar Nursery & After-School Club’s bank account within 20 working days. Payment due date is clearly visible on the invoice.
Accepted forms of payment are:
- Cash
- Bank Transfer
- Registered Voucher Scheme
- Tax-Free Childcare Vouchers
Late fees are subject to a £30 Late Payment Fee. Your child’s nursery place is at risk if you do not pay by the date stated on your invoice.
If your child is absent, you will still be charged for the session.
1 month’s written notice is required when removing your child from our care with fees still payable for this period.
If Leechpool Caterpillar Nursery is forced to close, sessions that have already been paid for will be fully refunded with an option of donating a percentage to Leechpool Caterpillar Nursery & After-School Club at the family’s discretion.
How Families Take Part in the Nursery
Our nursery recognises parents as the first and most important educators of their children. All of the staff see themselves as partners with parents and families in providing care and education for their child. There are many ways in which parents and families take part in making the nursery a welcoming and stimulating place for children and parents, such as:
- Exchanging knowledge about their children’s needs, activities, interests and progress with the staff;
- Sharing their own special interests, careers and cultures with all the children;
- Being invited to Maths and Literacy sessions;
- Taking part in events such as Celebration picnics, fayres and outings;
- Building friendships with other parents in the nursery;
Parents and families are always made to feel welcome and can speak with the staff at any time or make an appointment if necessary.
Safeguarding Children
Our nursery has a duty under the law to help safeguard children against suspected or actual ‘significant harm’.
Our employment practices ensure children are protected against the likelihood of abuse in our nursery, and we have a procedure for managing complaints or allegations against a member of staff.
Our way of working with children and their parents and carers helps to ensure we are aware of any problems that may emerge and can offer support, including referral to appropriate agencies when necessary, to help families in difficulty.
Further information and support can be found on this link.
The Role of a Key-Person
The key person is a named practitioner who has responsibilities for a small group of children. They are there to help each child feel safe and secure.
The role is important for both the child and their families.
The key person will respond to children’s needs and help them to settle into a new environment. The key person will keep a record of the child’s Learning Journey and update regularly; this is shared with parents and carers.
Communication is paramount between parents, carers and key person as these discussions hold key information about the child.
Your key person will be a point of contact with the nursery if you wish to discuss any aspects of the nursery or your child.
Additional Needs
As part of the nursery’s policy to make sure that its provision meets the needs of each individual child, we take account of any additional needs a child may have. The nursery works to the requirements of the 1993 Education Act and The Special Educational Needs Code of Practice [2014].
Our Special Educational Needs Coordinator will always be happy to liaise with staff, parents and outside agencies on behalf of the child to ensure they receive appropriate care and education to suit their individual needs. Our Local Offer can be emailed to you.
