Policies & Procedures

At kinderzimmer, we aim to ensure that all parents, carers and staff have access to the nursery through a fair and consistent procedure for allocating places. 

We operate an inclusion and equality policy and ensure that all children have access to nursery places and services irrespective of their gender, race, disability, religion or belief or sexual orientation of parents. 

Key Information 

Each kinderzimmer nursery is registered with Ofsted to provide care for children aged three months to five years old with a maximum number of children at any one time during a day. 

kinderzimmer Muswell Hill: OFSTED URN 2734982, with 57 children at any one time during a day. 

The numbers and ages of children admitted to the nursery comply with the legal space requirements set out in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). When considering admissions we are mindful of staff: child ratios and the facilities available at the nursery.

We operate an Inclusion and Equality policy and ensure that all children have access to nursery places and services irrespective of their gender, race, disability, religion or belief or sexual orientation of parents.

Prior to a child attending nursery, parents must complete and sign a contract and registration form. These forms provide the nursery with personal details relating to the child. For example, name, date of birth, address, emergency contact details, parental responsibilities, dietary requirements, collection arrangements, fees and sessions, contact details for parents, doctor’s contact details, health visitor contact details, allergies, parental consent and vaccinations etc.

When a parent/carer registers their child for their funded place, we will discuss their needs and, as far as possible with availability and staffing arrangements, we will accommodate their wishes.

The nursery is open 51 weeks a year, closing for one week between Christmas and New Year, Bank Holidays, and no more than three team development days. 

Children can attend for the following sessions: 

• Full Day – 7:30am to 6:30pm 

Nursery places are required to be a minimum of 2 days a week, including a Monday or a Friday.  

Admissions Criteria  

The criteria considered when deciding whether a child can be offered a place at kinderzimmer are as follows:  

• Availability of places, taking into account the staff/child ratios, the age of the child and the registration requirements 
• The nursery’s ability to provide the facilities for the welfare of the child, including appropriate staffing arrangements 
• Children who have the greatest requirement for childcare sessions  
• Children who have siblings who are already attending the nursery 
• When the application is received (extra weight is given to those who have been on the waiting list the longest) 
• Extenuating circumstances affecting the child’s welfare or the welfare of his/her family. 

Prior to a child attending the nursery, a registration pack must be completed.  This provides the nursery with key information for us to provide care and education for the child. 

A child’s place at the nursery is not secured until the parents/ carers receive a formal Offer Letter from us, in which they choose to accept the place offer and pay a refundable deposit of £400. Upon receipt of the offer acceptance and deposit, we will confirm their child’s nursery start date and their booked session pattern.   

The conditions once a place has been offered at kinderzimmer are as follows:  

• Parent(s) and/or Legal Guardian(s) who do not accept a place offer within 48 hours may have their place offer withdrawn.  
• kinderzimmer reserves the right to withdraw a child’s place in the event of inappropriate parental and/or carer behaviour.  
• All parent(s) and/or Legal Guardian(s) must adhere to all kinderzimmer terms and conditions and all the setting’s policies and procedures.  
• On admission, for our records, we will take a copy of the child’s birth certificate or other evidence that proves their date of birth.   

Funded Childcare Places 

At kinderzimmer, we currently provide free funded places available for children subject to availability, and according to our admissions criteria detailed above.  

We currently offer 15 and 30-funded hours for children over 3.  

 Tax-free childcare is available for all children of nursery school age. It can be used alongside any funding.  After their third birthday, all children in England are eligible for 570 hours of funding across 38 weeks of the year (term time). Depending on personal circumstances, a child may also be eligible for a further 570 hours of funding.   

 
 The allocation of funded childcare places is made on a termly intake, beginning the term following the child’s third birthday, in line with the flexible arrangement as specified by the Government. When a place is offered, we will discuss the parents’ needs and, as far as possible, with availability and staffing arrangements, we will accommodate their wishes. 

At kinderzimmer, we strive to provide the highest quality of care and education for our children and families and believe that all parents are treated with care, courtesy and respect.  

We hope that at all times parents are happy and satisfied with the quality and service provided and we encourage parents to voice their appreciation to the staff concerned and/or management. We record all compliments and share these with staff. 

We welcome any suggestions from parents on how we can improve our services and will give prompt and serious attention to any concerns that parents may have. Concerns will be dealt with professionally and promptly to ensure that any issues arising from them are handled effectively and to ensure the welfare of all children, enable ongoing cooperative partnership with parents and continually improve the quality of the nursery. 

We have a formal procedure for dealing with complaints where we are not able to resolve a concern. Where any concern or complaint relates to child protection, we follow our Safeguarding children and child protection policy.

Internal complaints procedure

Stage 1

If any parent should have cause for concern or any queries regarding the care or early learning provided by the nursery, they should in the first instance take it up with the child’s key person, a senior member of staff or room leader.  If this is not resolved, we ask them to discuss this verbally with the Head of Nursery. 

Stage 2

If the issue still remains unresolved or parents feel they have received an unsatisfactory outcome, then they must present their concerns in writing as a formal complaint to the Head of Nursery. The manager will then investigate the complaint in relation to the fulfilment of the EYFS requirements and report back to the parent within 5 working days. The Head of Nursery will document the complaint fully, the actions taken and the outcome in relation to it in the complaints log book.   

Most complaints are usually resolved informally at stage 1 or 2.

Stage 3

If the matter is still not resolved, the nursery will hold a formal meeting between the Head of Nursery, parent and a senior staff member to ensure that it is dealt with comprehensively. The nursery will make a record of the meeting and document any actions. All parties present at the meeting will review the accuracy of the record, and be asked to sign to agree it is an accurate record of the meeting,  and will receive a copy. This will signify the conclusion of the procedure.

Stage 4 

If the matter cannot be resolved to their satisfaction, then parents have the right to raise the matter with Ofsted. Parents are made aware that they can contact Ofsted whenever they have a concern, including at all stages of the complaints procedure, and information on how to contact Ofsted is displayed in the setting. Ofsted is the registering authority for nurseries in England and investigates all complaints that suggest a provider may not be meeting the requirements of the nursery’s registration. It will risk assess all complaints made and may visit the nursery to carry out a full inspection where it believes requirements are not met. 

A record of complaints will be kept in the nursery. The record will include the name of the complainant, the nature of the complaint, date and time complaint received, action(s) taken, outcomes of any investigations and any information given to the complainant including a dated response. 

Parents will be able to access this record if they wish; however, all personal details relating to any complaint will be stored confidentially and will be only accessible by the parties involved. Ofsted inspectors will have access to this record at any time during visits to ensure actions have been met appropriately. 

The record of complaints is made available to Ofsted on request. We will follow this procedure for any other compliments and complaints received from visitors to the provider, where applicable. 

Contact details for Ofsted:  

Email: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk

Telephone: 0300 123 1231   

By post:

Ofsted
Piccadilly Gate
Store Street
Manchester
M1 2WD

Parents will also be informed if the nursery becomes aware that they are going to be inspected and after inspection, the nursery will provide a copy of the report to parents of children attending on a regular basis.

At kinderzimmer, we wish to support children to learn about sustainable practices and foster respect and care for the living and non-living environment. 

Children are able to develop positive attitudes and values about sustainable practices by exploring solutions to environmental issues, learning about the world around them and how to protect it and watching adults role model sustainable practices. 

We promote a holistic, open-ended curriculum which explores ideas and practices for environmental sustainability and helps children understand the interdependence between people and the environment by: 

• Helping children to explore nature through art and play 
• Supporting children to experience the natural environment through natural materials like wood, stone, sand and recycled materials
• Supporting the environment by learning how to grow and nurture plants in the nursery garden and discovering all about the food cycle by growing, harvesting and cooking food for our nursery menu
• Helping children to learn about water conservation, energy efficiency and waste reduction through play-based activities and adult interactions 
• Going on nature walks and learning about plants they see in the local area
• Encouraging parents and children to regularly walk to nursery to raise the awareness of caring for the planet 
• Developing a recycling area and encouraging children to share a recycling ethos in the home environment.

As a nursery group, we will embed sustainability into all aspects of the operations including: 

• Recycling materials for art and creative activities and encouraging parents to bring in their recycling materials for the same use
• Ensuring parents recycle children’s take-home recycled material models, if they do not keep them 
• Considering our carbon footprint when purchasing materials
• Shopping local where possible
• Turning off equipment and lights when not in use 
• Using energy saving light bulbs
• Not leaving any equipment on standby
• Unplugging all equipment at the end of its use/the day
• Using energy saving wash cycles on the washing machine
• Hanging washing out to dry and/or using clothes horses rather than tumble dryers where possible 
• Composting food waste
• Incorporating water-wise strategies such as ensuring taps are turned off and leaks fixed
• Using potable water rainwater butts for outdoor water play 
• Recycling water from the water play to water plants outside
• Using food that we have grown in nursery meals. 

Working together with all our parents and partners will help our environment to be more sustainable and make it a better place for our future generations to grow up in.

We assess our nursery’s impact on the environment on a regular basis and put procedures in place to counteract this impact. In order to encourage children not to waste food or to play with food at mealtimes, we discourage the use of food as a play material; instead, we encourage activities which involve preparing and tasting different types of food. 

This policy is reviewed annually and is carefully considered in the best interests of the children, nursery and the environment.

At kinderzimmer, all of our nurseries accept funding to assist with your child’s early years education.

Below are just some of the childcare funding choices we accept. At our discretion, we may also accept childcare grants if you are a full-time higher-education student.

Changes to Funded Childcare from April 2024

On 15th March 2023, the Government announced plans to increase access to funded childcare hours to include younger children. The phased introduction of this plan begins in April 2024 through to September 2025

• From April 2024, children aged two are to receive 15 hours of funded childcare.
• As of September 2024, children aged nine months to have access to the 15 hours of funded childcare.
• By September 2025, all eligible children aged from 9 months to school age to receive 30 hours of funded childcare.

At kinderzimmer, we are open for 51 weeks of the year. Therefore, we stretch the termly funding of 38 weeks, across 51 weeks, to ensure your child receives consistent care throughout the year. Please speak to the Community Manager for more information.

We will continue to update you with any information regarding the funding and how this can be used.

Funding in England

Tax-Free Childcare – Age 0-11

• For working families, including the self-employed, in the UK
• For every £8 you pay into an online account, the government will add an extra £2, up to £2,000 per child per year.

15 Hours Funded Childcare – Age 2 

• To be able to take up 15 hours of childcare for your two-year-old, your child must meet the eligibility criteria.
• A total of 570 hours per year, that you can use flexibly (subject to T&C’s) with one or more childcare providers.

15 Hours Funded Childcare – Age 3&4 

• For all families in England
• With 3 and 4-year-old children
• 15 hours of childcare or early education
• A total of 570 hours per year, that you can use flexibly (subject to T&Cs) with one or more childcare providers.

30 Hours Funded Childcare – Age 3&4

• For working families in England
• With 3 and 4-year-old children
• 30 hours of childcare
• A total of 1,140 hours per year, that you can use flexibly (subject to T&C’s) with one or more childcare provider.

For more information, please speak to your kinderzimmer nursery team as T&C’s may vary per local authority. 

kinderzimmer is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal information.

This privacy notice describes how the nursery collects and uses personal information about employees of the nursery (“employees”), children attending the nursery (“child” or “children”) and the parents of the children (“parents”) (known collectively as “you” or “your”), in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Each kinderzimmer nursery setting is a “data controller”. This means that we are responsible for deciding how we hold and use personal information about you. We are required under data protection legislation to notify you of the information contained in this privacy notice.

This notice applies to employees, children and parents. This notice does not form part of any contract of employment or other contract to provide services. We may update this notice at any time but if we do so, we will provide you with an updated copy of this notice as soon as reasonably practicable.

It is important that employees, children and parents read and retain this notice, together with any other privacy notice we may provide on specific occasions when we are collecting or processing personal information about you so that you are aware of how and why we are using such information and what your rights are under the data protection legislation.

For our full GDPR & Privacy Policy, please click here.

At kinderzimmer, we expect and promote that children are vaccinated in accordance with the government’s health policy and their age. 

We ask that parents inform us if their children are not vaccinated so that we can manage any risks to their own child or other children, staff and parents in the best way possible. The nursery manager must be aware of any children within the nursery who are not vaccinated in accordance with their age.

We make all parents aware that some children in the nursery may not be vaccinated, due to their age, medical reasons or parental choice. Our nursery does not discriminate against children who have not received their immunisations and will not disclose individual details to other parents. However, we will share the risks of infection if children have not had immunisations and ask parents to sign a disclaimer. 

We record, or encourage parents to record, information about immunisations on children’s registration documents and we update this information as and when necessary, including when the child reaches the age for the appropriate immunisations.

Staff vaccinations policy

It is the responsibility of all staff to ensure they keep up-to-date with their vaccinations, as recommended by the NHS vaccination schedule and keep the nursery informed. If a member of staff is unsure as to whether they are up-to-date, then we recommend that they visit their GP or practice nurse for their own good health. 

Emergency information

We keep emergency information for every child and update it every six months with regular reminders to parents in newsletters, at parents’ evenings and reminders on the kinderzimmer app.

Our staff will administer medication for pain relief, or that has been prescribed by a medical professional. We will administer paracetamol or ibuprofen-based medicines, such as Calpol, where necessary and with the correct permissions in place. Please be aware our policy is not to administer any medications for more than three days. This limit may differ from the advice on the medication itself. All medicines are stored appropriately as per instructions and out of the reach of children. 

Prescribed medicines

It is the responsibility of the parent/carer to inform the staff if their child has been unwell prior to attending nursery. Parents/carers are required to complete and sign a medication consent form if they need staff to administer medication to their child, including why the medication is being administered, and stating if their child has had a reaction to any medicine in the past. The medicine MUST be in its original container with all labels attached and clear. If the medicine has been prescribed it MUST have the dispensing medicine label attached, clearly identifying the child’s name, date it was prescribed and dosage. When the parent/carer hands over the medication, staff must check the expiry date to ensure it has not expired and is safe to administer. Where an expiry date is not present on the bottle or label, staff must check the date it was prescribed and the duration for which it is to be given to ensure this time hasn’t lapsed. Medication will only be given without an expiry date if it is still within the given time limit from when it was dispensed. The prescribed medicine must be taken home at the end of every day. 

Paracetamol and Ibuprofen

We will not routinely administer paracetamol or ibuprofen-based medication for temperatures, coughs, colds or if children are feeling unwell. Administering paracetamol or ibuprofen-based medications for sprains, breaks, fractures or similar illnesses or injuries will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, at the discretion of the Head of Nursery or completed risk assessment should one be required to be completed.

Administering prescription medication

When a child requires medication to be administered staff must record the child’s name and the time the medication needs to be administered and ensure all staff working within that room are aware of this. When the medication is administered the medication form is signed immediately after. Other staff will be made aware that the medication has been administered. 

If the medication is required to be given a second time later in the day, the process is repeated. If ever a staff member is unsure if a child has been given medication, they must verbally check with other staff within the room and check that the medication form has been signed to confirm the medication has been administered. Good communication is key. Medication MUST be administered by an experienced, level 3 qualified member of staff. Staff will be vigilant when administering medicine to ensure that it is administered correctly, according to instructions given on the medicine instruction label.

Signing it Off

The member of staff who administers the medication must complete and sign the medication record sheet and a second staff member must witness the administration of the medication and sign the form also. This must be done IMMEDIATELY after administering the medication. The parent/carer must then sign the medication form when collecting their child. A separate medication form will be used for each child to maintain confidentiality. Once complete, these medication forms will be filed in the child’s file. This routine applies to Calpol as well as prescription medications. 

Administering Calpol

Parents are responsible for providing all medications except Calpol. When the child joins the nursery the parents/ carers sign to give their permission for Calpol to be administered. Should your child become unwell whilst at nursery, for example having a high temperature, you will be contacted and asked for permission for this to be administered to your child if your child’s temperature is very high. You will be required to collect your child. This medication will be administered to prevent convulsions and any prolonged suffering to your child. If your child is allergic to paracetamol, you MUST inform the setting upon enrolment or as soon as you are aware of this.

Training

If the administration of medication requires medical knowledge, then individual training from an appropriate healthcare professional will be sought for staff members in the immediate child’s care. (For example, Epi-Pen training)

In the unlikely event that a child goes missing within or from the nursery the following procedure will be implemented immediately:

• All staff will be informed and an immediate thorough search of the nursery will be made, followed by a search of the surrounding area, ensuring that all other children remain supervised throughout.
• A register  will be taken to ensure only one child is missing 
• The Head of Nursery will be informed whilst other available staff, including the housekeeper if they are on site, will continue searching.
• The Head of Nursery will carry out a second search of the area.
• If the child has not been found after the search, then the Head will contact the police.
• The Head will then contact the child’s parents/carers and inform them of their missing child.
• During this period, all available staff will continue to search for the child.
• All remaining staff will maintain as normal a routine as possible for the other children in their care.
• The Head will meet the police and parents/carers and await instructions from the police.
• The parents/carers can expect reassurance and support from the management team
• All incidents are recorded in writing.

The Head of Nursery will contact Ofsted and inform them of any such incident.

At kinderzimmer, we believe that mealtimes should be happy, social occasions for children and staff alike. We promote shared, enjoyable positive interactions at these times. 

We are committed to offering children healthy, nutritious and balanced meals and snacks, which meet individual needs and requirements. 

We ensure that:

• A balanced and healthy breakfast, midday meal, tea and two daily snacks are provided for children attending a full day at the nursery
• Menus are planned in advance and in line with example menus and guidance produced by the Department for Education. These are rotated regularly, reflect cultural diversity and variation and are displayed for children and parents to view
• All allergens are displayed alongside the menus to show the contents of each meal
• We provide nutritious food at all snacks and mealtimes, avoiding large quantities of fat, sugar, salt and artificial additives, preservatives and colourings
• Menus include fresh fruit and vegetables every day
• Parents and children are involved in menu choices
• Only milk and water are provided as drinks to promote oral health. Fresh drinking water is always available and accessible. It is frequently offered to children and babies and intake is monitored. In hot weather, staff will encourage children to drink more water to keep them hydrated
• Individual dietary requirements are respected. We gather information from parents regarding their children’s dietary needs, including any special dietary requirements, preferences and food allergies that a child has and any special health requirements, before a child starts or joins the nursery. Where appropriate, we will carry out a risk assessment in the case of allergies and work alongside parents to put into place an individual dietary plan for their child
• We give careful consideration to seating to avoid cross-contamination of food from child to child. Where appropriate, an adult will sit with children during meals to ensure safety and minimise risks. Where appropriate, discussions will also take place with children about allergies and potential risks to make them aware of the dangers of sharing certain foods 
• Staff show sensitivity in providing for children’s diets and allergies. They do not use a child’s diet or allergy as a label for the child, or make a child feel singled out because of her/his diet or allergy
• Staff set a good example and eat with the children and show good table manners. Meal and snack times are organised so that they are social occasions in which children and staff participate in small groups. During meals and snack times children are encouraged to use their manners and conversation is encouraged 
• Staff use meal and snack times to help children to develop independence through making choices, serving food and drinks and feeding themselves
• Staff support children to make healthy choices and understand the need for healthy eating
• Where possible, we provide foods from the diet of each of the children’s cultural backgrounds, providing children with familiar foods and introducing them to new ones
• Cultural differences in eating habits are respected
• Any child who shows signs of distress at being faced with a meal they do not like will have their food removed without any fuss. If a child does not finish their first course, they will still be offered a helping of dessert
• Where possible, children are encouraged to serve themselves
• Children not on special diets are encouraged to eat a small piece of everything
• Children who refuse to eat at mealtimes are offered food later in the day
• Children are given time to eat at their own pace and not rushed
• Quantities offered take account of the ages of the children being catered for in line with recommended portion sizes for babies and young children
• We promote positive attitudes to healthy eating through play opportunities and discussions
• The nursery provides parents with daily written records of feeding routines for all children under two.
• No child is ever left alone when eating or drinking to minimise the risk of choking
• We will sometimes celebrate special occasions such as birthdays with cake. These will be given at mealtimes to prevent tooth decay and not spoil the child’s appetite. The cakes are provided by the nursery
• Parents are asked not to bring in cakes or sweets on special occasions. We ensure that all food meets the above health and safety requirements and ingredients that are listed within the Food Information for Consumers (FIR) 2014 and detailed in the allergens policy and procedure
• All staff who prepare and handle food are competent to do so and receive training in food hygiene which is updated every three years

In the very unlikely event of any food poisoning affecting two or more children on the premises, whether or not this may arise from food offered at the nursery, we will inform Ofsted as soon as reasonably practical and in all cases within 14 days. We will also inform the relevant health agencies and follow any advice given. 

kinderzimmer is dedicated to the support, development and promotion of high-quality care and education for the benefit of our children, families and community. We are committed to safeguarding children and promoting their welfare.

All staff, students and volunteers have a responsibility for safeguarding children, being vigilant and identifying and reporting any safeguarding concerns, in line with this and supporting policies. 

For our full Safeguarding Children and Child Protection Policy, please click here.

At kinderzimmer, our aim is to work in partnership with parents to help them become familiar with the setting and offer a settled relationship for the child. We know children learn best when they are healthy, safe and secure, we build positive relationships with parents to ensure we can meet children’s individual needs and help them settle quickly into nursery life.

All our staff know about the importance of building strong attachments with children. They are trained to recognise the different stages of attachment and use this knowledge to support children and families settling into the nursery.  

kinderzimmer knows that the initial experiences with the nursery are vital to a child becoming well-settled and secure in the nursery, and doing this well is something that we take pride in. We aim to make our nursery a welcoming place where children and their families feel comfortable; supporting parents and carers through their entire journey with the nursery. 

 We have a wide array of strategies to give your child the smoothest transition into the nursery, and we work with parents and carers to choose which are most appropriate and likely to have the greatest success. These are carefully implemented to complement our welcome commitments below.  

Our Welcome Commitments – before their child’s first session every family will have: 

• A welcome meeting with the Head of Nursery and the Community Manager 
• A key person selected for their child  
• Their child’s essential information gathered to support top-quality care 
• Their care and service preferences explored with the Head of Nursery and the community manager 
• Access to the kinderzimmer app 
• Access to all the essential policies and guides 

The Key Person 

• Ahead of your child starting the nursery you will be allocated a key person who is a child’s primary carer in the nursery and the unconditional champion for the child.  They will be the main support for the care and education of a child, leading the communication between the nursery, parents and carers, and any other supporting parties. 
• To support healthy relationships, each child also has a nominated buddy key person who, in the absence of the child’s key person, will use their bond and sound knowledge of the child and their family. 

Settling-in Sessions – Your free settling-in sessions 

First Session  

• 2-hour session with parent/carer and child attending in the room 

Second Session 

• 2 hour session with just child attending to include a meal time 

Third Session 

• 2 hour session with just the child to include a mealtime 

Some children may take a little longer to be ready to separate from their parents/carers, and we are very conscious of that. We are always happy to discuss with the family how the settling in is going, and to take things at the child’s pace. 

Parents/carers must honour the commitment to be available for the duration of the settling period and until their child can stay happily without them. 

Settling-in 

The key person welcomes and looks after the child and family at the first session and throughout the settling-in process. They lead the induction to the room that the child will be attending, and ensure that the ever-evolving needs of the child are understood and catered for.    

We recognise that some children will settle more readily than others, with factors such as their age and stage of development, and the amount of time they have spent away from home and their parents, all contributing. As a result, there is not a defined period for settling-in, instead, the key person will work with the parents to determine how long the settling period will be.  

 A child is deemed to be settled when they have formed a relationship with their key person and: 

• the child looks for them when they arrive,  
• the child goes to them for comfort, and seems at ease in their company, 
• the child is pleased to see other children and participate in activities, 
• the child is also familiar with the environment and where things are. 

Children can display signs of distress during their settling-in, which in turn can cause distress for parents, educators and for other children.  We do not believe that leaving a child to cry will help them to settle any quicker and believe that a child’s distress will prevent them from learning and gaining the best from the setting. Therefore, we reserve the right not to accept a child into the setting without a parent or carer if the child finds it distressing to be left. This is especially the case with very young children. 

Once the child has settled in, we will discuss and work with the child’s parents and carers to begin their child’s learning journey.  A learning journey is an ongoing record of their activity and development at the nursery, which is accessible to parents through the kinderzimmer app. The learning journey includes periodic assessments, in which we share our view of a child’s progress and invite parents and carers to explore the child’s development with us. 

The key person is responsible for: 

• Providing an induction for the family and for settling the child into our setting.  
• Acting as the key contact for the parents.  
• Offering unconditional regard for the child and being non-judgemental. 
• Working with the parents to plan and deliver a personalised plan for the child’s well-being, care and learning. 
• Providing an effective handover daily to parents.  
• Developmental records and for sharing information on a regular basis with the child’s parents to keep those records up-to-date, reflecting the full picture of the child in our setting and at home. 
• Having links with all carers involved with the child and coordinating the sharing of appropriate information about the child’s development with those professionals. 
• Encouraging positive relationships between children in their key group, spending time with them as a group each day. 
• Attending to personal care routines including feeding, changing nappies and clothes, and supporting children at sleep time. 
• Comfort the child in times of upset or distress.  

Our settling-in procedure includes: 

• Allocating a key person to each child and his/her family, before he/she starts to attend. The key person welcomes and looks after the child, ensuring that their care is tailored to meet their individual needs. He/she offers a settled relationship for the child and builds a relationship with his/her parents during the settling-in period and throughout his/her time at the nursery, to ensure the family has a familiar contact person to assist with the settling-in process
• Reviewing the nominated key person if the child is bonding with another member of staff to ensure the child’s needs are supported
• Providing parents with relevant information about the policies and procedures of the nursery 
• Working with parents to gather information before the child starts on the child’s interests, likes and dislikes and their favourite things available at settling sessions, e.g. their favourite story or resource, as well as completing a baseline of the child’s current development to plan, and meet, the individual needs of the child from the first day
• Encouraging parents and children to visit the nursery before admission is planned and arranging home visits and/or online video meetings where applicable 
• Planning tailored settling-in visits and introductory sessions, following any necessary government advice 
• Welcoming parents to stay with their child, where possible and applicable during the first few weeks until the child feels settled and the parents feel comfortable about leaving their child. Settling in visits and introductory sessions are key to a smooth transition and to ensuring good communication and information sharing between staff and parents
• Encouraging parents to send in family photos to display to help settle the child 
• Creating photo books of the setting including photos of staff for the child to take home and share with their parent and become familiar with the staff and new environment 
• Reassuring parents whose children seem to be taking a little longer to settle in and developing a plan with them, for example, shorter days, where possible 
• Providing regular updates and photos of the children settling 
• Encouraging parents, where appropriate, to separate themselves from their children for brief periods at first, gradually building up to longer absences
• Respecting the circumstances of all families, including those who are unable to stay for long periods of time in the nursery and reassure them of their child’s progress towards settling in
• Not taking a child on an outing from the nursery until he/she is completely settled.

It is our policy to encourage and promote good health and hygiene for all the children in our care. This includes monitoring the children for signs and symptoms of childhood illnesses such as coughs, colds, chicken pox, diarrhoea, vomiting and temperatures above the norm. We request that parents and carers ensure that children are well enough to attend nursery and to participate in their usual day-to-day activities whilst at nursery.

The nursery staff must consider the welfare of the ill child in mind and the best interests of the other children in the nursery. If a child is considered by staff to be too ill to be cared for at the nursery, then the parent/carer will be contacted. They will be asked to collect their child as soon as they are able to. The child will be made as comfortable as possible until collection and as much time and attention will be given to them as necessary, without having an adverse effect on the care of the other children. This may include support from the Head of Nursery or staff from other rooms. 

In the case of a sudden or serious illness, the Head of Nursery is informed immediately and will then contact the parent/carer and/or emergency contacts and appropriate action will be taken. At all times the staff will remain calm and endeavour to reassure the child until the parent/carer arrives. 

Sickness and Diarrhoea

If a child is unwell and vomits whilst at the setting then their parents will be contacted immediately and will be asked to collect their child from the setting. Children who have diarrhoea whilst at the setting will be monitored. After a child has three bouts of diarrhoea within a close time-period parents then will be contacted and asked to collect their child from the setting.  

Exclusion Periods

In some cases, an exclusion period from the setting may apply. Nursery staff must be satisfied that the child is in good health before allowing the child back into the nursery. 

Broken bones

Should a child have suffered a serious injury resulting in a sprain, bone break/fracture or similar injury then the situation will be assessed to see if the nursery can safely manage the child’s care while still recovering. Children will be allowed into the nursery setting at the discretion of the Head of Nursery. Our insurance provider may also need to be contacted before the child can attend the setting to ensure that all safety procedures and risk assessments are put in place to keep the child and other children on site safe and to prevent further harm or injury.

Medications

Parents are responsible for providing all prescription medications. General permission for the administration of Calpol is included in the “Getting to Know You Form” via the kinderzimmer app. Please also see our Medications Policy.

High Temperatures

Should your child develop a temperature whilst at nursery you will be contacted and asked to collect your child immediately.

“A normal temperature in babies and children is about 36.4C, but this can vary slightly from child to child, A fever is a high temperature of 38C or more” https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/fever-in-children/ (NHS, 2020).

Staff can administer Calpol whilst the child is awaiting collection, should permission to do so be given over the phone. In addition, children will be offered fluids to keep them hydrated, they will be kept comfortable, ensure that clothing is appropriate and loosened if able to do so, and kept out of draughts. 

Children must be free of high temperatures for a minimum of 48 hours and be well enough to attend before returning to nursery. 

Emergency contacts

Should your child become unwell, and we are unable to contact parents/carers or emergency contacts, we always have an emergency supply of liquid paracetamol (Calpol) that can be administered if your child’s temperature is very high – this will be administered to prevent convulsions and any prolonged suffering to your child. If your child is allergic to paracetamol, you MUST inform the setting upon enrolment or as soon as you are aware of this.

We take our guidelines on exclusion periods from nursery for illnesses from the NHS website, and Health Protection Agency nurses who are trained in communicable diseases.

This policy has been created with regard to:

• The SEND Code of Practice 2015
• Children and Families Act 2014 (Part 3)
• Equality Act 2010
• Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018)
• Statutory Framework for the EYFS (2021)

Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Code of Practice

The nursery has regard to the statutory guidance set out in the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice (DfE 2015) to identify, assess and make provision for children’s special educational needs. 

At kinderzimmer, we use the SEND Code of Practice (2015) definition of Special Educational Needs and Disability:

A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her.

A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she:

• Has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or
• Has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age…

For our full Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Policy, please click here.

The nursery has an obligation to stay with any uncollected child at the end of the nursery day until that child is collected. The child may not leave the nursery, or be taken home by any member of staff. The Head of Nursery is informed if a child has not been collected.

If the parents/carers have not arrived within 15 minutes of the due collection time, then the parents/carers and other given contact numbers will be pursued. Two members of staff, one being the Head of Nursery, will stay in the nursery until one hour has lapsed (if the late collection is after the nursery closing time). If after 30 minutes from the due collection time, there has been no contact with the parent/carer or other contacts then the nursery has no alternative but to ring the Child Protection Team.

A record will be kept of all children who are not collected by the due time. This will include the date, time, the person who collected the child and the reason given. If a child is not collected at the due time, there will be a charge.  The nursery will never release a child to an unauthorised person, even if the collection is late unless the parent/carer telephones the nursery to state that because of an emergency, a different person will be collecting their child. The parent/carer should give the name and a physical description of the person collecting their child. The Head of Nursery will check and verify these details, along with their ID, and the password, before permitting the child to leave.