ELMCROFT bistro- dining

All children in nursery are provided with snack in the morning & afternoon, & all 1,140 eligible children receive lunch or enhanced snack. Menus will be shared on our online Seesaw platform.

Our dining experience is a calm, child led, & enjoyable experience. We aim to provide a social experience in our Bistro whilst the children serve their own food, clear away their dishes, taste new foods, & enjoy their snack & lunch.

We work with our colleagues in CFM to ensure all food safety & hygiene regulations are adhered to, & ensure the voices of the children stay front of centre of any changes & improvements we make.

Please note that no food can be brought from home.

ATTENDANCE

Daily attendance registers are maintained to provide safety & security for all children. If a child does not attend for 2 consecutive days, their key worker will contact you to ensure everything is alright. Whilst Early Years is not a mandatory part of education like Primary, it is important that attendance levels are kept up, as if a space is not being used due to extensive non-attendance, the Head may write to you to reduce provision, or if prolonged, remove the space altogether.

Play & Tracking Learning

Children’s learning & development is continually assessed by their Key Worker, & in collaboration with all staff. The children will have opportunities to engage in a large variety of play & learning experiences. Our indoor & outdoor environments are divided into areas that support different types of play. As well as our extension of our very own forest.

Play is child led in line with the children’s interests, needs, & seasonal & cultural calendars. Learning is tracked using the Curricular for Excellence & Realising the Ambition, & supported by other documents that enable Practitioners to create meaningful experiences & provocations that help the children develop & learn.

We record all children’s learning on Seesaw. A digital app that enables parents/carers to interact with their child’s play & learning in real time as the learning journal is updated by staff.

We will have meetings with you twice a year to discuss your child’s progress, learning, & overall development.

Arriving at & Leaving Nursery

There is limited parking in the street. Please remember not to park on the zigzag lines and do not carry out U-turns on the road. It is a very busy road so please mind your speed.

We would encourage children where possible to walk, cycle or scoot to & from nursery as much as possible to promote physical fitness, community awareness, & general health & well being for them & their family.

Children can not be collected by anyone under 16 years old, & that person must always be a responsible adult who can competently care for your child once they leave nursery. We may refuse to let a child leave with someone if they are under 16, or with an adult we deem them to be irresponsible.

Additional Support for Learning

The nursery has a statutory duty to ensure that all children have equal access to the curriculum, supported as appropriate to their individual needs. This covers not only play, learning, & resources, but also the nature of our environment, interactions, & experiences.

The nursery team is made up of Child Development Officers, qualified to at least HNC level (although often to degree level), with Support for Learning Workers who supplement the staff team & who can assist children, either individually or in small groups to access the curriculum, learn, grow, & express themselves. The CDOs & SFLWs work in conjunction to meet the needs of our children who require that extra bit of support as they grow.

Clothing & Sun-cream

Our children access outdoor play every day in all weathers (with the exception of severe weather warnings) & so all children should come to nursery dressed for the weather. We have wetsuits & welly boots that the the children can use, however appropriate jackets, footwear, & clothing generally that is appropriate for the weather that day is also essential.

On sunny days, please ensure sun cream is applied to your child before they come to nursery. The nursery staff will reapply during the day as needed, Please also provide a sun hat for your child on sunny or hot days.

We encourage children wear aprons when painting, playing in water or messy materials, & remain clean when eating, however play & toilet accidents do happen, so we ask you to leave a spare pair of clothes each day for your child which can be hung on their peg. Please write your child’s name on all clothes to avoid them being lost or taken in error.

Excursions, Consent, & Emergencies

Any excursions that take place will be planned in advance & involve parental consent. General consent forms are part of the nursery enrolment paperwork. Consent forms for specific trips or events will be given to parents to sign.

We require at least 2 emergency contact numbers for your child in the event of an injury, illness, evacuation, or other situation. It is vital that all contact information for parents & emergency contacts is kept up to date.

Miscellaneous Information

There is no smoking allowed anywhere on the premises.

There are no dogs allowed anywhere on the premises. Guide dogs are permitted.

Phones cannot be used anywhere inside the nursery. Please finish or hold off making any phone calls until you are outside.

Please be mindful of voice levels when in the nursery, in particular when in the playrooms.

In the event of an emergency closure of the nursery, we will communicate with families to inform you. Please therefore ensure any changes in your contact information is passed to the nursery in a timely manner.

aCCIDENTS & INCIDENTS

“The more risks you allow your children to take, the better they learn to look after themselves” Roald Dahl

As children are curious about the world around them at times it will be inevitable that they will have a fall, trip, scratch or bump to the head. However, our amazing, nurturing staff team will be there to scoop them up and ensure they are ok.

If your child suffers from an accident/ injury at nursery, our priority is to ensure they receive immediate care and emotional support they require. All accidents where first aid has been applied will be recorded within our accident books. We will share all relevant information and ask parents/carers to sign to state that they have received information and are happy with the treatment received.

If your child has a bump to the head or gets bitten during their time at nursery, we will give you a call to inform you prior to you collecting your child.

Illness & Medicines

If your child becomes ill when in nursery, we will contact you to collect them & we will keep the comfortable until you arrive.

If your child has asthma then they MUST have an inhaler that can stay in the nursery, along with an asthma plan. If your child has epilepsy or is prone to seizures, you MUST provide a seizure plan.

If your child requires medication during their day in nursery, we would support that administration at the discretion of the Head. Only medicines that are prescribed for your child, & that are for a specific purpose e.g. fighting infection, will be administered. Pain relief will not, & if a child is unwell enough to require pain management such as Calpol, then they should be at home until well enough to return to nursery.

At times throughout the year, medical professionals visit the nursery for specific purposes e.g. teeth varnishing, visual screening. Your consent will be sought before your child takes part..

Child Welfare & Safety

All staff in the nursery are guided on policy & procedures relating to child safety, protection, & welfare by Glasgow City Council. All educational establishments must take positive steps to help children protect themselves by ensuring that health & personal safety are central to the curriculum.

The nursery creates & maintains a positive ethos & climate which actively promotes child welfare & a safe environment by;

• Ensuring that children are respected & listened to.

• Ensuring that staff are aware of child protection issues & procedures.

• Establishing & maintaining close working relationships & arrangements with other agencies to make sure that professionals collaborate effectively in protecting children.

The Head of Nursery (Cheryl Taylor) is the designated child protection Co-ordinator & will act on all issues that are raised & pass them to other agencies if initial investigation warrants it.

Communication

We communicate with our parents in a variety of ways; digitally, in print, & in person. We would always prefer to speak with our families face to face as the relationships we have with you are very important to us. When this isn’t possible we will use Groupcall to send you text messages & emails, Seesaw to notify you of learning or play announcements.

If at any point you want to speak to your child’s Key Worker, or a member of the nursery leadership team, that will always be accommodated at a mutually suitable time.