The Green

Findern (just off A38) Derby

Derbyshire 01283 701533

Email: info@theoldforgedaynursery.co.uk

Website: www.theoldforgedaynursery.co.uk

Homely Atmosphere Large Outdoor Play Area

Welcome To The Old Forge Day Nursery

☺ The Old Forge Day Nursery is conveniently situated on The Green in the village of Findern, a few miles south of Derby, just off the A38. ☺ The Nursery building is an attractive nineteenth century half-timbered building, which has been specially modernised to provide a safe, secure and friendly environment catering for up to 45 children between the ages of 12 weeks to 8 years. ☺ The Nursery is set in beautiful grounds, surrounded by trees. There is a small car park and lawn to the front. To the rear there is a secure playground and separate paddock for outside play, picnics, etc. ☺ At The Old Forge Day Nursery we offer a small, friendly, personal service to create an atmosphere as close to home as possible. ☺ We have a team of hugely enthusiastic and experienced Nursery Nurses who ensure all children receive the best care and attention. ☺ Education is a continuing process, beginning with the development of language skills leading to the ability to read and write. Children are at an age when they need to be encouraged to develop their potential as individuals and social awareness. ☺ We are a lively and busy Nursery. Our activities include a Sports Day and visits to the Assembly Rooms and The Guildhall. We have regular theme days, which offer an opportunity for everyone (including staff) to come to nursery in fancy dress, i.e. Santa day, Valentines Day and Green day. ☺ Children in our Nursery are invited to participate in all activities but are encouraged to make their own decisions. Each child is assessed on entry to the Nursery and individual attention is given to build on their strengths. ☺ The Old Forge Day Nursery will assist your child to pursue these objectives in a secure, friendly and stimulating environment.

General Security & Safety

Security is of the utmost importance. 24 hour CCTV cameras constantly monitor the grounds of the nursery. None of the doors to the property are freely accessible to the public, nor is the rear play area which is totally fenced off. It is a sad reflection that in today’s society we have to take these steps, however, we do carry this procedure out in the interest of the safety of the children in our care. The Old Forge Day Nursery has a fire alarm system and automatic smoke detectors. Toughened glass is standard in all appropriate internal and external doors. There is an external fire escape from the first floor playrooms. Health We are always concerned with your child’s health but we do not call you out of work unnecessarily. We understand children have teething problems and colds and we administer ‘Calpol’ with your permission.

Personal Possessions The Nursery strongly advises that children are not sent to nursery wearing their best/new clothing. The Nursery will not take responsibility nor offer financial compensation for any accidental damage, etc. Please note; ‘The Old Forge Day Nursery’ logo T-shirts are available to buy from the nursery. Toys and valuables are discouraged as these items may become lost or damaged. Please bring a named change of clothes for your child and indoor shoes or slippers to wear inside. Even if the weather is fine when you leave home, please provide your child with a coat. We may go outside during the day and the weather can change! Wellies would be useful too. (Other policies are available on request; complaints, behaviour and equal opportunities).

Aims, Philosophies and Objectives

The aim of the facility is to provide high quality day care for children from 12 weeks to 8 years old. The facility will strive to give the children an environment that makes them feel secure, loved, protected and stimulated. It will be obvious to anyone leaving children here that they will be well provided for. This will ease any feeling of guilt that may be felt. Quality time counts more than quantity. By providing a happy environment for the child whilst the parent is finding personal fulfilment, the establishment aims to enhance the relationship between child and parent. A secure environment is one where a child can feel valued and confident and so develop a sense of achievement through learning. The children will participate in a range of activities to develop their physical, intellectual and social abilities. Progress and future learning needs will be observed, assessed, recorded and shared with the parents. The children will be encouraged to develop self-control and independence through a variety of activities. A small unit such as this will give a child a strong sense of belonging and will be able to create a homely atmosphere, as well as providing the child with rich experiences in socialising and learning which could not be gained at home or in a large unit. In such an environment, the child settles down quickly having only a small number of staff with which to become familiar and form relationships. We believe that, “Although your children are adults of tomorrow they are people of today”. “We cannot prepare the future for your children, we can prepare children for the future”.

Nursery Layout There are four main areas within the nursery. Baby Unit Our Baby Unit has nine places available, full or part-time. The small number of babies means there will be continuity of staff within a homely environment. Your baby will have its own experienced Nursery Nurse who will follow any routines established at home. There is a separate sleep area with cots and in the main room there is a carpeted play area with floor cushions. There is also a vinyl-floored area for messy play and meal times. This room offers babies lots of opportunities for physical play, social activities, games, stories, singing and musical sessions. The babies also have their own secure garden area.

A nappy changing area is adjacent to the main room. Nappies are changed regularly and disposed of hygienically. Parents are requested to provide all nappies for their child.

Tweenie Rooms Our Tweenie Rooms can accommodate up to ten children aged 15 months to 2 years. One room is carpeted. In here they dress up, build, look at books and listen to stories, do jigsaws, sing and dance, play with toys to stimulate their imagination such as a train-set, farm, zoo, tea set and lots more… The second room is used as a creative area for painting, sticking, playdough, sand, water or jelly play, cooking and other messy activities that you wouldn’t want at home!! We supply protective clothing for these activities. This room is also used as the dining area for the Tweenies and the Toddlers. There is a toilet area situated next to the Tweenie Room with two toilets (one of which is child’s height), a washbasin and a number of potties for when they are ready to start potty training

Toddler Rooms The toddlers have the use of two rooms, which offer ten places for 2 to 3 year olds. The carpeted room is used for construction toys, role-play, story time, etc. The adjoining room has non-slip flooring and is used for creative activities such as painting and collage, messy time with sand and water. There are also tables and chairs – ideal for sitting at to do a jigsaw or a drawing. The toddlers have their own toilet and hand-washing area. Pre-school Rooms The new pre-school rooms are situated on the first floor of the building. Access is still through the main nursery door. The first room has been designed for quiet activities, with a carpeted floor and soft furnishings, ideal for role-play, music and stories. The second room has a carpeted area used for circle time and registration. The non-slip floor is perfect for the children to experiment with a wide range of craft materials. The pre-school children have their own toilet and hand washing area adjacent to the playrooms. Outside We have a large outside play area, which is divided into two. Next to the house there is a playground, which has a track painted on it for use with various bikes, cars, scooters and prams. There is also a sandpit and a small grassed area. The outer area is a large grass expanse, which contains a climbing frame, slides and swings. This area is suitable for ball games, hide & seek, wildlife expeditions, etc. During the summer we hold our annual Sports Day here. We play traditional outdoor games with the children such as: ‘What time is it Mr Wolf?’ hopscotch and skipping. In the summer we have many picnics here. All outside activities are fully supervised.

Children Under 1 Year The first 12 months of any child’s life are the most important and precious moments. We have opened a small baby unit, to ensure your baby receives the individual care and attention which every baby loves. At around 3 months, babies begin to play. They love having objects like rattles, teddies and teething rings to hold and to look at. Once a baby can sit up his/her world changes dramatically. It is now easier for him to look around and see everything and everybody. He can do a lot more with his toys, which gain a new interest.

All of our toys carry the British Safety Standard Kite Mark and are appropriate to the age of the child using them. Being brightly coloured, noisy or musical, they are fun to play with. They encourage fine motor skills, hand-eye co-ordination and intellectual development. We change our toys daily for variety, as a baby will show renewed interest in a toy, which has not been played with for a few days. All toys are sterilised on a regular basis.

All of our babies are offered the opportunity to take part in basic creative activities; crayoning, handprints and free painting. By 9 months a baby has fine control over the separate fingers and can hold paintbrushes and chunky crayons by himself. Social and emotional development is often overlooked, but here at The Old Forge, we encourage these areas in many ways. We are one big family, especially at meal times where all of the babies eat together. Opportunities are made for all children to express themselves emotionally through play and other activities. There are three members of staff based in the baby unit so that the babies see familiar faces. Being a small Nursery, this will help them to settle in. At this age it is important to have one person in the nursery that knows them well and has a real relationship with them. Having a maximum of 9 babies enables us to take our babies on short walks around Findern in our buggies, depending on the weather. The babies will also go outside in summer, so please ensure that we have sun cream and a sun hat in the fine weather. We have an advantage being a small unit, being able to establish a routine close to the one established at home with your child. Allowing them to sleep and eat as they do at home will help them to settle with us without too many upsets. A ‘diary’ is written daily so that parents can read what they’ve been up to during their time at nursery; ‘what’ and ‘when’ they slept, ‘when’ and ‘what’ they’ve eaten, ‘how many’ soiled nappies they’ve had.

1 Year Old Children

There are new physical skills to be learnt, so time will be spent jumping, running, kicking, rolling and walking. Fine motor skills are developing so your child is encouraged to build using construction toys and bricks. There are simple jigsaw puzzles to do and paints with which to experiment. The five senses need to be stretched by singing and talking. We talk about colours, animals and their noises. We sing songs with actions and use musical instruments, which can be shaken or banged. We read stories and show your child lots of pictures to encourage their vocabulary.

The outdoor facilities are superb; there is a large garden and a secured area of lawn and patio with various push-along toys, bikes and cars. There is also a

play-tunnel, a trampoline, a climbing frame with a slide, a sand pit and lots of balls and hoops to develop hand-eye co-ordination. We aim to go outside at least once a day, weather permitting and when it’s sunny we like to have a picnic on the lawn. In hot weather there is the opportunity for outside water play with the paddling pool. The children are taken on nature walks and visits to a local soft play. These are invaluable new experiences for your child.

Look at us doing our Sponsored Toddle

2 Year Old Children

It is of much value at this age for children to have a basic structure of life; therefore our Nursery helps your child to feel comfortable with a routine. Children are encouraged to use the potty and the toilet. In many cases we have been successful in a short time with help and encouragement from the parents. Puzzles are great. They teach concentration, train the eye to isolate shapes and help co-ordination. They also satisfy the toddler’s needs to take things apart. Threading and using crayons will encourage the fine motor skills of your child.

Cooking is a main feature in our weekly routine. Two and three year olds love to stir, mix and help. Messy play activities, as we call them, are very popular with children of all ages. Sand, water, paint, play-dough, collage material, cardboard boxes,

gluing and tactile materials such as foam, jelly, spaghetti and rice are some of the media used. Vocabulary is extended by looking at picture books; reading stories together, finger rhymes and singing lots of nursery rhymes and songs. They play games to learn numbers, count, recognise their name, match and sort. The outdoor facilities are excellent; there is a large garden and a secured area of lawn and patio with various push-along toys, bikes and cars. There is also a play-tunnel, a trampoline, a climbing frame with a slide, a sand pit and lots of balls and hoops to develop hand-eye co-ordination. We aim to go outside at least once a day, weather permitting and when it’s sunny we like to have a picnic on the lawn. In hot weather there is the opportunity for outside water play with the paddling pool. The children are taken on nature walks and also visit the nearby shops, recycling centre and playground. We also visit local soft play centres.

Typical Day at The Old Forge Day Nursery For a 3 - 4 Year Old

7.30 - 8.30 Breakfast.

8.30- 9.00 Free play, jigsaws, puzzles, games, etc.

9.00 - 10.00 Educational circle-time. Pre-school work, maths, letter work, pencil control, colours, shapes, etc.

10.00 - 10.20 Toilet, wash and snack.

10.20 - 11.00 Planned activities, e.g. Painting, sticking, play-dough, sand/water play.

11.00 - 11.30 Story-time.

11.30 - 12.00 Toilet, wash, dinner.

12.00 - 1.00 Outdoor play, bikes, hoops, beanbags, etc.

1.00 - 1.30 Circle time - singing, music and movement.

1.30 - 2.30 Educational time. Pre-school work.

2.30 - 3.00 Planned activities, e.g. cooking, collage, painting, etc.

3.00 - 3.30 Story-time.

3.30 - 4.00 Quiet time, large book story, story tape, listening to music.

4.00 - 4.30 Toilet, wash, tea.

4.30 - 6.00 Free play.

3- 4 Year Old Children Being 3 - 4 years old is a very exciting time, all things must happen NOW! Our pre-school prepares your child for starting school. We teach them the alphabet using phonics, i.e. a as in apple, not a as in angel. We concentrate on teaching one letter every 2 weeks by playing games and using computer software. Apart from the first letter the children write their names using lower case letters. Again by games and songs the children are taught to recognise and sequence numbers up to 10 or 20. Here are some activities and creative play ideas we carry out at The Old Forge Day Nursery: Reading - we have a reading scheme: ‘The Oxford Reading Tree’ which is used in local schools. When we feel the children are ready and after discussion with parents they are given a book, which is taken home and read. Work is given to consolidate progress, which can be done at Nursery or can be done at home. The content of our monthly topics is linked to the 6 areas of the Early Learning Goals: - Communication, Language and Literacy, Mathematical Development, Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Knowledge and Understanding of the World and Creative Development. For example, our topic at the moment is ‘Water’ and most of our activities such as art and craftwork are connected with this. Language and knowledge and understanding of the world are being developed through discussion of the availability and use of water by ourselves and other cultures. We have visited Foremark Reservoir and Stenson Bubble to see the lock. We are collecting money for Water Aid and a parent who has actually taken part in the project came to talk to us about her experience. Planned activities are done by the older children, concentrating on numbers and letters, developing their social skills, fine motor skills and pencil control. We do not make the children do things they don’t want to do, we use encouragement and our pre-school projects are always fun. Artwork - painting, sticking, modelling, coloured chalking, scissor practice, play-dough, sand and water play, all of which cover numerous areas of the Early Learning Goals. Eating - we feel meal times are important and therefore encourage the children to sit down at the table, use a knife, a fork and a spoon and develop good manners.

Trips - help extend the children’s vocabulary and increase their knowledge of the environment. Being in such a convenient spot, we can easily walk down the country lanes to see the cows and sheep, paddle about in the stream, go to the shops and visit the mobile library. We regularly visit local libraries for story time. Some visits are made on the service bus, and also the train from Willington, which are new experiences for some of the children.

Outdoor activities are important for improving gross motor skills. We have excellent outdoor facilities - a secured area of lawn and patio with a painted track where the children can ride around on the bikes and cars. There is also a play-tunnel, a trampoline, a climbing frame with a slide, a sand pit and lots of balls and hoops to develop hand-eye co-ordination.

We aim to go outside at least once a day, weather permitting and when it’s sunny we like to have a picnic on the lawn. In hot weather there is the opportunity for outside water play with the paddling pool. Other activities such as cooking, singing, music and music and movement, etc. are all part of our routine.

Voucher Scheme - Now Called: ‘Early Years Nursery Funding’ (EYNF)

As a parent you will be eager for your child to get the best possible start to school life, so finding good quality early years education that suits you and your child is of great importance. The Old Forge Day Nursery has been approved by the government’s education body OFSTED for taking part in the EYNF which enables all children aged 3 years to attend nursery for five sessions a week, term time only, at a greatly reduced price. Working parents often struggle to get their children ready for school and then pick them up on time because of starting times clashing. That is where our opening hours and flexibility are a great benefit to working parents. The recommended staffing ratio for the Pre-school aged child is 1 member of staff to a maximum of 8 children, although at our Nursery, this figure is always at a lower ratio. This enables your child to participate in educational and creative work on a daily basis, with the opportunity to do work to take home regularly. All of our activities cover the 6 Early Learning Goals as set by OFSTED, so that your child can learn while they play. We received an excellent OFSTED report, congratulating us on our teaching methods and activities including our many excursions. All the children in Nursery have the opportunity to get books from the mobile library, which visits Findern every fortnight. This is an educational experience in itself. For further details or information on the Early Years Development Plan, or to read our OFSTED report, please make an appointment to come and see us.

Holiday Club

Our Holiday Club children are given a choice of activities to do whilst they are at Nursery.

We try to keep the children in a separate group so they can work on topics which are of interest to them – pirates, dinosaurs, space. They have the opportunity to do lots of craft, and spend lots of time playing outside on the Bouncy Castle and the climbing equipment. Our secure garden is perfect for hide and seek and treasure hunts.

Our ‘Holiday Club’ is run throughout the year during school holidays, enabling parents to continue working whilst school is closed.

If Nursery children go on a walk or a trip while the holiday club is running, those children will get the opportunity to accompany them. We occasionally organise trips especially for the Holiday Club children to places such as Tutbury Castle and Sudbury Museum of Childhood.

Nursery Fees 2010

Under 1 year 1-2 years 3 years +

Full Week (Mon-Fri)

Includes breakfast, lunch, snacks and tea

£148.00 £144.00 £144.00

Full Day

Includes breakfast, lunch, snacks and tea

£37.00 £36.00 £36.00

Morning Session (7.30– 13:00)

Includes breakfast, snack and lunch

£21.50 £21.00 £20.50

Afternoon Session (13:00 – 18:00)

Includes tea and snack

£21.00 £20.00 £19.50

Hourly sessions are available or part thereof at £4.50/hour

• Minimum of two daily sessions per week

• No charge for Bank Holidays

• No charge for 1 week between Christmas and New Year

• 10% discount for siblings

• Two week holiday break at 50% for full time children only

• £25 Registration Fee (non refundable) payable for each child

• Fees payable one month in advance and within seven days on receipt of invoice

• Charges for late collections apply (see full terms and conditions)

• Nursery fees reviewed annually, changes take effect in January

• Nursery hours between 7.30am – 6.00pm

School Holiday Club (children up to 8 years old)

Part Time 0 - 8 hours £3 per hour

Full Day 9 - 10.5 hours £25 per day

Full Time 40+ hours £90 per week

Full Time 52.5 hours £100 per week

Before or After School Club (£9 per session) • Includes breakfast, play and drop off to school, or, collection from school, play and tea

• The above price is based on pick-ups and drop offs to Findern Primary School, prices and availability may vary to other

Schools

• Discounts are available for more than 1 child

Please see Nursery Manager for more information

Parent’s Comments (Can be seen on request)

“…thank you for the excellent care you have given my children over the last 5 years. They have loved their time at the Old Forge and have made some lovely friends.” (Ms. S, Heatherton) “Thank you for all the care, love and attention you have given both my children during their time at the Old Forge. You have given them a great start before school.” (Mr and Mrs B, Weston-on-Trent) “…thank you for everything you have done for my children. They have both loved their time at the Old Forge. We will all miss you very much. Thank you again.” (Mr and Mrs G, Sinfin) “A sincere thank you for giving my child a wonderful beginning in life. We can honestly say that she has loved every minute of it and will miss you greatly. We as parents are delighted with the care and supervision you have provided and will also miss you but will look back on the last 4 years with fond memories.” (Mr and Mrs P, Mickleover) “…thank you and all your staff for the excellent care that you have provided for both my children. They are happy, confident children who have had a very good preparation for school and who both have lovely memories of their time at the Old Forge Day Nursery.” (Ms. B, Findern) “Thank you for making my son’s time at nursery so much fun. He has learnt so much and has become more confident.” (Mrs S, Stenson Fields) “Thank you so much for all your hard work and care with my son. He has enjoyed his time with you (and so have we!).” (Mr and Mrs G, Willington) “…thank you for all the care provided to my daughter over her 4 years at nursery. It has been reassuring to know she has been in safe hands during her time with you. She has also learnt many skills which will make her transition to school much easier for her. Thank you for your patience and support.” (Mr and Mrs M, Littleover)

The Green Findern Derby

Derbyshire DE65 6AA

01283 701533

E-mail: info@theoldforgedaynursery.co.uk

Website: www.theoldforgedaynursery.co.uk

Copyright © January 2009