The Nest

Welcome Booklet for Parents

This booklet aims to provide you with all the information you may require about The Nest, and attempts to answer some of the questions that will undoubtedly arise during the first few weeks. We are always available if you need to ask any more questions, and feel communication between parents and staff is at the utmost importance.

Introduction

The Nest is a purpose built building adjacent to the Wellington Primary Academy. We offer full day care facilities for Tidworth and the surrounding areas. We can cater for 30 children a session, from the ages two- five years old. We have a small amount of two year old, funded sessions available. We are open from 7.30am – 6.00pm, Monday to Friday 48 weeks a year. We will be closed for two weeks over the Christmas period.

The Nest is part of Wellington Primary Academy and the Wellington family. Our family is based around Wellington College, which was established in 1859 in memory of the Duke of Wellington, and now consists of six schools: the College, the Wellington Academy, Eagle House Prep School, Wellington Primary Academy, Wellington College International Tianjin, and, from September 2014, Wellington College International Shanghai. The Nest will have close ties with the The Nest nursery in Eagle House Prep School in Berkshire.

A Wellington education promotes:

Excellence, through rigorous learning of key skills within a rich and broad curriculum.

Holistic learning by developing the whole child.

Innovation in the way we teach and learn.

Collaboration with parents and carers, the Wellington family, the military community and local primaries.

Vision

We are here to inspire all children to develop their sense of self-worth and individuality. We

understand parents are their child's first teachers and are our partners for enhancing learning and

development, ready for their journey through school.

Aims and Objectives

To provide professional care of the highest standards for parents who want their children to feel

safe and secure in a caring environment.

To provide a stimulating, child centred environment that meets the needs of individual children and

families and to serve the needs of the local community.

To embrace community values which encourages children to grow up into caring, responsible,

confident and fulfilled adults with positive attitudes towards themselves and others in our

multicultural society.

What Can we Offer Your Child

An individual curriculum, based around your child’s needs, which encourages children to explore and

be confident.

Lots of opportunities for you and your family to be directly involved in the activities within The Nest

and in your own child’s learning.

Well qualified, motivated staff, who promote a loving, ordered and purposeful environment. We

acknowledge that every child deserves the best possible start in life and continuous support that

enables them to fulfil their full potential.

Early Years Foundation Stage

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is a set of statutory standards that all early years providers

must meet. The EYFS aims to provide quality and consistency, a secure foundation for all children

through life and school, partnerships between different practitioners, partnerships between parents

or carers and practitioners and equality of opportunity for all children. The EYFS comprises of seven

areas of learning; three prime areas and four specific areas of learning. The Nest will follow the

statutory requirements for our children and help parents understand the early years curriculum. A

folder containing the statutory requirements can be found in the main foyer of The Nest, or online.

Please find the website address at the back of this booklet.

Key Person

Every child will have a Key Person. The role of the Key Person is to help settle your child into the

setting, answer your questions, be responsible for your child’s learning and development, the

upkeep of your child’s records, to take care of your child’s individual needs such as toileting and

eating, but above all they will be your child’s friend and your first contact.

Before your child starts at The Nest, you and your child will receive a visit in your child’s home

surroundings from their new Key Person and The Nest Manager. This is an informal chat so your

child gets to know us before they begin. If your child has any previous records from other settings,

please could you give them to us then so we can gain a holistic view of your child. If we feel your

child would benefit from us meeting up with staff from their previous setting, we will arrange a

meeting to visit their current Key Person.

A Key Person is “to help the child become familiar with the setting, offer a settled relationship for

the child and build a relationship with their parents” (EYFS, Statutory Requiremenst, 3.27)

Lunches/Tea

We have a fantastic team that prepares all the breakfast/snacks/lunches and teas on site. There is a

hot lunch available every day and an afternoon cold tea. There is a menu planner within the

welcome pack, which changes every term. If you require your child to stay over the lunch period and

not have the hot lunch, please could you provide your child with a lunch box containing a healthy

balanced meal. There is more information available online about healthy lunches. Please find the

website address at the back of this booklet. An afternoon cold tea can also be available for your child

on request. A snack is available mid-morning and mid-afternoon . All snacks are included in the price.

The meals provided for the children in the setting “must be healthy, balanced and nutritious” (EYFS,

Statutory Requirements, 3.47)

Daily Routine

Every child has an individual coat peg and box for putting their personal items in. Every week we ask

for different things to be brought in for circle time, but understand if your child just wants to bring

one favourite toy instead. Please could the items not be expensive or too big! We cook, sing, dance

explore in the woods, walk around our immediate environment, play on the apparatus, have soft

play sessions in the main school, have visitors coming in to talk to us plus lots more.

Your child will have a personal online Learning Journey with us. We use a software package called

Tapestry, which allows The Nest staff to add information and observations about your child’s day,

but also let the parents can access it online at home every day, and add comments, photographs or

short clips. Parents will all be sent an individual password so they can access their child’s

information. This is a fabulous way to have a partnership between parents and the setting staff,

especially if parents are overseas. Parents have access to their child’s learning and feel part of their

development. We have computers available in the setting too for you to access your child’s Learning

Journey if you are unable to log in at home. The joy of Tapestry is you can also print off the most

memorable moments of your child’s journey with us.

The EYFS asks for parents to be kept informed of their child’s “daily routine of the setting” and “the

range of activities and experiences” that are provided for the children (EYFS, Statutory

Requirements, 3.73)

Parental Involvement

There is a noticeboard in the foyer with lots of information and the current newsletter. Here at The

Nest we endeavour to send out a newsletter every month with ideas for your children and parents

to do at home, notices about the setting, what we have been doing in the classroom and what we

have coming up. This can be sent out via email or by paper copy. If you choose to have a

communication book, the child’s Key Person will write in it every day about what your child has been

up to, what your child has had for lunch, if your child has had an accident and most importantly lots

of stickers for your child’s achievements throughout the day.

We have a comment box in the entrance for you to add any comments or suggestions you may have.

We are always looking for parental involvement, so would love for parents to come and volunteer.

Every school term we have an open day or stay and play session for parents to get involved, as well

as parent evening classes. This may cover different topics each time from how you can help your

child’s pincer grip, funny ways to get your child to love books and even dance competitions!

Remember we are here to support you and your child.

We are around at the beginning and end of the sessions for an informal chat, but if you need a

longer time, we are happy to arrange a time for you at our earliest convenience. We are also

contactable by email or you can phone the main setting number, which can be found at the bottom

of the pack.

Within the EYFS, it specifies that settings must give information to parents and carers about how to

“share learning at home” (EYFS, Statutory Requirements, 3.73)

Toileting/Potty Training

The staff will support toilet training. We understand that every child is different, and might need

different ways to encourage toilet training. If your child requires nappies, they will have a drawer

available within the toileting area for their nappies/wipes/nappy bags and spare clothing. We do not

provide any of the above items. If your child is toilet training, please can we ask for you to bring in

lots of spare clothes. All nappy changing will be recorded on our daily toileting sheet and in your

child’s daily communication book, if you have requested one on the registration form.

The EYFS states that children should know the “importance of good health and physical exercise.

Children should also manage their own basic hygiene and personal needs successfully” (EYFS,

Statutory Requirements, 1.12)

Uniform and Timings

Included with the registration fee, your child will receive a sweatshirt with logo, a plain yellow polo

shirt and a back pack. These also can be bought separately through Stitch a Logo. Stitch a Logo is a

local company, which produce the uniform for Wellington Primary Academy.

On their website is a direct link to The Nest clothing range. You can pay for it to be delivered direct

to your door for a fee, or it can be delivered to the setting free of charge. There are more items

available with The Nest logo on. More information about the uniform can be found inside the

welcome pack.

Here at The Nest, we have catered for a variety of needs when choosing the timings for our sessions.

The sessions will coincide with Wellington Primary Academy timings, for easy drop off and pick up.

We are happy to accommodate you outside these sessions. Please contact us for more information.

Please see our separate sheet on the timings and fees within the welcome pack.

We follow the Wiltshire County Council approach for entitlement to education. There should be no

barriers to a child’s education.

Policies and Procedures

Our Ofsted Certificate is hanging on the wall in the foyer. Policies and procedures are available on

request, in a folder in the foray and can also be seen on the Wellington Primary Academy website.

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and Inclusion

We believe all children are entitled to a broad, balanced and differentiated curriculum that satisfies

individual learning needs by realistic and achievable methods. Children are all entitled to equal

access to the EYFS curriculum.

Inclusion is a process by which The Nest, Wellington Primary Academy, Wellington Academy and the

Wellington family, ensure all policies and practices are inclusive for all students. We follow the SEND

code of practice 2014. The full policy on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, and Inclusion can

be found on the Wellington Primary Academy website.

Where a child has a specific medical need such as epilepsy, asthma, your child’s Key Person will

undergo specific training at the nearest possible time to ensure that your child’s needs are fully

understood and met.

The Nest Special Educational Needs Coordinator is Clare Robertson.

Safeguarding

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare and young people is defined as:

Protecting children and young people from maltreatment

Preventing the impairment of their health and development

Ensuring that they are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and

effective care.

We at The Nest take safeguarding issues very seriously. In the Nest, we have our very own

Designated Safeguarding Lead.

The Nest Designated Safeguarding Lead is Clare Robertson.

The Deputy Safeguarding Lead is Amanda Mellor.

Funding

Every three and four year old child is entitled to free early education. A total maximum entitlement

of funding is 570 hours a year. If you need any help or more information about any of the forms in

the welcome pack, please contact us direct.

Useful Websites

For more information about the EYFS visit:

ww.gov.uk/government/policies/improving-the-quality-and-range-of-education-and-childcare-from-

birth-to-5-years/supporting-pages/early-years-foundation-stage

For more information about Child Tax Credits visit:

www.gov.uk/child-tax-credit

For more information about Early Years Funding visit:

www.wiltshire.gov.uk/schoolseducationandlearning/earlyyearsandchildcare/earlyyearschildcareprof

essionals/freenurseryentitlement/freenurseryentitlementfor3and4yearoldparents.htm

For more information about healthy lunches visit:

www.nhs.uk/change4life/Pages/healthy-lunchbox-picnic.aspx