One of the great strengths of the nursery is its staffing. Our four permanent members of staff combine professionalism with many years of experience. This gives the children a strong sense of security and belonging. Parents often comment on how it is difficult to keep their children away! Training of staff is ongoing, including regular off-site courses to keep abreast of the latest developments and maintain skills such as first aid and food hygiene.
At our nursery, we are often able to keep the group sizes small or to involve extra adults so that staff are able to give the children even more of the individual attention they need to flourish.
We use the following ratios of adult to childYour child will be assigned a keyperson who is responsible for guiding and caring for him/her during the sessions and wherever possible, that person will remain the same throughout their stay at the Nursery. This adult will build a special relationship with the child and with you as the child's parents/carer. If the Keyperson is not on duty during a session, then your child will be looked after by another member of staff as their secondary Keyperson who will liaise closely with the Primary Keyperson. The list of keyperson groups is displayed on the notice board. If you would like further information please see the member of staff in charge.
The Home/Nursery RelationshipWe are proud of the strong relationship between Red Squirrels and the families of our children. We communicate in a variety of ways, ranging from the noticeboard in the entrance which is updated daily, to informal discussions with staff at the end of the day, to the most formal of our communications, the end of year report and Learning Journal. Throughout the year, there are also regular newsletters and letters. Perhaps most importantly, you will often see the results of your child's efforts in crafts, pictures and even cards and gifts brought home. You are welcome, at any time, to look at your child's individual learning journal where we record progress and development. Parents/carers are invited to discuss their children's progress at our end-of year Parents' Evening. We hope you will always feel informed and involved and as always, if there is something you need to know, just ask. Parents contribute a great deal to our little community – see the ‘Parental Involvement' section for even more information!
The Nursery/Primary School LinkRed Squirrels Nursery feels that it has a vital role to play in making your child's transition to primary school as smooth and happy as possible. Children from our nursery go to many different schools. We like to work directly with these schools to prepare our children for the next stage of their education.