East Leake Day Nursery

Individual quality childcare in a safe, caring, loving and stimulating environment

Our Values

Attendance

At East Leake Day Nursery we believe that we should create a culture in which good attendance is normal to our children and is valued and understood by all. We strive to achieve good attendance from our families so that they can take full advantage of the opportunities available to them which will result in rapid progress within the children’s development.

Continuity and routines are important aspects to attaining high levels of wellbeing and attainment in our children, therefore strengthening their learning at nursery.

School Readiness

Here at East Leake Day Nursery, we strive to help all our children have the best start in life and want to make sure they are as prepared as they can be to start school when the time comes.

When school places are announced each spring, it can bring a mixture of emotions of excitement and nerves for both children and parents/carers!

One minute you’re packing their bag for their first day at nursery, and the next you’re expected to prepare them for a brand-new adventure in a totally new world.

If you’re thinking, “How is my baby starting school already?!” – you’re definitely not alone.

Every child’s journey is different, and there’s no one-size-fits-all checklist. At East Leake Day Nursery, we recognise this and will support your child’s transition by helping to prepare them for school at their own pace.

To help guide families and educators, the Department for Education developed a School Readiness Checklist that highlights the core skills children are ideally supported to develop before starting school. It covers areas like:

  • Personal independence: Going to the toilet, dressing, and feeding themselves.
  • Communication and language: Listening, understanding, and speaking clearly.
  • Physical development: Gross and fine motor skills like climbing, running, and using scissors.
  • Emotional wellbeing: Feeling safe, managing feelings, and forming friendships.

Please click on the link below for further information.https://beststartinlife.gov.uk/preparing-for-school/

Parental Involvement

At East Leake Day Nursery we try to build strong links with our children’s families and to keep them as involved as possible with their child’s development. This can be within the nursery or outside in our community.

Some of the ways that we work closely with our parents/carers include:

  • All about me forms are given to parents on induction and when children move rooms so we can learn about what their interests are at home.
  • We give parents/carers ‘parent contribution sheets’ where we work together to set children’s next steps and work together to achieve them, these help staff plan for their interests and the environment surrounding them.
  • We work with parents/carers to celebrate any festivals that are important to your family’s heritage.
  • Parent’s evenings – All parents/legal guardians are invited into the setting once a year to discuss their child’s development with their key person and have a look at our facilities. Although parents are welcome to come into the setting and speak about any concerns or to celebrate their child’s development at any time.
  • Daily feedback – we provide face to face daily feedback on your child and can pass on important information to you.
  • We also have our own Facebook members page which we try to update frequently with any important information or achievements that we wish to share with parents/carers.

We offer ‘Stay and Play’ sessions once a term, where we invite parents/carers into the setting to join in activities allowing children to show parents what they do at nursery..

Fundamental British Values

At East Leake Day Nursery we understand the importance of supporting our children and parents to understand the importance of fundamental values.

In our setting we believe that if our environment is equipped with a well-rounded variety of toys and equipment that support equality and diversity, we can teach the children the importance of respecting each other’s individual beliefs and values.

We believe that it is important to help raise our children to become respectful, tolerant well-rounded members of society.

Areas of Fundamental British Values are:

  • Rule of Law
  • Democracy
  • Individual Liberty
  • Mutal Respect and Tolerance

An example of how we teach children these key aspects are:

  • Treating all children as individuals and giving them freedom of speech and allowing them to share their thoughts and feelings without fear of being judged.
  • Teaching the children that their voice and opinions matter regardless of if others agree with them or not.
  • Establishing age-appropriate behavioural expectations and boundaries within the children’s rooms.

Safer Sleep

We recognise how important sleep is to a child’s development and want to try to follow home routines as much as possible providing it is safe to do so.

Here at East Leake Day Nursery we follow ‘The Lullaby Trusts’ advice and guidance regarding sleeping practices, please see the link below for further information: https://www.lullabytrust.org.uk/

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Toilet Training

Potty training can be a very daunting process for families. East Leake Day Nursery will support children’s families by discussing expectations of potty training and providing information and support when needed.

Families will be supported to decide the best time to potty train their child. Your child’s key worker will explain why it is helpful for the same approach to be taken at home and at nursery, including using the same words for wee/poo/potty/toilet etc.

Staff will follow parents/carers lead when starting but will also provide their opinions regarding a child’s readiness. https://www.nhs.uk/best-start-in-life/toddler/potty-training-your-child/

Tooth Brushing

As adults we all know how important it is to brush your teeth and those of us with children know how difficult it can be to convince children that it is important to brush their teeth. Children don’t understand the concept of cavities and gum disease and therefore do not provide effective incentive for children to get in the habit of brushing regularly.

This, alongside many other reasons may be the reason children may be avoiding brushing their teeth, meaning it can make getting your child to brush their teeth a struggle. We provide different opportunities throughout nursery showing the importance of teeth brushing whether it be through role pay, creative activities or included as a topic in some PE sessions.

Here are some literature recommendations on brushing teeth that you may find helpful.

  • Jungle Mouth: A Story About the Importance of Brushing your Teeth 
  • Toto the Tooth: A Fun Toothbrushing Adventure for Toddlers

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-teeth-and-gums/taking-care-of-childrens-teeth/

Nutrition and Exercise

At East Leake Day Nursery we strive to promote healthy meals and snacks that are both balanced and nutritious. Children have access to drinking water via a water station in every room. Our daily meals consist of breakfast, lunch, tea, and a mid morning snack.

Aims

  • To encourage children to understand the effect a healthy diet has on their well-being.
  • To encourage children to choose healthy foods.
  • To encourage children to keep hydrated during the day through the use of the drinking stations.
  • To encourage all children to get moving and stay active.
  • To teach children the importance of physical exercise and how it contributes to keeping their mind and bodies healthy.
  • To expose children to a range of physical activities that they may not experience otherwise.

Promoting Healthy Eating

Daily milk is provided for all children, including Oat and Soya milk.

Daily fruit and vegetables are included in our main meals and are also available for snack.

We monitor children’s snack, meal and drink consumption passing on information to families at the end of the day.

We have an inclusive PE programme which for all rooms participate in and these activities encourage children to develop new physical skills, improve their coordination and build a love for physical activities. Activities are varied and include sports like football, cheerleading, relay races, golf and yoga.

Below is a link on promoting healthy eating and exercise with young children:

Online Safety

At East Leake Day Nursery we recognise that the use of the internet and technology is a wonderful learning resource for children to learn, grow and develop, although this is not something we offer in nursery.

Teaching children and their parents the importance of online safety means that we can help safeguard children through correct up to date information whilst using the internet and devices at home.

Here are some simple tips to ‘be safe on the net’

  1. Parents/ carers should ensure the correct restrictions are always applied to their internet
  2. ALWAYS ask a parent/carer before using the internet
  3. Have an adult CLOSE BY whilst you are using the computer
  4. DO NOT share your passwords with anybody
  5. If you are not sure about, or do not like something you have seen talk to an adult IMMEDIATELY

Below are the names of a few books that are aimed at children about Online Safety.