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Background and History:
The Nursery has been part of the community for the past 30 years or so.
During this time it has provided hundreds of Children with an early education
and prepared them for entry into primary school. Over the years the Nursery
has also provided opportunities for local employment and the chance to
gain experience and qualifications in Childcare. Students have gained
high quality work experience and gone on to further their careers in the
profession. The Childcare offered by the Clever Clogs enables parents
the flexibility of choice to be able to pursue their own careers and interests
in the knowledge that their Children are in safe hands during the day.
Management and staff:
Clever Clogs is run under joint management with a qualified staff structure
appropriate to the staff/Child ratio. We work very closely with the Parents,
the local community, Hillcrest Primary School and the local High Schools
and colleges. Our standards are maintained by working in association with
Ofsted. We encourage all staff to attend training courses to keep up to
date with the legislation, standards and to continually develop their
skills.
Debbie Tasker has been involved with the Nursery
for the last 16 years, first as a Parent helper and later gained her qualifications
in Childcare and Education NVQ Level 3. Debbie previously worked as a
Childminder and also worked for the Parents Resource Centre. She has two,
grown-up Children of her own.
Lisa Webb has been with the Nursery for the past
7 years in this time she has gained her NVQ Level 3 in Early Years Childhood
and Education Studies. She has two Children of her own and several years
experience working as a Childminder. She is also experienced in working
with Children and adults with learning difficulties.
Aims:
• To work closely with Parents/Carers and provide a safe, stimulating,
friendly and fun environment for Children aged between 2-11 years.
• To work together at easing the transition between being at home
with Mum, Dad or Carer to starting Nursery (for both the Carer and Child).
• To offer flexibility for Parents by providing extended support
at the beginning and end of the working day.
We hope you will feel free to talk to us at anytime.
Clever Clogs:
Our staff are here to listen to the Children, to provide a wide range
of crafts, activities, games and equipment to suit all ages and stages
of development from 2 years -11 years. We also have an outdoor area for
the Children to use. Clever Clogs will include the Children in the weekly
planning; this will help ensure that your Childs interests are catered
for. Clever Clogs will ensure that the your Children are able to enjoy
themselves in a safe and stimulating environment.
Breakfast and After-School Club:
The aim of the Breakfast/After-School Club is to offer a place where the
Children can come and relax, have fun with friends before and after school.
This service provides an opportunity to extend the school day to enable
Parents and Carers the freedom to work or study safe in the knowledge
that their Children are being well looked after. Clever clogs are registered
with Ofsted.
The Children are escorted to and from Hillcrest School
with the 'Walking Bus'. We provide the Children with bright orange reflective
jackets to maximize safety. Please send your Child with appropriate clothing
and footwear as we walk in all weather conditions.
Nursery:
Staff provide activities which help develop language, co-ordination and
manipulative skills, such as sorting, colour, shape, number, letter recognition
and imaginative play etc. These are all basic skills required to entering
school. A list of weekly activities will be on the Parents Notice Board.
We currently work with the Foundation Stage assessment document- The Learning
Story, part of which, the transition page will be forwarded to your Child's
Reception Class teacher when they begin school. The Learning Story is
a detailed record of your Child's development based on observation for
the duration they are with us. This helps us recognise the stage they
are at.
This is broken down into six areas, they are as follows:
• Communication, Language and Literacy
• Mathematical Development
• Physical Development
• Knowledge and Understanding of the World
• Personal, Social and Emotional Development
• Creative Development
Starting at Clever Clogs:
• The stage your Child is at when toilet training isn't an issue
at Clever Clogs, as we will continue to do what you are doing at home
(Nappy, Potty, Toilet). Please provide nappies, wipes and a spare change
of clothes in a named bag.
• You are more than welcome to stay with your Child for the first
couple of sessions to help you both adjust if you wish. As you are probably
aware each Child is different, so if your Child is likely to get upset
then please bring along any comforters they may have e.g. Dummies, Blankets,
Teddy's etc.
• All Children will require appropriate footwear for indoor and outdoor
play.
• In hot weather all Children are to have sun cream applied prior
to attending Nursery. Children attending the After-School club should
bring sun cream with them. Please provide your Children with sun hats.
• We have a wide variety of messy activities and although we provide
aprons, sometimes accidents do happen. Please make sure your Child is
dressed appropriately.
• We have Nursery t-shirts and sweatshirts on sale at a reasonable
price, even though these are not compulsory, they are recommended.
• For Nursery, each Child has their own coat peg with their name
on it. This helps them to recognise their own name. They also have their
own box where they keep anything they have made throughout the session
for you to take home when you collect your Child.
Activities:
Every week we have a different theme that we plan our daily activities
and crafts around, this can be found on the Parents Notice Board. We encourage
the Children to take part in these activities but they are not forced
to do so as we also encourage them to make their own decisions and choices.
We also encourage the use of social skills, interaction (with other Children
and adults) and basic good manners. Our policy is to encourage positive
behaviour, sharing and negotiation. Staff set good examples by setting
the rules in consultation with the Children and by encouraging responsibility
e.g. tidy up time. Activities are varied, these include; cooking, sand
and water play, junk modelling, musical instruments, tents and tunnels,
themed home corners, play dough, paints and outdoor activities such as
nature walks and treasure hunts.
Special Needs:
A small number of Children may have special needs; these may be learning,
physical or emotional needs. If you have any concerns please let a member
of staff know. Our staff are trained to recognise signs that may be related
with special needs, if this is the case the managers will liaise with
you throughout their time with us to enhance your Child's abilities.
Safety:
• Please inform the Nursery/ Breakfast club in writing of anyone
permitted or NOT PERMITTED to collect your child.
• If for any reason you cannot pick your child up from nursery we
would ask you to fill in a security sheet before hand with details of
the person who will collect them. In the case of an emergency the parent/guardian
is still to ring the nursery with these details. Please send the named
person with either ID or a mutual password.
• Please inform staff of any known allergies or medical conditions
your child may have.
• If your child wears earings could you please ensure they wear studs
for safety reasons. Rings and necklaces are not permitted.
• Please try to make sure your child doesn't bring any valuables
or toys to nursery as we cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage
and we don't want to cause unnecessary distress to the children.
• If you hear the fire alarm whilst at nursery, please follow a member
of staff out of the building to the nearest fire exit and walk to the
far side of the car park. There is a detailed fire exit route on the office
door.
Child Protection:
The welfare, safety and protection of Children whilst in our care is paramount.
The managers are responsible for this and all staff recognise their responsibilities
to the Children in their care. Members of staff understand the procedures
they have to follow if they suspect abuse. All Parents/Guardians are welcome
to look at our Child protection policies whenever they wish.
Medication:
• If your Child is well enough to come back to Clever Clogs and needs
to finish his/her medication then please ask for a medication form. A
copy of the medication form will be shown to you when you pick up your
Child and you will be required to sign this.
• Only qualified staff are permitted to administer medication.
• Staff are fully trained in First Aid.
• Government guidance recommends that Children under the age of 5
should be absent for 72 hours before returning to Nursery after Sickness
and Diarrhoea.
Packed Lunch/ Snacks:
• If your Child is staying for packed lunch/tea then this is to be
provided by the parent/guardian. We are able to heat food using the microwave
oven. We promote healthy eating and would appreciate it if you sent a
healthy lunch/tea. Please do not send any sweets or fizzy drinks etc.
• Please can you clearly name your Child's lunch box and anything
that may need to go in the fridge.
• Please do not send any cutlery with your Child as we provide these.
• We provide all the Children's snacks daily except on a Wednesday
as we don't have access to the kitchen and require you to bring your own.
Complaints:
Any complaints should be addressed directly to the managers. If you feel
the need to speak to Ofsted all of the numbers and guidelines you should
need are on the Parent's Notice Board.
Insurance:
Clever Clogs have full Public Liability insurance, which is displayed
on the Parents Notice Board. Clever Clogs cannot be held responsible for
your Child whilst in your care, when arriving and collecting on the premises.
Staff cars are covered by business use insurance in case of emergencies.
Fees:
• You will be billed half-termly unless you are in receipt of benefits
(proof of which will need to be seen) to help assist financial planning.
• Fees have to be paid in full within the first two weeks of receiving
the bill or an additional £10 per week will be added each week thereafter.
• Clever Clogs is registered with the Early Years Childcare and Development
Partnership so the term after your Child turns three years of age they
are entitled to five free Nursery sessions a week. Each session is worth
two and a half hours. Parents are expected to pay any excess weeks that
are not covered by the Childcare Education Grant.
• Fees are still to be paid in full if the Child is absent due to
sickness, holiday leave or if Clever Clogs has to be closed due to bad
weather.
• In bad weather conditions we advise Parents/Guardians to contact
Clever Clogs before bringing Children in. You can phone us on either 01366
383337 or 07894237341. If Clever Clogs is closed due to bad weather we
will try and get this broadcast via Radio Norfolk (104.4FM).
• Late payment charge is £5 per 15 mins late for collection.
Please ring to inform if you are going to be late.
Application Forms:
All application forms must be fully completed and returned before your
Child can start Clever Clogs. The application forms must have the correct
information to the best of your knowledge e.g. allergies, special diets
etc.
Cancellation of Sessions:
If you wish to withdraw your Child from Clever Clogs you are required
to do so in writing and give half a terms notice. You are required to
pay up to the end of the half term even if you withdraw your Child beforehand.
Equal Opportunities:
At Clever Clogs we celebrate a range of Festivals and Celebrations throughout
the year. These may include Chinese New Year, Mothers Day, Easter, Halloween,
Christmas etc. If you don't want your Child to take part in any of these
because of personal beliefs/ religions please let a member of staff know
so we are aware of this. If you would like to look at our full Equal Opportunities
Policy it is available for you to look at when ever you wish.
Nursery - Birth to Three Matters:
Birth to Three Matters is for the two year olds to help them work
towards the Foundation Stage. Each Child has their own scrap book where
their work is recorded. The Birth to Three Matters consists of four areas.
These are:
• A competent Learner
• A Skilful Communicator
• A Strong Child
• A Healthy Child
Each of these areas is broken down in to four sub-areas.
These make it easier for us to observe the Children.
The four sections in "A Competent Learner"
are:
• Making Connections -through senses and movement, finding out about
the environment and other people, pattern, comparing, categorising and
clarifying,
• Being Imaginative -imitating, mirroring, moving, imagining, exploring,
re-enacting, playing imaginatively with materials, pretend play with gestures
and feeling.
• Being Creative -exploring, discovering, experimenting with sound,
media and movement, developing competence and creativity, being resourceful.
• Representing -exploring, experimenting and playing, creating and
experimenting with ones own symbols and marks.
The four sections in "A Skilful Communicator"
are:
• Being Together - gaining attention and making contact, positive
relationships, being with others, encouraging conversation.
•Finding A voice - the impulse to communicate, exploring,
experimenting, labelling and expressing, describing, questioning, representing
and predicting, sharing thoughts, feelings and ideas.
•Listening and Responding - listening and paying attention
to what others say, making playful and serious responses, enjoying and
sharing stories, songs, rhymes and games. Learning about words and meanings.
• Making Meaning - communicating meaning, influencing others,
negotiating and making choices, understanding each other.
The four sections in "A Strong Child" are:
•Me, Myself & I - growing awareness of self, realising
he/she is separate and different from others, recognising personal characteristics
and preferences, finding out what he/she can do.
• Being Acknowledged and Affirmed - needing recognition, acceptance
and comfort, being able to contribute to secure relationships, understanding
that he/she can be valued by and important to someone, exploring emotional
boundaries.
•Developing Self-assurance - gaining self-assurance through
close relationship, becoming confident in what he/she can do, valuing
and appreciating his/her own abilities, feeling self assured and supported.
• A Sense of Belonging - being able to snuggle in, enjoy being
with familiar and trusted others, valuing individuality and contributions
of self and others and having a real identity within a group.
The four sections in "A Healthy Child" are:
• Emotional Well Being - being special to someone, being able
to express feelings, developing healthy dependence, developing healthy
independence.
• Growing and Developing - being well nourished, being active,
rested and protected, gaining control of the body, acquiring physical
skills.
• Keeping Safe - discovering boundaries and limits, learning
about rules, knowing when and how to ask for help, learning how to say
no and anticipating when others will do so.
• Healthy Choices -discovering and learning about his/her
body, demonstrating individual preferences, making decisions, becoming
aware of others and their needs.
Nursery - The Foundation Stage Curriculum:
When your Child is ready (at around three) we move on from the Birth
to Three framework to the Foundation Stage Curriculum. We carry out observations
on the Children, this helps staff recognise how they are progressing.
This also makes it easier when planning activities for the next stage
of your Childs development and helps them to reach their full potential
whist having fun. These observations help us to build up their Learning
Stories. Below are the six main areas of learning covered.
Personal, Social and Emotional (PSE):
Our main objective is to encourage Children's confidence and for them
to form a sense of self-awareness. We achieve this through individual
and small group activities. We nurture the Children and encourage them
to take an active role in their learning.
Communication, Language & Literacy (CLL):
Language and communication is the centre part of development. Our main
objective is to provide our Children with a wide range of different language
in all areas of play and learning by engaging Children in meaningful conversation.
We encourage all of our Children to express their needs and feelings and
develop their listening skills and social interaction. We encourage all
of our Children to participate in musical activities and rhymes and we
provide both stories and non-fiction books.
Mathematical Development (MD):
Mathematics is everywhere and our main objective is to develop Children's
mathematical skills mainly through play. This involves counting, matching,
sorting, sizing, shapes, space and measurement. We encourage Children
to use and develop their skills through play, stories, songs and role-play.
Mathematical language is used and developed in these activities.
Knowledge and Understanding of the World (KUW):
We provide many opportunities for our Children to investigate and to make
sense of the world around us. Our home corner which is changed regularly,
encourages Children to act out and make sense of many roles e.g. doctors,
police, hospitals, post office, library etc. Our Children also have the
opportunity to explore and develop ICT skills. We regularly look at different
countries and cultures; this could be the first time the Children learn
about different religions and beliefs.
Physical Development (CD):
All our Children have the opportunity to explore different types of development
and master basic skills of co-ordination and manipulation of small objects.
Children develop confidence through activities both indoor and outdoor
through climbing, running, dancing, throwing, catching, music and movement
and group games. We also develop fine motor skills such as holding pencils,
paintbrushes and scissors.
Creative Development (PD):
We are very proud of the range of creative activities that we offer at
Clever Clogs. There is a craft table set up each morning and each afternoon
session, which changes daily and is linked into our theme. All Children
are actively encouraged to participate in craft activities. Our creative
activities use a wide range of materials e.g. collage, paint, chalk, crayons,
pencils, junk modelling, salt dough etc. Alongside the craft table we
also offer a paint easel, which is set up daily giving Children the opportunity
to paint anything they wish to express their feelings. These opportunities
allow the Children to become independent and give them the opportunity
to choose which materials they would like to use and express their thoughts
and feelings.
Alongside these activities the Children also explore the 5 senses through
activities such as Music and Movement, Designing and Making and Imaginative
Role Play.
Behaviour policy:
Our policy is to encourage positive behaviour. We do this by being
good role models, setting good examples, we interact with the children
and encourage the following:
• Sharing and negotiation
• Using good manners
• Explaining to the children that they should treat others as they
wish to be treated
• Praising positive behaviour
• Using stickers as rewards
• Putting leaves on the 'Kindness Tree'
• Distracting the children e.g. leading the child to another activity
• We also acknowledge the Childs feelings, and recognise that they
may need their own time and space
• Encouraging responsibility e.g. tidy up time
• If we have any concerns we will liaise with the Parents/Carers
If you have any concerns about your Childs behaviour,
please do not hesitate to talk to a member of staff.
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