Policies
Forbury Gardens Day Nursery complies with Health and Safety Regulations and has been inspected and approved by the Department of Environmental Health and registered by Ofsted to provide care for 95 children.
The nursery receives Inspections from Ofsted Early Years, and general guidance is available from Reading Borough Council Early Years Advisers.
The nursery has written policies and procedures which have been read and approved by the relevant authorities.
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Our policies include:
Health and Safety Policy Our Health and Safety Policy details risk assessment procedure, how we ensure we are all working in a safe environment, Guidance for staff, COSHH, RIDDOR, Electricity, Fire Safety, Accidents, Food and Hygiene and Child Safety. Please see our policies and procedures file. Equal Opportunities Policy Our Equal Opportunities Policy details our Admissions Policy, working with families and children, The Curriculum, Food and Festivals, Resources, Language, Special Needs, Grievances, Discriminatory behaviour, Complaints. This policy will be sent out to you with a place offer. |
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Special Educational Needs Policy
Our SEN Policy details our procedure for monitoring Special Needs and to ensure that all children have the same entitlement to a broad based curriculum. This policy will be sent out to you with a place offer.
Safe Guarding Children Policy
This policy will be sent out to you with a place offer.
Behaviour Management
This policy outlines how we would deal with challenging behaviour for children of all ages and guidance for staff and parents. This policy will be sent out to you with a place offer.
There are also many other policies and procedures in our Policies folder which can be found in our Entrance Hall. Any of our policies can be copied for parents on request.
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ADMISSIONS POLICY
On enquiry an information pack will be given to prospective parents and an introductory visit will be suggested. On receipt of a completed Waiting List Enrolment Form, the child’s name will be added to the waiting list. There is no charge for this. Nursery places are subject to availability. There will be equality of access to nursery places as outlined in the Forbury Gardens Day Nursery Equal Opportunity Policy. When a place becomes available within a suitable age group, parents of a child from the top of the list will be offered a place according to the start date required. |
Priority will be given to children requiring all day care five days a week, then to those requiring all day care on two, three or four days per week, particularly those who can be successfully matched to make a full time place.
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Occasionally children requiring half day care can be accommodated particularly those requiring several sessions.
Babies are rarely accepted on a half day basis. A minimum of two whole days for any child is preferable but not necessarily essential. We like to maintain a family atmosphere at our nursery and so siblings of children already attending will take priority where possible. Occasionally a prompt start may occur if there is no-one on the waiting list for a particular age group at the time the vacancy occurs as we need to ensure that all places are filled as soon as possible. |
SETTLING IN POLICY
Once a place has been guaranteed for your child, SETTLING IN SESSIONS are available free of charge to children. These are usually preferred during the one or two weeks prior to starting the nursery, giving opportunity for parents to fill in an admission form, exchange information and get to know the child’s key person, staff and nursery routines. The settling in sessions will be agreed with the room leader to suit the individual needs of children and parents.
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We are concerned for the happiness of your child. If on the rare occasion after a reasonable period of time it is clear that your child is not settled, the Nursery Manager may advise you that alternative care may be suitable for your child.
No place will be allocated / confirmed without the regulations and policies and procedures of the Nursery being accepted and a completed waiting list enrolment form being received by the Nursery Manager. |
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The Nursery Manager reserves the right to cancel or suggest that alternative care may be suitable for your child.
NURSERY FEES
1. Payment is required in ADVANCE by MONTHLY STANDING ORDER only to ease pressure at a busy and potentially difficult time for both staff and parents. Any money owing to you will be refunded by cheque.
2. A place offer letter will be sent to you confirming your child’s place, and this will request a deposit and registration fee.
A standing order form will then be sent for your completion once we have received your deposit for a place. This will come into operation from the 1st day that your child starts at the nursery.
3. In the event of a cheque being represented or returned by your bank, a charge of £10 will be made to cover the bank charges for each representation and/or final return.
4. ARREARS in excess of two weeks may result in your child’s place being offered to another child on the waiting list unless there are exceptional circumstances which have previously been discussed with the Nursery Manager.
5. A SURCHARGE of £15.00 per child will be levied if children are collected outside the nursery hours between 6.00pm - 6.30pm and £15.00 for each fifteen minutes thereafter.
6. A DISCOUNT of 15% of the fees off the oldest child is available when two children from the same family are attending the nursery at the same time on a FULL TIME or a PART TIME basis. Twins will each receive a discount of 15% on their fees.
7. Fees decrease at the age of two and three years old. For parents paying monthly this will take effect from the FIRST DAY OF THE MONTH FOLLOWING their birthday and if parents are paying weekly, this will take effect from the FIRST MONDAY following the change of age.
8. ONLY FULL TIME CHILDREN who are absent due to sickness for a whole week may be entitled to pay half the full fees for that week at the manager’s discretion.
9. FEES WILL NOT BE REFUNDED in the event of cancellation, missed days or sessions or any parts of the week that your child may be absent as staffing and running costs still have to be met. This includes if the nursery has to close due to unforeseen circumstances for example, inclement weather which may affect our staffing ratios.
Sessions and days are not interchangeable.
10. The nursery is open throughout the year except for statutory bank and public holidays. Full fees are charged for both full time and part time children for weeks shortened by bank and public holidays. Holiday periods are charged at normal rates.
11. WRITTEN NOTICE OF ONE MONTH is required for a child leaving the nursery or one months fees in lieu of such notice.
12. FEES are set to reflect the cost of the service provided and the right is reserved to review them periodically.
13. In the event that your fee rate should change due to a birthday, increase or decrease in sessions, or that your child should leave the nursery, IT IS THE PARENTS RESPONSIBILITY TO CANCEL/CHANGE THEIR STANDING ORDER WITH THEIR OWN BANK.
14. The nursery reserves the right to refuse admission to any child whose fees are in arrears of two weeks.
15. We accept all child care vouchers. Please speak to our Office and Building Services Manager for further information.
16. Cheques are to be made payable to ‘Forbury Gardens Day Nursery’.
17. Children aged between 3 - 5 years are entitled to the Early Years Education Grant. You are entitled to claim up to 5 sessions of two and a half hours per week during term times only.
For more information and a leaflet, please speak to the Office and Building Services Manager, or phone Reading Borough Council on 0118 939 0560.
18. Where applicable, 3 - 5 year olds who have free sessions funded by the Grant, will have a cheque issued to them before each term begins. This will cover their grant entitlement for the term ahead.