General Information

Our General Philosophy | Staff | The Importance of the Early Years | Starting at the Nursery | Partnership with Parents | General Information

We aim to give your child the opportunity to develop and learn through free play and structured learning activities. Experience in a wide variety of play and learning activities helps to develop the use of language and expression, the understanding of concepts, imagination and creativity, social awareness including multicultural awareness, co-operation and self-control.

Children need to make sense of the world through curiosity and discovery, involvement, and guided activities set at the right level for their age and capabilities. Their social and emotional needs must be met also and this is considered to be of paramount importance in small children. A happy, loving atmosphere with plenty of cuddles allows a child to develop his/her true potential.

Each child is treated as an individual because staff are given responsibility for small groups. Children like to feel that they have one or perhaps two "special" people who know them and understand them and can comfort them when they need it.

To achieve our high standards of child care, it is our general policy to appoint only professional Staff- qualified as Nursery Nurses, or training towards a qualification.

Experienced and qualified practitioners will take care of your child, according to statutory ratios under the Children's Act which came into force on 14 October 1991. These ratios require a maximum of 3 babies under 2-years old to one practitioner; a maximum of 4 children to one practitioner for 2-3 year olds; and a maximum of 8 in the case of 3-5 year olds.

We recognise that it is very important that we should employ well qualified, experienced practitioners in order to maintain a high standard of child care.

The importance of the early years in a child's general development cannot be over-emphasised. Any experience which caters for the needs of children before they reach statutory school age establishes the foundations of future learning across all areas of human experience.

There are four main needs of the child in the pre-school years:

1. the need for love and security
2. the need for new experiences
3. the need for praise and recognition
4. the need for a framework of responsible behaviour

We aim to meet these needs in our daily contact with the children, to addition, we naturally give very high priority to the health and safety of the children, including the highest standards of hygiene particularly in the kitchen and toilets.

For all children joining the Nursery, our initial emphasis is on making them feel loved, secure and happy. To assist this process, every child is allocated one practitioner as their designated Carer, called their "Key Worker" who forms a special relationship with the child and his or her parents. The security provided by this relationship is important in the case of new children - particularly the under 3s - who join the Nursery.

After new arrivals have become secure in their new surroundings, the staff can direct them increasingly towards developmental processes such as the formation of friendships, the development of social behaviour and independence; and learning activities.

It is the policy of Kinderworld Day Nursery to establish close links with parents in order to exchange information and involve parents in their child's emotional, social and educational development. Parents are the children's first and most long-term educators. When parents and practitioners work together creating a two-way flow of information, knowledge and expertise, the results have a positive impact on the child's development and learning.

We also recognise that children need time to establish their confidence in a new situation. The way in which our practitioners work together with parents to settle a new child into the Nursery is of great importance in developing the relationship between parent, practitioner and child. Frequent pre-visits are recommended and we do not charge for these.

We like to keep parents informed through verbal contact and daily diaries of their baby or child's progress. We ask that parents of babies provide us with written details of feeding times, sleep patterns, likes, dislikes etc., so that their routine during the day is constant with that at home.

We welcome parents into the nursery at any time and value any suggestions and constructive criticism you may have.

On visiting the nursery you may collect registration documents and a booklet of the Nursery Policies to read and keep. Prior to a child starting at the Nursery, a general information and welcome pack will be sent to parents. This will contain various documents to be completed, such as a medical form and authority to be taken on outings.

Children should arrive daily by 9.15 a.m. otherwise the activities of the other children are disrupted; and the Staff are unable to greet children and parents adequately because they are involved in structured activities with the other children. Children should be collected by a responsible adult by 6pm.

The weekly fees correspond to the hourly rate for Child-minding, yet the Nursery fees include:

• Pre-School learning activities for 2-year olds and Nursery Education for children aged 3+
• The guarantee that care is always available. Parents (particularly those with work commitments) do not wish to have their routines disrupted when, for example, a child-minder is ill
• The availability of a wide range of toys and equipment for learning and play activities
• The opportunity for children to develop socially through wide contacts with other children.

The Nursery opening hours are as follows:

Bournemouth - 7.30 am - 6.oo pm on weekdays - (full day sessions)
Southbourne - 8.00 am - 6.00 pm on weekdays - (full day & half day sessions)

The minimum weekly attendance for each child is two sessions. We shall, however, expect 3- and 4-year olds who wish to benefit from Nursery Education to attend the equivalent of at least three sessions a week.

The Nursery may be closed for up to 1 week at Christmas and on Public Holidays, when no fees are paid. Fees are otherwise paid throughout the year, except that they are paid at half the normal rate during planned family holidays of up to 4 weeks per year (one months notice is required in advance), even though the cost of providing a place in the Nursery is not reduced when a child is temporarily absent.

Parents wishing to visit the Nurseries are most welcome, and should arrange this with the Manager:

Bournemouth:
Manager: Tina Drain, Deputy: Hayley Williams, or the Acting Manager.

Southbourne: 
Manager: Jean Atkinson, Deputy: Liz Pascoe, or the Acting Manager