Information for parents
ON EARLY YEARS CARE
At Bright Star Day Nursery, we value the participation of our parents and guardians. A large part of that is keeping you informed – not just about the progress of our child but our policies, procedures and approach to early years care.
THE EARLY YEARS FOUNDATION STAGE (EYFS)
At Bright Star Day Nursery, the British Values are incorporated and demonstrated through EYFS learning and play:
Democracy
Mutual respect and tolerance for others
The rule of law
Individual liberty
It is important that we teach children that it is possible to live peacefully, as each of them is a valuable member of our multicultural world.
Democracy
is about everyone being treated equally and having equal rights. We encourage this in our children through sharing and group decision making.
The Rule of Law
is about ensuring children in our early years setting understand that rules are important, and teaching them right from wrong. We teach that there are boundaries and consequences, and that feelings and behaviours should be managed to fit within these boundaries.
Individual Liberty
is about teaching our children to understand and value their own self and build their confidence in making choices. Self-esteem, self-confidence and self-awareness are important, and we teach this within the EYFS framework.
Mutual Respect and Tolerance
for others is about teaching our children to understand and appreciate each other’s differences. It’s about being a part of a community where not everyone is the same, and forming relationships within that without discrimination.
THE KEY PERSON APPROACH
You will often hear the phrase “Key Person” in the nursery. Whilst children are looked after in groups it is important that we meet the individual needs of your child and ensure they have the opportunity to bond with a “Special Person” at the nursery. It is also important that you have a specific person with whom you will be comfortable sharing information.
Each child is assigned a Key Person at the settling-in stage. It is their role to share information with you about your child. Through careful observation, they will be able to plan for your child's learning and development and make assessments of their progress.
To allow for holidays and shift patterns we have implemented a secondary key person system, which allows someone to be nominated to take on this role in the absence of the first key person. If you are not aware of who your child’s key person is, please ask the room leader in your child’s room or look for the Key Person Information on the Parents’ Notice Board.
Can I choose my child’s Key Person?
It is important that key person duties are spread amongst the team in each room. However, we are happy for you to speak to the room supervisor if you have a request regarding your child's key person. In addition, during your child’s first visits if they show a particular attachment to a member of staff, then they can be allocated as the key person.
PAYMENT OF FEES
Our fees are based upon each child’s schedule and are split into 12 equal monthly payments. Fees are due by standing order in advance on the 1st of each calendar month. The weekly fee is multiplied by 51 weeks of the year and then divided by 12 months, therefore the amount you pay each month remains the same.
Term time only fees (38 weeks in a year) are divided into 12 equal monthly payments. The weekly fee is multiplied by 38 weeks of the year and then divided by 12 months, therefore the amount you pay each month remains the same for 12 months.
We accept childcare vouchers, care2learn, student finance and childcare tax credits to help towards the cost of childcare.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
What our children eat can play a critical role in determining their health. Good nutrition is essential during childhood as it is a time of rapid growth, development, and activity.
While your child is at nursery they will enjoy:
Breakfast - Mid Morning Snack - Lunch - Mid Evening Snack - Tea
Fresh water, milk, and fruits are available throughout the day.
All our meals are prepared in-house by our qualified and experienced nursery cook. We offer a wide variety of balanced and nutritional meals and cater to special dietary requirements and allergies. We prepare separate menus for our babies and preschool children.
SECURITY INFORMATION
Here at Bright Star, we take security seriously and use Almas Security, who specialise in high-tech security solutions, in particular for the childcare sector.
Almas Biometric access control allows us to use unique, identifying characteristics, such as a fingerprint, or a face, to determine whether a person is permitted to enter our building/area or not. Almas was selected by Bright Star Day Nursery not only for the quality of the technology but also for the company's track record. It has hundreds of nurseries in its customer portfolio.
The Advantages
The obvious advantages of biometric systems based on a unique human physical attribute are:
It is impossible for an unwanted visitor to gain access.
There is nothing that can be stolen or replicated.
A biometric system does not rely on the honesty and/or the memory of an employee in the way a keypad or a clocking-in system does.
It guarantees that only the authorised personnel can have access to the premises or a specific location within the premises.