RIPLEY NURSERY SCHOOL

EDUCARE

Prospectus Integrated Education and Childcare within a

Maintained Nursery School

Isobel Harry Chair of Governors Pat Astill Head Teacher

Ripley Nursery School, Sandham Lane, Ripley, Derbyshire DE5 3HE

01773 745014

Ofsted Registration Number EY 286379 Company Registration 5167518

Ripley Nursery School Integrated

Services

Mission Statement

‘We endeavour to provide a safe, secure and

stimulating environment in which all children may

develop their skills to full

potential’

Mrs Pat Astill is the

Headteacher

Outstanding Ofsted Results in both Education anmd Care

Pat (second from the left) is pictured outside Buckingham Palace where she

attended a reception hosted by HRH Princess Royal, the Patron of the Basic

Skills Agency, after the school was awarded the Basic Skills Quality Mark.

Pat, who has been teaching for thirty two years, has been Head teacher of

Ripley Nursery School for twenty years and is also Director of Childcare

services alongside five other Directors who form the Company Limited by

Guarantee. The Company independently runs the child care facilities as part

of the extended services.

Welcome

Welcome to Ripley Nursery School.

Introduction by the Head Teacher, Pat Astill.

This booklet has been carefully compiled for parents and any other

interested bodies, by the whole nursery staff. The most important element

of our nursery is that we work in a partnership as friends, supporting you

and your children as individuals during these early stages of development and

we hope that we can share the pleasures and the problems together. The

nursery is an educational school for the early years and is funded by

Derbyshire County Council in the same way as other schools. We have a

Governing Body, and a staff of qualified teachers and nursery nurses. Our

expertise covers a wide range of skills and staff have worked with age

ranges from babies to eighteen year olds, although we also teach childcare

to much more ‘mature’ students.

We all love our work with your children, even when we are faced with

challenging behaviour, and this is obvious from the atmosphere in the

nursery. The nursery is very well resourced with an abundance of activity

materials and we aim to provide a stimulating, encouraging environment. The

essence of good nursery practice is to provide a well-structured curriculum

where the children can learn through their play, gaining first hand practical

experiences. Children are encouraged to experiment, developing enquiring

minds in a safe environment and to become involved in conversation

developing speaking and listening skills. They learn social skills, which

prepare them for future schooling and are given the fundamental

experiences that will help them to go forward and meet future challenges.

We hope that you will enjoy reading this booklet and if your child attends

nursery the very last page has been set-aside for you to add a photograph as

a reminder of your child’s first schooldays.

‘The most effective kind of education is that a child should play

amongst lovely things’

Plato

Our Nursery Team consists of two groups.

The Rainbow Group has four regular staff, Mrs Donna Brown, teacher and

Nursery Nurses Mrs Sue Doxey, Mrs Karen Crew, and Miss. Stacey Heaton.

The staff members of the Sunshine Group are Cathy Naim, Deputy

Headteacher, Rachel Baker and Nicola Brown, teachers and Nursery Nurses,

Ms Sarah Wakefield, Mrs Catherine Meredith and Miss. Sarah Ashmore.

Sunshine staff also support the Rainbow Group in the afternoon sessions.

Cathy organises our Forest School programme and oversees the support

services for children with additional needs as well as deputising for the

Head teacher.

Our Care facilities have recently expanded to support the under three’s.

Julie Bryan, Senior Manager oversees the planning and organisation of the

care facilities alongside head teacher, Pat Astill.

The rapidly expanding Care Team are all fully qualified NNEB’s or have NVQ

3 qualifications.

Denise Findley oversees the children with additional needs within the

facility. Joanne Randle is Senior NNEB within the Baby Room and Tina Crisp,

Joanne Rice and Linda Jagger provide welfare assistant support helping

keep the rooms clean and safe as well as offering a helping hand.

We also have a number of students and ‘volunteer’ helpers within nursery

who are all CRB checked and are closely supervised.

You will occasionally see a very sprightly pensioner, Margaret who is

fantastic with the children and is their adopted ‘grandma’!

Mrs Annette Appleton, is the School Clerk and can be found daily in the

Reception alongside the Children Center receptionist Helen.

The Children Center is situated at the front of our building and the Children

Center staff organise various exciting or supportive activities for parents

and the local community. Staff offer support to vulnerable families in times

of crisis or can signpost to other services.

Look out for activity sessions held in the Children Center activity room or at

Peveril Court (next door) – there are many organised for children and their

parents particularly during holiday time.

Nursery Lunches

Dinner time is from 11.15 until 12.45 and is served in a ‘family sitting’

situation with a small group of children eating with a dinner supervisor

during two sittings. We encourage good table manners, gradual use of

correct implements, practice at trying different foods, learning to pour

drinks and chat ‘quietly’.

Children learn hygiene rules, washing and using the toilet before and after

eating. The dinner supervisors, Mrs. Tracey Wasley, Mrs. Linda Jagger, Mrs

Sharon Powell, Mrs Jane Soult, Mrs Annabel Martin and Mrs Alison Bentley

take the children to play action games or outdoor activities before and after

dinner. The other teaching staff are in the nursery but are catching up on

preparation work and their own lunch as there are no mid-session breaks in

our timetable!

The nursery cook, Mrs Heather Bowmer prepares fresh meals daily helped

by Kitchen Assistant Joanne Rice. A list of the contents of the Menu for the

day is displayed on the kitchen door so that you can tell your child what to

expect for dinner.

During their final term, children are offered the opportunity to practise

having meals in nursery, extending their session time by nearly an hour. The

number of meals offered varies each term as we only have facilities for

fifteen meals per group so it depends on how many children are leavers each

term.

Integrated Childcare Services

The website contains detailed information about our child care facility,

including costs. We accept busy Bee vouchers and Working Family Tax

Credits although the fees are extremely competitive as we are a ‘non-

profit making enterprise’ and aim to provide affordable care. This means

that any surplus funds go directly to improving the quality of the provision

for all of our children.

We employ additional Nursery Nurses who ensure that children who attend

nursery for the longer sessions have their personal needs met appropriately.

This may include sleep or rest time, more relaxed or more boisterous

activities depending on the child’s mood.

We offer Breakfast Club from 7.45 am until 9 am for £3.00, sessions added

to funded LEA provision at £7.50 and After School Club from 3.30 to 5.45

pm at £5. We are open virtually all of the year, including INSET days. And

as there is no LEA funding during holiday time we subsidize day care to make

sessions affordable. Lunches cost £1.85

We now offer childcare facilities for children from age 3 months in our

under threes facility. Please ask for information regarding the care costs

which we try to make as affordable as possible. Details can be found on the

web site.

Detailed information and booking forms are available in the nursery

reception area.

Ripley Nursery School

The criteria for admission to Ripley Nursery School.

1. Children referred by Social Care or who have been identified as being

‘at risk’.

2. Children referred by professionals, after being identified as having

special education needs. Consideration must be given to the number of

special needs children in the school so as not to lose the balance and

range of skills within the groups.

3. Those children who are referred or identified as having to cope with a

situation where a sibling is having constant attention for special needs

problems.

4. Children on the waiting list who are from socially disadvantaged

situations.

5. Children who are on the waiting list from the local catchment area.

6. Children who are on the waiting list from out of the wider area.

For children who are extending sessions for childcare all of the above

criteria apply but selection for the extended time will consider:

7. Children who are already attending nursery and have settled into the

routine.

8. Names added in chronological order to the waiting list on a first come

first served basis.

9. Children who require more than 3 sessions of childcare.

10. Children who require less than 3 sessions of childcare.

11. All admissions adhere to the Equal Opportunities Policy welcoming

families regardless of ‘their sex, marital status, sexual orientation,

race, creed, colour or ethnic or national origin or disability’.

Policy Statement; Admissions.

The Nursery Sessions and Curriculum.

The morning session starts at 8.30am and finishes at 11.30

am.

The afternoon session starts at 12.30 and finishes at 3.30

pm.

Please remember that although the staff arrive earlier than these times

they are not available to take children into nursery earlier than the stated

times or to keep them after the sessions finish.

To ensure that the nursery runs smoothly for the 160 children who attend

daily, staff have to prepare activities and plan the curriculum as well as

spend many hours on the administration of recording children’s progress,

keeping records of daily performance and ensuring that resources are kept

to the highest standards.

Children are entitled to five three hour morning or afternoon sessions per

week. Some parents choose to use only a few of these until their child is

older.

Transferring to Infant School

Children are entitled to stay in nursery until the term after their fifth

birthday when schooling becomes compulsory, but infant schools offer a

variety of times of admission starting from three terms before a child’s

fifth birthday. As the curriculum is now based on the Early Years Foundation

Stage curriculum, the children should be able to continue in nursery or

attend infant school and still have the same experiences. No school should

offer a formal education before a child is ready developmentally as

research has shown that this can have an adverse effect on the child’s

development.

We firmly believe that ‘Every Child Matters’ and our main aim

is to help children to be Healthy, Keep safe, Enjoy and

Achieve, Make a positive contribution and Achieve economic

wellbeing.

The Curriculum Content

The curriculum content is ‘play based’ and follows the Early Years Foundation

Stage Curriculum. Targeted areas are Personal, Social and Emotional

Development, Language and Communication, Mathematics, Physical

Development, Creative Development and Knowledge and Understanding of

the World (which includes history, geography and science). The goals have

been broken down into stages of development, called ‘steps’, which start

when children are approximately three years of age and continue until the

end of Reception when the child is almost six years old. Stages are also age

related.

Personal, Social and Emotional development is important because for many

children this is the first contact a child has with large groups of other

children and other adults. They have to practice skills to help them become

confident and independent away from the security of their home. Using a

toilet properly and knowing hygiene routine, washing hands, blowing their

nose, putting on their outdoor clothing and following a simple routine

instruction is very important, as is, eating in company, with correct table

manners, learning to pour drinks and try different foods. Learning to take

turns, share and co-operate, as well as to stand up for themselves are

important social skills to help them cope in a busy classroom.

We have high expectations of our children, supporting them in their new

experiences and challenging them to take further steps together. We also

understand how frightening and daunting the nursery can be at first and are

able to give time, comfort and endless patience whist they practice these

skills safely in our care.

When a child feels emotionally secure and confident, he/she will then be

able to venture forward experimenting with the more academic areas of

their development and with lots of practice and a good variety of resources

to try out, we find that most children make a smooth transfer to infant

school with a good grasp of their basic skills.

Ofsted inspectors recently judged the school Outstanding for a second

time identifying that children leave us ‘at or above’ the expected levels

especially in their ‘speaking and listening skills’, ‘personal and social skills’

and ‘mathematical skills’.

Children’s Progress Records

Records are kept on your child's progress during the time he/she is

attending the nursery. This information helps the staff to plan appropriate

activities and provides us with targets for your child to achieve. Information

on records is given on the first visit day and you will receive a summary of

how your child has settled during the first half term then have opportunity

to keep up to date with progress. Remember, children develop at different

rates of progress

Each child has a Personal Story which helps parents to see what activities

their child is engaging with and what they learn from this. It also shows

clearly where staff will steer the child towards the next steps of learning.

Generally

The first term is a social settling in term, learning to mix with other people,

learning social skills.

The second term is an experimental one, where children begin to

concentrate for longer periods and enjoy learning about the activities,

questioning how things work and how to use them.

The last terms are learning experiences, extending knowledge and skills and

applying them in other situations. Concentration improves and children gain in

confidence.

Some children begin to venture into using skills appropriate for the upper

end of the Early Learning Goals and even towards Key stage 1 work. This may

include early writing skills, copywriting, writing their name, recognising

letter names and sounds and writing words from sounds.

Number work may include writing numbers, simple addition and subtraction,

using correct mathematical terms e.g. shape names, sign names.

We do not teach formal reading or mathematics, but respond when we feel a

child is showing an awareness of words, letters and numbers and has a range

of appropriate skills, which will support development in these areas.

Most children will have learned the basic skills required for application in

the early infant curriculum by the time they move from nursery but children

leaving nursery early to attend an infant school where there is a two point

entry admission system may be at an earlier stage in their development.

We have a sensory room to aid our work with small groups of children

without the distractions of the larger nursery rooms. This is part of our

Positive Play Programme of behaviour management.

The school has the status ‘Enhanced Resource Nursery’ and has additional

funding and staffing to enable us to provide better facilities for children

with "special needs".

Some of the children who attend Nursery require extra support either by

having an adult to lead them through the activities, or by having special

equipment to enable them to access all of the areas of learning available to

the other children.

The additional staff are also available to work with all of our children,

which makes it possible to have smaller groups for stories, games, outings

and general activity work.

Forest Schools

We recognize that some children who struggle to focus on learning in a

classroom situation, develop their skills more effectively in the out door

environment. These are children with ‘active learning styles’. As a result of

this staff have studied the forest school approach to teaching following the

success of countries such as Germany, Finland, Sweden and Norway.

Groups of our oldest children travel over a period of six weeks to a locally

identified ‘safe’ woodland and work with nursery staff, parents and forest

rangers on structured tasks. These include such activities as whittling to

make instruments using potato peelers, den building and collecting and

working with natural materials. They are trained to use saws, drills and make

a fire – but under the strictest supervision. Our data identifies that the

children’s skill development is raised significantly and the Forest School is

very popular with parents and children alike!

Our Website As part of our continuing drive to improve accessibility of information for

families most of the information in this booklet can also be found on our

website at www.ripleynursery.co.uk. Included is a gallery of photographs of

our activities with children in action.

Data Protection Act

Basic information about pupils is kept eloctronically to enable us to access

information quickly. All information is kept confidential and is only accessed

by authorised staff. The school and Derbyshire County Council have

registered with the Data Protection Register under the 1984

Act.Information may only be disclosed to Family,Relatives,Guardians or

Trustees , Past, Current or Prospective Employers, Legal Representatives,

Doctors, Dentists, Health Advisors, D fE&S, the LEA and Social Services.

Freedom of Information

Access to information about school , held in school, which is in the public

domain may be requested from reception at a charge of £5 per copy to

cover admin charges and will require advance notice.

Things to Remember.

• The doors are opened at 8.30 am and 12.30, please do not arrive

before these times.

• The sessions finish at 11.30 and 3.30, please do not be later than

these times as young children soon become upset if they think they

have been forgotten when all of their friends have gone home.

• Make sure that everyone who is bringing your child to nursery knows

the procedures and remembers to sign the child in.

• Please lock the doors and gate securely and never allow

your child to do this. • Do not use the Car Park and please park sensibly on the lane Help us

by making your child keep to the pathways.

• Remember to bring your snack money or dinner money for the week on

a Monday, in a named envelope. Snacks cost £1 per week regardless of

the number of sessions attended and Dinners cost £1.85 per day. The

£1 covers the cost of baking equipment, snack ingredients and other

consumable items bought for all of the children to use.

• Let staff know if your child cannot have certain foods e.g. orange

juice or nuts. Provide a snapshot of him/her if possible to alert the

snack room room staff to this fact. We take care to ensure that

children receive a balance of nutritional food for lunch and snacks as

part of our healthy schools programme.

• Ensure that toddlers visiting the nursery are kept under control at all

times. Hold their hands or carry them please. The activities have been

chosen for the over threes and younger children may swallow small

toys or harm themselves if not supervised. They may also damage

equipment. This is particularly important around the computer

equipment which is expensive and delicate. Staff do not wish to be

unkind, but in the past we have experienced parents allowing their

children to damage and disrupt activities set out for our nursery

children particularly at the end of sessions when equipment has been

checked and tidied ready for the next session.

• Save treats for after nursery to avoid difficulties with others, but

try and encourage healthy snacks as an alternative to sweets.

• Please discourage your child from bringing toys from home as they

may become broken or lost during the session.

• The nursery is strictly a no smoking, no dog area.

Times to be Absent Poorly children will not enjoy nursery and may pass on their illness to others.

Little children are still learning about hygiene rules, washing hands after

using the toilet, blowing their noses, covering their mouths when they cough

or sneeze. Infections will soon spread if poorly children still attend nursery

so as a general rule please follow these guidelines.

• Keep your child at home until at least 24 hours, preferably 48 hours

after a last bout of sickness or diarrhoea. Children always tell us if they

have been ill during the night!

• Check hair regularly for head lice, treat it immediately and let staff

know so that they can ask other parents to check their children.

Unfortunately headlice are frequent visitors to schools these days and

although they are harmless they do make children fidgety if they are

continually scratching and children with heavy infestations must feel very

uncomfortable. You will be asked to fetch your child and begin treatment

before they return.

• Chicken Pox – keep at home until the scabs have dropped off, at least

6 days from the appearance of the rash. If the scabs are knocked off

they tend to scar the skin.

• German Measles – at least 1 week after the rash appears.

• Measles – at least 1 week after the rash appears.

• Mumps – at least 7 days after the swelling has gone down.

• Whooping Cough – 21 days from the start of coughing.

• Impetigo – 2 days at least after the start of treatment.

Most of our staff hold regularly updated first aid certificates and two staff

are ex nurses. If your child falls ill whilst in nursery we will contact you

immediately and keep your child comfortable until you arrive.

We record ‘accidents’ in our Acident Book informing whoever collects your

child and asking them to sign to this effect.

Helpful Hints

When you are ready to leave your child say ‘goodbye’ confidently and don’t

worry if s/he is upset, children usually settle down quickly once they realise

you are coming back again.

Please telephone later if you are worried. We will always telephone you if it

is obvious that the child is not settling.

Never feel you have to go, stay until you feel happy. For many parents this

is a traumatic experience as they are leaving their child for the first time.

Please talk to us and make sure you have asked the questions that are

bothering you. We want you to feel confident in our care of your child.

Please dress your child in sensible

clothes for the nursery. Our activities

are often messy and outside play is in

all weathers!

Remember a coat when you come in

the car and shoes that ‘don’t matter’ in

the sand and mud.

When your child comes home with

‘creations’ enjoy them with him/her.

Don’t be misled by the child who

continually tells you s/he has ‘done

nothing’ at nursery… it’s impossible!

Children often want to keep the day to

themselves but may tell you ‘snippets’

later.

Please let us know if you are worried

about any aspect of nursery.

Particularly tell us if your child has

any problems so that we can address

this quickly.

Name all clothing as popular brands

often become duplicated and mixed

up. Check that your child is wearing

the correct clothing before leaving

nursery, as I am afraid we cannot be

held responsible for lost items.

Please do not reprimand your child for

having toileting accidents. Children often

become so engrossed in their play that

they just leave it too late!!

Try to encourage independence when

using the toilet. Remember, stiff buttons

and dungarees can be difficult to cope

with!

Last but not least.....................

Each school produces policy statements explaining how the staff deal with

different aspects of the curriculum and issues, which may affect the school.

These include policies on Racial Discrimination, Discipline, Equal

Opportunities and Smoking. Copies of these are available for parents to read

in school.

In particular schools follow guidelines on safeguarding procedures for

children where our first duty must be to ensure the well being of the child.

The Authority states:

" Parents should be aware that the school has a duty to take any

reasonable action to ensure the safety of its pupils. In cases where the

school may have reason to be concerned that a child may be subject to ill-

treatment, neglect or other forms of abuse, the Head teacher is obliged to

follow the Safeguarding procedures established by the Derbyshire Area

Safeguarding Committee and inform the Social Services of the concern."

This procedure is carried out in confidence and with sensitivity but parents

must realize that protecting children from all types of abuse is absolutely

crucial and the Head teacher will be the link person for the school. We

endeavour to work closely with parents to resolve issues and to support

families and we are aware that parents will experience many emotions during

this procedure.

The Nursery is also a CALM ZONE and we do not accept argumentative

behaviour from adults in school. If you have any grievances telephone school

and ask to speak to the Head teacher or write to me. Any parent/Carer

exhibiting threatening behaviour will not be allowed on the premises and the

police will be alerted.

All of these policies are produced because we care not only about the

children and their families but also about the well-being of employees who

work in the building.

Thank you for reading our booklet. If you wish to comment about

anything to do with nursery there is a Comment Book and Box in

reception.