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Download or view the UppStarts Nursery Prospectus.
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U p p - S t a r t sNursery & Pre-School
CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF QUALITY CHILDCARE
Prospectus
Contents
A warm welcome to Upp-Starts Nursery and
Pre-School.
Upp-Starts Nursery are dedicated to the
needs of our children and parents. We hope
that this is reflected in our high standard of
communication with you.
We want to ensure that you have every
opportunity to contact us whenever you
need to via telephone or e-mail, or face-to-
face at open days, parent evenings and at
the nursery.
Our aim is to provide a safe, happy and
stimulating environment for your child where
they are able to learn, play and develop
through the highest quality care. In 2007
we were proud to be accredited with the
‘Rutland Quality Assurance Scheme Award’
in recognition of our very high standards of
childcare.
If you would like to know more
about Upp-Starts Nursery
call us on
0 1 5 7 2 8 2 1 2 1 0or e-mail
www.ucc.rutland.sch.uk/uppstarts
Our policy is one of Equality and Diversity
for children and staff. This policy is fully
set out in our policies booklet and includes
children with Special Educational Needs.
We are situated in a secluded corner of the
Uppingham Community College grounds.
5Every child matters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-9Learning through play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1-5Welcome to Upp-Starts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Early years foundation stage 9-12. . . . . . . . Our fantasic groups 12-14. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Welcome to Upp-Starts
1
While enjoying a quiet and convenient
location, children in our care are also
able to benefit from some of the wider
amenities offered by the College. For
example, the safe outdoor playing
fields for the more energetic activities
and games. All food, including any
special dietary needs, is prepared
and cooked on site.
We are able to accommodate a
maximum of 32 children at any one
time, including a total of 12 Under 2’s
who have their own separate room.
Upp-Starts is a non-profit making
organisation which operates for the benefit
of the local community and adult learners
using the College facilities. We aim to
break-even financially, including limited
funds for the continued development of the
setting. We are dedicated to taking the best
care of your child.
Our Team
We believe that our highly qualified and
experienced team is Upp-Starts’ most
valuable asset. Every individual within
the childcare team has achieved relevant
qualifications, with most at level 3 plus. All
members of staff are trained in paediatric
first aid.
Staffing ratios conform to National Day
Did you know? We have banned the use of mobile phones with digital equipment within the
nursery, but for emergencies and outings we supply our staff with mobiles that have no recording equipment.
All Upp-Starts personnel have an enchanced CRB. This is currently the highest
level of checking available. New staff must have two employment references checked before starting at the nursery and we can ask for additional educational references where applicable.
All adults collecting children from the nursery will have to be nominated and
identified beforehand and will need to quote an agreed password.
2
Care Standards and are as follows:
under 2 years - 1 adult to 3 children
2-3 years - 1 adult to 4 children
3-5 years - 1 adult to 8 children
The Staff are actively encouraged to
pursue personal development programmes.
Training is on-going to ensure
that everyone is up to date
with the latest thinking and
practice in childcare.
Occasionally, we provide
valuable and practical work
experience for childcare
students from local colleges.
Students are not included
in our staff ratios and are
supervised by qualified staff
at all times. They represent
welcome additional individual
support for your children.
The Upp-Starts team is led and managed
by Kathryn Pullan with Jo De-Bar as her
deputy.
Our Facilities
Our bright and homely building, which
was opened in August 2000, has a warm
family atmosphere and offers a caring but
stimulating environment for all children in
our care. Safety is our utmost priority. The
facility is self-contained with the building,
external development areas and garden
being surrounded by a wooden fence.
External doors are secure and locked at all
times.
3
Currently have Ofsted Outstanding rating. Is a member of the NDNA.
Did you know? All of our permanent nursery staff hold a recognised childcare qualification.
Our outdoor area has cushioned flooring,
for added safety. We have a learning
environment outside and in. The garden area
includes a water wall, climb through tunnel,
sandpit and pulley system, creative and
building areas plus a table for digging.
Fire & Safety
The safety of your child is our top priority.
The Upp-Starts building and perimeter
fence are designed to ensure that children
are free to move around without being able
to unlock external doors or gates. No one
is able to gain access to the building unless
admitted by a member of staff. Outside
activities are fully supervised at all times.
All members of the Upp-Starts team and
anyone else who is authorised to work with
them, in any capacity at any time, have
received the necessary police clearance to
do so. This is a standard legal requirement.
If you ask someone other than yourself to
collect your child, we ask for a password
from you. This is recorded in our ‘Collections
Book’ to ensure that we hand them over
safely to the authorised person only.
The Upp-Starts building complies with all
fire regulations, as do others nearby. In
the unlikely event of a fire, all staff have
been trained to carry out fire procedures
including evacuation to designated
assembly points. We do regular training,
practice drills and risk assessments.
Opening Times
Upp-Starts is open 51 weeks of the year
from Monday to Friday between 8.00am
and 6.00pm. We are closed between
Christmas and New Year and on all other
Bank Holidays.
4
We offer full time day care; morning
(8.00am to 1.00pm) or afternoon (1.00pm
to 6.00pm) sessions and also more flexible
hours are available by prior arrangement.
Drop-in sessions can be accommodated
provided that capacity and staffing levels
permit.
Every child matters
Safeguarding and promoting children’s
welfare forms a large part of our statutory
responsibilities and covers most of the
requirements of our registrations with
Ofsted.
Effective child protection is essential to Upp-
Starts. The welfare of every child we look
after is paramount and everyone (including
all staff, students, volunteers and visitors) has
a respoinsibility to ensure that any areas of
concern involving a child who may be at
risk of harm, are recognised and dealt with
immediately.
We ensure the safety and security of the
premises and equipment by the following
means:
Learning through play
Play-Based Curriculum
Children learn individually and with others
through play. We offer our children a play-
based curriculum which supports all aspects
of their learning and development. It
encourages their in-built curiosity and desire
to make sense of the world around them
and helps them to discover that learning is
interesting and fun. This is vitally important if
children are going to remain keen learners
5
Secure perimeters around the nursery and all exits are controlled.
Strict entry procedures with secure door entry.
All equipment used is suitable and safe for the children. For instance, chairs with metal legs have been replaced throughout with wooden ones.
All toys and equipment are checked regularly for safety.
All portable appliances are subject to stringent rountine safety checks.
Before opening, the nursery is checked every day by management for potential safety issues.
A fire risk assessment is completed every year for each setting.
6
for the rest of their lives.
Play in a secure environment with effective
adult support allows the children to
explore, investigate and enjoy the learning
experience. We help them to practise and
develop ideas, concepts and skills in a
unique and non-threatening way, without
fear or failure.
We deliver both the Birth to Three Curriculum
and the Curriculum for Excellence in a number
of ways through:
The Nursery Environment
We believe that children are active learners
from birth and that if we provide them
with the right environment, support and
experiences, it will help to encourage their
curiosity, imagination and creativity. We also
need to ensure that we stimulate each child
emotionally and intellectually by providing
the best circumstances to promote active
learning.
We have designed our nursery environments
to be cosy and exciting and they are
Did you know? Sand play enables children to create different worlds and act out their own
experiences. They learn about weight and volume and can practice mark-making, thereby developing early writing skills.
Using chalks, crayons, pencils, paints and other mediums with many different types
of paper, envelopes and card, children can learn to mark-make. This can be extended into role-play and they learn the benefits of writing for a purpose by becoming secretaries, postal workers, waiters or police officers. They learn to express their thoughts and record their experiences.
By using role play and dressing up, children learn more about the world. They develop
new vocabulary and social acceptance and understanding or other backgrounds and cultures and develop life skills for the future. They can experiment in an adult world by exploring familiar scenes and develop relationships with other children.
water, sand and malleable experiences
stories, ryhmes and songs
mark-making - the marks that children make through a range of media, such as paint, water, sand, pencils and the meanings they give them
creative workshops
outdoor opportunities
exploring and investigating science and nature
dance, music and sensory experiences
construction and small world play
treasure baskets that contain a variety of different objects to help stimulate babie’s senses
large and fine motor skills and experiences
literacy and numeracy skills
role play and imaginative opportunities
structured in such a way as to promote a
child’s independence, decision-making and
problem solving.
Observation, Planning and Recording
We believe that careful planning is required
to ensure that play is of a high quality. A
Key person (member of staff) is assigned to
your child to ensure that they are engaging
in the right kind of activities. This helps to
plan future experiences and opportunities
to build you child’s knowledge, skills and
abilities which will lead to new learning and
development.
Observations of each child are evaluated
and linked to the Birth to Three
Curriculum or Curriculum for Excellence
which allows for every child’s individual
development to be monitored and their
progress recorded in their individual
Learning Journal. This is a record of your
child’s interests, significant achievements
and development throughout their time
with us and we encourage you to access
your child’s journal at any time.
Planning for your child will consist off:
Significant observations
These can be significant moments that have
been observed either at nursery or within
the home environment. The Key Person, other
team members, parents, grandparents or
anyone else in contact with your child can
contribute and they are detailed obervations
of the play and experiences your child
engages in.
Individual learning intention sheets
(planning)
These focus on your child’s particular interests
based on the observations made by the Key
Person and yourselves. It is this information
that helps the Key Person to plan experiences
7
that support the interests and future learning
of your child.
Key Person
Research has shown that a Key Person
approach is the most effective way of
ensuring that children develop a strong
relationship with a significant adult in the
nursery. The Key Person approach gives
every child the reassurance to feel secure
and cared for, helping them to become
familiar with the nursery environment and to
feel confident and safe within it.
We recognise every child’s individuality,
efforts and achievements and believe that
relationships between adults and children
are crucial for the child’s happiness and
security.
The Key Person meets the needs of each
child in their care and responds sensitiviely
to their feelings, ideas and behaviour.
Partnership with Parents
We believe that parents are the primary
educators of their children and should be
centrally involved in their child’s experiences
and development.
Effective communication means there is a
two-way flow of information, knowledge
and expertise between parents and
staff. Staff are always available to give
feedback about your child’s day and talk
about significant events with you.
8
Did you know? Children can explore and investigate with water play; learning new words such as
float, sink, splash, pour, hot, cold and squirt. They discover the transparent properties of water and find out its many uses including drinking, washing, bubbling, floating and sinking.
Mealtimes
We provide wholesome ‘home cooked’
meals and snacks from our kitchen each
day for every child. Fees include all food.
Daily menus are displayed on the parents’
noticeboard.
We guarantee that, if your child is with us
the whole day, he or she will receive the
recommended ‘five-a-day’ portion of fruit
and vegetables.
‘Snack Time’ involves a snack bar during
morning and afternoon sessions, providing
fresh fruit and water. Each child has a snack
photo card which lists any special dietary
needs on the back, as agreed with parents.
Every child chooses when they wish to come
over for their snack. We also have a snack
time helper who helps to
prepare the snacks, including
washing fruit and spreading
crackers.
Lunch and tea times are
relaxed social affairs.
Our staff sit and eat with
the children to encourage
conversation and good
table manners. The Pre-School children
help to set the tables beforehand and act
as table monitors during the meals. Serving
the other children and helping to clear away
afterwards encourages the development of
social skills, numeracy and independence.
Early years foundation stage
‘Striving for Excellence’
As with all registered childcare and other
educational establishments, Upp-Starts is
subject to regular inspections by Ofsted
(registration no. 260841). This ensures that
acceptable standards of care and education
are being achieved and
that we fully conform with
childcare regulations.
We hold the Rutland Quality
Assurance Scheme Award
which took over two years
to achieve. The standards
required were above and
beyond those required by
Ofsted. As mentioned earlier,
9
we also hold healthy eating setting status.
Thanks to our hardworking and dedicated
team you, as parents, can therefore be
confident of the very highest quality
childcare at Upp-Starts.
We’ve also qualified to share in what is
known as the ‘Transformation Fund’. This
government fund is set up to support staff
development and working with parents.
It enables our team to continue their
professional development in childcare.
For example, a member of the team has
an Early Years degree. It also creates the
opportunity to offer limited training courses
for parents. In the past we have organised
free ‘Paediatric First Aid’ courses and
‘Treasure Baskets’ for the under 2’s. There
may be courses available to both our staff
and our parents in the future. Approach a
member of staff if you are interested.
Working Together
As parents, you are the primary carers and
educators of your child. Working together
enables us to provide a happy and stable
environment for him or her while in our care.
Any information that you share with us, which
may enhance our understanding of your
child, is greatly appreciated and treated
with the utmost respect.
The information that we request is extremely
important. Any changes in health or medical
conditions, home and work addresses and
telephone numbers are obviously essential.
Please update us as soon as any changes
occur so that we are able to contact you
quickly, especially in case of an emergency.
We are happy to continue routines that
you follow at home e.g. potty training. This
provides consistency and avoids confusion
10
for your child. Communication with parents
and involving you on a daily basis through
informal conversations with staff is a priority.
We also use a range of other communication
media. These include diaries in the ‘Butterfly
Room’, white boards in the main room, a
parents’ noticeboard in the entrance area,
regular newsletters and open days/evenings.
Periodically, we distribute questionnaires and
comment slips which ask for your feedback
and ideas about Upp-Starts.
We greatly appreciate the support which we
receive from parents, including contributions
to your child’s development records. Our
door is always open to you. You are welcome
to come with us on trips and outings and to
join in our daily activities as and when you
wish. Please feel free to share your skills
and knowledge with the children e.g. music,
foreign languages, gardening, baking etc.
Supporting Learning with the Best Staff
We want our nursery to be the best, which
is why attracting and retaining the best
staff is paramount. Our staff are crucial in
providing a memorable nursery experience
and our aim is to offer them the best training
opportunities to support our childcare and
education philosophy.
Our nursery staff are focused on
providing fun and education, and they
will work to ensure your child develops
as an individual, whilst helping to
nurture and encourage learning
through discovery and enjoyment. We
expect all our staff to engage in skillful
and sensitive interactions to support a
child’s learning.
This ensures that play opportunities,
resources and interactions indoors and
outdoors are appropriate to the level of
competence and maturity of the child.
Play Equipment
11
12
These are just some of our carefully chosen
play equipment that has been found
to stimulate a child’s natural curiosity,
exploration, play and imagination.
Treasure Baskets
Developing natural curiosity
Physical Play
Increasing mobility and confidence
Role Play
Understanding the world
Mark-Making
Developing early writing skills and
creativity
Our fantastic groups
‘Butterflies’ under 2’s
The ‘Butterfly Room’ has capacity for babies
at any one time and includes a separate,
fully equipped sleeping room. We have
three regular members of staff assigned to
the ‘Butterfly Room’ to ensure continuity for
the children.
We ask parents to provide a diary so
that staff are able to record daily events
for your child, especially developmental
progress. Just as importantly, we will record
sleeping times, feeding details and other
activities to share with you. Equally, we
welcome feedback about your child’s time
at home. These personal diaries build into a
special keepsake for the years to come.
Daily activities for the older children in the
‘Butterfly Room’ are planned around the
Early Years Foundation Stage, including
drawing and painting, water/sand play and
exploring the outdoors. Play activities also
take place outside in the garden during the
warmer weather.
Each child has their own developmental
record, including observations and
photographs which chart their progress.
‘Squirrels’ 2-3 years
The ‘Squirrels’ group occupies part of the
main room. The children’s daily activities
are also planned using the Early Years
Foundation Stage, which is designed to
ensure that children develop their potential
in six key areas of learning. Focused activity
sessions are planned every day to increase
individual capabilities
in many important
areas. Developmental
records are kept for
your child and are
available for you to
see at any time.
The daily routine for
the ‘Squirrels’ involves
free playtime, arts
and crafts, stories,
outdoor activities and song/rhyme time.
Themed play boxes are changed daily
to encourage imagination and creativity,
cooking activities and also visits to the
College’s Community Lounge. The Lounge is
used for music and movement sessions. There
are plenty of outside activities, including
use of the tennis courts for cycling and ‘push
along’ fun, and the playing fields for picnics
and nature walks.
‘Busy Bees’ 3-5 years Pre-School Group
The ‘Busy Bees’ Pre-School Group is
also located in the main room which can
accommodate up to 20 children at the same
time.
The Pre-School Group
is taught by two
members of staff who
possess a wealth of
Level 6 experience
with the Early Years
Foundation Stage. The
children’s activities
are planned around
the ‘Six Key Areas of
Learning’, as set out in
the next section. These are recorded in EYFS
profiles.
Daily observations are recorded in each
child’s Personal Development Book and
these are used as the basis for planning the
following week’s programme. This enables
13
us to build on the skills
that your child acquires
as he or she develops,
or to focus more on
a particular interest
which they may have.
Each child therefore
has an individual
learning plan to help
them to achieve their
development goals.
Progress is discussed
with you, as parents, on a regular basis.
We have a computer, which is available
everyday to encourage computer skills,
literacy, numeracy, observation and artistic
flare.
Weekly cooking activities are an integral
part of our curriculum with all ‘Busy Bees’
joining in. This involves measuring, weighing,
mixing, timing and creating pictorial records
for personal recipe books. As with the
‘Squirrels’ group, spending time on outdoor
activities and making full use of the various
facilities is very important. The Pre-School
children are in the process of developing
our garden and using their ideas to create a
vegetable patch.
As summer approaches,
those who are leaving
to start Primary School
are able to invite their
Reception teacher to
an Upp-Starts tea
party and in readiness
for school life, for
example, to practise
getting changed for
weekly PE sessions.
These activities and others are designed
to support a smooth transition as your child
moves on from Upp-Starts.
We look forward to meeting you and
your child.
14
call us on
0 1 5 7 2 8 2 1 2 1 0or e-mail
www.ucc.rutland.sch.uk/uppstarts
Upp-Star ts Nursery & Pre-sc hool
Uppingham Communi ty Col lege
London Road
Uppingham
Rut land
LE15 9TJ