We have collated the most frequently asked questions and their answers.
Why does a Nursery place cost so much?
The Nursery operates solely on fees paid by Parents. Although we receive some funding by way of Education Grant, the whole of this funding is given back to Parents by way of reductions in their Nursery fees, and the Nursery is left with nothing!
Running costs at the Nursery are very expensive. We have to pay for everything from staffing, equipment and insurance costs to business rates, laundry and waste disposal.
Maybe comparing costs for other services will put things into perspective:
The approximate cost of someone taking responsibility for your -
Hair = £12+ per.hour.
Car = £25+ per hour.
Garden = £12 per hour.
Cleaning = £7 per hour.
Childcare (our nursery ) = £2.08 per hour to £3.70 per hour depending on eligibility for Education Grant.
Why do we have to pay when the Nursery is closed?
Even though the Nursery is closed, the running costs are the same, staff have to be paid as do all other running costs and insurances.
Over the last twenty years, I have tried several different ways of spreading the cost of a Nursery place over the year. I have decided that it is simplest to take the annual cost of a Nursery place and divide it by twelve. This gives us a set monthly amount which helps everyone budget their expenses on a consistent basis throughout the year.
If we do not charge for Nursery closures (these are Bank Holidays and 3 days at Christmas) then the monthly fees will be higher to compensate for the loss in income over the closure periods. This increase in cost will have to be paid by everyone, even those who will not be on the Nursery roll at Christmas.
I feel that the Christmas closure is of great benefit to the children, staff and Parents.
Please email us to let us know how you feel about this issue.
Do you accept childcare vouchers?
Yes - all of them!
Can I swap my days on a weekly basis?
Sorry! We are not able to do this due to the need to maintain staffing ratios. You can of course change your contracted days, please speak to a member of staff to arrange this.
Can I do extra days?
Yes, provided we have a place available. Simply let us know and complete a booking form a few days in advance to secure your extra day/s.
Can you help with toilet training?
Of course we can! We have child sized toilets to help children gain confidence whilst toilet training and we will give every possible assistance to help. We know this can be a very daunting time for both child and parents and we will help as much as we can. We never place any pressure on the child and we will listen to and implement all parent requests where ever possible whilst maintaining health and hygeine for all children.
Will my child be able to have a sleep?
All children aged under 3 years old will be accommodated in the quiet sleep room between 12.00noon and 2.00pm. Every child has clean bed linen every day, this is laundered at the Nursery, your child can of course bring along a special cuddly for sleeptimes if you wish. If any child does not wish to sleep then he/she can join the older children for outdoor play or music and movement sessions. If any child does not go to sleep but wishes to stay in the sleep room to quietly rest then he/she will be able to do so. If any child is not sleeping and is becoming restless and disturbing the sleeping children, then that child will be encouraged to join in with the play time activities of the children who are not sleeping. Any child who becomes weary during any time of the day will be given the opportunity to sleep on comfy cushions in their baseroom.
Babies will of course, have their own individual sleep times as and when required.
What about food?
To ensure that children are not given inappropriate food e.g. food to which a child may be seriously allergic, we have reached the conclusion that Parents should have complete control over their child's diet. We therefore ask that Parents provide all food. We consider the following to be a good guide as to the amount/nature of food you could send:
Toddler and Pre-school children:
Morning snack:
Fruit and or cereal bar.
Lunchtime:
A healthy meal which can be heated in a microwave - there is now a very good selection of healthy children's microwave meals available in supermarkets
OR
A packed lunch (this should contain a balanced diet and not crisps or chocolate!)
PLUS
For pudding: a small cake or fruit or yogurt.
Teatime:
A healthy sandwich, maybe some carrot/celery sticks and a small cake or fruit.
You will be surprised what your child will eat when in the company of other children, so be adventurous and give different HEALTHY foods a try!
Your Key worker will always inform you as to what your child has eaten during the day and which foods he/she liked or disliked.
DUE TO A CHOKING/ALLERGY HAZARD WE REGRET THAT NUTS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED IN NURSERY.
BABIES
Please send all milk feeds ready prepared in named, sterilised bottles - these will be kept refridgerated and any surplus will be returned to you at the end of the day. We will rinse used bottles but you will need to sterilise these when you get home.
As your baby moves onto solids, please send food which is of an appropriate texture, introducing lumps when you feel he/she is ready! As your baby gets older, finger food is a good idea for tea-time as this teaches independance skills, makes a nice change from hot food and is fun.
Your Key worker will give detailed feedback both verbally and written (through your child's communication book) at the end of each day.
IT IS VITALLY IMPORTANT THAT ALL CONTAINERS/BOTTLES/MEALS ARE CLEARLY LABELLED WITH YOUR CHILD'S FULL NAME.
Who will care for my child when her Key worker is absent?
Members of staff are fully entitled to take annual leave and will also require to be absent if they are ill. During staff absences, the Nursery manager and/or any supernumary staff available on that day/s will replace the member of staff who is absent.
We try to avoid having to bring in supply staff as we prefer to maintain continuity of care for the children by using our own members of staff.
If we were unable to meet staffing ratios then we would be in the very unfortunate position of having to send children home. I am pleased to say that this has never been necessary in the last 20 years and I cannot see it ever being the case.
We would like to re-assure all parents that your child will receive the best possible care and attention at all times, including staff absences.
Who owns the Nursery and who is the Registered person?
The owner and Registered person is Marilyn Mills. I deal with administration, finance, maintenance, stock keeping, employment law and official complaints (of which we have had nil in over 25 years!). For practical reasons I work from home and I entrust the day to day running of the Nursery to the Nursery Manager. I am able to inspect the Nursery at any time and I work very closely with the Nursery Manager through meetings on a regular basis and daily contact via telephone. All correspondence, including our website e-mails, is dealt with by myself.
