Settling-in procedure
At Chingford House Nursery we believe that the early years is an adventurous time; we want the children to be excited about learning, discovering, exploring as well as forming positive relationships. Just as importantly, we support the children’s emotional well-being so they adjust well to nursery life.
Each child is unique, so we cannot pre-determine how the children will cope with the separation process; however, we have created a settling-in procedure which gives us a foundation to support the children when they first start with us; we can then tailor our support according to the child's needs.
The settling-in period runs over four days, this gradual process helps the child to understand that they will be spending time away from their parents.
Day 1: Parent and child stay for 30mins (10-10:30am); child stays without parent (10:30-11am)
Day 2: Parent leaves their child for 2 hours (9-11am)
Day 3: Parent leaves their child for 3 hours (9-12pm)
Day 4: Parent leaves their child for 5 hours (9-2pm)
(Please note that we do not carry out settling-in days on Fridays)
The settling-in process begins the week before your child’s official start date to enable a smoother transition. We believe that your child will then be ready for a full day with us. We suggest if possible, thar parents collect their children between 4:30-5pm, so that they are not too emotionally overwhelmed. Your Key Person, will however keep you informed throughout the day.
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YOUR KEY PERSON
Your Key Person will spend 1-1 time with your child, the purpose of this is to establish a close relationship to enable the children to separate from the parents. The developing attachment enables your child to form a secure base with their Key Person in which they will develop the confidence to form other relationships.
Your Key Person will get to know your child’s likes, dislikes and their interests as well as their developmental needs; this information is then used to inform the planning and how we support your child’s learning.
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YOUR ROLE
We recognise that leaving your child for the first time may be worrying; please note that we are also here to support you too, so feel free to send us messages requesting an update. We understand that parents have work commitments so we ask that the parents bring and stay with their child for the first visit but after that, if you need other family members or friends to support the settling in process, that is fine.
Please spend a few days before starting nursery talking to your child about what will happen when they start (if age appropriate), this will help your prepare them! When the time comes to physically leave your child, they may become distressed, this is perfectly natural. Once you say goodbye we will ask you to go, please don’t try to come back or prolong the separation as that makes it harder for all involved!
During the initial separation we will send you photos of your child by WhatsApp messages/Tapestry (online platform to correspond with parents) so that you can see that they are beginning to settle with us. Parents can also call/text the nursery to reassure themselves that their child is coping well.
The children, particularly, the younger ones, may start to cry as soon as you return; this does not mean that they have been crying the whole time you have been away, it just means that they are relieved that you are back!
Your Key Person and the other Key staff in the room will ensure that your child has a happy and fun experience with us, but if not that they have had plenty of cuddles and reassurances.
Over the next few weeks, your Key Person will monitor the progress that your child has made and will send a Settling in Report on Tapestry (via the Manager); we will arrange a telephone review meeting 8 weeks after your child has started with us.
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WHAT YOUR CHILD MAY NEED
We want your child to try to cope as best that they can; if your child has a dummy, a comfort toy, snuggle blanket/pillow, please allow them to bring it to the nursery as it provides security and familiarity.
Babies and young children will need nappies, dummies, wipes and formula/breast milk where applicable.
If your child has a dairy intolerance, we also ask you to provide your child with an alternative milk substitute.
Children also need several sets of spare clothes in case they wet or soil their clothes.
In some cases, children may not eat very much for the first few days; we ask parents to bring a small favourite snack (not sweets, chocolates or anything containing nuts) that they can eat if they do not want to eat the food that is offered to them. We recognise that it can be overwhelming to eat with a lot of new people, with food that they may not have experienced before.
Thank you for choosing Chingford House Nursery for your child’s Early Years’ experience.
If you have any concerns or queries, please speak with your Key Person or Yolande (Manager)
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