On Friday, 23rd May 2008, Jil Pascale attended training on a new system of teaching “Letters and Sounds” in the Early Years environment. It is being launched in line with the change in national curriculum called the Early Years Foundation Stage. This will be mandatory policy in all nurseries, pre-schools and reception classes from September 2008.

“Letters and Sounds” focuses on the foundational skills of listening and speaking and holds off the introduction of written letters until a child is able to sustain and manipulate the concepts with confidence.

Lost Child Procedure

At Rum Tum Tugger’s Nurseries, all members of staff check the register of attendance in each session and familiarise themselves with the number of children in their care during that period of time. During the course of the session, a series of headcounts will be carried out as the children move between activities. This ensures awareness that no child has become lost. Our registers are diligently kept and allow staff to see at what time children have arrived and the time that they were collected. Where an activity poses a higher degree of risk, such as an outing, adult to child ratios will be boosted with the help of volunteers.

In the event that a child should be lost on the premises:

• The Key Person ensures that the remainder of the group is safe and in the care of suitable staff before leaving them to attend to the lost child.
• Every point of entry/exit should be checked and if found unsecured, made safe to prevent further incidents.
• If all access points are found to be secure, the Key Person should methodically check all accessible areas in the building, calling the child’s name and moving obstacles in case the child is unconscious or unable to reply. This will continue until the child is found and assessed. The matter should be recorded and reported to the child’s parents/carers at the end of the session if the child is well. If the child is found to be unconscious, the nursery’s emergency procedure would be applied.
• If the child is not found or if a door is found to have been left open, the Key Person must seek assistance. The Key Person will extend the search outside the premises whilst a nursery assistant alerts emergency services and parents
• Searching will continue until the child is either found or the correct authorities take charge of the process.
• A full report of the incident will be made and forwarded to the appropriate regulatory bodies, including Ofsted.
• Analysis of the report will ensure that the hazard leading up to the child’s disappearance is eliminated.

During nursery outings, we aim to provide a ratio of one adult to two children; – one for every adult hand. This simple benchmark allows an easy measurement of the presence of the correct number of children. As many adults as possible will be asked to carry mobile telephones. At any point that a child is noted as missing, the emergency services and the child’s parents/carers will be alerted immediately. The group will be taken to a safe muster point and a suitable number of adults will begin to search until the child is found or the appropriate authorities take charge of the process. The usual reporting procedures will be carried out and audited.

Uncollected Children

If a nominated collector has not arrived fifteen minutes after the end of a given session and no collection advice has been telephoned to the setting, the Key Person or a member of the management team will begin to telephone all nominated collectors or emergency contacts for that child until a suitable person is found and arrangements are made for collection. This may be away from the setting. The parents/carers will be offered, within reason, the opportunity for the child to be dropped to a preferred address if a parent/carer is unable to get to the setting within a reasonable amount of time.

If it is impossible to contact anyone regarding the safe collection of the child, the emergency services and the Essex Safeguarding Children Committee will be contacted. The Key Person will remain with the child until such time as they are settled into the care of the local authority.

A lost or uncollected child will be reported to Ofsted at Building C, Cumberland Place, Nottingham, NG1 6HJ 08456 404040.

Reviewed May 2008

Food and Drinks Policy

Rum Tum Tugger’s provide a diet which encourages healthy eating. All meals are prepared on site by staff holding a relevant Foundation Certificate in Food Handling. We adhere to all storage and cooking instructions found on food labels and packaging.

We ensure that:

• When freezing foods the date is written clearly on the original packaging
• Fridge and freezer temperatures are logged daily and weekly
• All foods are kept in original packaging
• Any foods found past their use by date or look/smell unusual is discarded.
• Any opened foods are kept in airtight containers and cleaned once empty
• Drinks are provided throughout the day for both children and staff
• All foods are purchased from a supermarket or Ashlyns Farm
• Meats are probed to ensure cooked throughout
• Meat temperatures are recorded
• Frozen foods are defrosted thoroughly
• Fresh and cooked meats are kept separately.
• Special dietary requirements and allergies are recorded, with each staff member having a copy.
• Each child has a personalised place mat indicating food preferences, intolerances, and allergies
• Special foods are placed on different plates to ensure they go to the correct child.
• Medicines are stored away from nursery foods
• Menus are devised to be low salt and low allergen
• Where possible, milk and vegetables are organic
• Menus are reviewed seasonally
• Food is handed about permanent members of staff
• Staff may only have plastic bottles of water in the nursery rooms
• Staff may only consume food during breaks
• No chewing gum is permitted in nursery
• Staff are asked not to eat food purchased for the children without permission
• Children’s teeth are cleaned after lunch

Reviewed May 2008

Car Parking, Dropping Off & Child Collection Policy

Rum Tum Tugger’s Nurseries have the benefit of dedicated car parking spaces. This is in the main school car park but limited to eight bays. 6 bays are marked by signs at the back of the car park. The 2 bays closest to the main entrance to nursery are for dropping off and picking up. It is our policy that all parent/carers and visitors make use of designated parking, leaving their vehicles safely and without causing a hazard to other users and neighbours.

When dropping a child off, please bring them right inside the nursery building and remain with them until they have been registered by a member of staff.

Only those people named on a child’s enrolment papers will be allowed to collect a child. Children will not be released in to the care of siblings under the age of 18 unless express permission is obtained from the company directors. In cases of emergency, a parent/carer must notify a member of the nursery management of any changes to these arrangements. A secure password must be quoted prior to the child being released to an unknown carer.

Reviewed May 2008