Little Rainbows Pre-school | Our Pre-school Policies

LITTLE RAINBOWS PRE-SCHOOL C.I.C.

Admissions policy

Statement of intent

It is our intention to make our pre-school accessible to children and families from all sections of the local community. We are registered with Ofsted to provide up to 26 places at any one time. We do not require children to be toilet trained on admission.

Aim

We aim to ensure that all sections of our community have access to the pre-school through open, fair and clearly communicated procedures.

Methods

In order to achieve this aim, we operate the following admissions policy.

• We ensure that the existence of the pre-school is widely advertised in places accessible to all sections of the community.

• We ensure that information about our pre-school is accessible in

written and spoken form and, where appropriate, in different languages. • We keep a place vacant, if this is financially viable, to accommodate an emergency admission.

• We describe our pre-school and its practices in terms which make it clear that it welcomes both, fathers and mothers, other relations and other carers, including childminders.

• We describe our pre-school and its practices in terms of how it treats individuals, regardless of their gender, special educational needs, disabilities, background, religion, ethnicity or competence in spoken English.

• We describe our pre-school and its practices in terms of how it enables children with disabilities to take part in the life of the preschool.

• We monitor the gender and ethnic background of children joining the group to ensure that no accidental discrimination is taking place.

• We make our equal opportunities policy widely known.

• We consult with families about the opening times of the pre-school

to avoid excluding anyone.

• We are flexible about attendance patterns to accommodate the needs of individual children and families.

• We offer families the opportunity to visit the pre-school before applying for a place and before taking up that place. The visit(s) can occur whenever a parent is ready by arrangement.

SIGNED:.............................. MANAGER DATE; ......................

SIGNED:.............................. DIRECTOR DATE: ......................

Reviewed: Signed:

Behaviour Management Policy

Statement of intent

Our pre-school believes that children flourish best when they know how they are expected to behave and should be free to play and learn without fear of being hurt or unfairly restricted by anyone else.

Aim

We aim to provide an environment in which there is acceptable behaviour and where children learn to respect themselves, other people and their environment.

Methods

• We have a named person who has overall responsibility for issues concerning behaviour. This person is currently Coralie Selway.

• We require the named person to: keep her/himself up to date

with current legislation and research and thinking on handling children's

behaviour; to access relevant sources of expertise on handling children's behaviour; and check that all staff have relevant training on handling children's behaviour. We keep a record of staff attendance at this training.

• We require all staff, volunteers and students to provide a positive model of behaviour by treating children, parents and one another with friendliness, care and courtesy.

• We require all staff, volunteers and students to use positive strategies for handling any conflict by helping children find solutions in ways which are appropriate for the children's ages and stages of development for

example distraction, praise and reward.

• We familiarise new staff and volunteers with the pre-school's

Behaviour Policy and its rules for behaviour.

• We expect all members of the pre-school children, parents, staff, volunteers and students to keep to the rules, requiring these to be applied consistently.

• We praise and endorse desirable behaviour such as kindness and willingness to share.

• We avoid creating situations in which children receive adult attention only in return for undesirable behaviour.

• We recognise that codes for interacting with other people vary between cultures and require staff to be aware of and respect those

used by members of the pre-school.

• When children behave in unacceptable ways, we help them to see what was wrong and how to cope more appropriately.

• We never send children out of the room by themselves.

• We never use physical punishment, such as smacking or shaking. Children are never threatened with these.

• We do not use techniques intended to single out and humiliate individual children.

• We only use physical restraint, such as holding, to prevent physical injury to children or adults and/or serious damage to property. Details of such an event (what happened, what action was taken and by

whom, and the names of witnesses) are brought to the attention of our pre-school Manager and are recorded in our Incident Book. A parent is informed on the same day and signs the Incident Book to indicate that they have been informed.

• In cases of serious misbehaviour, such as racial or other abuse, we make clear immediately the unacceptability of the behaviour and attitudes, by means of explanations rather than personal blame.

• We do not shout or raise our voices in a threatening way to respond to children's behaviour.

• We handle children's unacceptable behaviour in ways which are appropriate to their ages and stages of development for example by distraction, discussion or by withdrawing the child from the situation.

• We work in partnership with children's parents. Parents are regularly informed about their children's behaviour by their key Worker. We work with parents to address recurring unacceptable behaviour, using objective observation records to help us to understand the cause and to decide jointly how to respond appropriately.

Bullying

Bullying involves the persistent physical or verbal abuse of another child or children. We take bullying very seriously.

If a child bullies another child or children:

• we intervene to stop the child harming the other child or children;

• we explain to the child doing the bullying why her/his behaviour is inappropriate;

• we give reassurance to the child or children who have been bullied;

• we help the child who has done the bullying to say sorry for her/his actions;

• we make sure that children who bully receive praise when they display acceptable behaviour;

• we do not label children who bully;

• when children bully, we discuss what has happened with their parents and work out with them a plan for handling the child's behaviour; and

• when children have been bullied, we share what has happened with their parents, explaining that the child who did the bullying is being helped to adopt more acceptable ways of behaving.

SIGNED: ...................................... MANAGER DATE: ...........................

SIGNED: ...................................... DIRECTOR DATE: ..........................

Reviewed: Signed:

CAMERA USAGE POLICY

“The camera” refers to the digital camera owned and issued by Little Rainbows Pre-school, which has been signed for as received by each individual member of staff.

· The camera is to be used solely for Pre-school use, exclusively for pictures to be used as part of observations required to meet the government standards for education.

· The camera must remain on the Pre-school premises at all times, unless being taken to be used on a Pre-school excursion, which has been previously agreed as necessary by the Board of Director.

· The member of staff who has been issued with the camera will be liable for any loss, damage or theft of the camera, which occurs off the premises, unless express permission has been given to remove the camera from the premises.

· All photos taken must be deleted from the camera within a period of three months from which it was taken.

· The member of staff using the camera is responsible for ensuring that they have express parental consent to take photos of each particular child, and that they are aware of the limitations of that consent.

· Every parent has the right to see each photo that is taken of his or her child, at any time.

· The photos taken are to be used only for the purpose of recording observations, and all hard copies of each photo must be returned to the parents on completion of those observations free of charge.

· No photos are to be passed to any third party or used for any other purpose unless express written consent is obtained from the parent.

· All photos taken and used must be in line with the Pre-schools Safeguarding Children’s Policy and the Photographic Permission Form.

SIGNED:……………........……. (MANAGER) DATE:……………………….

SIGNED:………………………… (DIRECTOR) DATE:……………………….

Reviewed: Signed:

Parent/School Communication Policy

Statement of intent

At Little Rainbows we have an open door policy where parents are always welcome to come in and share their views and concerns.

Aim

It is our aim at Little Rainbows to keep all parents/carers fully informed/involved in the day to day running of the pre-school.

Method

Little Rainbows has an open-door policy. Parents of students or prospective students are welcome to visit and observe the classes at any time. No appointment is necessary.
A questionnaire is required upon registration. This allows the teachers to become familiar with your child’s routine and temperament from the start of his/her stay at Little Rainbows.
In the beginning of the school year, parents are given an outline of the whole school year’s curriculum.
Parents are kept informed about activities, student progress and special events through the newsletter, parents meetings, development reports, progress reports, open house, hand-out sheets, bulletin board notices, informal discussions with your child’s Key Worker at arrival or departure times, or by telephone.
A suggestion book is held on the premises encouraging all parents to make comments and/or suggestions.
Questionnaires are sent out annually to all parents/carers asking for the comments and/or suggestions about our Pre-school.

All parents are given the pre-school mobile phone number (both the Managers and the Deputy’s numbers) should they wish to discuss any matters over the telephone during the day, evenings and holidays.

Progress/Development Reports

Progress reports are issued to parents annually. All Key Workers are available for parents/carers should they wish to discuss their child’s progress/development at any time, and regular meetings are set up by each child’s Key Worker to discuss their child’s progress and next steps.

Newsletter

Newsletters are issued regularly to let parents know about current events at school, classroom news, as well as to highlight special activities and programs.

Parents Meetings

Meetings are arranged to ensure that all families who wish to be involved in the running of the pre-school can attend.

Information about meetings are communicated in a variety of ways written, verbal and in translation if appropriate, to ensure that all parents have information about access to the meetings.

Staff

Staff communicate daily before each session, at weekly meetings and at the beginning/end of each term. All staff are encouraged to communicate with each other and they are aware that they are able to speak to the Manager/Deputy at any time. Staff appraisals are held annually and earlier if necessary.

SIGNED: ................................. MANAGER DATE:....................

SIGNED: ................................. DIRECTOR DATE:....................

Reviewed: Signed:

Complaints Policy

Statement of intent

Our pre-school believes that children and parents are entitled to expect courtesy and prompt, careful attention to their needs and wishes. We welcome suggestions on how to improve our pre-school and will

give prompt and serious attention to any concerns about the running of the preschool. We anticipate that most concerns will be resolved quickly by an informal approach to the appropriate member of staff. If this

does not achieve the desired result, we have a set of procedures for dealing with concerns.

Aim

We aim to bring all concerns about the running of our pre-school

to a satisfactory conclusion for all of the parties involved.

Methods

To achieve this, we operate the following complaints procedure.

How to complain

Stage 1

• Any parent who is uneasy about an aspect of the pre-school's

provision talks over, first of all, their worries and anxieties with their Key Worker or the pre-school Manager.

Stage 2

• If this does not have a satisfactory outcome, or if the problem recurs, the parent moves to Stage 2 of the procedure by putting the concerns or complaint in writing to the pre-school Manager and the

Board of Directors.

• A written complaint will be investigated and the results of this investigation will be made available to the complainant within 28 working days of the complaint being received.

• Most complaints should be able to be resolved informally at Stage 1 or at Stage 2.

Stage 3

• The parent requests a meeting with the pre-school Manager and the Board of Directors. Both the parent and the Manager should have a friend or partner present if required. An agreed written record of the discussion is made. All of the parties present at the meeting sign the record and receive a copy of it.

• This signed record signifies that the procedure has concluded.

Stage 4

• If at the Stage 3 meeting the parent and pre-school cannot reach agreement, an external mediator is invited to help to settle the complaint. This person should be acceptable to both parties, listen to both sides and offer advice. A mediator has no legal powers but can help to define the problem, review the action so far and suggest further ways in which it might be resolved.

• Staff or volunteers within the Pre-school Learning Alliance are appropriate persons to be invited to act as mediators.

• The mediator keeps all discussions confidential. S/he can hold separate meetings with the pre-school personnel (pre-school Manager

and the Board of Directors) and the parent, if this is decided to be helpful. The mediator keeps an agreed written record of any meetings that are held and of any advice s/he gives.

Stage 5

• When the mediator has concluded her/his investigations, a final meeting between the parent, the pre-school Manager and the Board of Directors is held.

• The purpose of this meeting is to reach a decision on the action to be taken to deal with the complaint. The mediator's advice is used to reach this conclusion. The mediator is present at the meeting if all parties think this will help a decision to be reached.

• A record of this meeting, including the decision on the action to be taken, is made. Everyone present at the meeting signs the record and receives a copy of it. This signed record signifies that the procedure has concluded.

The role of the Office for Standards in Education, Early Years Directorate (OFSTED), and the Local Safeguarding Children Board.

• Parents may approach OFSTED directly at any stage of this complaints procedure. In addition, where there seems to be a possible breach of our registration requirements, it is essential to involve OFSTED as the registering and inspection body with a duty to ensure the National Standards for Day Care are adhered to.

The address and telephone number of our OFSTED regional centre are:

OFSTED Early Years, 3 rd Floor, Royal Exchange Buildings,

St Ann‛s Sq, Manchester , M2 7DA

08456 4040404

www.ofsted.gov.uk

These details are displayed on our pre-school's notice board and in our information booklet.

If a child appears to be at risk, our pre-school follows the procedures of the Local Safeguarding Children Board in our local authority.

In these cases, both the parent and pre-school are informed and the pre-school’s nominated Child Protection Office (Michelle Holman) works with OFSTED or the Area Child Protection Committee to ensure a proper investigation of the complaint followed by appropriate action. (see full Child Protection Policy).

Records

A record of complaints against our pre-school and/or the children and/or the adults working in our pre-school is kept, including the date, the circumstances of the complaint and how the complaint was managed.

SIGNED:............................. MANAGER DATE:..........................

SIGNED:............................. DIRECTOR DATE:..........................

Reviewed: Signed: