PARTNERSHIPS POLICY

Parents and Carers As Partners

Contents

  1. Our policy
  2. Parent Contract 

Our policy is to:

  • Welcome families into the life of our nursery
  • Recognise and support parents as their child’s first and most important educators
  • Generate confidence and encourage parents to trust their own instincts and judgement regarding their own child
  • Welcome all parents into the nursery at any time (covid restrictions permitting)
  • Welcome nursing mothers. The nursery will make available a private area whenever needed to offer space and privacy to nursing mothers (the office)
  • Ensure nursery documentation and communications are available to all. We can provide documents in different formats to suit each parent’s needs, e.g. Braille, multi-lingual, electronic communications
  • Ensure that all parents are aware of the nursery’s policies and procedures. A parent information pack will be provided and our full policy documents will be available to parents at all times both on line and in nursery
  • Maintain regular contact with parents to help us to build a secure and beneficial working relationship for their children
  • Support parents in their own continuing personal development by helping them to develop their parenting skills and inform them of relevant conferences, workshops and training
  • Create opportunities for parents to talk to other adults in a secure and supportive environment through such activities as open days, parents’ evenings and/or a parents’ forum
  • Inform parents about the range and type of activities and experiences provided for children, the daily routines of the setting, the types of food and drinks provided for children and events through the website and newsletters
  • Operate a key person system to enable parents to establish a close working relationship with a named practitioner and to support two-way information sharing about each child’s individual needs both in nursery and at home. Parents are given the name of the key person of their child and their role when the child starts
  • Inform parents on a regular basis about their child’s progress and involve them in shared record keeping. Parents’ evenings will be held at least twice a year. The nursery will consult with parents about the times of meetings to avoid excluding anyone
  • Actively encourage parents to contribute to children’s learning through sharing observations, interests and experiences from home. This may be given verbally, by sharing photographs, in written form or adding to the child’s Learning Journey
  • Agree the best communication method with parents e.g. email, face-to-face, telephone, online provider (family, tapesty) and share information about the child’s day, e.g. food eaten, activities, sleep times etc.
  • Consider and discuss all suggestions from parents concerning the care and early learning of their child and nursery operation
  • Provide opportunities and support for all parents to contribute their own skills, knowledge and interests to the activities of the nursery
  • Inform all parents of the systems for registering queries, compliments, complaints or suggestions, and to check that these systems are understood by parents
  • Make sure all parents have access to our written complaints procedure
  • Share information about the Early Years Foundation Stage, young children's learning in the nursery, how parents can further support learning at home and where they can access further information.
  • Provide a written contract between the parent(s) and the nursery regarding conditions of acceptance and arrangements for payment (home-school agreement)
  • Respect the family’s religious and cultural backgrounds and beliefs and accommodate any special requirements wherever possible and practical to do so
  • Inform parents how the nursery supports children with special educational needs and disabilities
  • Find out the needs and expectations of parents. We will do this through regular feedback via questionnaires, suggestion system and encouraging parents to review working practices. We will evaluate any responses and use these to promote nursery practice, policy and staff development.