Mama i Malysh Settling in Policy
Introduction: For most children, starting nursery is their first separation from their main carer as a result we recognise that ‘parents are a child’s first and most enduring educators’ (Early Years Foundation Stage – Positive Relationships/Parents as Partners). Starting in a new setting is a major event in a child’s life and this time of transition can be stressful for both children and parents. To ensure that both children and parents feel supported as they work towards feeling at ease in their new setting, we seek to ensure a smooth transition by working in close partnership with parents. We believe that it is important for us to take time to get to know the children, their parents and their home environment.
Our Setting aims to be fully accessible to children and families from all sections of the local community. With this in mind we recognise that each child will start school with a diversity of individual experiences, attitudes, expectations and developmental differences. These need to be taken into account when settling each child into their new learning environment.
We aim to:
- Make the children feel happy and secure in their new environment in the absence of their parent/carer.
- Make the children feel confident to explore and experiment in their new physical surroundings.
- Help the children to develop the independence required to freely access all of the resources available in their new environment. Support the children to develop positive relationships with both adults and other children.
- Help children to communicate their needs to others in an appropriate way.
- Promote appropriate behaviour, with clear expectations and positive reinforcements.
- Work in partnership with parents in their child’s learning.
- Support children to build upon the prior experiences and knowledge they have gained in their home environment. Encourage and welcome open and honest communication between staff and parents.
As a staff we aim to:
- Show empathy and sensitivity towards new parents and children.
- Be responsive and flexible by taking into account the individual needs and experiences of the children and parents.
- Take time and provide the space to get to know new children and their parents/carers whilst they are settling in. Organise and manage the environment in such a way that the children can operate independently, safely and imaginatively.
Guidelines and Procedures:
- The children and parents are always warmly welcomed into the setting.
- All children and their parents/carers are made very aware of their individual teacher/key person before they start.
- We are responsible for helping group of children to become familiar with the setting and to feel safe and confident within it.
- We aim to develop a genuine warm and caring professional relationship with each child as well as the child’s parents/carers.
- Parents are asked to complete an ‘Getting Acquainted’, questionnaire before their child starts at the setting in order to give us additional information about each child. We encourage the parents to leave their child after a short period of time, with the understanding that if the child has been upset at the separation we will contact them soon after to reassure them that their child has settled. If the child continues to be upset staff will contact the parent/carer asking them to return to school
- Parents are given opportunities to share what they know about their child either in written form or through informal interviews. This is used to help plan appropriate activities for the children. During the settling in period, activities and experiences provided in the setting are geared towards helping the children settle into their new environment and learn their new daily routines. (These are planned in response to how each child is progressing.)