Testimonials

OWNER REPLY: Dear Parent, we at the nursery are very sorry to hear that our setting did not live up to your expectations. However, as our current rating of being one of the top 20 nurseries in the Southwest shows this is not everybody’s opinion. I shall address each issue you have mentioned.
I have looked back at the Accident Forms for your child and note that your child had 9 accidents over 8 months, which equates to just over one per month. 3 of these were caused by other children; 4 were due to your child not following advice from staff; one was an accident, and you were present at the time of one of the accidents. As we all know, minor accidents are not uncommon in early childhood and staff are adhering to the setting’s policies and procedures by ensuring that all accidents are accurately recorded and shared.
Behaviour chart – As your child’s behaviour was becoming more boisterous and physical a reward chart was suggested to you in order to work towards reducing this. This was not presented to you as a bribe for your child. Your child was actively encouraged to use their words to ask for toys they would like to play with and to move into spaces they would like to play, instead of using their hands or feet to hurt others. When they did this your child was rewarded with a ‘stamp’ on their chart. When your child achieved a set amount of ‘stamps’ they were rewarded with a prize. This is a strategy which is suggested through training which practitioners have attended that focuses on praise for positive behaviours, as opposed to punishment for inappropriate behaviours. The staff did their best to adapt the strategies according to your child’s needs and in partnership with you, the parent. You agreed to initiate this strategy in partnership with staff.
Separated comment – Each child has a Learning Journey at our setting. This does not contain the information about the family unit. It is solely about the child. However, we do note on children’s index cards the nature of the family unit, discretely at the bottom. This is so that key persons know to provide two sets of letters and play plans, etc (one for each parent), to ensure information is shared with all concerned.
Scared comment and drop-offs – This issue was discussed with you when you emailed me. Whenever you arrived at the setting I gave you time to hang up their bag and then welcomed your child in. I always spoke to them making a comment about what they were wearing or the toy they had brought in. Your child did not cry when he left you. You did not ask to discuss the issue further. Staff support the emotional needs of all children to ensure they are made to feel welcome and safe in the setting.
Comment about another child and being short-staffed – On occasions, two children do not get on at all. In such circumstances, it is sometimes best to encourage these children to be in different play spaces until their negativity towards one another lessens. These children can then begin to play alongside each other with support from an adult when their disposition towards one another is more relaxed.
Our staff: child ratio is above the recommended Government requirements.
Banked hours – The Banked hours that you are referring to were accrued on Easter Monday and May Bank Holiday, you then used these during the May half term. I never claim any fees or funded hours for Bank Holidays.
Cluttered/ overcrowded – Our setting has many resources available to children to play with. Their play space is not overcrowded. As my office is also a storage space and staff room it does appear cluttered at times, but this does not have an impact on the children.
Revamp and cleaning – Our building is beginning to show its age and is due for a re-paint internally. We are also aware that our toilet area is in need of an update.