Get documents about "Nursery Handbook 1
Shared by: HC120727074755
-
Stats
- views:
- 1
- posted:
- 7/27/2012
- language:
- pages:
- 14
Document Sample
2011-2012
______________________________________________
CONTENTS
PAGE
About our Nursery Class 3
Where to Find Us 3
The Aims of the Nursery Class 4
Who are the Staff I will meet? 5
Other regular visitors 5
Who comes to my Nursery Class? 6
When will I come to Nursery? 6
Entering and Leaving Nursery 7
What will I need? 7
Other Requirements 8
Snack Time 8
What if I am sick? 9
Administration of Medicine 9
What will I do in the Nursery? 10
What will I do outwith the Nursery? 10
Nursery Rules, Rewards and Consequences 11
How can my Parents / Carers help? 12
How will I know what is going on? 12
How will I know how my child is getting on? 12
How do I know the Nursery is following the appropriate guidelines 13
and initiatives?
Parent Council 13
Pupil Council 13
Holiday Dates 14
2
ABOUT OUR NURSERY CLASS
Drumlanrig Nursery is situated within the main school building and is very much a part of
school life. Links with the Infant Department are particularly strong and the Nursery
frequently takes part in school events, e.g. Assemblies, Concerts, Sports Days, Charity
Events etc. when this is appropriate.
We regularly use the Gym Hall, Music Room, Library and other school facilities.
WHERE TO FIND US
Drumlanrig St. Cuthbert’s Primary School is situated in the West End of Hawick near the
historic site of the Motte Park.
Our address is:
Drumlanrig Primary School
Loan
Hawick
TD9 OAU
Tel: 01450 379046 – Nursery
01450 373521 – School
email: enquiries@drumlanrig-st-cuthberts.scotborders.sch.uk
Website: www.drumlanrig-st-cuthberts.scotborders.sch.uk
3
THE AIMS OF THE NURSERY CLASS
Nursery Education is all about learning through structured play. We offer a wide range of
experiences, which we hope will be enjoyed by all the children. We acknowledge and
respect that each child is an individual and aim to build on his/her strengths and cater for
his/her learning needs.
We aim to make the Nursery a happy, friendly place where children can develop socially,
emotionally, physically and intellectually in an exciting and lively atmosphere. We hope that
the environment we create will stimulate children’s natural curiosity, develop language and
mathematical skills and offer a wide range of creative experiences.
As children learn and develop skills, we aim to build on the experiences and opportunities
which parents provide, and extend his/her learning, based on his/her observed needs.
The Nursery is guided by a core set of values, which are outlined in “The Child at the
Centre”. This guide, produced by the Scottish Executive, helps Nurseries identify and put in
place the elements of good practice that make for a high quality Early Years Service. This
guide is used in conjunction with the Curriculum for Excellence guidelines.
We aim to ensure a smooth transition between the Nursery Class and the child's Primary 1
class and so regular sharing information meetings with staff are scheduled in the Summer
Term. Nursery children will have several sessions in the Primary 1 class prior to entry in
August. The Primary 1 teachers spend time in the Nursery getting to know the children
before their visits to Primary 1. A Parent Information Evening is organised to provide parents
with information about starting school and is an opportunity to meet the teachers and find out
about the work the children will be doing in Primary 1.
4
WHO ARE THE STAFF I WILL MEET?
Mrs J Gordon Headteacher
Mrs J Buchanan Depute Headteacher
Miss S Embleton Principal Teacher
Mr G Crawford Nursery Teacher, B ed (Hons)
Mrs J Sharkey Senior Nursery Nurse, NC, HNC (Childcare &
Education), PDA
Mrs C Smith Nursery Nurse, NC, HNC (Childcare & Education)
Miss J Smith Nursery Nurse, NC, HNC (Childcare & Education)
Mrs A Hedley Administrative Assistant
Mrs K Grant School Administrator
Mr M Tierney School Janitor
Mrs B Robertson School Crossing Patrol
OTHER REGULAR VISITORS
Mrs Robertson Support for Learning Teacher
Ms Redden Speech Therapist
Mrs Woods, Mrs Drysdale School Nurses
PC J Flynn Community Police Officer
Mrs Brand Dental Health Promotions
Mrs Tice Dental Health Promotions
Other professionals are available if their expertise is required. You would always be
consulted if outside agencies were to support your child.
We are also very pleased to have Child Care Students from Borders College, Student
Teachers, Parent Helpers etc.
5
WHO COMES TO MY NURSERY CLASS?
Pre-School Nursery
Children who are eligible to start school in the August of the following year will begin Pre
School in August.
Ante Pre-School Nursery
Boys and girls who reach 3 years of age are eligible to attend the Nursery from the term after
their 3rd birthday. To begin with, children attend 3 sessions (Tuesday, Wednesday and
Thursday) and this can be increased to 4 or 5 sessions once the child has settled and with
the agreement of the staff.
There is, at present, provision for two sessions daily with up to forty children in the morning
session and up to thirty in the afternoon.
It is normal practice to reserve a place per session for children who have special needs.
Thereafter, places will be allocated on an age basis with priority being given to pre school
pupils.
Adverts regarding applications for Enrolment in Nurseries are normally placed in local
newspapers in November of each year. Places are allocated and parents informed by the
first week in May.
WHEN WILL I COME TO NURSERY?
MORNING CLASS 9.00 - 11.30
AFTERNOON CLASS 12.45 - 3.15
When your child commences Nursery, he/she will be given a starting day and time.
Please be prepared to stay with your child while he/she is settling into Nursery Class. Every
child is different and some will take longer than others. By working together we can give
your child a happy, confident start to Nursery life.
At the end of each session there is an opportunity for informal communication between
yourself and Nursery Staff. We are always pleased to arrange for a longer period of time to
be made available if you wish to have a more formal or a private meeting.
It is very important that we know who will be collecting your child from Nursery each day. We
will not let your child go home with anyone else without your permission. The person who is
collecting for your child is required to collect the name label from the board at the Nursery
door and hand it to Nursery Staff before your child will be released.
Please arrive on time to collect your child. The Nursery is a very different place when
everyone else has gone home! Nursery staff will be at the main school door 5 minutes
before the end of each session.
6
ENTERING OR LEAVING NURSERY
When children are entering or leaving school premises, they must use the footpath entrance
and not the vehicle entrance.
Cars are not allowed to stop on the yellow lines and parents are requested to park on the
road beyond the crossing area when bringing or picking up children from Nursery.
Children must be brought and collected by a responsible adult (over 16 years of age).
When walking to school, please use the school crossing patrol and follow her instructions.
This is good training for when the children start school.
When walking through the playground, remember the rest of the school is still working.
Please encourage your child to walk quietly beside you and talk about his/her day. In order
to avoid serious accidents children must not run through the tunnel.
As a nursery and school, we are developing our outside environment and trying hard to keep
our garden bright. Please encourage your child to respect the plants and growing areas.
WHAT WILL I NEED?
CLOTHING
Comfortable clothes are recommended, preferably jogging bottoms or trousers with an
elasticated waist to make it easy for your child to go to the toilet. Jeans are not always
suitable as they are difficult to fasten and unfasten especially when your child needs the toilet
in a hurry.
A sweat shirt with the Nursery Class Logo and title is available from Needle Street
Embroidery (opposite The Haugh car park) at a cost of approximately £8.00.
We will provide a nylon or cotton overall for painting and other activities which can be rather
messy.
We encourage all pupils to bring a change of shoes – slip on gym shoes with Velcro
fastenings are easiest. Floppy slippers and loose fitting shoes are not safe on the climbing
frame. Shoes can be left in the Nursery cloakroom in a drawstring shoe bag at the end of
each session.
We ask that the children have shorts and a T-shirt for PE. These may be left in the shoe bag.
A complete change of clothes in a bag, all clearly labelled with your child’s name, is
helpful in case of a little "accident".
7
OTHER REQUIREMENTS
It will save a lot of confusion if you could ensure that ALL of your child's belongings are
clearly named.
Please bring along a carrier bag to take home paintings, models etc.
Occasionally your child will be asked to gather items for a particular theme, e.g. leaves in
Autumn. Please encourage him/her to participate and contribute to the theme.
The children are given the opportunity to play outdoors. Please ensure your child has
suitable clothing for the time of year and please remember that even in the Summer, when
the sun is shining, it can still be very cool outside so a cardigan or sweatshirt may be
required. In the autumn / winter months we still like to go outside to play. Please ensure your
child brings a coat each day, and if it is really cold gloves and hats make outside play more
enjoyable.
SNACK TIME
Each day your child will be offered a small snack. We are promoting a healthy eating
programme so provide snacks appropriately, trying to follow the nursery theme where
possible. Snack will consist of a drink, either milk or water; a plain biscuit, savoury bite or
home baking and a piece of fruit. This snack is not compulsory but is encouraged – we ask
the children to have a “nursery taste”. We don’t aim to provide a full meal but give an
opportunity to experience lots of different tastes and textures.
In order to cover the cost of this, you are asked to bring snack money each Monday, or the
first day you attend, to the nursery teacher.
At present, we are asking you to pay 30 pence per day. Any monies left over will be banked
in a special Nursery Account and used to subsidise the cost of day trips, visits, baking, books
and equipment.
When a child has a birthday, the staff help them to make his/her own cake; this encourages
the development of basic scientific and maths skills. We are also very aware of food
allergies and we can regulate what goes into our baking.
Please do not let your child bring sweets to the nursery either for themselves or to share.
A toothbrush and tubes of toothpaste are provided by the Community Dental Services and
we encourage good dental hygiene habits.
Drumlanrig School is a nut free school as we have a number of children (and parents
connected to the school) who have severe nut allergies and we want to eliminate the risk of a
reaction. It is very important never to bring nut related products in to school and if sending in
empty cereal boxes etc for the children to use in Nursery, please ensure that no packaging
be sent into school which originally contained nut related products.
8
WHAT HAPPENS IF I AM SICK?
ILLNESS AND ATTENDANCE
Nursery Education is a very important step in your child's development. We can only help
your child to develop and progress if attendance is regular. Once you have accepted a place,
your child is expected to come every day. Failure to attend regularly will result in the place
being withdrawn and offered to the next child on the waiting list.
It would be helpful if you could give us advance notice if your child is going to be absent. In
the case of illness, you must telephone the Nursery to inform us of the absence. Even if
your child wants to come back to Nursery we would ask you to please keep him/her at
home until he/she is completely well and in the case of sickness and diarrhoea the
child should not return before 48 hours since their last incident.
We should also be informed if your child is absent due to having contracted any infectious
illness such as Impetigo, German Measles, Chickenpox etc. because of the risk to pregnant
women and other children.
We should be told of any medical or other factors which can affect your child, e.g. asthma,
speech problems, allergies etc. Please feel that you can talk to us at any time about any
concerns or worries that you may have about the Nursery or your child.
Head lice and nits are very common in the Nursery age group as the children like to get “up
close and personal”. Please keep a regular look out for these “unwanted visitors” and treat
at the first signs. Chemists will advise what is the recommended treatment at the time.
Administration of Medicine
Scottish Borders Council Health and Safety Guidelines have been published which state that
school staff are under no duty to administer medicine to pupils in school. However, we will
supervise pupils taking their own medicine, for example Inhalers for asthma. Parents should
always notify the Headteacher in writing and complete the necessary forms. Only in
exceptional circumstances will staff agree to give medication and this will be on a purely
voluntary basis.
When possible we ask parents to administer medication to their children before and after
schooltime. If it is necessary, arrangements can be made for parents to come to the school
during the school day.
N.B. No pupil should carry prescribed or non-prescribed medicine in his or her schoolbags.
9
WHAT WILL I DO IN THE NURSERY?
We follow themes of interest in the Nursery Class, and carefully plan activities around each
theme to develop, interest and stimulate your child. Look on the whiteboard in the cloakroom
to see details of our current theme, as well as a weekly list of all the experiences the nursery
will have on offer.
For example, a week on the theme of GROWING might have us sowing sunflower seeds,
planting a garden area, shopping for fruit and vegetables in Hawick, making soup, painting
beanstalks, singing about the sun and the rain, pretending to be a plant growing from seed,
listening to lots of stories etc. We might then go on to a theme on weather!!
The activities we offer the children may vary from week to week, but we will plan to offer a
well balanced curriculum, which will ensure progression and build on your child's previous
experiences.
WHAT WILL I DO OUTWITH THE NURSERY?
The Nursery has a fenced outside area for physical play and the investigation of seasons
and weather. We often visit the local park to look for signs of Winter, Spring etc and feed the
ducks.
Keep a look out on our notice board for other groups offering a variety of complementary
skills and activities e.g. Tumble Tots.
10
NURSERY RULES
BEHAVIOUR
In this Nursery, we encourage positive behaviour through the following rules.
Always do as you are asked first time.
Keep hands, feet and unkind words to yourself.
Look after toys, books and equipment.
Tell a grown up that you are going to the toilet.
REWARDS
Verbal praise at the time and at story time.
Moving name up the behaviour chart
Group praise at the time with the children round about.
Stickers.
Certificate to take home.
Positive feedback to parent / carer.
CONSEQUENCES
Everyone begins on the happy sun!
1. Verbal warning, and the rule that is broken will be reinforced.
2. Withdrawal from activity and given a choice of 2 quieter activities. Child’s name to be
moved to ‘rainy cloud’ on behaviour chart.
3. Withdrawn to an area near staff tables and child told that they are on ‘thinking time’ for 2
minutes. Parents/carers told at end of session of behaviour. Child’s name moved to
‘stormy cloud’.
4. Report to Senior Management (for discussion) and an individual programme set up as
necessary
11
HOW CAN MY PARENTS / CARERS HELP?
We welcome help with day to day activities such as baking, library rota, visits out etc.
If you have any special talents you would like to share, please let us know!
Parent/Carers who volunteer are asked to complete an enhanced disclosure form for the
safety of all. There is no cost to the parents.
We regularly need junk material - whole clean boxes, margarine tubs, yoghurt cartons,
scraps of wool, buttons, wallpaper, corks, bottletops ............
and lots more! Bits of wood of all shapes and sizes also
come in handy for the woodwork table. (Please no boxes
which contained nuts, as we have several children in the
school with nut allergies.)
Please inform us of any change in routine or events which
may affect your child. This helps us to give the best
possible support.
Please teach your child to be as independent as possible
.......... at the toilet, washing hands, changing shoes,
fastening buttons, etc. etc.
HOW WILL I KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON?
Each month a Newsletter is sent home with details of what is happening
in the Nursery and the School. Items which are particular to the Nursery
will be handed out at picking-up time.
Please also see the notice board and visual timetable outside the Nursery
door.
If your child is absent then newsletters or notes will be given out on
his/her return.
HOW WILL I KNOW HOW MY CHILD IS GETTING ON?
Once Nursery places are allocated, you will be invited to meet the Nursery Staff and other
parents at an information evening in June. We will share lots of practical details and try to
answer any questions you may have.
In the autumn term we have an Open Evening when we are happy to discuss your child’s
progress with you. We offer a more formal meeting with parents in May/June.
If, however, you have a query at any time, please do not hesitate to make an appointment to
discuss it with the appropriate member of staff.
12
HOW DO I KNOW THE NURSERY IS FOLLOWING THE
APPROPRIATE GUIDELINES AND INITIATIVES?
The Nursery is regularly inspected by the Care Commission. They have reported that the
Nursery has many strengths. A full copy of their latest report is on display in the cloakroom.
If anyone wishes to contact the Care Commission directly, they can do so by writing to -
Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care
Compass House
11 Riverside Drive
Dundee DD1 4NY
"PARENT COUNCIL"
In Drumlanrig we have a very hard working and enthusiastic Parent Council known as
‘Friends of Drumlanrig School - FODS’ which organises social and fund-raising events to
enable us to buy "extras" in school. Nursery parents are encouraged to take part in the
association and would be most welcome to come along to meetings and perhaps become
members of the committee.
Present Friends of Drumlanrig School committee members:
Chairperson Mrs M Wood
Vice-Chairperson Mrs F Szoneberg
Clerk Mrs E Davies
Treasurer Mrs J Wilson
Teacher representative Miss L Smith
Councillor Representatives Cllr George Turnbull
Cllr Ron Smith
Cllr David Patterson
Committee Mrs L Johnson Ms D Parker
Mrs V Robertson Mrs A Angus
Mrs T Murray Ms A Lindsay
Ms A Haig Mrs S Johnston
Mrs T Sharp Mrs K Hughes
Mrs L Deas
PUPIL COUNCIL
There is a Pupil Council in our school, with representatives from P3 – P7 who represent the
whole school. The children are guided by our Principal Teacher.
The aims of the Pupil Council are to represent the pupil voice and to bring issues to the
attention of the Headteacher. They are also involved in fundraising, assemblies and as pupil
representatives at various meetings.
13
SCHOOL SESSION ARRANGEMENTS 2011-2012
Wednesday 14th September 6.00 - 7.00 p.m. Open Evening
Monday 19th September at 6.30 p.m. F.O.D.S. AGM
th th
Monday 10 – Friday 14 October School closed- October Holiday
Thursday 10th and Friday 11th November School Closed - In-service training
Monday 14th - Thursday 17th November Book Fair week
Monday 28th November School Closed - St Andrew's Day
Wednesday 21st December Last day of Term
Thurs 22nd Dec 2011 - Wed 4th January 2012 School Closed - Christmas and New Year Holidays
2012
Thursday 5th January 2012 Start of new Term
Thursday 9th February 2012 School Closed - In-service training
Friday 10th - Tuesday 14th February 2012 School Closed - holiday
Wed 22nd & Thurs 23rd February 2012 Parents' Evenings
Monday 2nd - Friday 13th April 2012 School Closed - Easter Holiday
Thursday 3rd May 2012 School Closed - Elections (To be confirmed)
Friday 4th May 2012 School Closed - In-service training
Monday 7th May 2012 School Closed - May holiday
Thursday 7th June 2012 School closes after Cornet leaves school
Friday 8th June 2012 School Closed - Common Riding Holiday
Monday 11th June 2012 School Closed - Casual Holiday
Tuesday 26th June 2012 at 3.15 p.m. Break for Holidays
The information contained in this booklet is correct at the time of publication.
14
