thornwood nursery class handbook session 2021 - 2022 - gfis
TRANSCRIPT
pg. 1
Thornwood Nursery Class
Handbook
Session 2021 - 2022
pg. 2
Contents
3. Nursery Contact Information
4. Welcome
5. Our Mission Statement and Aims
6. Staff Information
7. Nursery Information
8. Important Information
9. Policies
10. Policies
11. Policies
12. Policies
13. Our Curriculum
14. Our Curriculum
15. Health and Well Being
16. Outdoor Play
17. Early Years Documents
18. Family Engagement
19. School Term Dates and Suggestions and Complaints
pg. 3
Thornwood Nursery Class
11 Thornwood Terrace
Glasgow
G11 7QZ
Telephone; 0141 339 7445 (Nursery Office)
0141 334 4271 (School Office)
Please call school office if there is no reply from the nursery
office if you need to pass an urgent message on, otherwise please
leave a message on the answering machine.
Nursery Team Leader: Ann Marie Diver
Email: [email protected]
Headteacher: Caroline Dunleavy
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: www.twitter.com/ThornwoodPri
pg. 4
Welcome
I am privileged to be the Team Leader of this nursery and
I warmly welcome you and your child to Thornwood
Nursery Class.
Here at Thornwood our families are at the heart of all we
do! We do love! We do cuddles! We do Fun! We do
Relaxing! All of these things enable the children to learn
and develop in a safe and motivating environment. Please
get involved and enjoy the nursery experience as much as
your child does.
We have high expectations of the children at Thornwood.
The children will learn through play and have lots of fun
times here.
We aim to equip the children with skills for life and
motivate them for life-long learning.
This handbook is designed to give you information about
the service we provide. If you require any additional
information or have any suggestions that could improve
our service I will be more than happy to hear from you.
Marie
pg. 5
Our Mission Statement
Our Aims
• Provide a friendly and secure environment where children, staff and
parents/carers feel happy and are valued
• Encourage each child to become a successful learner by providing
challenging and stimulating experiences
• Promote awareness of health and wellbeing throughout the school to
encourage healthy and active lifestyles
• Develop the personalities, talents, abilities and ambitions of our young
people in a supportive culture where we value each other’s individuality
• Strengthen relationships with all by continuing to create a positive
ethos
• Provide a broad, relevant curriculum which meets individual needs
• Equip pupils with the foundation skills, attitudes and expectations
necessary to prosper.
Vision: To develop happy enthusiastic learners.
Our Shared Values:
Respect Honesty Kindness Doing Your Best Good
Sportsmanship
Aim: To promote ambition and
resilience in a supportive and nurturing
environment.
pg. 6
Staff Information
Management Team
Caroline Dunleavy – Headteacher
Ann Marie Diver – Team Leader
Child Development Officers
Shirley Copeland
Carolyne Foster
Eileen Gordon
Donna McArthur
Linda Smith
Support Staff
Shamas Yusuf
pg. 7
Information
Roll and Capacity
Morning session 30
Afternoon session
30
Limited full-time
places.
Age range 3-5 years
old.
8am – 4pm Term Time
Fees and Toy Fund
http://www.glasgow.gov.uk
Please check the above website for GCC Nursery Fee information.
At the moment we are not allowed to accept our toy fund in the
form of cash. Can I ask you to transfer straight into the nursery
account please?
If your child attends am or pm it would be £3.00 per month or
£5.00 per month if your child attends full time. This is a voluntary
fund used to purchase birthday/Christmas/ gifts/baking
ingredients/ malleable/outings/parties etc.
All contributions no matter how small are greatly appreciated.
Non-Denominational
Policy
Our nursery is non-
denominational. We
respect and
welcome families of
all religious faiths
and beliefs.
pg. 8
Important Information
Clothing
Your child will be very busy during nursery. Taking part in lots of experiences
both indoors and out. Clothing should be suitable for the weather to allow
children to take part in all experiences offered. Children should not wear their
best clothes as there may be a risk that they could be damaged. If possible
try to stay away from difficult fastenings i.e. buckles, belts etc as the child
may have difficulty going to the toilet. Parents must provide a change of
clothes and indoor shoes. Parents must provide nappies and wipes if their child
requires them. Parents are asked to avoid football colours. All parents are
asked to provide a sun hat.
Attendance
If your child is sick please inform the nursery. If you are going on holiday
please inform your child’s key worker of the dates. Non-attendance of
placement will be monitored, and this will result in a review of placement.
There are a lot of learning opportunities going on every day therefore your
child will benefit from good attendance.
Medication
If your child requires medication during their time at nursery these
requirements should be discussed with a member of management. All
medications must be prescribed by the child’s doctor and must have the child’s
name, date of birth and dose attached to the medication. The first dose of any
new medication must be administered by the parent. You will be required to fill
in a consent form detailing information about the medicine. Please do not leave
any medicines in your child’s bag in the cloakroom.
Emergency Contacts
You are required to provide emergency
contact details for your child.
pg. 9
Policies
Admissions Policy
All Nursery places are allocated in line with Glasgow City Council’s Admissions
and Banding policy which the nursery staff will be happy to advise you on when
you apply for a place for your child. A leaflet detailing Glasgow City Council’s
policy is also available from the establishment or alternatively at the website
below.
https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=18136
Settling in
When your child is due to start nursery there will be a settling in period. Your
child’s key worker will work in partnership with you to ensure the transition
from home to nursery runs as smoothly as possible. Your child needs to feel
secure in this new situation. Each child is different and for this reason there is
no set time limit for settling in. Some children take longer than others.
Arrival and collection of children
When your child begins nursery, you will be asked to complete a collection form
detailing who will be dropping off and picking up your child. Due to child safety
reasons staff will only allow children to leave with people identified on this list.
The people on the list must be over 16 years. If in any circumstances the
parent required someone else to collect their child they must phone or speak
to a member of management to arrange this. This will avoid situations where
the child cannot be allowed to leave with an adult who is not known to the
staff.
pg. 10
Policies
Additional support for learning
A child with a disability or additional support for learning needs has the right
to special care, education and training to help him or her enjoy a full life and
achieve the greatest degree of self-reliance and social integration possible.
“Every child is special” Further information relating to Additional Support
Needs is also available on the Glasgow City Council website.
http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid =18941
Accidents
If a child has a minor accident this will be treated accordingly. This will be
recorded in the Accident Book. When the child is collected the parent will be
informed and asked to sign the accident book. There is more information
available in our First Aid policy with is available in the nursery policy folder.
Linda Smith is the qualified first aider.
Care Inspectorate
You can access our up to date
Care Inspectorate report by
using the following link
www.scswis.com
pg. 11
Glasgow City Council Child Protection Policy
‘The child protection programme seeks to support the child’s development in
ways which will foster security, confidence and independence. It should be
regarded as central to the well-being of the individual and is therefore seen to
be an intrinsic part of all aspects of the curriculum’. Staff have a
responsibility to: Keep children safe by being proactive in child protection
matters Promote the welfare of children by maintaining a positive and
supportive ethos Help children protect themselves by providing an
appropriate personal and social development curriculum Be familiar with child
protection procedures and guidance and implement those procedures promptly
when there is a suspicion of child abuse Work closely with other agencies
and services in supporting children Actively participate in training on child
protection matters Caroline Dunleavy is the nursery child protection co-
ordinator.
Confidentiality
All staff adhere to Glasgow City Council’s confidentiality policy. Parents and
children must feel confident that information they choose to share with a
member of staff will be treated with respect and handled appropriately.
Promoting positive behaviour
All children have the right to a calm secure, supportive and purposeful
environment, which allows them the opportunity to develop respect for
themselves and for other people’s needs, opinions and property. Strategies for
promoting positive behaviour are based on a philosophy of negotiation and
reconciliation endeavouring to use restorative, solution oriented and nurturing
approaches. We use the PATHS Programme (Promoting Alternative Thinking
Strategies) in order to help children, understand their emotional development.
‘make things better together’
More in depth information is available
on all our policies in our policy folder in
the parent’s room and also available on
Glasgow City Councils website
http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?
articleid=8 597
pg. 12
Policies Dealing with harassment
The Race Relations Act of 1976 makes it unlawful to discriminate against
someone because of his/her colour, race, nationality, ethnic or national
background. The Act makes it the duty of Glasgow City Council to eliminate
unlawful racial discrimination. In 1999 the guidelines, ‘Dealing with Racial
Harassment’ were issued to all educational establishments. The adoption of an
anti-racist approach should be seen as one part of the continuing attempt to
improve the quality of education. Glasgow City Council recognises that support
from the home is essential if these aims are to be achieved. Every child in
Glasgow has the right to be happy and secure at establishment.
Bullying
Bullying behaviour will not be tolerated within Glasgow City Council’s
educational establishments. All children in Glasgow’s educational
establishments have an entitlement “to work (and play) in a learning
environment in which they feel valued, respected and safe and are free from
all forms of abuse, buying or discrimination”. (A Standard for Pastoral Care in
Glasgow Establishments). In 2009, Glasgow City Council published its revised
Anti-Bullying Policy, incorporating, the requirement to record and report all
discriminatory behaviours within educational establishments. All
establishments are required to review their policy in light of this. Parents and
carers have a significant role to play in helping to address this problem. For
this reason, any anti-bullying strategy must stress the importance of
partnership with the parents and carers of their children.
Data Protection Act 1998
Information on children and young people, parents and carers is stored on a
computer system and may be used for teaching, registration, assessment and
other administrative duties. The information is protected by the Data
Protection Act 1998 and may only be disclosed in accordance with the Codes of
Practice. For further information please contact the establishment.
pg. 13
Our
Our
Curriculum
Technology
Science
Religious and Moral
Social Studies
Numeracy
Health and Well-being
Literacy
Expressive Arts
At Thornwood Nursery we aim to cater for the individual needs of your child
in a bright, busy, secure, happy and stimulating environment – conducive to
learning through play and exploration. This will support your child on their
journey to be a successful leaner, effective contributor, responsible citizen
and a confident individual. In line with all education establishments, early
years are implementing Scottish Curriculum for Excellence. There are 8 areas
within curriculum for excellence with experiences and outcomes set out for
learning.
All early level experiences and
outcomes can be found here;
https://education.gov.scot/Docume
nts/All-experiencesoutcomes18.pdf
pg. 14
Our Curriculum
Literacy and English
• Emphasis on the acquisition and further development of your child’s language • The
need for clear communication skills • The enabling of your child to express their needs
• Language specific to number, writing skills and preparatory reading skills • Listening
to language with enjoyment through stories, poetry and singing • Developing listening
skills to enable your child to carry out tasks • Specific language used to illustrate the
relevant theme or topic translated through role play • Enjoy books • Recognition of the
written word • Express feelings through role play, puppets and recall
Expressive Arts
• Expression through
pictures, paintings and
models • Listening and
responding to music, rhymes
and songs • Making music •
Use of role play and
puppetry • Participation in
singing time, including
actions and movement • Use
of various media and
techniques
Numeracy and Mathematics
Building on existing skills in
the following areas:
• Number • Shape •
Pattern • Colour
Social Studies
• People and other
living things • Becoming
familiar with a
diversity of cultures •
Becoming familiar with
people who work in the
school and the
community • Care of
living things • Develop
a love of natural
beauty and a sense of
wonder of the world
Religious and Moral
Education
• The importance of
cultural and religious
festivals of others in the
community • Learning to
share, play fair and care
Sciences
• Observation and problem solving •
Questioning, discussing and reasoning • Use
of senses • understanding physical
properties • Becoming fully familiar within
the nursery setting and local environments
Technologies
• Becoming familiar with computers and their
uses • Becoming familiar with the use of a digital
camera • Being aware of transportation within
the environs • Being aware of the purpose of a
variety of tools
pg. 15
Health and Well-being
Child Smile
Our nursery takes part in
the Childsmile programme
which is designed to
improve the oral and
general health of children
in Scotland. All children are
offered daily supervised
tooth brushing within the
nursery establishment.
Healthy Snack
We aim to empower children
and families to make
healthy choices as part of
lifelong learning. We
incorporate healthy
eating/oral health in our
daily routine. We offer a
choice of healthy snacks
and lunches. Milk and water
are offered at snack and
water is available all day.
Sustainability
Our Eco Song
Here at Thornwood we’re
an Eco school.
We pick up the litter and
we follow the rules,
We turn off the taps and
we switch of the lights,
Let’s keep our planet shiny
and bright.
Children’s Rights
Children’s Rights are embedded into our practice here at
Thornwood Nursery. The basic principles of the UN Convention
on the Rights of the Child are:
• All children are equal and have the same rights.
• Every child has the right to have his or her basic needs
fulfilled.
• Every child has the right to protection from abuse and
exploitation.
• Every child has the right to express his or her opinion and to
be respected.
Online Learning Journals
Here at Thornwood we use
Learning Journals online to
document and share your
child’s learning. This is an
opportunity for the nursery
and families to work in
collaboration to provide the
best outcomes for our
young learners.
pg. 16
Outdoors
Here at Thornwood the children are outside every day and
here are some of the benefits of outdoor play:
Better concentration
Co-ordination
Builds on muscle strength
Builds on confidence
Increases flexibility
Improves fine and gross motor skills
Problem solving and leadership skills
Promotes imagination and creative play
The children have access to outdoor play on a daily basis and
are exposed to a variety of different experiences which are
fun and challenging. Outdoor play has an enormous impact on a
child’s well-being and learning journey. We provide a variety of
experiences to allow children to explore, experiment,
investigate and develop their curiosity in the world around
them. This relates to Curriculum for Excellence which states
“Such experiences motivate our children to become successful
learners and to develop as confident enterprising and
responsible citizens”
pg. 17
Early Years Documents
These are some of the documents we use to support, plan, observe and assess
your child throughout their learning journey at nursery.
pg. 18
Family Engagement
Parents are the greatest influence on their children’s learning and
development, and are key partners in the work of our nursery. Our nursery
staff, parents and the community have a responsibility to work together to
care for and educate children. We encourage and empower parents to be
involved in our establishment however this year has proved to be more
challenging in finding ways to involve parents in the life of the nursery. Our
online learning journals provide an effective way of communicating and sharing
experiences with our families. We have an open-door policy here at Thornwood
Nursery however, due to Covid-19 this principle has been adapted to include
online communication and information sharing at the nursery gate.
We are always looking for innovative ways to communicate as effectively as
possible so we would value your thoughts and ideas.
pg. 19
School Terms Dates 2021-2022 Nursery Closed
September Weekend Friday 24th – Monday 27th September 2021
In- Service Day Friday 8th October 2021
Autumn Break Monday 11th – Friday 15th October 2021
Christmas Break Nursery closes 2.30pm Wednesday 22nd December – Re-opens Wednesday 5th January 2022
February Mid Term Break Monday 14th and Tuesday 15th February 2022
In-Service Day Wednesday 16th February 2022
Spring Holiday Nursery closes 2.30pm Friday 1st April 2022 Re-opens Tuesday 19th April
May Holiday Monday 2nd May 2022
In-Service Day Thursday 5th May 2022
May Holiday Friday 27th May 2022
June Holiday Thursday 2nd June 2022
Queen’s Jubilee Friday 3rd June 2022
Summer Holidays Nursery closes 1pm Friday 24th June 2022 Nursery Returns Wednesday 17th August 2022
Suggestions and Complaints
We are always striving to maintain and improve our service. If you have any suggestions,
please add them to your child’s learning journal or speak to a member of staff. If you have
a complaint about any aspect of the service you should contact the Team Leader or the
Headteacher. If you feel your complaint has not been satisfactorily resolved, please
contact Customer Care Team. The Customer Care Team can be contacted by phone or e-
mail:
Phone: 0141 287 0900
E-mail: [email protected]
Customer Care Team Customer and Business Services Glasgow City Council City Chambers
Glasgow G2 1DU
Care Inspectorate Compass House 11 Riverside Drive Dundee DD1 4NY Tel: 0845 600 9527
Although the information in this
handbook is correct at the time of
printing, there could be changes
affecting the content, either before
your child’s placement begins or during
the course of their placement. You will
be notified of any important changes.
pg. 20