How can I find you?
We are based in the 5th Chichester Scout Hut on Whyke Road, just next to an old church opposite the junction for Kingsham Avenue. There is parking in the layby in front of the scout hut and in the carpark next to the hut. There is not a designated accessible parking space though provisions to reserve space can be made if this is required.
What do I need to do to access a nursery space for my child?
The best thing to do is to give us a ring on 07891815249 or email us at office@busylizziesnursery.org. We will then be able to talk to you about your needs and arrange an appointment for you to come in and visit. You can also message us through our Facebook page @busylizziesnursery. There is not usually a need to place your child on a waiting list though you are welcome to do so if you prefer to be organised!
If you are accessing funded sessions (15 hours or 30 hours) you do not pay anything unless your child attends more hours than they are eligible for. For example if you reveive 15 hours funding but your child attends for 16 hours a week you will pay for 1 hour. Our sessions are very flexible so please do let us know exactly what you need and we will do our best to accomodate you.
For those paying for sessions/ extra hours we will invoice you via email at the beginning of each month for the month to come. You will then need to pay this before the end of the month, preferably by BACS but cash is also accepted. If you are having difficulties paying then please do speak to us as soon as you can so we can work out a plan together. Please note that the full fees are payable even if your child is off for any reason. You will not be charged if the nursery is closed. There is also a late collection fee charged at the managers discretion.
Before a child starts we will have lots of conversations with you to find out as much about them as we can; including their interests, individual needs, what they can do and what they may need support with. Settling in is very flexible to meet the needs of the child and family – some children start with half hour – 1 hour sessions before building up, some start with their whole sessions and some need their families to stay with them for a few sessions at first. If a child has a comfort object we recommend that this comes with them. If you pay for your child to attend you will not be charged the full fees until they are settled and attending their full hours. Once the settling process is complete then our usual fees policy applies.
Is the nursery fully accessible?
Arrangements can be made to reserve an accessible parking space. We have an accessible ramp in front of the setting and our front door has the option for double doors to be opened to allow more entrance space. We have an accessible toilet and facilities to change all children.
My child has additional needs, what adaptations are you able to make to support them?
We welcome all children and all families. We strongly believe it is our job to adapt to the children in our care and not the other way round. Our aim is to help every single child to grow, develop and achieve their full potential while they are with us. For each individual child we work closely with the family and any other professionals involved to ensure we are providing the best care possible. This can mean adapting our own practice or interactions, the layout of our setting, attending training or developing new resources. Very rarely, where a child’s needs are, or become, beyond our ability to meet we may explore the possibility with you that another setting may be better suited for them. This would never be a decision we would make lightly and we will always do our absolute best to meet a child’s needs first.
I’m worried my child might have additional needs, how will you manage this?
When a child starts we communicate with the family to find out as much as possible about their interests and level of development before they begin. From the moment they are with us we are playing with, interacting and observing them to find out what their strengths and interests are as well as where they may need some extra support. We have formal meetings with you at least twice a school year to discuss their development in the nursery and at home and decide if further support is needed. We also communicate regularly in between these meetings, either informally or requesting another meeting if it is needed. Parents are encouraged to come to us with their own concerns and not wait for a formal meeting.
We assess children’s development according to the Early Years Foundation Stage and where extra support is needed we will develop an individual plan in partnership with the parents. This will address further support we are putting in place in the setting and also when outside support has been decided on (for example speech and language therapists, health visitors or the child development centre). We will then put this plan into action and review it regularly with you and any other professionals, deciding together when the plan of support needs to change.
How will the nursery support my child’s physical health?
Physical activity is a regular part of the day, we have a huge garden with a range of equipment to challenge children physically – bikes, trikes, cars, climbing frame, crates/planks, balls. We incorporate physical activity indoors as well through climbing/balancing equipment, dancing, movement games and active songs such as Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes. We also take children of all ages out on walks and/or trips to the local park.
Throughout this we talk to the children about why we need exercise and other aspects of keeping healthy such as what foods are good for us, which foods are treats, the need for sleep and hygiene. The outcome that we aim for is children to develop an understanding of the different aspects of a healthy lifestyle and be able to make good choices such as choosing to eat more healthy foods or remembering when to wash their hands.
How will the nursery support my child’s emotional and mental health?
We strongly believe in the importance of nuturing a child’s emotional and mental health as well as their physical health. The team are very passionate about this and several staff members have attended additional training in this area in their own time. We use activities such as mindfulness and yoga to help the children learn to relax, breathe, listen and imagine. We aim for children in our care to know that they are listened to, respected and understood. We work with them to help them to recognise their emotions and find ways to manage these. This can be very individual to the child, for example if we have a child who becomes upset or angry more easily then we will work closely with them and their families to find out their triggers and what helps them the most.
How will you communicate with me?
We aim to build up strong relationships with families as well as children so that we are constantly reviewing our service. We send out questionnaires, usually annually, to find out more about certain aspects of our setting including what we can develop and improve. We have a parent handbook, send out occasional newsletters and post on our closed Facebook group for parents. We also communicate on an individual basis with conversations during drop off and pick up as well as sending occasional photos of what your child has been doing (particularly when they are proud of something and want to show you) either through email, Facebook messenger or WhatsApp depending on your preferred method of communication.
My child uses a different type of communication, will you be able to offer this?
Many of our team is trained in Makaton and use some signs with all our children, more with children who actively learning to use these. We have experience using PECS, choices boards and several of our staff have attended SALT sessions with children. We are passionate about including all children so if a child comes to us with a method of communication we haven’t used we will endeavour to learn how to.
How can I let you know what I think about the nursery?
Parents can provide feedback at any time through their preferred method of communication – talking, email, messenger, phone call, text/ whatsapp messages. Depending on the nature of the feedback the management team will decide whether to arrange a meeting to talk about this further or what other next steps might be.
We also believe the children in our nursery should be able to express their views. We help them to do this by speaking to them throughout their time with us and encouraging them to communicate when they want to do something. This will then be done in the moment or in their next session depending on what it is! We observe them regularly to find out whether they are engaged in what we are offering both inside or outside or whether we need to change.
What if I would like to complain?
We encourage parents to come to us in the first instance with a complaint through their preferred method of communication. We will then address this quickly and hopefully find a resolution. However if parents are unhappy with our response or the care that we provide then they can take their complaint to Ofsted who will contact us to address the issue in the way they see fit. As mentioned, children are encouraged to be free in their communication and we find that they will tell us when they are unhappy with something!