Welcome to Loughborough Campus Nursery!

 

We are a 102 place purpose designed nursery, open from 8.00am to 6.00pm weekdays, catering for the children of students and staff from the university and colleges as well as those from the local community.

 

Our aim throughout the nursery is to provide the highest possible standard of childcare, in a safe, caring, and stimulating environment. Your child will be welcomed and encouraged to participate in the nursery day to enable them to achieve the greatest level of personal development that they are capable of.  We aim to assist the children in developing their inter-personal relationships, both with adults and with other children and to enjoy each other's company as well as to share and take turns.

 

We are a multi-cultural nursery and make ourselves aware of, and share, each other's festivals and customs. We feel it is important for each child to be aware of cultural differences and preferences, and to respect the beliefs of others in a friendly way.

 

 

Safety for your children

Although there are several ways out of the nursery and grounds for evacuation purposes, there is only one way in which is through the main front door. Parents will be given the number for the keypad to enable them to let themselves into the building. All other people have to press a buzzer for attention.

 

Toys and equipment

These are changed after morning snack, after lunch and again after afternoon snack. Each room has its own six day toy rota to ensure that the children have access to a wide variety of toys and experiences. All children are encouraged to participate in craft/messy activities but, none are forced as this comes naturally as they get older.

 

Suitable Clothing

We aim to offer the children as many experiences through play, both indoor and out, as the weather permits. We suggest that you send them to nursery in suitable play clothes that you will not mind if they get stained or damaged. In the winter months they should have suitable warm outdoor clothing including hat & gloves and in the summer sun hats and sun cream, labelled with their name. All new parents are issued with a Nursery bag which should be named and used to keep a couple of complete sets of clothing should we need to change them.

 

Drinks

The children are provided with a drink of milk with both the morning and afternoon snack, and water at lunchtime.  Parents are asked to provide us with a lidded beaker or drinks container so extra drinks can be supplied throughout the day, containing any non fizzy drink (other than milk) that your child enjoys. Water is available throughout the day.

 

Breakfast & Tea time

 Children who attend from 8.00am are not automatically provided with breakfast as the majority of our parents prefer to give their children breakfast at home, but if they do require it either on a regular or one-off basis, please inform the office.

The majority of our children finish at 4.30pm and their parents prefer to give them their evening meal at home. Parents whose children stay after 4.30pm and who wish to can bring in tea for their child to eat at 5.00pm. To follow our healthy eating aim this should not include: Nuts, peanut butter, crisps, cakes, biscuits, chocolate or sweets. Also, due to a child in nursery having a severe egg allergy, we prefer you not to bring eggs into the nursery. Suggestions for teas: a filled roll, sandwich, stick of cheese or cold sausage; a piece of fruit or vegetable that does not need to be peeled and cut up; a yoghurt; a disposable carton of drink.

Snack Bar

A healthy snack bar of a drink of milk, fruit and vegetables is provided. All the children are encouraged to take their turn in visiting the snack bar, during the main morning and afternoon sessions.

Lunch Time

At lunch time we try to re-create a family setting, a small group of children sit around a table with a member of staff who encourages independence and social skills, helping them to use their knife, fork, spoon and table manners correctly as well as encouraging them to try a variety of foods.

Menu

Our menu consists of 10 meals that have been selected to give variety and a balanced diet and have been chosen using  ‘Eating Well For Under Fives In Childcare’ A Report of an Expert Working Group by Caroline Walker Trust and CHOMP menu planner, a nutritional computer programme to which the nursery menu is imputed enabling us to ensure we have a nutritionally balanced menu.

The 10 meals cover a 2 week period and then are repeated but moved on a day so that over a 10 week period all the meals will have been offered on a different day of the week.

The 10 week meal plan, weekly menu and the CHOMP print out  are all displayed on the corridor wall at the side of the kitchen door for you to see what your child has been offered that day, and what he/she will be offered in the days, weeks ahead.

 Rooms

The Nursery is split into 4 areas (rooms) loosely based on age range

 

Baby Room

Tweenies

Green Room

Pre-school

 

Birth to Three

The Government-initiated framework for under-three-year-olds. The framework takes the child as its focus and identifies four ‘Aspects’ which celebrate the skills and confidence of young children. It highlights the relationship between growth, learning, development and the environment in which children are cared for and educated.

 

We incorporate the framework throughout the Nursery day, planning our activities around it. Parents interested in finding out more about Birth to Three can contact DfES Publications on 0845 602 2260 and quote ‘BIRTH’.

 

Policies

Equal Opportunities, Outdoor Play, Behaviour, Health and Illness, Medication, Health and safety and Child Protection policies are displayed on the notice board opposite the office door. All other policies are kept in a wallet at the side of the board or can be read on this from here

 

Forms

Forms for you to fill in are to be found in pockets underneath the policies on the notice board opposite the office door, in the corridor of the Pre-School Unit and outside the Toddler Room door, or can be read on this from here

 

Accident / Incident forms

These are for you to notify staff within the group room of any accidents/incidents that have occurred at home. Minor everyday nursery accidents and incidents are reported on your child’s individual accident/incident form for you to sign once you have been made aware of the accident/incident.

 

 

Illnesses

No child should be sent into the nursery with any contagious illnesses (see illness policy). Parents are notified of any confirmed contagious illnesses by a notice which is displayed in the entrance hall (between the 2 doors on the left hand wall as you enter the nursery). The information about the illness, which room or rooms have children with the illness and the nursery policy are displayed.

 

Prescribed medication

Sometimes children will need to complete a course of medication after their return to nursery, or they may be on prescribed medication for non contagious illnesses. In this instance parents need to fill in a ‘Prescribed Medication Form’, which is in the child’s group room, giving staff permission to give the medication, stating the time to be given and the dosage. The medication must be handed to a member of staff for safe keeping. It must never be left in the child’s bag.

 

Non-prescribed medication

Our policy is that paracetamol-containing medicines such as Calpol or Panadol may be administered if a child requires it whilst at nursery. If this is so, parents need to provide the medication and fill out a ‘Non Prescribed Medication Form’ stating when the child last had the medicine, what dosage, and when and why it is needed. Such medication will only be administered for a maximum of 3 consecutive days unless the child is seen by a doctor who recommends continuing for longer. It is not recommended that any product containing aspirin or ibuprofen be given to anyone who is or may be asthmatic. Nursery staff will not administer aspirin/ibuprofen without a doctor’s note.

 

Parents Notice Board

As you walk down the corridor into the nursery you will see a notice board on the wall facing you. One section of the notice board is for parents use. Please date your notices which will be displayed for two weeks. Another section displays information such as nursery holiday closure dates, a list of consultative committee members, their contact details and minutes of the meetings.

 

Nursery Committee

If you wish to raise any matter with the committee, please inform the nursery manager or contact a committee member. The committee is made up of the nursery manager, a member of the Students’ Union executive, a representative of the University and five parents, ideally one from each group room and preferably a student, a member of staff and a community parent. If you are interested in joining the committee when a vacancy arises, please inform the nursery manager.

 

Invoices

Are calculated by calendar month and produced at the beginning of each month; each includes all booked sessions and lunches the child is due to attend as well as the previous month’s nappies that consumed. NEF funded sessions and subsidy, where applicable, are deducted monthly. Outstanding balances are collected via Direct Debit on or around the 14^th of the month.  Anyone experiencing problems with the content or payment of the invoice should discuss them with the manager/deputy.