Skip to content ↓
St Gabriel’s

St Gabriel’s

FAQs

 

Who should I speak to if I have any issues concerning my child?

In the first instance, your child’s Key Person or the Room Leader should be your initial point of contact. Alternatively, or if your child’s Key Person is not available, please come and see a member of the Management Team in the Nursery office. In the highly unlikely event that an issue is not addressed satisfactorily, we have a Complaints & Grievance Procedure, which outlines the process to follow. This can be found at www.stgabriels.co.uk/policies.

What happens if the Nursery has concerns about my child?

If we have any concerns about the development or behaviour of your child we will discuss these with you on an informal basis. We would hope that together we can identify the appropriate help and support needed.

How do you work in partnership with parents?

Parents are kept up-to-date with information on the main noticeboards in the entrance to the Nursery and outside the Pre-School entrance.  We also communicate with parents through verbal feedback, emails and our online app, ParentZone.

Daily feedback

At the end of the day your child’s Key Person or another member of the Nursery staff will give you feedback on your child’s day, including details of activities they have enjoyed and any specific achievements.

Parents can log on to Parent Zone at any time to view their child’s daily timeline.

 

Development Review Meetings

Once a term, parents meet more formally with their child’s Key Person to discuss their child’s progress. These discussions take place over the telephone.

Events

A wide variety of events are organised throughout the year, which might include a Mother’s Day Tea Party, a Father’s Stay & Play Morning, an Easter Egg Hunt, Sports Day, a Nativity Play and a Carol Concert. Further information on upcoming events can be found on the Nursery noticeboards/door.  Parents are kept informed of events by email.

Will my child be safe and secure?

Yes. Entry to staff and parents is via an electronic fob system, buzzer entry or keypad code.  CCTV surveillance is in operation around the Nursery building and staff are vigilant in checking regularly that all external doors and gates are locked. 

Will my child ever leave their room/immediate outside space?

Yes. As part of a healthy routine, children are taken for walks around the school’s beautiful grounds and also have use of the Junior School facilities for some specialist activities.

Sandleford Nursery

What if my child is not coming in to Nursery today?

Please telephone or email the Nursery by 9.00am to notify us of the reason for your child’s absence.  If you do not contact us, we will telephone both parents followed by the emergency contact to confirm your child’s absence.

What should I do if my child is unwell?

Your child is welcome to attend Nursery if they are feeling under the weather but should not attend if the illness is infectious. Please telephone or email the Nursery by 9.00am with the reason why your child is unable to attend their scheduled session.

We operate a 48 hour exclusion period if your child has vomiting or diarrhoea and 24 hour exclusion for a temperature.  Should your child have an infection, such as chickenpox, we ask that they are completely free of the infection before returning to Nursery. Please refer to our First Aid Policy, which can be found at www.stgabriels.co.uk/policies.

We are going on holiday, what do we need to tell the Nursery?

We ask parents, as far as possible, to supply holiday dates in advance and to provide at least 48 hours notice of any changes to planned dates.  Please note that fees will still be due for your child’s normal scheduled sessions, except when the Nursery is closed.

What happens if I am late collecting my child?

We understand that parents are sometimes unavoidably late to collect their child and we ask that you inform us immediately if you will not be on time. As our staffing levels are calculated according to the number of children we care for, unforeseen disruption to the number of children who need caring for can have a significant financial and organisational impact on the day-to-day running of the Nursery.  Therefore, in order to encourage parents to be prompt and to cover costs when such situations arise, a late collection fee will be charged for every 15 minutes after the advertised end of the session.  The current late collection fee can be found in the Schedule of Fees at www.stgabriels.co.uk/fees.

What if I need someone else to collect my child?

We ask you to inform a member of the Nursery Management Team if someone different will be collecting your child.  Please provide details of the person collecting and also arrange a password for them to use. If you do not inform us of changes, we will not let your child leave without contacting you and receiving your confirmation of the arrangement.

Will you administer medicines to my child?

Medicine (both prescription and non-prescription) will require consent to be given on the medicine form.  Prescription medicines must include the prescription label.  Each time a child has a new prescription, they will not be able to attend the Nursery until 24 hours after the first dose in case of an allergic reaction.  Calpol will only be administered in the event of your child having a temperature, they would then need to be collected.  Please refer to the First Aid Policy, which can be found at www.stgabriels.co.uk/policies.  Piriton will only be given in accordance with our Illness & Medication Policy.

What happens if my child has an accident?

If your child has an accident at Nursery, we will complete an accident form, discuss this with you during collection and provide you with a copy of the form. If your child has a bump to the head or the accident is of a serious nature we will observe them and also contact you immediately.

If your child has had an accident at home, we ask you to inform us and complete an existing injury form so that we are aware of the nature and its extent.  Under safeguarding procedures, if a significant injury is noticed, we have a duty to inform the relevant department at the local authority who will advise us on how the injury is investigated.  The welfare of the child is our primary concern.  Please refer to the First Aid Policy, which can be found at www.stgabriels.co.uk/policies.

How do you clean my child’s face?

With a warm, soft cloth or facial wipe. Please inform us if this is not suitable for your child’s skin.

How can I increase/decrease sessions?

If you require any one off additional sessions, please speak to a member of the Nursery Management Team, who can check availability for you.  A separate charge will be added to your invoice.

Sandleford Nursery

 

Increasing sessions

Please speak to the Nursery Manager who will check availability.  Confirmation is required via email.

Decreasing sessions/cancelling additional sessions

Please provide three months' notice (a term’s notice for term-time children) in writing to the Nursery Manager.

Will my child be given a dummy?

In the Baby Room dummies are used at your request and only if sent in from home, clearly named and in a sealed container.  Dummies can be sterilised if necessary.  We encourage children in the Toddler Room to only use their dummy during sleep time.

Can my child bring toys from home into Nursery?

Unless a toy is required as a comforter, or they are bringing something in for ‘Show & Tell’ (Pre-School Room) or another pre-planned activity, you should encourage your child not to come into the Nursery with toys from home. Lost belongings can cause a lot of heartache. Toys which are brought in from home must be clearly named.  Comforters will only be used during nap times and in times of distress.

How will you discipline my child?

If younger children are behaving inappropriately, they are distracted. With older children we introduce ‘time out’ and encourage them to think about the consequences of their behaviour and actions. No other form of discipline is used. Please refer to the Behaviour Policy, which can be found at www.stgabriels.co.uk/policies.

Where do children go when they reach the end of the Pre-School Room?

The majority of children in the Nursery Pre-School Room move on to the Reception class at St Gabriel’s. They will already be familiar with many of the teachers and Junior School facilities so we can prepare for a smooth transition to ‘big school’.

How much notice do I need to give if my child is leaving the Nursery?

In accordance with our Terms & Conditions, our notice period is three months for full time (50 weeks a year) children and one term for term time only children.

What are the term dates for term time children?

Term dates are the same as those for the main school and are published on the school website.  The only exception is that Nursery is open on Dame Betty Day (last Friday in November) when the rest of the school is closed.  Term time children will not be scheduled to attend Nursery on school INSET days.  If you would like your child to attend on INSET days (or any other additional days), please speak to the Nursery Manager who will check availability.

Can I use a camera/mobile phone in Nursery?

Nursery staff and visitors are requested not to use their mobile phones within the setting. 

Parents are welcome to take photographs of their own child(ren) during planned events.  Please refer to the Photography & Student Images Policy, which can be found at www.stgabriels.co.uk/policies.

Can my child attend another EYFS setting as well as the Nursery at St Gabriel's?

Yes, some children attend sessions at different settings. If your child goes to another setting on particular days, please let us know so that we can share information with their other setting. This will allow us to build up a full picture of your child based on our observations, your home experiences and feedback from any other setting your child attends. To effectively plan for your child’s development, information sharing with parents and other EYFS settings is key. 

The term after your child turns three is when they become eligible for early years funding.  Under the universal hours you will receive up to a maximum of 15 hours per week for up to 38 weeks of the year depending on how many days your child attends our setting.  You may be eligible for the extended hours, which is up to an additional 15 hours per week, for a maximum of 38 weeks a year.  In order for the extended hours to be given you will need to apply to HMRC for an eligibility code, this will need to be passed onto the Finance Office.

If your child attends more than one setting the funding can be split, but you cannot claim more than the allowed hours between all the sites.  Please contact the Finance Office if you wish to split your funding between two settings.

For more information on how the funding is applied at the Nursery, please contact the Finance Office.