“At the end of the day, the most overwhelming key to a child’s success is the positive involvement of parents.”
J.D Hull

Working in Partnership with Parents

The nursery is very proud of its strong partnership with parents and believes that good communication between staff and parents is the key to this successful relationship.

“Partnerships with parents are excellent.”
Ofsted, 2017

“Parents are overwhelmingly happy with the way staff communicate with them. They say that communication is incredible.”
Ofsted, 2022

We ensure that our policy on Parental Partnership is a document that is put into working practice, every day.


Involving Parents in the nursery and their children’s Development

We recognise the role of both nursery and parent in working together to help the children make effective and positive progress and facilitate this by encouraging parents to be involved in a variety of different ways:

  • Story Sack Scheme (3-5 yr olds) - enables parents to support their child’s early literacy development at home, through use of high quality story book, supplemented with puppets, games, etc. to encourage storytelling and an enthusiasm for reading.
  • Home-Nursery Learning Scheme (under 3’s) – children take home activity bags containing high quality toys and equipment such as a selection of books, musical instruments, wooden train sets, magnetic blocks etc. This enables parents to continue to support their child in learning through play.
  • EY-LOG Online Journal – we value each child’s achievements in the home environment and encourage parents to regularly view and contribute towards their child’s online ‘Learning Journal’, via our Ey-Log app. We also take the time to look at your child’s journal with them in the nursery, which not only attributes value to their progress and achievements but also helps to consolidate their sense of self, belonging and identity in a very positive way.
  • Stay & Play – we welcome parents to come in for play/activity sessions within the nursery each term or to make contributions towards their child’s learning and interests in any way that they can. This enables parents to see their child ‘at work’ and the kinds of activities they enjoy, as well as supporting their child to feel valued.
  • Parent Consultation – we send out parent surveys on an annual basis to gain important feedback on the service that we provide. This is vital in ensuring that we are meeting the needs of all parents and children and conducive to assisting us in self-reflection, so that we can continue to provide the highest standards of care and education for you and your child.
  • Curriculum Evenings – our Curriculum Evenings are for parents of children within our pre-school room, which are focused on various aspects of parent interest or need such as the EYFS curriculum, positive behaviour management, and communication strategies etc. We also liaise with our local children’s centres to support parents of 2–3-year-olds with areas such as potty training, oral health or picky eating.

Parents as Partners policy

  • We offer a warm and welcoming environment where parents are encouraged to speak openly and in confidence about issues that may be affecting their family life.
  • We operate an evaluation and suggestion system where parents are encouraged to make comments or suggestions for events, recipes for our menus or general feedback on the service provided. Feedback is important to us, as it enables us to develop and grow in positive ways.
  • Information about the nursery including menus, events, curriculum, health alerts and updates are regularly emailed to parents or shared via Ey-Log, as well as being displayed on the Parent’s Notice Board in the hallway, alongside other notices offering advice and providing information about areas such as funding, child protection, events etc.
  • Parents receive a daily ‘Online Diary’, which provides important information about their child’s day – meals offered and the amounts eaten, nappy changes and whether wet or soiled, sleep times and the activities the child has been involved in. Parents and staff are able to post secure messages to allow excellent communication around each child’s well-being, health and overall development.
  • Policies are made available to parents at all times and during the settling in period, the Key Person or Manager will ensure that a thorough induction to our key policies and procedures is provided. This ensures that parents are fully aware of how the nursery functions to support every aspect of their child’s wellbeing on a day-to day and long term basis.
  • Parents will be regularly consulted about the care and education of their child in a variety of ways, as well as being involved and engaged with their child’s ‘next steps’ and longer term outcomes. Parents may have access to their child’s records upon request.
  • Information about the nursery’s progress, events etc. will be regularly provided in newsletters to parents, as well as regular communications and updates being sent via email and the Ey-log app.
  • Parent Consultation sessions will be held every six months but if parents have any concerns or wish to discuss their child’s progress at any other times, they will be able to make an appointment with their child’s Key Worker or the Manager is required.
  • Parents are welcomed and invited to support the nursery by helping to organise events and accompany us on simple outings or coming in to engage in activities with the children etc.
  • The nursery organises regular ‘drop in’ sessions and Parent Information Evenings so that we can liaise with you, share ideas for supporting your child at home and facilitate a positive joint working partnership with you.
  • Parents are welcomed and encouraged to work in partnership with the nursery by contributing to the children’s learning – sending postcards when visiting other places/countries, donating unwanted items of clothing for ‘role play’, allowing us to value the child’s home environment and culture by lending us or donating tapes/cd’s of music from various cultures that they may listen to at home.