Parent’s Page

Information for our Parents

We have provided this page to offer our parents, and any other visitors to our website, a resource where you can quickly find out about the many aspects of childcare that would relate to your child’s development. There is a bewildering number of sources of information that you may need to be made aware of. Hopefully, we can steer you towards some of them here. Please note, whilst we try our best to ensure the related links to external websites are correct, we cannot be held responsible for any changes they may independently make. Also, you may like our Frequently Asked Questions Page. Summary

Early Years Education (EYE) Funding

We are registered with Hampshire County Council (Services For Young Children) [HCC SfYC] to provide Early Years Education [EYE] to those eligible children in either the two year-old funding scheme or for the term after the child's third birthday. HCC SfYC funding Privacy Notice available here. We can offer EYE provision from 7am to 7pm Monday to Friday. EYE is funded by the Government and currently provides an annual maximum of 570 hours free childcare to eligible 2 year-olds and all 3 to 4 year-olds. Plus an additional annual 570 hours for those parents who qualify. Additional information for PARENTS can be accessed on-line. From September 2017 the government is also offering an additional 15 hours to some elegible parents. This funding is optional for settings to provide. We are currently only offering very limited spaces for this additional free funding. From April 2024 the Government is making significant changes to the childcare funding for parents. Additional information is available at Childcare Choices. Please see our FAQ page for further details. HCC School Term Dates are available on-line here, and UK Bank-Holiday dates. See our published downloadable PROSPECTUS for additional information. EYE

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

You can find all about EYFS at this government website EYFS EYFS latest revision January 2024. Details here... A guide has been produced by the government (Department for Education) for parents. EYFS

Special Education Needs & Disabilities SEND

In September 2014 the Local Authority offer went live in line with current government legislation. We published our SEND Local offer on the Local Authority website on 09 November 2014. Hampshire GATEWAY CARD. From 1 April 2012, all children and young people with disabilities and/or additional needs will be required to register for a Gateway Card if they would like to use any of the activities funded through Hampshire County Council's short breaks programme. SEND

Safeguarding Children, Child Protection and

Information

Are you aware it is EVERYONE’s responsibility to protect children from harm, abuse, coercion, radicalisation or maltreatment? It is not just us, the childcare professionals, who have to be alert to this. Below are sources of information regarding Safeguarding, Child Protection and Child Development PACEY The Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years. 0845 880 0044 info@PACEY.org.uk Ofsted Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills 0300 123 1231 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk Ofsted Poster for Parents Routine childhood immunisations For vaccine supply information for the childhood programme please visit the government website and check vaccine update for all other vaccine supply information. Prevent Duty Protecting children from extremism and radicalisation: the prevent duty. Government Departmental advice for schools and childcare providers on preventing children and young people from being drawn into terrorism. Promoting Fundamental British Values (FBV) It is everyone’s responsibility to promote and adhere to the values identified for our country under the ethos of what it means to be British. Safeguarding Children Partnership Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is a shared responsibility and a high priority for Hampshire agencies. The UK Government details the ‘Statutory guidance on inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children’. This includes protecting children from abuse and neglect and ensuring that they grow up safely, having the best life chances to enter adulthood successfully. Hampshire Safeguarding Children Partnership can be contacted from this link. HSPC Contacts. NSPCC The NSPCC website offers excellent information, advice and Support for Parents, carers and all those involved in childcare about the difficult subjects associated with ‘What is child abuse?’ and their excellent ‘Talk PANTS’ Here are a few of the many areas covered by NSPCC. Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Bullying and Cyber-Bullying Child Sexual Exploitation Grooming Safeguarding Children - Bruising Protocol for Non-Independently Mobile Children. The protocol provides frontline and senior health professionals with a knowledge base and action strategy for the assessment, management and referral of children who are Not Independently Mobile (NIM) who present with bruising or otherwise suspicious marks. Working Together to Safeguard Children A range of resources to ensure you are up to date with Safeguarding issues. Parental Responsibility The General Data Protection Regulations (2018) (GDPR) require all child care providers to ensure that only those adults with formal Parental responsibility can authorise the drop off and collection of their child(ren) to the child care provider. We will require suitable proof (e.g. Birth Certificate) that parents actually have the legal Parental Responsibility before we can legally accept your child into childcare with us. UK Council for Internet Safety - Safeguarding Children and Protecting Professionals in Early Years Settings Hampshire Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Pathfinder. In March 2011, the Government published a 'Green Paper' setting out their proposed changes for children and young people with special educational needs (SEN), learning difficulties and disabilities, across services provided by health, social care and education. This was in response to the fact that hundreds of thousands of families have a disabled child or a child with SEN. Parents have said that the current system is bureaucratic and adversarial and that it does not sufficiently reflect the needs of their child and their family life. Family Information Directory (FID) Hantsweb Childcare and Family Services in Hampshire UK Health Security Agency - ‘Infection Control in Schools’ Leaflet The Government’s UK Health Security Agency have produced a summary explaining the requirements for childcare settings to exclude children with certain illnesses or infectious diseases. UK HHealth Security Agency - ‘Example Menus for Early Years The Government’s UK Health Security Agency have produced example menus for Early Years Settings to ensure the children receive balanced diets. Safeguarding

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)

Arguably amongst the most important subjects for our modern age are the concepts of STEM. Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics and also its extended cousin STEAM where Arts is included, form the backbone of scientific experimentation and developmental progress for the Early Years. We have always delighted in encouraging our children to think, explore and investigate the world around them. Concepts like gravity, magnetism, electricity, flow, viscosity, heat, cold, weather, the seasons, nature, computers, apps, programming, phones, cameras, iPad tablets, the internet, electromagnetism, construction, balance, measurements, comparisons, estimations, numbers and numeracy can all be introduced and explored through play within the Early Years. Activities are planned and play opportunities utilised to include all the above concepts. We readily encourage experimentation, investigation, comparisons, lateral thinking, language development and imagination to enthuse and educate the young minds of our children. STEM