If you are a new parent or carer to our nursery– WELCOME! We hope that you and your child will enjoy being part of our community. We want to work closely with you during your child's time with Little Fishes.

Induction for new Nursery Children

During the induction, parents can share information with staff such as medical issues, special educational needs and disabilities or concerns.

If you would like to arrange to meet with staff to discuss any particular needs in addition to this then please let us know.

Settling in

Helpful tips to make it easier for you and your child:

• Be positive and encouraging, even over the smallest of achievements!
• Some children go into nursery more easily with a friend – talk to your child about who they would like to go into nursery with and arrive a couple of minutes early to try and link up with your child’s chosen friend.
• Tell your child what you are going to be doing when he or she is at nursery ie at work, shopping or meeting someone and tell them that you (or someone else) will be back and will pick them up.
• When you say “goodbye”, smile, be positive and don’t prolong it.
• Sometimes it can be very hard for parents to “let go” when their children start nursery. Being consistent with children is essential – don’t give in to unreasonable requests by very little people. Sometimes handing over your child to a member of staff demonstrates your trust in that person that they will care for and look after your child. Your child will pick up on these vibes and this will help them settle.
• The most common reason for a child not settling is when a parent is hesitant about leaving the child. The child is then not certain whether the parent is staying or going and this is unsettling.

Remember to ensure that your child has sufficient sleep and plenty of time to play quietly when starting nursery – children do get tired when new routines and challenges are introduced! Do ask your child how they got on at nursery but remember that they may want to simply switch off. Sometimes asking them one thing that they did or what made them happy today may be enough.

What should my child wear?

Please ensure your child wears practical clothes to nursery (i.e jogging trousers and a top). We like to encourage the children to be independent in self care whenever possible. Please also send them in old clothes. We do encourage children to wear aprons for painting etc, but we would hate for children’s best clothes to get ruined and We Love Messy Play! Please see the school uniform page for more information about Little Fishes polo shirts and fleeces.

School lunches

Our school meal provider, Go! Catering, offer hot school meals to Little Fishes Nursery children who attend all day or for the afternoon sessions. Please click on the link for further details of how to register and book

Morning routine

Your child will have a named box file where they can put their book bags/pictures. Please keep an eye out for occasional letters in here also. Your child will quickly get used to their morning jobs.

Communication

Once your child has settled, we will let you know who their key worker is. Please do talk to them or Mrs Allier about any worries or concerns you have, either before your child starts or once they have settled. We are always happy to help.

Please open the following document to familiarise yourself with the systems we use to communicate with parents/carers - School Systems

How do I know what my child is doing and learning at Nursery?

Computing

Children in Little Fishes Nursery will have access to a range of IT equipment. This includes the use of computers, an Interactive Whiteboard and other equipment such as CD players and digital cameras. Nursery children will not have unsupervised access to the internet.