WELCOME TO LITTLE LEARNERS DAY NURSERY

0191 5285951
47 -50 Ettrick Grove
High Barnes
Sunderland
SR3 4AW
www.littlelearners-nursery.co.uk
Littlelearner1@btconnect.com
Ofsted Registration Number – EY538502
Little Learners Daycare is the trading name of Little Learners Sunderland Limited
Company Directors: Beverly & Lawrence Smith
Registered in England & Wales. Company Registration no 10028855

Little Learners is an independent, private day nursery offering both care and education to
children aged from birth to 6 years old. The nursery is situated in a quiet area of High
Barnes, just off the main corridor into Sunderland, (A690-Durham Road) and only five
minutes away from the busy A19, making access convenient for most people.

The nursery is able to accommodate 88 children at any one time; we offer hourly, full and
part time places with our opening times designed to meet the needs of working parents and
those parents wishing for their children to benefit from the Nursery Experience.

Little Learners is an Ofsted registered provision; we are inspected by Ofsted, the Local
Authority, Health & Safety and Food Standards Agency, whilst we also comply with all
policies and guidance recommended by bodies of authority. All inspection reports are
available from the websites whilst our Ofsted report is displayed in the nursery on our
‘Parents Notice Board’, and linked directly from our own website. All nursery policies and
procedures are available to parents, and located in main reception.

Opening Times
Little Learners is open 51 weeks a year, Monday–Friday, 7:30-6:00 with the exemption of
statutory bank holidays. Parents are able to change their weekly sessions providing this is
booked before 6:00 on Wednesday for sessions required the following week.
Full time places 7:30 – 6:00
Morning places 7:30 – 12:00
Afternoon places 1:00 – 6:00
 Our funded child care offer is for either 12.5 hours or 25 extended hours per week
over 45 weeks per year, non-funded periods being – 2 weeks at Christmas and 5 weeks
over the summer.
 We recommend that children attend nursery for a minimum of two sessions per week.
 A fee of £10.00 per week will be incurred for late payments.
 The management at Little Learners try to be as flexible as possible however the
correct arrival and collection of children is essential in order that staff to child ratios
are maintained correctly throughout the day.

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 Nursery Curriculum
At Little Learners we understand the importance of formative learning; our child-centred,
play-based curriculum is tailored to meet the needs of each individual child irrespective of
age or ability. The nursery curriculum enables children to play, learn and develop at their own
pace whilst playing with resources and equipment of their own choice. Each room in the
nursery carry out weekly plans which incorporate every child’s interests and preferences,
the plans are based on observations of the children which are recorded by key workers and
documented within each child’s development records. The nursery adheres to all aspects of
the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) with reference to Development Matters guidance
which was introduced in September 2012.

The EYFS incorporates both statutory and non-statutory guidance relating to the care and
education of all children aged from birth to five years. “Every child deserves the best
possible start in life and support to fulfil their potential.” (EYFS,) We at Little Learners
endeavour to promote this statement whilst ensuring that all children in our care are happy,
safe, stimulated and able to thrive.

Using these guidelines and observations of the children, the staff plan activities and play
opportunities to ensure that all children are supported in their development towards the
Early Learning Goals. We use an online development tracking system called EExAT, provided
by Early Excellence which enables us to record, track and assess learning and progress. We
encourage parents to register and login to EExAT too, this allows them to view and add their
own statements and photographs of learning at home. The information recorded on EExAT
along with other developmental records will be gathered in an individual development file
which all children receive; the file follows them through each room of the nursery and is
completed by their keyworker. This document provides a record of the child’s progress and
level of learning, summative assessments are completed every 6 months which are monitored
and tracked by the management who can then ensure our setting is meeting the needs of
every child at Little Learners.

We aim to provide all children with the best possible start in life, full of fun and laughter, we
feel our child centred nursery approach to education and care enables us to do so.

Key Worker System

Each child has a named member of staff – a keyworker who will care for them during their
nursery day, in order for the child to build up a special relationship and also enabling
continuity of care.
The key worker is responsible for observing the child and recording achievements and
development in areas of learning. Your child’s name will be displayed underneath their
Keyworker’s photograph in the nursery room, enabling parents to see at all times who their
child’s keyworker is.
The key worker is also responsible for communicating with carers and reviewing the child’s
progress both formally and informally. Carers are encouraged to ask key workers about their
child’s day at nursery, also to upload comments onto EExAT and talk to staff about their
child’s home-life, routine and learning.
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 Clothing and personal belongings
The learning process can be a messy one and unavoidable accidents may happen from time to
time! A change of clothes should be provided for all children in a named bag which you are
able to leave at nursery on your child’s peg. (No plastic carriers please). Labelling clothes is
also a good idea. Please send your child to nursery in comfortable, casual, non-expensive
clothes which are easy for your child to remove for toileting purposes.
We would ask you to leave your child’s coat, wellies, indoor shoes/slippers hat, gloves and sun
cream as we enjoy making good use of our outdoor play area irrespective of weather
conditions.
We discourage children from bringing their own toys from home as they often get lost or
broken which obviously causes disruption and upset, please support us in avoiding such
incidents and do not allow your child to bring toys from home.
We will not accept responsibility for lost or damaged clothing, toys or other personal
belongings so please ensure your child’s clothing is labelled and there is a bag on your child’s
peg which enables us to keep any belongings safe.

The nursery environment

Little learners is divided into separate rooms, your child is allocated a room based on age and
ability. However the nursery routine is structured, enabling all age groups to come together
at certain times of the day. We find the children particularly enjoy their time together in a
relaxed, family like atmosphere during story time, circle time, lunchtime & outside play.
Babies and young children need very special consideration and individual care; therefore
Little Learners have especially designed all the rooms with equipment and resources to
promote a wealth of experiences for young exploring minds, in a warm, safe and bright
environment. The staff-to-child ratios throughout the nursery are very high, ensuring all
children receive the individual adult interaction and stimulation that is so very important in
their early developmental stages. All of our staff have been carefully selected and chosen to
join the Little Learners team for their positive attitudes and caring nature.
We have four rooms in the nursery -:
 Baby Learners - for children aged from birth to 18 months.
 Little Learners – for children aged from 18-30 months.
 Big Learners – for children aged from 30 months to 3 years old.
 School Learners – for children aged from 3-5 years old
We also have a holiday club for 5-6 year old children which is available during all school
holidays.
Parents and carers are kept up to date with daily activities, current issues and personal care
through newsletters, website, parent’s notice boards, daily diary sheets and EExAT. Parents
are invited to a meeting with the child’s key worker every 6 months in order to discuss the
child’s current learning and development. Keyworkers record observations, including photos’
videos and text of each child’s achievements, progress and level of learning, which parents
can view on EExAT once they are registered.

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 Accidents and injuries
Although the staff at Little Learners take every precaution, some accidents are inevitable
and can happen on occasion. If your child does have an accident at nursery they will be
treated accordingly, using the contents of the first aid boxes, the incident will be recorded
on an accident form. The incident will be explained to the carer on collection of the child,
whilst the accident form will also be shown to the carer who will be asked to sign it. In the
event of a serious incident, the child will be taken to Sunderland Royal Hospital; every
attempt will be made to contact the people from the child’s contact list on the registration
form. We endeavour to have all staff at Little Learners trained in Paediatric First Aid
procedures however, we will ensure that at least 2 members of staff present at all times
have a relevant first aid qualification.
We would prefer children to leave jewellery at home due to safety reasons and we can not
accept liability for any loss or injury caused by the wearing of jewellery.
Carers of children who have pierced ears will be asked to either remove the earrings or
accept the responsibility for any accidents or injuries caused by the wearing of such items.

Promoting positive behaviour

At Little Learners we believe in the strong promotion of positive behaviour by constantly
praising the children and acknowledging kind, considerate, caring attitudes and actions.
These qualities and an appreciation of respect for property and towards other children are
constantly encouraged. With the promotion of these values we hope to ensure that all
children will develop positive attitudes to carry them forward for the future.
If a child acts inappropriately, a nursery practitioner will discuss the incident with the child
in a calm manner, encouraging the child to try to resolve the problem where appropriate and
explaining why their actions are unacceptable. We may use the time out approach in order to
provide the child with time for reflection; children will receive a minute per years of age for
each time-out.

If the behaviour continues we will inform parents, working together to support the child and
promote more acceptable behaviour. It may be that a change of circumstances at home or
nursery have caused the child some disruption which can be discussed and by working closely
in partnership hopefully the matter can be resolved in a caring and consistent manner. The
staff at Little Learners are highly skilled and trained professionals with some members of
the team specifically trained in ‘behaviour management’, therefore we understand that some
children may prefer to play in a more boisterous manner. At nursery we will not prohibit
“rough and tumble” play as we appreciate all children learn and develop differently, however
children will be observed during such play/activities ensuring they remain safe and that
other children who choose not to engage in the play are not intimidated.

Outdoor play
Little Learners has a spacious, fully enclosed outdoor play area with a wide range of outdoor
equipment and resources which allows children the opportunity to develop and learn whilst
having fun, gaining physical skills, fresh air and lots of exercise. The garden area is very
safe and secure and the children are supervised at all times. During outdoor activities the
children can often get quite dirty whilst they play, we ensure children are always
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appropriately dressed and hands are cleaned before meals and snacks although we cannot
guarantee that children keep their clothes clean whilst playing and learning in our garden.
The Early Years Foundation Stage states the importance of providing the opportunity for
children to play and learn outdoors, we also acknowledge this statement and will ensure all
children have access to our garden irrespective of weather conditions. Consequently, please
remember to leave “weather appropriate” clothing for your child at nursery.

We are also able to access the local community via public transport and private hired
vehicles, which enables the children opportunities to visit local parks, libraries and beaches;
this offering the opportunity for children to become aware of the local environment and
amenities.
Safety and Security
At Little Learners the safety of every child is a priority, we have therefore ensured that
every window is double glazed with safety glass; all radiators are thermostatically controlled
whilst also covered with heat resistant covers along with the water supply which is controlled
in all nursery bathrooms. We have 6 CCTV cameras installed which monitor and record the
whole perimeter, entry and exits of the premises. A quality smoke alarm and heat detectors
along with emergency break glass alarms on the fire exits ensure fire safety at all times,
this system is fire department approved and the children regularly take part in fire drills.

The biometric entry/exit system enables only permitted adults access to the nursery via
finger print technology. Only the persons stated on the child’s registration form are able to
collect children from nursery. Staff will not allow children to leave with another person
unless notified by the parent beforehand. We request that parents ensure the door is
securely closed behind you when you leave and enter, please do not allow anyone entry.

Infectious illnesses and medication

Any child suffering severe coughs, colds, diarrhoea, vomiting, conjunctivitis or any other
contagious illness, must stay at home, this will allow us to control any possible outbreaks.

The staff at Little Learners will administer medication to a child if prior consent has been
obtained from parents. The parent will be asked to complete a medication consent form,
which requires all details of the administration of the medication.
Medicine administered at nursery will be supervised by two members of staff. All medicine
is kept in the medication cupboard in the locked reception area or in the designated box in
the refrigerator. Please do not leave medication in your child’s bag; it must be handed into
reception on entry.

Children with long term medication (i.e. inhalers for asthma) will have a care plan completed
which a parent or carer must sign, then again after each administration. It is also the
parent’s responsibility to inform staff of any changes in medication, however long term
medication records are updated when required.

We request that parents/carers inform the nursery as soon as possible if their child will not
be attending; in the event of a child not arriving for an agreed session the nursery staff will
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contact the family after one hour, (using the list of telephone numbers from their
registration form – therefore please ensure you keep the nursery informed of any changes
to contact details). This procedure enables us to track attendance which may then be shared
with other agencies.

Nursery insurance
Little Learners carries a fully comprehensive insurance policy, although written permission
must be given for outings and emergency medical or dental procedures. You will be asked to
sign the relevant forms when your child starts attending. All parents/carers are welcome to
view the insurance documents at any time. The public liability certificate is displayed on the
wall in main reception.

Meal times
Children attending Little Learners before 9:00 will be provided with a morning snack, also a
mid-afternoon snack is provided at 3:30 – both snacks are free of charge. Children who
attend full days can also enjoy lunch and dessert prepared by our nursery cook – there is a
£1 charge per child per lunch.
At Little Learners we promote healthy eating and every endeavour is made to make sure
vegetables and fruit are fresh and in season and recipes are low in fat and salt.
It is essential that parents notify the nursery of any allergy or special dietary requirement
for their child. We will endeavour to accommodate all dietary needs however, in some cases
parents may be asked to provide their child with a packed lunch. Parents of young babies
must also provide their own formula milk, (formula powder and water must be separate and
nursery staff will make the bottle when required). Once babies are 12 months old we will
provide whole milk free of charge.
We recommend that parents do not provide their children with juice, pop, sweets or
unhealthy snacks as we provide and promote healthy eating with water and milk readily
available. All children have access to fresh water; they are encouraged to help themselves
throughout the day whilst younger children are offered refreshments at regular intervals,
energy drinks and coffee are strictly prohibited in the nursery.

Nursery payments
A copy of our payments and sessions policy is enclosed within our registration pack – a signed
copy is also required when your child starts nursery.
All fees are paid weekly, fortnightly or monthly in advance by either card, cheque or cash.
Full fees are payable if your child is absent due to sickness however half fees may be
granted at the managements discretion if your child remains absent for a second consecutive
week due to illness. A half price retainer is charged for all holidays booked if a weeks notice
is given, (other than funded places, which do not incur half price holiday retainer fees).
Nursery is closed on Bank Holidays and over the Christmas period no fees or retainers will be
charged during these times.
A late payment charge of £10 will incur if your child’s fees are not paid by the end of each
week, however, any fees outstanding for more than one week will result in the child’s place
being temporarily cancelled until all outstanding fees are cleared.

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 Admissions and introductions
All carers are encouraged to bring their child in for an introductory visit to Little Learners.
This ensures the child feels safe and secure prior to starting nursery and also gives staff an
opportunity to meet both child and parent. The Children’s Act 1989 states that we must
record certain personal and health details whilst also completing development records and
progress of the children in our care, such information may need to be shared with other
agencies and professionals. We adhere strictly to the GDPR surrounding the recording,
storing and sharing of all data; a copy of our privacy policy is enclosed with this prospectus.
Please feel free to contact Deborah Batey (Nursery Manager) if you have any questions; we
have an ‘open door’ policy which enables anyone to contact us at any time however, we do
request that you try not to telephone or call in over lunch time (11:45-1:15) as the children
are eating and visitors can cause disruption.

Safeguarding Statement
The first years in a child’s life are of paramount importance therefore the Little Learners
team are dedicated to providing a safe, caring and stimulating child centred environment,
where your child will feel safe and secure.
Our aim is to provide your child with safe, suitable and stimulating activities, which are
appropriate to their individual developmental stage; learning can and should be fun and
exciting, the team endeavour to ensure that the time your child spends at nursery is full of
enjoying learning experiences.
The welfare of every child is of the utmost importance, we as child care practitioners are
trained to and have a duty to protect the well-being of all children. Parents / Carers should
be aware that we will take any reasonable action to ensure the safety of all children. In
cases where we have reasons to be concerned that a child may be subject to significant
harm, ill-treatment, neglect or other forms of abuse, we have no alternative but to follow
“Sunderland Safeguarding Board Procedures” (SSCB) and inform Sunderland’s Initial Contact
& Response Team (ICRT) Together for Children of our concerns; (this may or may not be
with the parents awareness).
Furthermore, in this digital age we now live in, we feel it important to promote the safety of
our children as they begin to access the internet. Although children do not have unsupervised
internet access whilst at nursery our nursery practitioners have completed training in e-
safety. We advocate that parents ensure their children stay safe at home, especially as they
grow and develop in using technology such as I-pad, tablets, and mobile phones. We
recommend that parents complete a free, e-learning course which provides the information
parents require in order to ensure children remain safe whilst online, particularly from risks
such as, sexual exploitation.
The course can be accessed at -: www.safeguardingchildrenea.co.uk/keep-them-safe
Any further questions regarding this matter should be taken up with the nursery Designated
Safeguarding Lead (DSL) – Deborah Batey or Deputy DSL – Beverly Smith

Praise or problems
At Little Learners we are always interested in your comments or views on the service we
provide. We recognise the importance of Parents as Partners and your opinions are an
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 important source of information, enabling us to move forward and improve the service we
provide. We have a ‘Comments suggestions Box’ located in main reception; please feel free to
post in any comments or suggestions both positive and negative, this information is used to
inform our action planning.
However should the unlikely occasion arise causing you any concerns, or you are dissatisfied
in any way, please do not hesitate to discuss the problem with,
Deborah Batey (Manager)
Beverly Smith (Director)
Parents are also welcome to contact Ofsted if preferred; their direct contact details are -:
The National Business Unit
Ofsted
The Royal Exchange Buildings
St Anne’s Square
Manchester
M2 7LA
www.ofsted.gov.uk/parents

Parents as partners
The Little Learners team fully recognise the role that carers play during the early education
of their child. A working and co-operative relationship between nursery staff and carers is
vital to the welfare and the achievement of the child. We encourage parents and carers to
inform the child’s keyworker of any relevant information regarding their child’s well-being,
behaviour, learning or routine, including any bumps or bruises the child may have incurred
outside nursery as this will help us to eliminate any concern that a child may have sustained
the injury whilst at nursery.
We welcome parental and family involvement in a number of ways, so if you have a talent i.e.
play an instrument, tell wonderful stories are a wonderful cook or if you or any family
member have an interesting job such as a fire fighter, a vet or a Police Officer, don’t hide it
come and share it with us.

Finally, thank you for your interest in Little Learners Day Nursery, we
fully appreciate that choosing child care can be a difficult and emotional
time. Therefore, please feel free to contact us with any further questions
or concerns; our prospectus is designed to provide parents and families with
information regarding the nursery however it is not fully exhaustive of our
policies and procedures which are available upon request. We hope to see
you and your child soon please contact us with any further enquiries.

Written by –….. Deborah Batey…………… DBatey……….Agreed by - …Beverly

Smith…….BSmith…………………
Date written - ……8.2.19……………………………………….….Review date - ………………8.2.2020…………………………..
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Written by -:...................................................................................Agreed by-:........................................................................................

Written on-:....................................................................................Review on-:.......................................................................................