How do ratios work?
Ratios are set by the government as a minimum number of staff per child. Each
age group have their own ratio these are as followed.
0-2 years old; 1 staff member per 3 children
2-3 years old; 1 staff member per 4 children
3 years and over; 1 staff member per 8 children
These ratios are a minimum and staff will often have support if needed.
Is there a Settling in period.
At Ladybird Montessori we offer two settling in sessions free of charge. For the
first session parents will meet their child’s new room leader and go through
some essential paperwork to in order us to get to know your child and their
home routine. This usually takes around one hour, after this we encourage
parents to leave their child with us for the remaining hour. The second session
we encourage the parent to leave their child with us for the full two hours.
Staff qualifications
All our staff are provided with the required training, have access to online
training and are all first aid trained. We currently have 12 qualified staff, two
Montessori qualified staff and two apprentices.
When does my child qualify for NEF funding?
All children that are 3 years old are entitled to 15 hours free government funding the term after their 3rd birthday. Depending on personal circumstances you may be eligible to receive 30 hours funding this would also be applied the term after the child’s 3rd birthday.
Do we open Bank holidays/Christmas?
We are open 52 weeks of the year and only close on Bank holidays.
What is a key person?
At Ladybirds we allow your child to choose their own key worker. Some children
will naturally gravitate towards a particular member of the team and this person
will then become their key worker. Your child’s key worker will be responsible
for getting to know your little one really well, their routines and preferences,
and will usually be the one to communicate with parents about their child’s
learning and development. A key person will work with parents to ensure there
is collaboration and consistency across a child’s care, ensuring their overall
well-being.
What is your medication policy?
At Ladybirds we are able to administer medication when necessary, however we
do request that any medication is prescribed by a GP and comes in its original
packaging with the prescription label. We do have emergency Calpol on sight if
needed although if a child has a temperature and requires Calpol we do ask
that a parent makes their way to collect.
What does my child need to bring on a daily basis?
Due to allergies and personal preferences, we ask parents to provide nappies
and wipes for their own child. We also ask that parents provide sun cream sun
hats in hot weather and wellies, all in ones gloves and hats in cold weather.
Depending on what age your child is you may also be asked to bring a lidded
cup for your child, this is so the children can access water freely throughout
the day and are able to identify which cup is their own.
What happens if my child gets sick?
If your child becomes unwell whilst at nursery and we feel that the child is not
well enough to stay on site, we will call the child’s parent and ask for them to
arrange to collect the child.
Do I pay if my child does not attend?
If there are any absences, due to child or parent/carer illnesses
or missed sessions, then the full contracted fee is still payable.
Likewise, if the child is on holiday the full contracted fee is still
payable. We are unable to provide refunds for children’s absence
for whatever nature.
Parent partnership
We strongly encourage parent partnership and often have stay and play events
where we invite parents/careers to attend special sessions with their child. We
also have parents evening where your child’s key worker will discuss your
child’s progress with you.