At West Walton Nursery School, we want families to feel informed, welcomed and confident from the moment their child joins us. The following information provides families with practical guidance about settling in, what to bring, food, medication, illness, accidents and keeping children safe.

Settling In and Familiarisation

Starting nursery is an exciting milestone for both children and their families. We offer familiarisation visits before your child’s start date, giving you and your child the opportunity to spend time at West Walton Nursery School, meet their Key Person and become familiar with their new surroundings.

We also offer home visits to all new children and their families. A home visit provides an opportunity for your child to meet familiar members of our team in the comfort of their own home before starting nursery. This can help your child to feel more comfortable and confident when they begin, while also allowing us to get to know your child, their interests, routines and individual needs.

Home visits also provide parents and carers with an opportunity to talk to our practitioners, ask questions and share any information that will help us support their child during the transition into nursery.

On their first day, your child will be warmly welcomed by their Key Person, who will support them as they settle, build relationships and become familiar with the other children and practitioners.

We understand that every child is different and that some children may need a little more time and reassurance when starting nursery.

We work closely with parents and carers to make the transition as positive, relaxed and reassuring as possible.

We generally encourage children not to bring toys from home, as these can become lost or damaged. However, we understand that a favourite teddy, blanket or comforter can provide reassurance during the first few sessions and help children feel secure.

Our experienced team will provide plenty of warmth, reassurance, cuddles and encouragement, helping your child to develop confidence and feel happy and secure in their new surroundings.

What to Bring to Nursery

We want your child to feel comfortable, confident and ready to explore during their day at West Walton Nursery School. Having a few familiar and essential items with them helps us meet their individual needs and enables them to take part fully in everything nursery has to offer.

Please ensure that all items are clearly labelled with your child’s name.

Spare Clothes

Please provide a bag containing a change of clothes. Children can get messy while playing, exploring, eating and enjoying our outdoor activities — and we encourage them to do so!

We recommend including:

• T-shirt or top
• Trousers, leggings or skirt
• Underwear
• Socks
• A spare jumper or cardigan

Please check your child’s spare clothing regularly and replace items as they grow or as the seasons change.

Outdoor Clothing

We enjoy outdoor learning throughout the year, so appropriate clothing is important.

Depending on the season, your child may need:

• Sun hat
• Waterproof coat
• Wellies
• Warm hat and gloves
• Warm layers during colder weather

Please don’t worry about your child getting muddy! Outdoor exploration is an important part of learning, and we would much rather children have the freedom to explore, investigate and have fun than worry about keeping their clothes clean.

Younger Children

For younger children, please provide enough of their individual essentials for the day, such as:

• Nappies
• Wipes or other agreed changing products
• Comforter or dummy, if used
• Spare clothing
• Any other items agreed with your child’s Key Person

Please speak to your child’s Key Person about their individual routines, care needs and requirements.

Bags and Belongings

Please bring your child’s belongings in a clearly labelled bag that your child can recognise.

As children become more independent, we encourage them to take responsibility for their own belongings — finding their bag, putting away their coat and recognising their own photograph or name.

This helps children to develop independence, confidence and a sense of responsibility.

Sun Protection

During warmer weather, please ensure your child arrives appropriately dressed for the weather and brings a sun hat.

Sun cream must be applied before your child comes to nursery. Nursery staff will reapply sun cream during the day in accordance with our procedures.

Please leave a clearly named bottle of your child’s sun cream at nursery, or you can opt to pay a nominal fee to use the nursery sun cream (Boots Soltan SPF 50+).

Our team will follow the nursery’s sun safety procedures and work in partnership with families to ensure children are protected while enjoying outdoor play.

A Little Bit of Home

If your child has a favourite teddy, blanket, comforter or familiar item that helps them feel secure, please let us know.

We recognise that familiar items can be particularly helpful during settling-in periods, times of change or when children are tired.

Our Top Tip – Label Everything!

From coats and shoes to bags and spare clothes, clearly labelled belongings are much easier for children and staff to identify.

Most importantly, bring your child ready for a day of fun, exploration, messy play and learning!

Snacks and Lunch Boxes

We encourage children to develop healthy eating habits from an early age. Parents are asked to provide a healthy, balanced snack and lunch box that follows our nursery’s healthy eating approach.

The nursery does not have the facilty to offer hot lunches, all parents must provide their child with a lunch box which should include a variety of nutritious foods such as fruit and vegetables, sandwiches or other starchy foods, and a suitable drink of water. Parents can request the nursery to supply daily snacks at a charge of 80p per day.

West Walton Nursery School is a nut-free setting, so please do not include nuts in your child’s snack or lunch box.

We ask families to avoid foods that are high in sugar, salt or saturated fat and to choose nutritious options that support children’s growth, development and wellbeing.

For inspiration and ideas for healthy, balanced lunch boxes, please visit the NHS Healthier Families – Healthier Lunchboxes guidance:

NHS Healthier Families – Healthier Lunchboxes

We promote positive attitudes towards food and encourage children to enjoy a wide variety of healthy foods as part of their learning and daily routine.

Medication

Only medication prescribed by a doctor or other authorised healthcare professional may be brought into the nursery.

All medication must:

• Be in its original packaging.
• Be clearly labelled with your child’s name.
• Have the dispensing date and dosage instructions clearly visible.
• Be handed directly to the Room Leader or a designated member of staff.

Before medication can be administered, parents or carers will be asked to complete and sign the appropriate medication consent form, giving the nursery permission to administer the medication in accordance with the prescribed instructions.

Medication must never be left in your child’s bag or brought into the nursery without being handed directly to a member of staff.

Our team will ensure that medication is stored safely and administered in line with our Medication Policy and agreed procedures.

Accidents and Incidents

Although we carry out regular risk assessments and take every reasonable step to minimise hazards, accidents can occasionally happen as children explore, play and learn.

All accidents and injuries are recorded in accordance with our nursery procedures. Parents or carers will be informed of what has happened and, where appropriate, will be asked to sign the accident record to confirm that they have been informed.

If an accident or injury is considered serious or requires further medical attention, we will contact the parent or carer, or the nominated emergency contact, as soon as possible to explain what has happened and what action has been taken.

Where necessary, and with parental permission, we will seek further medical advice from NHS services or emergency services.

Our priority is always to ensure that children receive the appropriate care and support while keeping parents and carers fully informed.

What to Do in Case of Sickness

To help protect the health and wellbeing of all children and staff, any child who has, or develops, an infectious illness should remain at home until they are well enough to return to nursery.

This includes illnesses and symptoms such as:

• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Conjunctivitis
• Sore throats
• Unexplained or infectious rashes

In particular, children who have experienced vomiting or diarrhoea must remain at home until they have been free from symptoms for at least 48 hours.

If your child is unable to attend nursery due to illness, please contact us before 10.00am to let us know.

If your child does not attend their booked session and we have not received a telephone call from you, the nursery will contact you after 10.00am to check in and ensure that your child is safe and well.

If you are unsure whether your child is well enough to attend, please speak to the Nursery Manager or your child’s Room Leader.

We are happy to provide families with a copy of our full Excludable Illness List, which provides further guidance on individual illnesses and recommended exclusion periods.

Our aim is to work in partnership with families to minimise the spread of infection while ensuring children receive the care and rest they need when they are unwell.

Security and Collection

The safety and security of the children in our care is extremely important to us.

All visitors to West Walton Nursery School are greeted and released by a member of staff and are required to follow our visitor procedures.

Only adults who are pre-authorised to collect your child will be permitted to do so, unless specific approval has been given by the parent or carer.

Parents and carers are asked to provide an emergency contact number so that they can be contacted if necessary.

We ask families to keep us informed of any changes to collection arrangements or emergency contact details to help us maintain the highest standards of safety and security for all children.

Working in Partnership with Families

We believe that strong partnerships between children, parents, carers and nursery practitioners are essential to providing the best possible experience for every child.

Please talk to your child’s Key Person or a member of the nursery team if you have any questions, concerns or information that you feel would help us support your child.

We are always happy to talk.