General Information
We operate from 8am until 5.45pm.
We are closed on the following dates:
- 25th to 31st Dec
- First 2 days at New year
- Easter Monday
Brookland will close at 4pm on the last day prior to the Christmas break. All holidays are incorporated into the fee structure.
You, as parents are the prime educators of your child in their earliest years therefore we welcome and encourage parent’s involvement in the nursery. We have an ‘open door’ policy in place therefore a member of staff is always available to listen to your comments and suggestions. Effective communication between parents and nursery staff is important to provide the best possible care for your child.
We would appreciate if you could inform nursery staff of any circumstances, either temporary or permanent which may affect your child’s emotional or physical well being to ensure your child receives additional support if necessary. A member of staff will be available to speak to you on a daily basis to discuss your child’s progress and answer any questions you may have.
You will be kept informed of nursery events and activities through our FAMLY app and posters displayed around the nursery.
All information regarding your child/family will be kept in the strictest confidence in accordance with the Data Protection Act.
A security key pad entry system is in place on the front door to ensure access by authorised persons only. The code to the door is changed on a regular basis. We require notification of who is authorised to collect your child from nursery. Under no circumstances will a child be allowed to leave the premises unless it is with a previously identified, authorised person.
Before your child begins full days or sessions at Brookland Nursery we would recommend that you and your child visit for some short introductory sessions.
These sessions introduce your child to the nursery gradually, allowing them to get to know staff, children and their surroundings before their start date.
During these sessions you will have the opportunity to speak to an allocated member of staff who will discuss your child’s individual needs and any concerns you may have. Children learn very quickly that nursery is a fun, friendly place to be and therefore the settling-in period is rarely as difficult as you might imagine it to be. No charge is made for these introductory sessions.
Depending on our child’s age and stage of development you will need to provide: formula or breast milk, nappies, soft indoor shoes, suitable outdoor clothing and a change of clothes. If your child has a comfort toy, blanket or a dummy you should also bring these to nursery.
Your child will be involved in messy activities at nursery and although the staff will encourage them to wear aprons whenever possible, we would advise that your child does not wear ‘good’ clothes to nursery as accidents can happen. It is helpful if you mark all your child’s belongings with their name as it can be difficult for our nursery staff to locate unnamed items.
Nursery uniform is available to buy:
For all your uniform needs, quality assured Brooklands Nursery (myclothing.com)
We would also recommend that your child does not bring toys from home as they do become upset if items become mislaid or broken. Comfort toys are of course always welcome.
If your child requires additional support for any reason, either on a temporary or permanent basis, we will make every effort to provide this support. The nursery staff are experienced at working closely with parents and other professionals such as Health Visitors, Speech and Language Therapists and Paediatricians to help your child reach their full potential.
At Brookland we use the FAMLY app platform as one of the methods of communication with parents/carers. Through this app you will have access to your child's individual journal that staff complete regularly to record your child's milestones and achievements along with their next steps and we encourage parents/carers to view and contribute to your child’s online journal. Each session's information is recorded - for example what your child has eaten, nappy changes, bottles etc. There is a news feed that will show the activities children have taken part in and also update you with any information regarding the nursery (e.g save the dates.) You can report sickness, holidays and update permissions without the need for paperwork or a phone call. In addition, there is a message section where you and the nursery can message throughout the day. The nursery staff will of course discuss your child’s day with you.
Parents Evenings are held twice yearly for all children. Although the nursery staff are available to speak to you on a daily basis, this gives you the opportunity to discuss your child’s progress in a relaxed atmosphere.
Positive behaviour is promoted at Brookland Nursery through praise and encouragement from the nursery staff. Children receive little attention for negative behaviour, therefore they quickly realise that the positive behaviour will be rewarded. Our staff will keep you fully informed if your child requires support in this area at any time. If a pattern of behaviour causing more concern develops, we will discuss this with you and agree steps to move forward in the best interests of your child and the nursery.
The nursery is inspected on an annual basis by the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care and reports can be viewed at www.carecommission.com
As providers of pre school education we are also inspected by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education and their reports can be viewed at www.hmie.gov.uk
Mission statement and vision
Brookland Nursery your child’s future in our hands. Trusted by parents, loved by children.
Brookland Nursery believes the enjoyment and emotional security of children is paramount to their early life experiences.
At Brookland nursery we believe outdoor play has a positive impact on learning and stimulates the children’s curiosity. We offer an outdoor environment where your child has freedom to explore nature and develop an understanding of the world around them, while safe and supported.
Rationale
To provide children with a sound basis for their development as lifelong learners with the capacity to develop skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work.
Aims and objectives
- To provide a child friendly, safe, secure and challenging environment. We believe that a homely atmosphere is key to establish a safe and caring environment where all children can feel happy and relaxed and develop to their full potential.
- To treat every child as an individual and meet additional needs regardless of gender, race, nationality and culture without discriminating to respect developmental differences.
- To provide high quality care and education for all children and families
- To value all staff highly and ensure that every opportunity is given to each staff member to develop their personal skills and to broaden their knowledge and skills in caring for and educating your children.
- To expand the ethos of the nursery as a “home from home” where the parents and children can relax in a happy and friendly atmosphere and talk openly with the staff.
- To enable each child to develop a feeling of wellbeing by respecting his/her individuality.
- To promote good health by encouraging children to participate in daily activities through a curriculum that promotes fresh air, exercise and healthy eating.
- To encourage the children to experience, respect and understand their role in the community.
- To work in partnership with other professionals (when required), sharing information, knowledge and expertise in keeping with GPDR.
- To motivate each child to become successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors.
Brookland Nursery, as must all childcare settings, must follow The Duty of Candour Procedure (Scotland) Regulations 2018 which sets out the procedure that organisations providing health services, care services and social work services in Scotland are required by law to follow when there has been an unintended or unexpected incident that results in death or harm (or additional treatment is required to prevent injury that would result in death or harm).
The focus of the duty of candour legislation is to ensure that organisations tell those affected that an unintended or unexpected incident has occurred; apologise; involve them in meetings about the incident; review what happened with a view to identifying areas for improvement; and learn (taking account of the views of relevant persons).
This means that whilst we are providing a childcare service for your child, Brookland will be open and honest if something should go wrong. If something does go wrong whilst your child is in our care we have a duty of care to tell you the truth, this is called Duty of Candour.
As well as this you will have the opportunity to be involved in a review of what happened. When the review is finished, we will use the information from the review to make our service better.