Can I come and look around your setting?
Yes! We encourage all prospective families to come and look around our setting, so that you can see us ‘in action’. We do ask that you telephone the nursery initially, so that we can arrange a time that is convenient for you, and that we can ensure that there is a senior member of staff available to greet you.

I want to enrol my child-what next?
We ask that you complete and return the enrolment form that will have been given to you on your initial visit, along with the £25 enrolment fee. Once we are able to offer you a place, we require a £150 deposit (or £75 for a part time place), however this is refunded against the first months fees. A member of the management team with then be in touch to arrange settling visits and a start date, at a time which is convenient for you. 

What can I expect from the settling visits?
When you arrive for your first settling visit, your childs key person will greet you in the room and introduce themselves. Initial settling visits can vary depending on the age of your child, however your key person will use this time to speak to you about your child, and get to know them and yourselves as best as possible.
Following on from this, we usually offer two more visits. These are usually two hours long unaccompanied, to allow the child to get a feel for nursery life, however you are more than welcome to stay if you wish.
We understand that all children, and their families are unique. We do not enforce a set number of visits, and extra visits can be added if this is beneficial for the child. 

How will I know that my child is safe?
At bright skies, we take the safeguarding of children very seriously. We have a secure entry system that is monitored by senior and experienced members of staff, and no visitors are left unaccompanied. We also have a strict and thorough employment process- details of this can be found in our safeguarding file.
Staff undergo regular first aid training, and carry out risk assessment on activities and the base rooms on a daily basis. 

What happens if my child is unwell?
At bright skies, we understand that many parents do need to work. For this reason, we are happy to admisister the relevant dosage of medicines such as calpol, with your permission, if required, although we will always keep you informed.
If your child becomes unwell at nursery, such as developing sickness, we will contact you immediately and ask you to collect your child as soon as possible. We will keep them as comfortable as possible until you arrive. We do operate a 48 hour exclusion policy for children with sickness and diarrhoea.
If your child becomes unwell at home, please telephone the nursery to let us know if they will not be attending. We are able to give prescribed medication, once the child has been taking it for a minimum of 24 hours. This will only be given by a qualified member of staff. 

What if I am unable to collect my child?
If you are, for example stuck in traffic, please telephone the nursery and keep us informed. There will always be at least two members of staff on site, and we will look after your child until you are able to arrive.
If somebody else, such as a family member familiar to us is going to collect your child, please also let us know.
If somebody who is not known to us is going to collect your child, please telephone the nursery and inform us. You will be asked to provide a password to be use when your child is collected. 

What do I need to provide for my child?
At bright skies, Fees are inclusive of meals and snacks, as well as nappies. We ask that all parents provide a suitable change of clothes for their child, and extra changes if toilet training.
We also ask that parents provide suitable clothing depending on the weather- wellington boots and warm coats in the winter (boots can be left at nursery if needed), and sun hats and sun cream in the summer. Please label all of your childs positions so that we can ensure these do not get misplaced.
Some children also like to bring a ‘comforter’ from home, such as a familiar soft toy or blanket. 

Will the same members of staff care for my child throughout nursery?
We have key staff in each of our base rooms for continuity, however as your child transitions through the rooms at nursery, it is likely they will meet new staff. However, we ensure that staff liase with each other so that all relevant information, such as dietry requirements and specific interests, are passed on as they make the transition. Furthermore, your childs key person will conduct a visit to the next room with your child, and introduce them to the member of staff who will be the next key person. When transitioning, we try to do this is groups of children, so that your child will already have some familiar faces. We sometimes have staff cover in rooms that are not their base rooms, so most staff will already be somewhat familiar to your child. 

What will my child eat whilst at nursery?
Please see our kitchen page for more details. A menu and recipe details can be obtained upon request. 

Can my child sleep at nursery?
Yes. In the baby room, we try to follow your childs routine as best as possible, so that they sleep at a similar time as they would at home. We have cots, sleep baskets and sleep mats for your child to use, and we will speak to you about any sleep preferences during settling visits.
In our lady bird and caterpillar rooms, children usually sleep after lunch. We provide sleep mats and calming sleep music. If a child does not sleep we will provide other activities during this time.
Most of our children in the pre school room have cut out their mid day sleep, however if you would still like your child to sleep, or if your child falls asleep themselves, we will always allow them to do so. We provide sleep bedding for all children, which includes a sheet and a blanket. This is stored in your childs individual sleep bag and is laundered on site regularly.

What kind of activities will my child do at nursery?
That really depends- your childs age, interests and any specific learning needs will be taken into account. Our staff are experienced in planning a range of activities that will not only be a fantastic learning experience for your child, but fun too. We love to get messy- and explore a range of textures in the baby room, and our pre school children might choose to spend their time in one of our role play areas. We involve the children and their families as much as possible in our planning, too!

Mangement are always happy to answer any questions that you have, either by phone, email or in person. Your childs key person will always be happy to answer any questions, too!