Infection and Communicable Diseases Policy
Birthday PolicyOnce a place is booked but before a child starts nursery they will be given the opportunity to attend ‘settling in’ sessions. Settling in is a gradual process which will help parents feel more comfortable and confident in leaving their child for longer periods of time on each visit. Parents are offered the opportunity to stay with their child for a period of time during their first week. We welcome visits or telephone calls at any time to alleviate any concerns.
Children will be informed about the daily routines and the programme of activities. They will be shown around and told where they can and cannot go. This will help the children become familiar with their new surroundings and make them feel secure with the teachers caring for them.
All staff will closely supervise new children to ensure that they are happy in their new surroundings. Staff will ask on a regular basis how a child is feeling, what activities they enjoy and if they are unhappy about anything. At the end of the first, second and third weeks, the Director will find time to talk to parent about how they are settling in.
If it seems that a child is taking a long time to settle in, this will be discussed with their parents at the earliest opportunity. Likewise, if a parent feels that there is a problem during the settling in period, they should raise this with a member of staff.
Rising Stars staff will give a warm and friendly welcome to each child on arrival and ensure that they depart safely at the end of each session.
During the main arrival time an experienced member of staff will supervise the door to extend a warm welcome to every parent and child on arrival.
Child Register
It is the responsibility of the Director to ensure that an accurate record is kept of all children at Rising Stars Nursery, and that the class teachers record any arrival or departure to and from the premises in the register.
Arrivals
On arrival, a child’s attendance will immediately be recorded the in the daily register, including the time of registration. If the parent wants their child to be given medicine during the day by a member of staff, they must complete and sign the Administering Medication Form (See Appendix ). Further details of this procedure are contained in the Health, Illness and Emergency policy.
If a child who is registered for an 8:00 am start arrives before that time, an early arrival fee will be charged for that day as specified in the fees, and parents will be billed at the end of the month for any early drop-offs.
Departures
If the child is to be collected by someone other than the parent, this must be indicated to a member of staff and recorded at the start of the session. The adult nominated to collect a child must be one of those named on the Registration Form. Only adults – aged 16 years and over – and with suitable identification, will be authorised to collect children. No child will be allowed to leave nursery unaccompanied.
No adult other than those named on the Registration Form will be allowed to leave nursery with a child. In the event that someone else should arrive without prior knowledge, we will telephone the parent immediately. .
Upon departure, the register will be marked to show that the child has left the premises. The time of departure will also be recorded.
If the designated adult is late in picking up a child who is registered for a 12:30pm departure, a late pick-up fee will be charged for that day as specified in the fees, and parents will be billed at the end of the month for any late pick-ups.
Absences
If a child is going to be absent, parents must telephone or inform nursery when possible.
If a child needs to be given medicine during their time at the nursery, parent must sign a medication form giving details of the medicine, dosage and times to be administered.
All medication will be kept in the Nurse’s Room out of the reach of children and must be clearly labelled with the child’s name.
The greatest care will be taken to see that medicines are administered according to the instructions and a signed record of all medication administered shall be made on the medicine forms.
Wherever possible, children who are prescribed medication should receive their doses at home.
In case a child develops a fever during their time in the nursery, Parental permission will be sought to administer Calpol if it is deemed absolutely necessary. Parents will be asked by telephone and then required to sign the medical book when collecting their child at the end of a session.
The procedure for administering medication:
Medication will never be given without the prior written request of the parent.
A member of staff will be assigned to administer medication for each individual child concerned. They will also be responsible for ensuring that:
• prior consent is arranged.
• all necessary details are recorded.
• that the medication is properly labelled and safely stored during the session.
• parents sign in the Medication Record Book to acknowledge that the medication has been given.
If for any reason a child refuses to take their medication, staff will not attempt to force them to do so against their wishes. If and when such a situation occurs, the Director and the child’s parent will be notified, and the incident recorded in the medication Record Book.
If there is any change in the type of medication – whether regarding dosage or other changes to the information given on the Administering Medication Form – a new form must be completed.
Full details of all medication administered along with all Administering Medication Forms, will be recorded and stored in the Medication Record Book.
Rising Stars Nursery is committed to the health and safety of all children and staff who play, learn and work here. As such, it will sometimes be necessary to require a sick child to be collected early or be kept at home while they get better.
Parents will be notified immediately if their child has become ill and needs to go home. Sick children will be comforted, kept safe and under close supervision until they are collected.
If a child has had to go home prematurely due to illness, they should remain at home until they are better for at least 24 hours, or according to the times set out in the table below. If a member of staff becomes ill at work, similar restrictions on their return will apply.
If a child or member of staff becomes ill outside nursery hours, they should notify the nursery as soon as possible. The minimum exclusion periods outlined in the table below will then come into operation.
If any infectious or communicable disease is detected on the premises, we will inform parents personally in writing as soon as possible. Rising Stars Nursery is committed to sharing as much information as possible about the source of the disease and the steps being taken to remove it.
Minimum Exclusion Periods for Illness and Disease
DISEASE |
PERIOD OF EXCLUSION |
Antibiotics prescribed |
First 24 hours |
Chicken Pox |
7 days from when the rash first appeared |
Conjunctivitis |
24 hours or until the eyes have stopped weeping |
Diarrhoea |
24 hours |
Diphtheria |
2-5 days |
Gastro-enteritis / Food poisoning |
24 hours or until advised by the doctor |
Glandular Fever |
Until certified well |
High temperature |
24 hours |
Measles |
7 days from when the rash first appeared |
Mumps |
7 days minimum or until the swelling has subsided |
Head lice |
Until treatment has been given |
Whooping cough |
21 days from the onset |
Rubella (German Measles) |
4 days from onset of rash |
Scarlet fever |
Until declared free from infection by a doctor |
Streptococcal infection of the throat |
3 days from the start of the treatment |
Tuberculosis |
Until declared free from infection by a doctor |
This list is not exhaustive, and staff are encouraged to contact local health services if they are in any doubt.
Rising Stars Nursery has the highest regard for the safety of the children in our care – from the moment they arrive to the moment that they leave.
At the end of every day, we will ensure that all children are collected by a parent, carer or designated adult, in accordance with the Arrivals and Departures policy. If for some reason a child is not collected, the following procedures will be activated:
• If a parent, carer or designated adult is more than 15 minutes late in collecting their child, a minimum of two staff, including a senior member, must remain on the premises. One member of staff should attempt to locate the child’s parent/carer, whilst the child is cared for sensitively.
• The Director will call the parent, carer or designated adult, and use any other emergency contact details available in order to try to ascertain the cause for the delay, and how long it is likely to last. Messages will always be left on any answer phone requesting a prompt reply. .
• The child will remain in the care of the nursery until they are collected by the parent, carer or designated adult.
• Incidents of late collection will be recorded by the Director and discussed with parents at the earliest opportunity. Parents and carers will be informed that persistent late collection may result in the loss of their child’s place at the nursery.
Admissions and Fees Policy
Admissions
When a parent contacts the nursery enquiring about a place for their child, they will be shown around the nursery, given a brochure containing all the relevant information they require and informed of whether there is currently a suitable place available for their child.
If a suitable place is available the parent will be asked to complete and sign the Registration and Medical Forms to confirm their child’s place. A deposit Dhs 1,000 will be taken to secure the nursery place. This deposit will be deducted from the summer term fees of your child’s final term at the nursery. All the remaining documents which are necessary for registering a child, along with the Nursery fees, Registration fee and Medical fee will then need to be provided before the child starts at the nursery.
Waiting List
To ensure that admissions to the nursery are offered on a fair basis, the following procedure will apply to the management of waiting lists:
• Availability of spaces taking into account the staff/child ratios, the age of the child and the registration requirements.
• Length of time on waiting list.
• Children who are siblings of those already with us.
• A child wanting a full time place may have preference over one requiring part time only, depending on available spaces.
Fees
The nursery understands that the cost of registered childcare may seem expensive to parents However, providing a high quality, safe and stimulating service for children is not cheap and to ensure the continued high standards and sustainability of the nursery, it must ask that parents respect its policy with regards to fees.
Payment of fees should be made in advance, prior to the child starting at the nursery. Payment arrangements will be settled between the Director and parents.
If the fees are not paid on time, the nursery will notify the parent in writing and request payment at the earliest possible opportunity. The Director has the right to issue a formal warning to the parent and inform them that continued late payment will result in their child’s place at the nursery being terminated.
Current Fees
For current levels of fees please contact the nursery.
Illness
Please note that you are paying for your child’s place not their attendance. Fees are payable for any days a child is absent from nursery.Supervision
The safety of children at Rising Stars is our number one priority. In order to ensure their safety, children must be supervised. The staff at Rising Stars will provide the best care and attention to all children, at all times.
Adult to child ratios (age dependant) will be adhered to and when moving between rooms in the nursery or playing outdoors, children will be divided into small groups with one caregiver responsible for their supervision.
Accidents
Whenever an accident occurs at Rising Stars, an “OOPS” form will be filled out.
In the case of more serious accidents, the Director or supervising teacher will contact the parents and the on-site Nurse will attend to the child’s needs.
If further medical intervention is required, then parents will be contacted along with a doctor from the Cooper Clinic to come and give the necessary assistance.
Safety
Rising Stars will be maintained as a safe and secure environment for all children.
All furniture, toys and other learning materials are chosen carefully and adhere to international safety guidelines to ensure that all children are safe when going about their daily routine inside and outside of the classrooms in the nursery.
Cleanliness
Cleanliness is a priority at Rising Stars and cleaning staff will ensure that all areas of the nursery are kept clean throughout the day.
Toilets will be cleaned often during the day and children will be taught to wash their hands thoroughly after using the bathrooms, and before and after snack and meal times.
Every child at Rising Stars is to be treated with respect and dignity.
Positive reinforcement will be used to promote appropriate behaviour. There will be, at all times, avoidance of blame, harsh language and degrading responses to bad behaviour.
Children will be encouraged to take responsibility for their choices through explanation.
Discipline Procedure
If a child’s behaviour is disruptive, dangerous or aggressive, a staff member will:
- Attempt to remotivate the child by directing him/her to an alternative activity.
- If the behaviour persists, the teacher will discuss the behaviour with the child and give the child a warning that time-out will be used if behaviour continues.
- Time-out will be used if necessary. This involves the child being placed within view of the teacher, in the naughty corner, for a short period of time (as many minutes as the child’s age in years).
- Teachers will then continue to monitor the child and try to anticipate the occurrence of the behaviour, to prevent it from recurring.
- A behaviour incentive scheme will be put in place to encourage positive behaviours.
- For persistent behaviour problems, the parents will be called to attend a meeting with the Director and staff member(s) concerned.
Children should be fed breakfast at home prior to their arrival at the nursery since their first snack will be around 10:00am, and lunch for those children registered for late pick-up will be served at 1:00pm.
The following rules will apply at meal/snack times:
- All children are required to wash their hands before meal/snack time.
- Children are to remain seated when eating, and are to eat at the table.
- Children (except babies) are encouraged to eat alone. Teacher will assist when necessary.
- Children will be encouraged to finish their snacks/meals.
- Good table manners will be demonstrated and encouraged.
- The children will be encouraged to clear their own plate, cup, etc when they have finished.
- Plates, cups, utensils and napkins will be provided by the nursery.
- Children are required to wash their hands again at the end of their snack/meal.
Parents are asked to clearly label Lunch Boxes, water/juice bottles and food containers with waterproof markers.
Parents are encouraged to send healthy snacks/meals with their children, and to try and include a fruit or vegetable in lunch boxes.
Chocolates, candy, chewing gum, fizzy drinks/sodas will not be served at the nursery.
Parents must inform the nursery Director of any known food allergies by filling out the appropriate section in the Medical Form.
Regular scheduled visits to the toilet will take place during the day. If a child needs to go to the toilet outside of these times, the classroom nanny will accompany the child to the toilet and assist the child. Children and teachers/nannies will be required to wash their hands after using the toilet.
Children who are still in nappies will be checked and changed regularly during the day. When parent have started toilet training their child, the classroom teachers and nanny will encourage the child to use the toilet during their day at the nursery.
Parents of children in nappies must supply nappies and wet wipes.
All Parents must provide a change of clothing in case of any ‘accidents’. Soiled or wet clothes will be bagged and sent home at the end of the day.
All toilet training ‘accidents’ will be dealt with discretely and quietly, so as not to cause any embarrassment to the child, and the child will be gently told to try and use the toilet the next time.
Birthday Policy