Twickenham Park Day Nursery
Cambridge Road, Twickenham, TW1 2HN
02088920872, [email protected]
Settling policy & Open Door Policy
The parent must ensure they have completed the “Child Comprehensive Detail
Pack” before they leave their child at nursery for settling.
To ensure a comfortable settling in time for new families, settling in sessions should
be arranged to take place over a one to two week period. Head of Rooms should
contact the parent by phone to introduce themselves and welcome them to the nursery.
Settling should be arranged for the first day for one hour and then built up over a one
to two week period in partnership with the parent.
The Head of Room will introduce the parent / carer to the room practitioners and
explain the routine and activities on offer and put aside time for the parent to discuss
any concerns or apprehensions. The Head of Room will introduce the family to the
designated Key Person.
Every child is allocated a Key Person, who will work with the parent to encourage
them to leave the child for a short period of time. The length of the child‘s stay should
increase as they settle. Each family are treated and respected as individuals, and this
should be recognised when arranging settling sessions. Staff must be aware of the
need to be flexible and respect and appreciate the parent as the child’s primary carer.
Particularly with babies, if a child responded more positively to a different staff
member and it was felt a change of Key Person was feasible and would benefit the
child; this would be reviewed and if appropriate implemented.
The Head of Room will ensure the parent is aware that we operate an Open Door
Policy within the nursery, and they are therefore welcome to come to the nursery
during the day and see their child, taking into consideration the possible disruption to
the child’s routine.
During the settling procedure, the Head of Room must ensure the parent has been
informed of any up and coming events and that they are told where to access
information, ie child’s individual tray or box.
Parents are welcomed to contact the nursery during the working day to see how their
child is and how they are progressing. Equally, practitioners will contact the parent of
the settling child if they feel the child is not settling well without their parent present,
and discuss strategies to promote a positive settling period.
Reviewed August 2013
Review August 2014
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