We recognise that accidents or incidents may sometimes occur. We follow a policy and procedure to ensure all parties are supported and cared for when accidents or incidents happen; and that the circumstances of the accident or incident are reviewed with a view to minimising any future risks.

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All accidents and incidents are recorded and parents/carers are notified. The first aid boxes are located in all classrooms and the main office. These are accessible at all times with appropriate content for the use of children. All / most of the staff are trained in paediatric first aid and this training is updated every three years. All first aid trained staff are listed in the Parent Meeting Room.

The nursery will try to accept all admissions, however when a large influx of inquires prevails the following admission criteria will be followed:

1. A child wishing to increase sessions

2. Looked after children

3. A child known by the local authority to have special educational needs and/or a disability (SEND) and whose needs can be best met at the preferred nursery 4. A vulnerable child with either a Child Protection or a Child in Need Plan or Local Authority/Common Assessment Framework 5. Children who have siblings who are already with us 6. The date of registration for the waiting list.

At Tall Trees Day Nursery we have an adverse weather policy in place to ensure our nursery is prepared for all weather conditions that might affect the running of the nursery such as floods, snow and heat waves. If any of these incidents impact on the ability of the nursery to open or operate, we will contact parents via *phone/*email/*text message. We will not take children outdoors where we judge that weather conditions make it unsafe to do so.

At Tall Trees Day Nursery we are committed to providing a safe environment that helps to ensure the welfare of the children in our care. This includes making sure that children are not exposed to adults who may be under the influence of alcohol or other substances that may affect their ability to care for children.

At Tall Trees Day Nursery we are aware that children may have or develop an allergy resulting in an allergic reaction. Our aims are to ensure allergic reactions are minimised or, where possible, prevented and that staff are fully aware of how to support a child who may be having an allergic reaction. • Our staff are made aware of the signs and symptoms of a possible allergic reaction in case of an unknown or first reaction in a child. These may include a rash or hives, nausea, stomach pain, diarrhoea, itchy skin, runny eyes, shortness of breath, chest pain, swelling of the mouth or tongue, swelling to the airways to the lungs, wheezing and anaphylaxis. • We ask parents to share all information about allergic reactions and allergies on child’s registration form and to inform staff of any allergies discovered after registration. • We share all information with all staff and keep an allergy register in all classrooms. • Where a child has a known allergy, the nursery manager will create a child health care plan with the child’s parent before the child attends the setting. • All food prepared for a child with a specific allergy is prepared in an area where there is no chance of contamination and served on equipment that has not been in contact with this specific food type, e.g. nuts. • The manager, nursery cook and parents will work together to ensure a child with specific food allergies receives no food at nursery that may harm them. This may include designing an appropriate menu or substituting specific meals on the current nursery menu. • Seating will be monitored for children with allergies. Where deemed appropriate, staff will sit with children who have allergies and where age/stage appropriate staff will discuss food allergies and the potential risks. Children with food allergens will be served food on a yellow plate. • If a child has an allergic reaction to food, a bee or wasp sting, plant etc. a first aid trained member of staff will act quickly and administer the appropriate treatment, where necessary.

At Tall Trees Day Nursery we follow a positive behaviour policy to promote positive behaviour at all times. However, we understand that children may use certain behaviours such as biting as part of their development. Biting is a common behaviour that some young children go through and can be triggered when they do not have the words to communicate their anger, frustration or need. The nursery uses a number of strategies to help prevent biting: sensory activities, biting rings, adequate resources and staff who recognise when children need more stimulation or quiet times.

At Tall Trees Day Nursery we believe that parents are entitled to expect courtesy and prompt, careful attention to their individual needs and wishes. We hope that at all times parents are happy with the service provided and we encourage parents to voice their appreciation to the staff concerned. We record all compliments and share these with staff. We welcome any suggestions from parents on how we can improve our services, and will give prompt and serious attention to any concerns that parents may have. Any concerns will be dealt with professionally and promptly to ensure that any issues arising from them are handled effectively and to ensure the welfare of all children, enable ongoing cooperative partnership with parents and to continually improve the quality of the nursery.

We have a formal procedure for dealing with complaints where we are not able to resolve a concern. Where any concern or complaint relates to child protection, we follow our Safeguarding/Child Protection Policy.

At Tall Trees Day Nursery we are committed to supporting children for whom English is not a first language, and this policy sets our aims, principles and strategies to ensure that EAL children fulfil their potential accessing all areas of the curriculum. We aim to provide a caring, supportive and stimulating environment in which all the children are equally valued and encouraged to reach their full potential. For children who are learning English as an additional language, this includes recognising and valuing their home language and background.

At Tall Trees Day Nursery we make sure the nursery is a safe environment for children, parents, staff and visitors through our fire safety policy and procedures. The designated fire marshal has overall responsibility for the fire drill and evacuation procedures. These are carried out and recorded for each group of children every three months or as and when a large change occurs, e.g. a large intake of children or a new member of staff joins the nursery. These drills will occur at different times of the day and on different days to ensure evacuations are possible under different circumstances and all children and staff participate in the rehearsals. The fire marshal checks fire detection and control equipment and fire exits in line with the manadatory timescales.

We recognise the preparation, serving and eating of food is an area of importance for the health and wellbeing of all children in our nursery. As part of the Tall Trees Day Nursery commitment to Keeping Everyone Safe, we encourage all children in our care to develop a positive attitude towards healthy food and lifestyle and to this end; all meals are planned in line with the statutory requirements.

At Tall Trees Day Nursery we take great care to treat each individual as a person in their own right, with equal rights and responsibilities to any other individual, whether they are an adult or a child. We are committed to providing equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice for all children and families according to their individual needs. Discrimination on the grounds of gender, age, race, religion or belief, marriage or civil partnership, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, pregnancy or maternity, ethnic or national origin, or political belief has no place within our nursery.

A key person is a member of staff in an Early Years Setting who has special responsibility for the education and welfare of a particular child/group of children during their time at the nursery. The primary aim of the key person system will be to provide a close relationship between the practitioner, child and the parent in order to assist the development of the child and to offer support and reassurance during settling in/transitional periods. Every child that attends the nursery will have an assigned key person. This will ensure that children feel safe, stimulated and happy in the setting and feel secure and comfortable with the staff. The parents will have confidence in both their children’s well-being and their role as partners with the setting.

We will administer medication provided by a parent, as long as consent is given and the relevant forms are completed prior to the medication being administered.

At Tall Trees Day Nursery we aim to support children’s care and welfare on a daily basis in line with their individual needs. All children need contact with familiar, consistent carers to ensure they can grow confidently and feel self-assured. Wherever possible, each child’s key person will change nappies according to the child’s individual needs and requirements. We will enable a two-way exchange between parents and key persons so that information is shared about nappy changing and toilet training in a way that suits the parents and meets the child’s needs. Parents will be engaged in the process of potty training and supported to continue potty training with their child at home.

At Tall Trees Day Nursery we are committed to promoting children’s health and well-being. This is of the upmost importance for the nursery. Smoking has proved to be a health risk and therefore in accordance with legislation, the nursery operates a strict no smoking policy within its buildings and grounds. It is illegal to smoke in enclosed places. All persons must abstain from smoking while on the premises. This applies to staff, students, parents, carers, contractors and any other visitors to the premises. Staff accompanying children outside the nursery, are not permitted to smoke. We also request that parents accompanying nursery children on outings refrain from smoking while caring for the children.

At Tall Trees Day Nursery we are committed to promoting children’s safety and welfare. In the unlikely event of a child going missing within/from the nursery, we have procedures in place which will be implemented immediately. All staff will be aware of the procedure when a child goes missing and supply information to support the search.

At Tall Trees Day Nursery we are committed to the importance of daily outdoor play and the physical development of all children regardless of their age and stage of development. We provide outdoor play in all weathers. Where possible and appropriate, we make outdoor activities accessible to children with learning difficulties and disabilities to ensure inclusive use of the outdoor area.

At Tall Trees Day Nursery we believe that children flourish best when they know how they and others are expected to behave. Children gain respect through interaction with caring adults who act as good role models, show them respect and value their individual personalities. The nursery actively promotes British values and encourages and praises positive, caring and polite behaviour at all times and provides an environment where children learn to respect themselves, other people and their surroundings.

Children need to have set boundaries of behaviour for their own safety and the safety of their peers. Within the nursery we aim to set these boundaries in a way which helps the child to develop a sense of the significance of their own behaviour, both in their own environment and that of others around them. Restrictions on the child's natural desire to explore and develop their own ideas and concepts are kept to a minimum.

Please see below our current Protecting Children at Risk of Radicalisation Policy.

At Tall Trees Day Nursery we are vigilant in our recruitment procedures aiming to ensure all people working with children are suitable to do so. We follow this procedure each and every time we recruit a new member to join our team.