Little Stars Nursery | Stoke Newington

Registration

When Can I apply for a nursery space for my child at Little Stars Nursery?

Please fill in our registration form as soon as you know the exact DOB and the name of your baby.

What documents or information are required for registration?

After confirming your child's enrolment, we will require a copy of their birth certificate.

If your child is eligible for funded hours, we will need your National Insurance Number (NIN) to check eligibility for government hours.

Are there any fees associated with registration or securing a place at the nursery?

Please note that a non-refundable registration fee of £75 will be applicable once the nursery space is offered and confirmed.

No fee for registration and enrolment if we can't offer a place.

During enrollment, a two-week deposit is required and will be applied to the final invoice.

The deposit will not be refunded if the space is not taken or if a six-week written notice is not provided to the manager.

Do you have any specific enrollment periods or deadlines that we should be aware of?

Please note that your registration form will be added to our waiting list once we receive it. To ensure a spot on the list, please submit your form as soon as possible.

When can I visit the nursery?

As we are a small nursery, we do not offer individual tours during our opening hours. This helps us minimise disruptions for our babies and children, allowing our team to focus entirely on their care, routines, and safety.

Instead, we organise Open Days outside of nursery hours, which allows us to welcome new families, show them around our setting, introduce them to our team, and take the time to answer all their questions thoroughly and without interruption.

After receiving your registration form, we will contact you to confirm the date of our next Open Day.

Please be informed that we will schedule your visit within 8 months of your child's starting date, as provided in the registration form.

Settling In

Can you explain how the settling-in process works for the child?

Our nursery has a policy of allowing the child to attend with their parent for a week. Our experienced and friendly early years educators provide a warm and welcoming home-from-home environment for the child to settle in easily and get used to their new surroundings. We'd like to encourage you to take a look at our settling-in policy for more information.

We are working parents, so when should we remain available for the settle-in period?

Until your child feels comfortable with us, it is always more manageable for the child to stay in their new environment if it had previous experience separating from the parents ( for example, the child is cared for by grandparents or family friends).

Stay-and-play sessions are beneficial, too.

Is there a fixed staff member assigned to the child in the beginning?

Each child in our setting is assigned an Early Years Educator (EYE) who is responsible for their care and development. The EYE will keep parents informed daily through our online system, Baby Days, which provides updates on the child's meals, sleep, nappies, and activities. In addition, the EYE will prepare term reports and observations and track the child's development.

Accidents and medication forms are also filled out and sent to parents online.

Staff & Children

What is the teacher-to-child ratio?

At our facility, we strictly adhere to the Statutory Framework guidelines for child-to-adult ratios. For children below the age of 2, we maintain a ratio of 1 adult per 3 children. For 2-year-olds, the ratio is 1 adult per 5 children. The ratio for children aged 3 and above is 1 adult per 8 children.

Since our setting is quite small and we can only accommodate 11 children per session, the child-to-adult ratio is always higher than the recommended guidelines.

What is a nursery educational approach?

Our nursery firmly believes in the Maria Montessori approach to education, which emphasises that children of all age groups learn more effectively by interacting with one another. We have a single-floor setup in which all children spend time together, allowing them to learn from one another. You can check out our Instagram and Facebook pages for a video tour of our nursery.

Food and Sleep

Is there a sample menu that we can look at?

Sample of our menu.

The menu can be customised to cater to children's dietary requirements and preferences. Our nursery has been a part of Eat Better Start Better program by the local authority since 2013. We collaborate closely with professionals to ensure children get a healthy start in our facility. Please check out the links below for additional information on the Hackney programs that Little Stars Nursery looks forward to.

BEST START WITH HENRY

https://www.hackneylocaloffer.co.uk/kb5/hackney/localoffer/service.page?id=9U3kdH9ZPHM

PHYSICAL LITERACY

https://www.hackneyservicesforschools.co.uk/extranet/physical-literacy-hackney

ORAL HEALTH PROMOTION IN EARLY YEARS

27-MONTH REVIEW

Could you please let me know the feeding schedule for the kids?

We serve breakfast from 8:00 to 8:30 a.m., a morning snack at 10:00 a.m., lunch at noon, tea at 3:00 p.m., and a light snack at 4:00 p.m.

Our child is not a completely independent eater yet; how will that work out?

At our establishment, children are always supervised while eating, and we provide them with child-sized spoons, forks, and knives to encourage them to eat their food. We also help the little ones feed and encourage them to hold their cutlery properly.

Is it allowed for children to bring their snacks?

NO, We provide all snacks and food, ensuring they are allergen-free.

Where do the children sleep?

Sleeping mats and blankets are provided for babies and children.

Our child needs assistance falling asleep without rocking, just a pat on the back.

We ensure that a staff member is always present when children are put to sleep and while they are sleeping. During nap time, we provide children with cuddles and gentle patting on the back if that's what they are used to. This helps to calm and soothe them.

We take advantage of this time to rest and recharge after a busy morning. We also use this opportunity to catch up on our observations, assessments, and daily diaries. The lights are turned off, and we play lullabies to create a calming environment for the children.

At what time do children typically go to bed?

If younger children need a morning nap, we will take them for a walk at 10 a.m. All children nap after lunch.

Nappy Change and Toilet Training

Can you help us with potty training our child? We plan to start soon, but they are not trained yet.

When a child is ready, we offer potty training with parental support.

Will the nursery be providing nappies?

Yes, we provide nappies and plastic-free wipes as part of our provision.

If parents prefer their child to use a specific brand of nappies, they are welcome to either:

bring the nappies daily when their child attends the setting, or
provide a full pack/bag of nappies to be kept at the nursery for their child’s use.

What other resources and activities are provided by the nursery?

We provide various services to ensure your child is well cared for. Our services include the provision of nappies, wipes, sun cream, and meals (excluding baby formula). We also provide nursery resources, small yoga sessions, outdoor sports, and dance classes for children. We take children to local parks, coffee shops, pet shops, farms, and other London attractions. Children also have access to outdoor nursery space when needed and required by them. Additionally, we conduct small language groups during circle time, using basic Makaton to help children better communicate with each other.

Daily Handover

On an average day, what activities take place from the moment of drop off to pick up?

Our daily routine begins by greeting each other and singing songs after everyone arrives. Children are given the opportunity to share their experiences and feelings, and we may have a 10-minute yoga or dance/sport session. We always consider each child's interests and needs to provide them with appropriate activities and resources, making each day more exciting than the last. Our children are mostly active and enjoy outdoor activities, so we often spend time outside after morning and afternoon snacks. During wet weather, we remain on the nursery grounds and ask parents to provide their children with wellies and waterproof overalls for the garden. Our term themes inspire creative activities like painting, drawing, and sticking. Children also have access to water, sand, and messy play.

We provide a healthy lunch at noon. Children who have outgrown their afternoon naps can rest or have quiet time while others nap. We offer tea at 3 / 4 p.m. and walk to the local parks or playground. At 5 p.m., we provide tea, followed by a story and home time before 6 p.m.

Do parents receive a daily report summarising what their children ate, how long they slept, and other relevant information?

We regularly upload photos of children's activities to their online journals, including assessments of their development. Parents have access to their child's profile at all times, and we encourage them to share their child's experiences from home with us as it is a lovely way to engage with their child's time at the nursery.

We also post updates of the children's activities on our social media pages, including Instagram, Facebook, and Google. However, we never upload pictures of a child's face without parental permission.

Finally, we provide children's reports twice a year and discuss them with parents before or during the summer holidays and before Christmas break.

Can you assist with school transitions?

Yes, we offer a wide range of engaging and enjoyable activities for children before they begin their schooling journey. Once we know which school a child will attend, we contact the school to schedule a visit and email the child's end-of-nursery report to their new teacher.

Flexibility

What will be done if a child is ill and cannot attend?

Our policy states that the child must remain home with their parents until they are well enough to return to the nursery. Please email me if you have any questions about our sick child policy. In addition, I would like to share a government website that provides guidelines for nurseries and schools on infection control.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-protection-in-schools-and-other-childcare-facilities

We have a duty of care to protect other children and staff from catching illnesses and viruses from unwell children.

Guidelines on infection control at school

Is it possible to exchange the days we skipped for another day?

Please note that we do not allow session swapping or make-up sessions for missed sessions. Additionally, fees still apply even if a child is absent due to illness or is on holiday during nursery closures. These closures include a two-week closure during Christmas, bank holidays, three days per year for our Inset day, and any unforeseen closures mandated by the government or emergencies.

Nursery Fee and Funding Information

Could you clarify if the fee listed on the website includes taxes?

Prices on the website are actual monthly fees.

To help you pay for nursery fees, you can use the government's Child Tax-Free scheme.

Please check the link for more details and eligibility.

https://www.gov.uk/tax-free-childcare

www.childcare.gov.uk

Do you allow additional days on an ad-hoc basis?

We do offer ad-hoc childcare services, but they are subject to availability. To ensure that the required staff-to-child ratio is maintained, it is necessary to book in advance. The full-day charge is currently £110, and all fees must be paid in advance. Please see our fees and admission policy for further details.

Founded government hours.

How do I know if I am eligible?
You are automatically eligible for the Universal 15 hours for 3 and 4-year-olds; you do not need to do anything to apply for these; we will do this on your behalf.

If you think you will be eligible for 9+ months and a 2-year-old 30 funded hours or the 30-hour offer for your 3-year-old, you can apply at www.childcarechoices.gov.uk. You must have or set up a Government Gateway account before applying.

When can I claim funded hours?

How does Little Stars administer these hours?
The maximum hours allowance for the academic year is 1140 (30 hours x 38 weeks per year) and 570 (15 hours x 38 weeks). This is prorated for children who start with us or become eligible at any time other than September. We stretch these hours so that you will receive some funded hours every week; for example, if you become eligible in September, you will have the full 1140 funded hours available; these will be split across 50 weeks per year, meaning you will receive 22.8 funded hours per week, every week, whereas if your child becomes eligible for funding in January or April, they will receive fewer funded hours each week because there are fewer funded weeks left in the academic year.
FUNDING FOR CHILDREN AGED 4: Children aged 4 usually receive reduced funding hours in the two terms before they start primary school. This is due to the way the council allocates funding.

If you need more information regarding how our setting provides funded hours, please get in touch with us directly.

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