We believe in having a positive relationship with our families and therefore aim for our parents to be:
- Valued
- Respected
- Informed
- Involved
- Included
How we support and encourage parent participation
Little Bears recognises parents/carers as the first and most important educators of their children. The staff’s role in Little Bears is to work in partnership with parents to provide a high level of care and education for all children. We have many ways to encourage parent and practitioner partnerships, such as:
- Exchanging knowledge about their children’s needs, activities, interests and progress with the staff through arranging an individual transition phone call before they start in Module 1 or Module 3.
- Inviting parents and new starters to a ‘Stay and Play’ session in the Module before they start.
- Inviting parents to an initial information session and then maintaining weekly communication of what the children will be learning via Google Classroom.
- Encouraging the children to share their own interests.
- Embracing individual family identities – as a setting that likes to embrace diversity and individuality, we also encourage parents to attend the nursery to share personal knowledge and experiences. This could include showing objects, items of clothing to the children, cooking and explaining cultural celebrations.
- Twice yearly Parent and Teacher Consultations
- Sharing ‘Wow Moments’ from home
- Staff providing a friendly face at the beginning and end of sessions
Safeguarding Children
- We have a duty of care to protect all children from suspected or actual ‘significant harm.’
- Our employment practices ensure children are only in contact with staff that have full enhanced DBS checks carried out to reduce the likelihood of abuse in the setting.
- This way of working with children and their parents/carers ensures we are aware of any problems that may emerge and can offer support, including referrals or sign-posting to relevant services when necessary. As part of this policy, mobile phones are not allowed to be used in the setting, by staff or visitors, we ask that you respect this.