We are lucky to have such a wonderful, committed staff force who work hard to provide an environment that is fully inclusive and accessible to all. We have provided the key staff who hold key responsibilities at the Meadows Nursery School:
Nursery Leadership Team: Managers
Helen Hawes (Company Director)
Adam Hawes (Company Director and Advanced Skills Teacher)
Nursery Leadership Team:
Abigail Hollands (Lead Manager)
Nick Hollands (Deputy Manager)
The deputy managers are responsible for supporting the manager in ensuring the efficient running of the nursery. They are always throughout the nursery and:
- Support whole nursery routine, organisation of groups, and group numbers
- Monitoring staff and their performance
- Monitoring the curriculum
- Developing the provision within each of the different areas
- Supporting nursery teacher practice
- Review the classroom environment, embedding new ideas
- Implementing new initiatives and teaching initiatives
We meet with our deputy managers regularly to discuss any points for development and reflect on practice and progression. These staff members are middle management. They are often on the nursery classroom doors or indeed you are welcome to request to speak to them if you would like some advice or offer any information to them.
KEY PERSON:
All children at the nursery are assigned a key person from within their group.
The key person is allocated as soon as they start at the nursery or is reallocated when they change group. This person is your child’s main point of contact and will have the best overview of your child’s care and learning.
If you would like to speak to your child’s key person, then please do organise a consultation upon drop off or pick up or if available, you can speak to them on the door.
The key person is the person that writes your child’s ‘next steps’ on their online learning journey (eyLog).
KEY WORKER:
Every room at the nursery has a key worker. Their role is to manage and organise the room and nursery teachers. In addition, they are responsible for ensuring nursery policies are followed and that their staff team (those nursery teachers working with them) are suitably prepared and knowledgeable for the care and teaching that they will do with the children.
The key worker of every room will run their planning meetings, which currently take place on a Thursday evening, where they will use their knowledge of your child’s interests, needs, and developmental details to plan for creative learning experiences.
CHILD PROTECTION OFFICER:
Abi Hollands is our lead safeguarding officer and is responsible for the ‘protection of children,’ both whilst in and out of our care.
Children at this age are extremely vulnerable and we all have a role in ensuring children remain safe, secure, and happy.
As lead safeguarding officer Helen trains the staff in the setting to monitor children’s welfare, both physically and emotionally, and as such ensures our nursery teachers are vigilant to spot and deal with any concerns that they have.
Helen is the main ‘port of call’ and if nursery teachers or staff working at the nursery have any concerns about a child’s welfare she will be notified. The nursery has very robust procedures for recording and reporting any such incidences and staff are aware of these systems.
Please note, if you have any concerns about a child it is your responsibility, as it is ours, to report such concerns. At the nursery, these concerns can be reported to Helen who will support you in dealing with such matters.
SENDCO:
Abi Hollands is our special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinator. She has a wealth of experience in working with and supporting children who have additional needs. Abi has close links with our local county council and over the years has worked to support children in our setting to make the progress they need through focused support. If you feel that you would like to discuss any concerns you may have about your child’s development, Abi is the person to make an informal consultation with.
HEALTH AND SAFETY OFFICER:
Adam Hawes is the Health and Safety Officer is responsible for ensuring that the environment that the children learn and are cared for is safe. A safe, fruitful environment allows children to flourish and this is what we are always striving to achieve.
Adam not only ensures staff are aware of their role in providing a safe learning environment but also ensures health and safety is adhered to, in relation to:
- Fire safety and routes of access
- Fire bell evacuation (which is practiced every term or when a new member of staff joins the nursery)
- COSHH (control of substances hazardous to health) is understood and adhered to
- The completion and monitoring of annual, weekly and activity specific risk assessments
- Monitoring of accident books, both children’s and staff members (where applicable)
If you notice any factors relating to health and safety please do inform Adam by email nurseriesforchildren@yahoo.com or by calling him at the nursery on: (01323) 741811.
TEACHING AND LEARNING LEAD:
Adam Hawes is a qualified advanced skills teacher (AST) and acts as our education lead. His passion for education means he is always seeking new ways to offer exciting experiences for the children at the nursery.
As part of his role he:
- Models best practice
- Observes and offers ideas to extend and stretch their practice
- Plans resources and structure to the curriculum on offer to the children
- Monitors new innovative ideas that are being developed within the education sector
- Tracks best practice and how this is needing to be changed to ensure best practice is taking place at the nursery
- Reviews and evaluates systems to implement new ideas into the nurseries action plans
It is always our intention at the nursery to offer rich learning and always strive to do so. If you have any ideas or suggestions, or indeed would like to offer time to support any educational practices, then please do contact Adam at the nursery on: nurseriesforchildren@yahoo.com or by calling him at the nursery on: (01323) 741811.
TWO-YEAR-OLD LEAD:
Our two-year-old lead and is responsible for ensuring that all children that are with us, before 30 months have a two-year-old check.
A two-year-old check is carried out both by the health visitor and the nursery. Before 30 months the health visitor will carry out a growing skills check at your home and this information will then be provided to the nursery. Once the nursery receives this information it is provided to your child’s key person who will review and write the ‘education section.’ Once completed it will be shared with you through a parent consultation and you will be able to add any comments to the document. The final document will be sent back to the health visitor who will store the document.
They are responsible for making the arrangements for the completion of these documents and tracking the progress of these. As well as this she ensures the nursery is well informed as to any changes and will train and support staff in the completion of these.
For children that start at the nursery after 30 months, they will either come to the nursery with a two-year-old check already completed or will no longer require one as they have gone beyond 30 months.
If you have any questions regarding the two-Year old checks please do inform us by email: nurseriesforchildren@yahoo.com or by calling the nursery on (01323) 741811.
SPEECH AND LANGUAGE COORDINATOR:
Jo is our speech and language coordinator and works with children that are finding aspects of language difficulties. She runs sessions, twice weekly on a 1:1 basis or as part of a small group activity. These sessions focus on the specific language needs of the child that have been identified by their key person.
Language development can range from the need to build the confidence of a child to speak to children with selective mutism. Jo will develop and work on fun engaging activities to develop their area of need.
If you are concerned about your child’s language by all means speak to your child’s key person who will refer this to Jo for review.
The nursery is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All staff will be expected to hold or be willing to obtain an Enhanced DBS check or Enhanced check for Regulated Activity with the Disclosure & Barring Services (previously the Criminal Records Bureau). Any staff employed staff will have relevant references obtained and understand and follow our nurseries policies and procedures.
Meadows Nursery School 