Settling In - Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Stafford

Register your interest with Stafford

We recognise that each child, parent, and nursery relationship is unique, and we use our experience to support everyone in making that transition into nursery life as smooth as possible.

Gradual steps – your first sessions

Your child will then be invited to 3 FREE settling in sessions within the nursery that will be organised as follows:

Settling in sessions

Session 1

In the first settling in session, you and your child will be invited into nursery for an hour. This will allow you to meet the team. We will complete an “all about me” booklet with you, about your child’s interests, favourite toys, allergies, dietary requirements etc.

We will encourage your child to join in the fun within the room, this will allow them to gain a bond with the staff and will determine who becomes their key worker. It is important that your child has a good relationship with their key worker, so it is essential that they are part of the process of choosing the key worker.

Session 2

Parents and children will be invited back into the nursery for the second settling in session, which is for two hours. You will be introduced to your child’s key worker and they will settle your child into the room. Once your child is settled, you can leave them in the capable hands of the nursery staff.

We will have toys of their interests available, and they can experience activities taking place and meet their peers.

We will send pictures to you via the Famly App and let you know how they are getting on.

Session 3

The final settling in session will be for half a day, this can be either morning or afternoon. You are invited into the nursery until your child is settled. During this session, your child will be given the opportunity to experience snack and lunch or tea with us. They will also be able to have a nap if desired.

We understand leaving your child can be overwhelming, so plenty of photo’s will be sent to you via our Famly App and you are welcome to call the nursery anytime to see how they are getting on.

We advise settling in sessions to take place with a morning and afternoon session as this enables your child to experience all of the activities and mealtimes that go on throughout the day.

These sessions are free and flexible to suit. Usually booked in for the week before the start date keeping the experience fresh in your child’s mind, your key person will fill in a report each step of the way which will help us and yourselves to track your child’s settling in and plan future support and development.

“My little boy has started this week. He’s never been to a nursery before so was worried about leaving him. The staff have been great and settled my son (and myself ) brilliantly. Staff are highly trained and experienced and the nursery is spotlessly clean with great resources.”

Strong relationships – Your Key Person

Our experience has shown that having a Key Person for your child is the most effective way of ensuring that children develop a strong relationship with a significant adult in the nursery, giving every child the reassurance to feel secure, familiar, and confident in the nursery environment.

At Stafford your child’s Key person will:

Be assigned to your child on their first settling-in session, getting to know the child and family well in order to form strong relationships to support emotional needs.
Be with your child at every settling-in session in order to make the handover as smooth as possible, providing essential consistency for you and your child.
Ensure they have all of the information about your child and share this with other staff so that your child’s individual needs are cared for throughout each and every day.
Carry out assessments and plan for your child’s development, ensuring they are always challenged and supported to reach their full potential.
Prepare a report every 6 weeks to ensure you are kept up to date with all of the information about your child and their development.

Where Next?

Care

Nutrition

Curriculum

Meet the Team