FAQs

Yes, prospective parents and existing parents are welcome to visit the nursery within the normal opening hours of 8am-6pm. To visit between 12pm-2pm, which are our busy lunchtime hours, we ask that you make an appointment by calling or emailing us in advance.

Ratios are recommended by Ofsted, and are different for the different rooms. For Baby rooms, the ratio is 1:3, for Toddler rooms, the ratio is 1:4, and for Preschool rooms, the ratio is 1:8. At Little Smarties, we tend to have a higher number of adults:children, as this ensures that each child gets a higher level of attention and care.

We recognise and understand the anxieties for both parents and children when starting at nursery, as some children settle in on their first visit and others take a little longer to get used to a new environment. To support you and your child when settling, the nursery staff will contact you before your child’s start date to arrange a convenient time for the first settling in session, and the number of settling in sessions will be decided with you. During the settling in sessions, your child’s key worker will discuss with you your child’s needs, likes/dislikes, favourite foods, sleep patterns, routines, etc. This information will enable us to cater for your child’s individual needs and make them feel happy and relaxed at Little Smarties!

The nursery is open for 51 weeks of the year. We are closed one week between the Christmas - New Year period and on all statutory bank holidays. Fees are payable at the full rate for all periods of child absence, including holidays, bank holidays and sickness.
One calendar months’ notice or a month’s fees in lieu of notice is required to terminate a child’s place in the nursery or reduce the number of sessions normally taken by that child.

We review our fees annually and give parents one calendar month’s notice.

At Little Smarties we recognise the importance of learning outdoors and encourage children to participate in planned or spontaneous trips and outings. Spontaneous trips may be to the park or to places in the local area, and planned ones include to the farm, library, or annual outings which parents are invited to.

Our staff make use of a software called Tapestry, which is an online connection between parents and their child’s key worker. Pictures, videos, and diary entries are all examples of what is uploaded to your child’s Tapestry, which builds a special and unique record of their learning journey and experiences at Little Smarties. Parents can comment or upload pictures of their own, which creates a wonderful collection of memories of your child’s early learning years, and serves as an excellent way to track your child’s growth and development. Your child’s key worker will also feedback to you when you come to collect your child at the end of the day.

The key worker is a member of staff who is responsible for monitoring and recording your child’s development within the nursery. They will also take the lead role in settling in your child. This does not mean only the key worker will take a particular interest in your child, but they will make sure that observations on your child are full and up to date. At least once every term your child’s key worker will arrange ‘Review Meetings’ to discuss your child’s progress at the nursery.

If your child suffers from an allergy, the key worker will carry out a risk assessment during the settling in visits. A care plan, meal plan, and if necessary, emergency procedure will be agreed with you, based on the information provided to us. If a child develops an allergy after registration, parents should immediately inform the nursery and we will adjust accordingly. We make careful consideration for children with medical conditions or allergies when planning activities to ensure individual needs are met and that children are not put at risk.

Our nursery is committed to offering children healthy, nutritious, balanced meals and snacks that meet the individual requirements of all children. The nursery cook designs a wholesome menu appropriate for all seasons and diets. If your child has a special dietary requirement, this should be noted on the Registration form. All meals are prepared daily on site. Our menu is rotated over a 4-week period and is displayed in the entrance hallway. As many children bring packed lunches, the nursery encourages parents to provide healthy well-balanced food and staff encourage children to make healthy choices.


We consider outdoor play to be vital for your child‛s health, development and education. We are frequently outside during the day so please ensure that your child comes to Nursery suitably dressed each day. A change of clothes and suitable wet weather clothes can be kept in the Nursery. New or expensive clothing is not recommended as accidents do happen! Please ensure your child’s clothing is clearly labelled, and we suggest that personal toys, books, jewellery are not bought to the nursery.

At Little Smarties Academy we aim to provide a safe, secure and happy environment for children to prosper and develop. It is also our intention to give a high standard of care and education in our nurseries. We accept that despite our best endeavours, there may be occasions when you feel we have been less than perfect, and we will always adopt a sympathetic but fair approach in dealing

with your concerns.
Conversely, you may experience moments when you feel a particular member of staff, or indeed the staff team itself, has performed really well and therefore deserves a little praise. Should you have any compliments or concerns regarding the care or any other aspect of the Nursery, please in the first instance raise them with the Nursery manager.

If you are not satisfied with our response and/or conclusion, you may of course contact:

OFSTED
3rd Floor, Royal Exchange Buildings St Anne‛s Square
Manchester

M2 7LA
Tel: 03001231231

As children develop physically, particularly in the early stages of walking, accidents can occasionally happen. In this event, all staff are trained in paediatric first aid. If your child has an accident at the Nursery, you will be informed upon collection and asked to sign an accident form. In the event of a bump to the head, you will be informed immediately by telephone. Your child will be monitored and, in most cases, will be able to continue with their day as normal.

In the event of an accident causing concern, you will be asked to collect your child and a visit to your GP recommended. Should your child have an accident that requires further medical support, you will be contacted immediately and any necessary action taken. In extreme cases, this could involve calling for the support of paramedics.

In the interests of all who attend the Nursery, children who are unwell should be kept at home. This includes symptoms such as stomach ache or being generally ‘out of sorts’, young children’s health can deteriorate rapidly, so a child who appears only mildly unwell must remain at home to reduce the risk of infection to other children and adults.

If a child has sickness and/or diarrhoea during the day, parents will be contacted to take him/her home until 48 hours AFTER they are symptom free. We reserve the right to refuse admittance to any child we feel is not well enough to attend the Nursery or who may pose a risk of infection to others.

The parent must give written consent to the nursery by filling out a Medication Form. It will state the medication, duration that the medicine is to be administered for, dosage, reason the child is taking the medication, and the time of day the medication should be administered.
Please note the nursery will not make changes to dosages and times on the original parent instruction- if any changes are to be made, a new form should be filled out.