Our Staff
Children’s Place Day Nurseries recognises the importance of employing and developing highly qualified early years practitioners. This ensures that all of our settings are meeting the high standards of care and education that all children and families deserve, and that each nursery team is fulfilling the requirements to be a high quality early years environment.
All staff employed by Children’s Place are committed to professional development to the highest levels with the minimum expectation of achieving NVQ Level 3. Senior members of staff are encouraged to progress to Level 4 and beyond. This high expectation ensures the best quality care and education for every child within our settings.
Our experienced and long standing Nursery Managers are responsible for encouraging and maintaining this high quality, and all our Nursery Managers hold a Foundation Degree in Childcare, with many topping up to the Graduate Degree (BA) in Early Years and Early Years Professional Status (EYPS).
Children’s Place Day Nurseries are proud of our low staff turnover, as many of our staff remain with the company for ten or more years. This speaks for itself, showing the dedication and quality of the staff we invest in.
The company holds two full team-training days per year and encourages all staff to undertake a programme of continuous professional development.
Our staff are true assets to Children’s Place, ensuring the welfare and care of the children remains at the heart of each nursery.
Key Person
Children’s Place Day Nurseries believes that having a Key Person for each child is extremely important. The Key Person makes sure that, within the day to day demands of nursery, each child feels special and individual, cared for and thought about by someone in particular whilst they are in nursery.
There are times throughout the day when your child’s Key Person can share a special moment with their “key” children such as care giving tasks, snacks, meals, sleep times, circle time, activities, welcoming and saying goodbye. We believe that having one specific person, who the children are particularly close with, helps them to form relationships of trust and confidence which are essential.
Key Persons responsibilities will involve:
- Observing and keeping an accurate record of a child’s development, following the guidelines for children’s profiles.
- Liaising with parents and staff about a child’s achievements and development.
- Providing comfort and reassurance to a child if they are distressed or unsure.
- Developing children’s confidence and helping them feel secure in their environment especially if they are new to the Nursery.
- Encouraging children to join in activities and become secure and independent.
- Explaining to parents how the Key Person system operates and being available for consultation with parents if requested.
- Ensuring Child Profiles are displayed in a suitable place for parents to access when required and being prepared to chat with parents at any time.
If you have any further questions regarding the Key Person system, please do not hesitate to contact your Nursery Manager.
The Early Years Foundation Stage
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) was introduced in September 2008 and is the legal and quality framework of care and education for children from birth up until the end of the Reception Year at school (Birth – 5). Every childcare provider is required to follow the EYFS “to ensure that whatever setting parents choose, they can be confident that their child will receive a quality experience that supports their development and learning.” (DCSF, 2008)
At the heart of the EYFS is the strong belief that children learn best through play and exploration. At Children’s Place staff use the EYFS alongside their Key Person system to ensure that children are able to follow their own learning path, at their own pace, in an enabling and exciting environment. Staff respect the uniqueness of each child and plan accordingly for each stage of development, tailor–making learning that is linked to the children’s interests and creating experiences that really do last a lifetime!
Click here for more information on The Early Years Foundation Stage.