FAQs

Choosing the right nursery for your child can be quite daunting, and Little Bear’s believes strongly in excellent communication links with our parents. We’ve put together a list of Frequently Asked Questions – but please don’t hesitate to ask if there’s anything else you need to know

Is the nursery Ofsted Registered?

Yes, all our nurseries are Ofsted registered.

Little Bear’s On Wanstead Green – 3, The Green, Wanstead – EY304092 you can view our Ofsted report here.

https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/inspection-reports/find-inspection-report/provider/CARE/EY304092

Little Bear’s In Wanstead Village – 14 Seagry Road, Wanstead- EY430360 you can view our Oftsed report here.

https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/inspection-reports/find-inspection-report/provider/CARE/EY430360

Little Bear’s In East Village – 30, Cheering Lane, East Village – EY464872

https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/16/EY464872

Little Bear’s in Elephant Central – 7 Castle Square, Elephant and Castle – EY2500613

Awaiting Ofsted inspection

When does the nursery open?

The nurseries open at 07.30am every morning and closes at 6.30pm every day, except for Little Bear’s On Wanstead Green which opens at 8.00am daily. The nursery is open 51 weeks a year – we are closed all bank holidays and Christmas week.

Do I have to pay for Bank Holidays and other holidays?

Yes you will be charged for Bank Holidays. You will receive a monthly bill each month based on the number of days you are booked to attend that month.

What do I need to bring with me?

We are an all-inclusive nursery, which means all formula milks, meals and snacks, nappies, wipes, creams, and extra-curricular activities (trips, mini football, French and Jo Jingles music sessions) are included in your fee. All you will need to bring are comforters and any medication your child needs. We also ask parents to bring in at least one spare set of clothes (and lots more when they’re toilet training!)

How will you settle my child into nursery?

At Little Bear’s we do not charge for settling in sessions. We realise how important these sessions are to help both you and your child settle into nursery life. We recommend a two-week settling in programme – beginning with sessions where you can stay with your child, to chat and get to know the staff in your child’s room, and their key worker – moving to sessions you leave your child for periods of time to play with their new friends. We will also ask you to complete a Settling in questionnaire so that we understand your child’s daily routine, their likes and dislikes, sleep patterns through the day etc.

What happens if my child is taken ill at nursery?

We have procedures in place to ensure your child receives appropriate treatment and to maintain the safety of others.

What happens if my child is ill and cannot attend nursery?

We ask parents to ring and let us know if their child will not be in nursery. Unfortunately, no refund can be made if your child doesn’t attend nursery owing to illness.

How often do you review your fees and when do we have to pay?

Our fees are reviewed annually, in July.

Payment is made in advance, either by standing order or childcare vouchers. We accept 2-year old funding and 3-years + Free Early Years Entitlement (both the Standard and Extended schemes) Stretch Funding, which is operated over 51-weeks of the year. In addition, we accept new Tax Free Childcare scheme also.

Does the nursery accept childcare vouchers?

Yes. We are registered with the main childcare voucher providers, however, if your employer uses one we are not registered with, we can register with them. We are happy to accept childcare vouchers from both parents, even if they are from different voucher providers.

My child is 3, can I claim the Nursery Education Grant at your nursery?

Yes, families can claim up to 15 hours of Free Early Education Entitlement (FEEE) per week, for their 3 or 4-year old child. Every child is entitled to a maximum of 570 hours of funding per year, to be taken over no fewer than 38 weeks in any year; however, at Little Bear’s, this funding is stretched to a 51-week equivalent of 11 hours per week for the year so that you pay the same amount each month.

In addition, from September 2017, eligible families will be able to receive 30 hours of Free Early Education for their child; again, Little Bear’s will stretch this offer over 51-weeks, providing 22.35 hours of free entitlement per week.

How many staff will look after my child?

Little Bear’s operates strictly within Ofsted guidelines for adult to child ratios: –

Under 2-years – 1 adult to every 3 children
2 to 3-years – 1 adult to every 4 children
3 to 5-years – 1 adult to every 8 children

What qualifications do your staff have?

Under Ofsted guidelines, over 50% of our staff should hold an NVQ Level 3 in childcare (or equivalent or above) – the remainder will either hold an NVQ Level 2, with some training for their Level 3, or be under an Apprentice Scheme.

At Little Bear’s we operate above these guidelines and encourage staff to progress their professional qualification and have regular training in specific aspects of childcare and associated subjects, including Paediatric First Aid and Safeguarding (child protection).

How will I know my child is safe in nursery?

All staff undergo Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service review (formally Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks) – until this certification is received new staff are supervised at all time when with our children.

Children’s security is of paramount importance to us. In the larger settings we use video entry systems to control access and within Little Bear’s on The Green, staff respond to visitors and parents at the entrance door. No access is permitted to the rooms unsupervised unless known to the staff.

Are staff allowed mobile phones in the rooms?

No, all staff hand their phones in to the office when they arrive at work. Whilst parents may have a mobile phone on in the nursery, we request that they are not used in the rooms.

Will I know what my child has done throughout the day?

Every day you will be given daily feedback. For the younger children, you will receive a Daily Report Sheet, which includes what your child has eaten; when they have slept; and when they had nappy changes. A verbal report is given to children within the Pre-School room, this encourages the child to participate in the feedback conversation between the nursery staff and parents.

Little Bear’s has also rolled out the use of iConnect and ParentZone, an award winning and super safe software that will enable key workers to create and update a child’s development report and record at the touch of a button, whilst parents will be able to access the information and updates in real time in a way most convenient for them. iConnect allows our team more time to spend with our little Bear Cubs, whilst still keeping up our levels of communication and openness with parents. The ParentZone App works hand in hand with iConnect to allow busy parents the ability to keep up to date with their child’s progress and development direct from their smartphones.

Parents are encouraged to look at their child’s learning journey at any time – this has lots of photos and observations of your child whilst at nursery, plus a tracker of their development. We also have regular Parents’ Evenings where you can chat to your child’s keyworker.

Do the children go out on trips?

Yes, we use all local facilities like the library and the local parks. Other trips are planned according to topics the children are investigating. All trips are risk assessed before the event.

My child has a food allergy, are you able to cater for them?

We have a lot of experience in dealing with children with different dietary requirements. When your child starts nursery, you will be asked to complete a Registration Form, where you can specify any dietary requirements or other allergies. We can provide certain foods for your child e.g. gluten free bread, goats milk, etc.

What happens if I can't pick up my child?

If you know that someone different will be picking your child up, then please provide a description of the person and give them the pre-defined password, established at Registration. Once we know these people a password isn’t necessary but we will require written permission to authorise the pick-up.

What happens if I am delayed picking up my child?

We understand that occasionally there are traffic problems or problems at work – please ring us as soon as you know you will be late to pick your child up so that we can make arrangements for staff to stay behind. As we have to pay two staff to stay behind you will be charged £5 for every 15 minutes. If we are unaware that you are going to be late we will endeavour to contact you and/or your emergency contacts – should we be unable to contact anyone we will follow our Uncollected Child Procedure.

Does the nursery have a full set of policies and procedures?

Yes, we have policies and procedures covering all aspects of child welfare, staffing, etc. They are available to view in all base rooms and within the reception area. We review our policies once a year, or more often should there be a need e.g. a change in regulations / legislation.

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