Parent Partnership Policy
St Aidan's Parents Partnership Policy is in place to promote communication between parents and nursery team members. We recognise the importance of working openly with parents regarding their child’s care and, encourage both parties to share information.
We believe that parents are the primary carers and educators of their children and with this in mind it is essential that we work together to support each individual child.
Key points for partnership
- Providing parents with information
- Giving parents a voice and a means to voice their concerns
- Encouraging parental involvement
Successful relationships become partnerships when there is two-way communication and parents and practitioners really listen to each other and value each other’s views and support in achieving the best outcomes for each child.
St Aidan's will make every effort to ensure that information for parents/carers is made accessible for them.
Implementation
All parents’ children and visitors will be welcomed into St Aidan's Day Nursery, with a greeting and a smile.
The key person system is in place to help the child, parent/carers and practitioners bond with each other so that the parents/carers and children can be safe in the knowledge they are being cared for. The key person is a point of contact for both child and parent/carer to discuss concerns or any information about the child.
Our admission form ensures that staff at St Aidan's have relevant information about all aspects of the child. Parents/carers are encouraged to bring in photographs from home to ease their transition to nursery and to facilitate the relationship. Sometime making a transition book if needed and other books to support things such as eating and child development.
Children in the baby room will be given a daily diary which will be filled in by the practitioners, so that parents are aware of what their child has been doing throughout the day, what they have eaten, how long they have slept, and nappy changes.
Information about their child will be verbally discussed and parents will be informed of the children’s progress and individual development. Parents will be invited to tell us about their children’s interests and activities outside school which can be added to their profiles and inform future plans. Parents are encouraged to view their child’s file through the baby’s day’s system.
Diary entries on the baby’s day’s system are done regularly and can be access from home through a secure log in. Parents are asked at several points to provide their email address for this (twice at admission and through newsletters).
Parents and children’s views will be gathered through:
- Parent’s evenings
- Questionnaires
- Informal discussions
- Comments books
- Activity Evenings
- Newsletters
- Parent notice boards
- Child conferencing
Comments and suggestions will be used to inform planning and the policies and procedures of our setting.
St Aidans has a parent forum where parents can hold their own meetings or suggest topics for discussion. Practitioners will encourage all parents to join.
Parents will be encouraged to be involved with the nursery through activities they can do at home such as:
- Sharing books
- Sharing music
- Sharing observations and photographs
- Activity bags
- and also by being invited into the setting to help out with activities, read stories or teach practitioners and children a new skill.
“Successful relationships between parents and educators can have long lasting and beneficial effects on children’s learning and well-being” (Early Years Foundation Stage)