Settling in Policy
We want children to feel safe and happy in the absence of their parents, to recognise other adults as a source of authority, help and friendship and to be able to share with their parents afterwards the new learning experiences enjoyed in the pre-school. We also want parents to feel welcome and involved from the beginning. In order to accomplish this, we aim to create a partnership with parents in the following ways:
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Creating opportunities for the exchange of information, using amongst other resources a copy of the pre-school’s prospectus and a shared approach to the registration form.
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Ensuring plenty of opportunities for parents to inform the pre-school about their children’s current achievements and interests.
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Encouraging parents to visit the pre-school with their children during the weeks before an admission is planned.
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Making clear to families from the outset that they will be welcome and supported in the pre-school for as long as it takes to settle their child there.
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Reassuring parents whose children seem to be taking a long time settling in to pre-school.
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Introducing new families into the group on a staggered basis, for example two new children a day for a week rather than 10 new children all at once.
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Encouraging parents where appropriate to separate from their children for brief periods at first, gradually building up to longer periods if required.
Children cannot play or learn successfully if they are anxious or unhappy. Our settling procedures aim to help parents and children to feel comfortable in the pre-school and to ensure that children can benefit from what the group has to offer and feel confident that their parents will return at the end of the session/day.
We hope that your child’s time in Pre-school will be a very happy and productive one. If you have any queries or if we can be of any hep, please feel free to speak to a member of the staff or committee.