hdc Help Hub
Frequently Asked Questions
We have done our very best to help you find answers to your questions. Below you will find our most popular questions and answers.
Don't see your question below? Get in touch and we will get back to you.
Nursery Information
All of our nurseries are closed on bank holidays and are closed on Christmas Eve.
hdc Dartington
Nursery Opening Hours: Monday - Friday 7:30 - 6:00
Address: Gidleys Meadow Dartington, Devon TQ9 6JZ
hdc Dartmouth
Nursery Opening Hours: Monday - Friday 7:30 - 6:00
Address: Milton Lane Dartmouth, Devon TQ6 9HW
hdc Kingsteignton
Nursery Opening Hours: Monday - Friday 7:30 - 6:00
Address: Heron Way Kingsteignton, Devon TQ12 3QY
hdc Newton Abbot
Nursery Opening Hours: Monday - Friday 7:30 - 6:00
Address: Devon Square Newton Abbot, Devon TQ12 2HH
hdc Dartmouth
Nursery Opening Hours: Monday - Friday 7:30 - 6:00
Address: Milton Lane Dartmouth, Devon TQ6 9HW
Our nurseries are divided into age-appropriate areas and are run by professionally qualified and experienced nursery educators to ensure children have the best start to their learning, care and fun. Our baby rooms are decorated with home from home comforts such as rocking chairs for soothing and feeding, comfortable cots and soft music to help children to settle. Activities provided in the room are age-specific and encourage babies to learn through play. Each nursery has its own dedicated Baby Room Leader who is highly qualified, experienced, knowledgeable and passionate about the development and wellness of infants.
We adopt a key person approach in our nurseries. This approach enables and supports close attachments between individual children and individual nursery educators. The Key Person meets any physical needs, such as changing nappies, feeding or cuddling at nap time, and in this way they begin to build a secure attachment with the young child. The Key Person shares life's wonders and celebrates achievements as the child develops in confidence and independence.
The HDC Baby Curriculum
Our baby room curriculum has been developed to enhance social & emotional well-being, communication and language as well as physical development. Our Baby Room Leaders organise a wealth of educational activities everyday through sensory-play which include messy-play, painting, role-play, music, singing, dance and story telling.
The natural environment plays an important part of the HDC Curriculum. We have buggies and rain covers to ensure that the children are comfortable even on chilly days and we love outdoor play too.
As your child becomes more mobile and begins to explore their surroundings with increased confidence, we assist them in discovering more about the world. We support your child’s independence while learning to walk, talk and feed themselves.
You can expect to be updated with photographs and observations through our mobile app every day. You will also have the opportunity for personal updates when you drop-off and pick-up you child. Your child’s key person will carryout observations and assessments, all of which will be shared on a regular basis with you.
Our nurseries are divided into age-appropriate areas and are run by professional and experienced staff to ensure children have both hours of fun, and the best start to their learning.
We adopt a key person approach in our nurseries. This approach enables and supports close attachments between individual children and nursery staff. The Key Person meets any physical needs, such as changing nappies, assisting in potty training and cuddling at nap time, and in this way they begin to build a secure attachment with the young child. The Key Person shares life's wonders and celebrates achievements with you as the child develops in confidence and independence.
Curriculum
Our Toddler Room Leaders are highly qualified and experienced educators. In our HDC Toddler Room, we focus on both prime and specific areas of learning – communication and language, physical development, personal, social and emotional development, literacy, mathematics, understanding the world, expressive arts and design. At this developmental stage, children deepen their understanding of questioning, experimenting, observing, playing, testing and responding to each other and adults.
Our curriculum has been designed for emotional, physical and educational development. The children learn through play, fun activities and experiences. They take part in art, music, and movement activities as well as beginning to understand science, technology, the natural environment and maths. The Toddler Room environment is both calming and stimulating with areas designed to best nurture your child.
We believe that outside play is important for your child’s well-being. Toddlers have access to the garden throughout the day, providing them an outdoor extension to their indoor activities.
You can expect to be updated with photographs and observations through our mobile app every day. You will also have the opportunity for personal updates when you drop-off and pick-up you child. Your child’s key person will carryout observations and assessments, all of which will be shared on a regular basis with you.
As children approach their third birthday, children will begin a gentle transition period into our Preschool Room. Each nursery has its own dedicated, highly experienced Preschool Room Leader. They focus on each child's individuality and ensures that their unique learning experiences have the right element of challenge to focus the child’s learning. Our priority is to ensure that every child makes progress and that no child gets left behind.
Curriculum
In our HDC Preschool Room, we focus on both prime and specific areas of learning – communication and language, physical development, personal, social and emotional development, literacy, mathematics, understanding the world, expressive arts and design. At this developmental stage, children deepen their understanding of questioning, experimenting, observing, playing, testing and responding to each other and adults.
We focus on ensuring that our summer leavers are fully prepared for starting Reception at their chosen primary school. We have excellent links with the local primary schools and liaise with schools and parents to ensure that your child's transition is as smooth as possible.
You can expect to be updated with photographs and observations through our mobile app regularly. In addition, you will also have the opportunity for personal updates when you drop-off and pick-up your child. Your child’s key person will carryout observations and assessments, all of which will be shared on a regular basis with you.
These Terms & Conditions govern the basis upon which we (Humpty Dumpty Childcare Ltd) agree to provide childcare services to you (The Customer). In these Terms and Conditions, the following terms have the following meanings:
‘The Agreement’ – means the contract between Humpty Dumpty Childcare Ltd and You (‘The Customer’) ‘Us’ ‘We’ ‘Our’ – means Humpty Dumpty Childcare Ltd
‘You’, ‘Your’ ‘The Customer’ – means the party who enters into this agreement with Humpty Dumpty Childcare Ltd
‘Fee(s)’, ‘Rate(s)’ ‘Charge(s)’ – mean the amounts which are due to be paid by the customer, within the timeframe set out below, for the services provided by Humpty Dumpty Childcare Ltd.
Hours
- Standard day: Monday – Friday, 8am to 6pm
- Open 7.30am, for pay as you go early drop-offs. We are open all year round, excluding bank holidays and finish at 1pm on Christmas Eve.
Fees
- Nursery Fees. The full day rate includes nappies, all meals, drinks, snacks and wet wipes. Fee increases are calculated in January and are based on the previous year’s running costs, any uplift in the National Living Wage and other costs imposed on the business. These are then applied in the following April.
- Nursery Booking Plans. A minimum booking of 2 full days per week is required.
- All fees are due monthly in advance and must be paid by either Direct Debit or Bank Transfer. We issue invoices mid-month for the following month. We also accept payments from the Tax-Free Childcare scheme and from all major childcare voucher providers. Payment is due the last day of the month. If you think an invoice is wrong, please contact us promptly to let us know. Payment is due on the last day of the month prior to the sessions that are being invoiced. Unfortunately, there can be no refunds for sickness or holidays.
- To secure your child’s place, you will be required to pay either a deposit or your first month’s fees in advance of joining. A place will only be reserved once our finance team are in receipt of these fees.
- Fees are based on actual sessions booked. If you need to change these sessions, please ensure that you provide us with the minimum of 4 weeks’ notice (all changes must be notified by the 17th of the preceding month) in writing or by e-mail.
- Funded Children. The DCC provider agreement states ‘Government funding for 3- and 4-year-olds is intended to cover the cost to deliver up to 15 or 30 hours a week of funded high-quality childcare. It is not intended to cover the cost of meals, consumables, additional hours or additional services. The provider can charge for meals and snacks as part of a funded entitlement place, and they can also charge for consumables such as toiletries. There are charges for meals for funded children at £3.70 / day.
- Ad Hoc Days. Subject to availability, you can purchase extra ad hoc days at the standard daily rate. Ad hoc days can be booked a maximum of two weeks before the request date. These additional charges will be added to your following months’ invoice or will be charged directly on the day. Adhoc days will be charged when booked and payments are due by return.
- Late Pickup Fee. If you are late to pick up your child, you will be charged £10.57 for the first 15 minutes, and £10.57 for each subsequent 15 minutes.
- Registration Fee. There is a non-refundable registration fee of £50 and £25 for siblings.
Funded Childcare Places
- There are a variety of government-funded schemes available to support the payment of nursery fees. If your child is in receipt of any of these schemes, you will need to complete the necessary documentation before a place is offered.
- Humpty Dumpty Childcare Ltd reserves the right to charge for nappies, meals, drinks, snacks and wet wipes, and an hourly fee to cover consumables plus the hourly rate for any additional time used, in excess of funded hours.
Payment
- Payment is by Direct Debit or Bank Transfer. Some charges such as late pickup and late payment charges as well as adhoc session charges are payable when invoiced.
- Payment of fees is the responsibility of the signatory on the registration form. Any additional collection charges which may be incurred in the recovery of outstanding monies will also be the responsibility of the signatory on the registration form.
- Late Payment. We encourage you to communicate with us if you are having difficulty paying your fees as it may be possible to set up a payment plan to support you. In the event of fees being repeatedly paid late, after payment reminders are sent, we reserve the right to charge a weekly administration fee of £25 which will be due when invoiced.
- Suspend Entry: If an outstanding balance runs into the third week of the month following an unpaid invoice without agreement being reached with you then we will be forced to suspend your child’s entry to nursery. This would remain the case until an agreement is put in place.
- Agent: please note we use a third-party agency to recover any unpaid fees. Any additional collection charges which may be incurred in the recovery will be the signatory's responsibility.
Employment of Staff
- If, during this Agreement and for a period of 12 months after the termination of this Agreement, you (directly or indirectly): employ or otherwise engage the services of any member of our staff who has had contact with your child under this Agreement in the last 12 months and/or allow or permit the provision of any childcare services to your children by any member of our staff who has had contact with your child under this Agreement in the last 12 months; then you shall pay to us a figure representing 20% of the relevant member of staff’s gross annual salary, or £5,000, whichever is the higher at the time they left our employment and/or services. This figure represents a reimbursement for the investment and the costs involved in recruiting, vetting, training and employing a suitable replacement member of staff.
Parent & Carer Responsibilities
It is the primary responsibility of parents and carers to:
- Supply us with up-to-date emergency contact details.
- Keep us notified of any changes of workplace, home address or contacts.
- Let us know any of any changes in your child’s circumstances that might affect their behaviour whilst in our care.
- Should you arrange for someone else to collect your child from nursery, it is vital that staff are informed in writing. It would be best if the person could come to the nursery beforehand to meet us or if a recent photograph could be provided to verify their identity.
- Parents or guardians of children are required to provide us with formula milk and baby food if required, enough for the length of your child’s day.
Nursery Food
- Healthy and largely organic snacks, meals and drinks will be made available to children throughout the day. It is your responsibility to notify us of any allergies or intolerances your child suffers from.
Illness
- If your child has been prescribed antibiotics, they will not be able to return to nursery until they have undergone 48 hours of treatment at home. This is enforced by the Health Protection Agency and Ofsted.
- Should your child be taking medication, it is the responsibility of parents and carers to notify your child’s key person and to sign the necessary consent form regarding administration of medication.
- Children should not be in nursery if they are known to be suffering from sickness, diarrhoea, or any other infectious illness. They should be clear for at least 48 hours before returning.
- Any child who has been sent home from nursery because they are unwell will not be re-admitted for at least 24 hours.
- If your child has head lice, they should be treated with one of the approved methods before returning to nursery.
Notification and Changes to the Terms and Conditions
- Our standard communication with customers is normally conducted via the Famly app and sometimes email. It is the responsibility of all customers to ensure that we are always supplied with your current and up to date e-mail address. If your e-mail address changes you must inform us of your up-to-date address. If at any time you do not have access to a current e-mail address it is your responsibility to request communication via paper copy (either through the post to your home address or issued to you directly via the nursery).
- Alterations and updates to these terms and conditions which are non-material may be issued via e-mail or posted to our website. An e-mail will be deemed to have been served where we have a ‘sent-message’ record of an e-mail sent to an up-to-date e-mail address.
Policies & Procedures
- All policies and procedures, including Equal Opportunities, Parents as Partners, Health and Safety and Safeguarding Children, can be found in the Operational File in each nursery and are available on request from the Nursery Managers.
Updated 21/02/2022
Child protection and welfare is our highest priority. Below you will find links to our core policies. If you would like to see any other of our policies, please do ask and we can make this available to you.
Arrivals and Departures Policy
Dealing with Discriminatory Behaviour
Allergies and Allergic Reactions Procedure
Acceptable use of ICT and online safety
Conflict Resolution with Parents and Aggressive Behaviour Policy
Data Protection and Confidentiality
Domestic Abuse honour based violence Forced Marriage
Intimate Care and Toileting Policy
Prevent Duty and Radicalisation Policy
Safe and Respectful Care Policy
Term Time Only care is available for children who receive government funding.
For each child it is imperative that they form a close relationship with their key person.
Research has identified that strong attachments are bonded more effectively when a child attends a child care setting for at least 2 full day sessions.
For a young baby/child attending only once a week does not provide this opportunity as the 'gap' between session is too long; hence the separation and attachment process in effect has to be restarted on each visit.
The baby/young child therefore is more likely to feel distressed for a much longer period - up to 12 months. This in turn can impact upon their ability to engage in the learning and development opportunities that the nursery staff provide for them and can also cause distress for the parent to leave their upset child.
Schools and Early Years settings must
follow a structure of learning, development,
and care for children from birth to 5 years –
this is the Early Years Foundation Stage
(EYFS). This is the stage in your child’s life
that gets them ready and prepares them for
school, as well as for their future learning
and successes. The EYFS was created to
ensure your child’s first 5 years are happy,
active, exciting, fun and secure, as well as to
support their development, care and
learning needs.
Download our Parent's Guide To EYFS Framework
A parents guide to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
Early years providers all have to meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) but what is it exactly, why do we have it and what does it cover? Read our article to find out...
Bank Holiday / Nursery Closed Dates:
3rd January 2022
15th & 18th April 2022
2nd May 2022
2nd & 3rd June 2022
29th August 2022
Below is our Calendar for September 2021 to August 2022.
Ofsted registers and inspects childcare for children aged from birth to 17 years.
Registered childcare providers and childminders have to meet requirements that relate to welfare and safety, the people providing the care and the organisation of the childcare. Child carers registered on the Early Years Register, who care for children aged from birth until 31 August following a child's fifth birthday, also have to meet requirements for children's learning and development.
See our Ofsted Reports
hdc Kingsteignton
hdc Newton Abbot
hdc Dartmouth
hdc Dartington
If you want to tell Ofsted anything about your child's childcare, you can ring: 0300 123 1231 or you can write to: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk
or mailing address to
Applications, Regulatory and Contact (ARC) Team, Ofsted, Piccadilly Gate, Store Street Manchester M1 2WD
For more information, search for 'Information for parents Ofsted'
Devon County Council’s new website for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
Devon County Council have launched a brand new Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) website, designed for children and young people with SEND and their families to help them find the right information about education, health and care support available in the local area to help them achieve their goals in life.
The website has been developed alongside parents and carers, those working with children and young people and young people themselves to make sure families can easily find the information that matters most.
In Devon, our vision is for all children and young people with SEND to dream, believe, and achieve, and fulfil their potential. This SEND Local Offer website will play a vital role in helping families to understand what help and support is available in their area and will also help us to make sure our SEND provision is more responsive to local needs.
Every local authority is required to provide a Local Offer for children and young people with SEND, signposting to the support and provision available across the local area.
The Local Offer website contains details about what SEND provision is available across education, health and social care for children and young people aged 0-25. This includes;
- early years
- pre-school settings
- schools
- colleges
- health support
- care support
- preparing for adulthood
- independent living
- training and employment opportunities
- voluntary and community services
- activities and support networks and much more.
Health and Wellness
Download our Spring Menu
We work with Emma Young, former Nutritionist at Aldi UK who has worked with the Office British Dietetic Association, the British Nutrition Foundation, Vegan and Vegetarian Society and various other organisations such as the Institute for Food, Brain and Behaviour at Oxford University. Emma has joined our team to ensure that we deliver a tasty, healthy and balanced menu that supports every child's developmental needs.
We realise how important it is to encourage healthy living from a young age. We understand that young children need a varied and nutritious diet, and that learning good eating habits at an early age is essential for a child’s health, growth and development.
Meals and snacks are mainly from organic sources where possible and prepared from fresh ingredients each day. Our kitchen staff hold a Level 2 Food Safety Certificate and continuously take training opportunities to extend their knowledge.
We have signed up to the Early Years Code of Practice for Healthy Food and Drink and we work towards the following principles in all of our nurseries:
• We consult with families and children about our menus and keep them informed about issues relating to food and drink in our nurseries.
• We plan varied and highly organic menus for meals and snacks in advance. We aim to include different tastes, colours and textures, and take into consideration seasonality and availability of fruit and vegetables. All of our meals and snacks meet the national best practice food and drink guidelines, including those for early years settings.
• We cater for the dietary requirements of all children wherever possible, working with families to make sure that they can be accommodated. We aim to ensure that children of all cultures and religions can enjoy appropriate meals and snacks.
• We have a positive and welcoming eating environment in order to encourage children to eat well, and develop good eating habits and social skills. We use meals and snacks to teach children about healthy eating, and encourage a positive attitude towards mealtimes.
Outdoor learning is essential to a child's development and well being. All of our nurseries have outdoor play spaces. Our children frequently use our outdoor areas taking part in a wide range of stimulating activities including planting, water play and muddy kitchens.
Our outdoor spaces have been designed with imagination and safety at its core. These spaces provide for inspirational activities such as climbing, balancing, riding, playing games and obstacle courses.
We encourage our children from a young age to take a keen interest in the environment. Many of our outdoor areas include planting stations and vegetable patches, where children learn to care for and appreciate the natural world.
As children grow in their understanding of the natural world, it gives them the opportunity to explore the ways that we can protect and preserve our environment. Children are introduced to the impact of climate change and encouraged to feel passionately about the environment and society.
As soon as you register, your child’s allergy information is given to our chefs and flagged on your child’s profile. We use colour coded allergy bowls and every room has allergy information on the walls for the team to see. If your child has a severe allergy, it is crucial that you let us know as soon as possible so that we can arrange a meeting with the senior management, kitchen and your key person to make an action plan.
Your child's key person will follow what you do in your own home and will work alongside you throughout the potty training process. You can bring your own potty or are welcome to use ours. We are happy to offer advice on how we can work together to toilet train your child.
Medicines that have been prescribed by their own doctor, dentist, nurse or pharmacist will be administered to your child. If in the event of your child needing relief for teething pain, etc. you may provide appropriate medication, clearly labelled with your child’s name and we will comply with the procedures outlined in our Health and Hygiene Policy. HEALTH-and-HYGIENE-POLICY
HANDi Paediatric app: advice for common childhood conditions - Devon CCG
Advice for common childhood conditions. The app has been developed by paediatric consultants and provides access to home care plans, as well as GP and hospital clinical guidelines, for the most common childhood health care conditions
Admissions, Fees and Funding
Registration Fee £50 (Sibling) £25
FULL DAY £53 *£56
(8am to 6pm)
nappies, breakfast, lunch, high tea, drinks and snacks included
MORNING SESSION £29.50 *£31.50
(8am - 1pm)
nappies, breakfast, lunch, drinks and snacks included
AFTERNOON SESSION £26.25 *£27.75
(1pm - 6pm)
nappies, high tea, drinks and snacks included
EXTRA SESSIONS
Early Morning extra session – (07:30 – 08:00) £3 *£3.25
ADDITIONAL CHARGES FOR FUNDED CHILDREN
Nappies, breakfast, lunch, high tea and snacks: £3.50 per day *£3.70 per day
For working families, including the self-employed, in the UK
Earning under £100k and at least £131 per week (equal to 16 hours at the National Minimum or Living Wage) each
Who aren’t receiving Tax Credits, Universal Credit or childcare vouchers
With children aged 0-11 (or 0-16 if disabled)
For every £8 you pay into your Gateway Account, the government will add an extra £2, up to £2,000 per child per year
15 hours free childcare
30 hours free childcare
Universal Credit
Tax Credits
Childcare Vouchers
15 and 30 hours free childcare
All 3 and 4 year olds, in England, are entitled to free early years education, daycare, nursery care or childcare. We are an approved childcare provider, and are able to accept your 15 hours or 30 hours free childcare depending on your eligibility.
Am I entitled to 15 hours free childcare funding?
All 3 and 4 year old children receive 570 free childcare hours per year. You do not need to apply for the 15 hours and we will automatically apply this to your child's account from the term after their third birthday. Most parents choose to use their free childcare over 38 weeks. Meaning you receive 15 hours per week, however you can also choose to take fewer hours over more weeks. 15 hours free childcare is available from the term after your child turns 3. If you would like to discuss how your 15 hours is allocated, contact our finance team, finance@humptydumptychildcare.co.uk
Check the table below to see when your child is eligible:
Child born between | Entitled from |
---|---|
1 April and 31 August | Start of Autumn funding period (from 1st September) |
1 September and 31 December | Start of Spring funding period (from 1st January) |
1 January and 31 March | Start of Summer funding period (from 1st April) |
30 hours free childcare for three and four year old children
Some parents and children will be entitled to 30 hours free childcare, called Extended Funding. In order to claim your extended funding, it is your responsibility to apply online through Devon County Council and provide us with your code that is given to you from them. If you’ve already registered, you can sign in to your childcare account to find this code. If you haven’t registered you will need your personal tax account details when you apply.
30 hours free childcare eligibility
30 hours free childcare is normally available if you (and your partner) are:
In work – or getting parental leave, sick leave or annual leave, each parent is earning at least the National Minimum Wage or Living Wage for 16 hours a week. This earnings limit doesn’t apply if you’re self-employed and started your business less than 12 months ago.
You can claim 30 hours free childcare at the same time as claiming Universal Credit, tax credits or childcare vouchers. If you are unable to work you may still be eligible if your partner is working, and you get Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance, Carer’s Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance.
How to apply for 30 hours free childcare?
There are a few details you will need before applying these are your, National Insurance number and Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR), if you’re self-employed. It usually takes 20 minutes to apply for your 30 hours free childcare. You may find out if you’re eligible straight away, but it can take up to 7 days. You can apply here through your Childcare Account or through the government portal
For more information on funding eligibility, we recommend visiting the Childcarechoices website.
Tax-Free Childcare
The government introduced a Tax-Free Childcare scheme which can be used alongside the 15 and 30 hours of funded childcare. You can apply for both the 30 hours and Tax-Free Childcare schemes through one online application.
The top things parents need to know about both these offers can be found in the Childcare Choices factsheet.
Childcare Vouchers are an employee benefit that many businesses offer to their staff. It means that the employer can pay for the childcare and take the costs from the gross wages of the employee. This means that you save the tax and national insurance on your childcare costs. This scheme gives working parents a valuable discount on their childcare costs.
In order to register your child in one of our nurseries, please send an enquiry form via the ‘contact us’ page on our site which can be found in the menu bar. One of our team will then book you in for an introductory call, offer you a private tour and talk through your requirements. We will need to know certain information about your child, including date of birth, medical issues, the month and year that you would like them to start and the number of days per week you would like them to attend. Once your place has been secured we will require a copy of your child’s birth certificate. There is a registration fee of £50 or £25 if they have a sibling at our nursery.
Once you have received your offer letter we ask that you agree to that letter and these terms and conditions by e-signing the parent/guardian agreement within 48 hours or receipt. Upon receipt of your signed parent/guardian agreement, we will confirm if your sessions are secure.
Availability is assessed taking in to account any leavers or room moves and child to staff ratio. We operate a waiting list if places are full. If you register and we can not offer you a place, you will be added to the waiting list. We will update you to inform you if a place becomes available. If your child does not receive a place to start at the requested time, they will remain on the waiting list until sessions become available.
Places are offered in the following order of priority:
1) A child who is currently at nursery with us, wishing to increase sessions
2) A child with a sibling already at the nursery
3) The date of registration for the waiting list Please note: even though we offer a sibling priority on the waiting list, we still require parents to register their younger siblings as early as possible. We cannot always guarantee a place, though try our best to accommodate everyone.
hdc Families
It is important to assist your child with their transition from home to nursery. We call these " settle sessions". These sessions also give you the opportunity to become used to dropping your child off and leaving your child with us. Time spent undertaking these sessions will help to promote a calmer ‘drop off’ for both you and your child.
We understand that each child is unique and therefore has their own specific needs while they transition into nursery. All of our staff are qualified and very competent with supporting yourselves and your child. and are happy to discuss any anxieties that you may have and make suggestions to ease the transition process.
Dates for your second and third settle sessions will be discussed during the initial session.
You will always have the opportunity to speak to your child’s key person to discuss any concerns that you may have.
Child’s First Settle session (1 hour)
During this session, you will be in the room with your child
Welcome and play: The Room Leader/Key Person will have a discussion with you based on the information that you have provided on the ‘Getting to know your Child Information’ form.
Registration form and other paperwork: The Room Leader/Key Person will check that all the information provided on the registration form is correct.
Any other paperwork required to be completed will be discussed at this point.
Introduction to our Online App: This is our secure online information sharing software system. The Nursery Manager will email you a link to which will enable you to access your child’s profile.
What happens on your child’s first settle session: The Room Leader/Key Person will share with you what they have planned for your first settle session. You will be shown the usual arrival/departure procedures.
An initial observation of your child will be completed. This enables the nursery practitioners to see what your child can do independently or with support. This information is used as the ‘starting point’ from which the nursery practitioners plan play activities and experiences to support your child’s developmental and learning progress.
Future settle sessions: Dates and times will be arranged for the future settle sessions.
Child’s Second Settle session (1.5 Hour to include snack or high tea)
During this settle session, it is beneficial for both your child and you to leave your child in the room with the practitioners. This will help to promote the new routine that you will need to ensure that your child is able to settle quickly and therefore enjoy their time with us.
Child’s Third Settle session (2.5 - 3 hours to include lunch)
You will be asked to drop your child as you will do when your child starts nursery.
Child’s first full session at nursery:
- Share with the nursery staff any anxieties or updates that you or your child may have
- Advise if any contact details need amending (please be aware that you will be contacted if your child struggles to settle or if in the future they are sick.)
- Provide the following items in a named bag:
- nappies (if appropriate)
- milk and bottles (if appropriate)
- comforter (if your child has one)
- spare clothing
- wellies
- waterproof clothing
We communicate with parents using an online app that can be downloaded directly to your phone. We also discuss your child's day with you in person. We choose a combination of methods to ensure that developmental information is passed regularly between nursery and home. Your child’s key person will carryout observations and assessments, all of which will be shared on a regular basis with you.
Terms and conditions
- All introducers must be existing parents of hdc.
- All recommended friends must be new to hdc, therefore the friend should not already appear on our marketing data base.
- Your name is mentioned at the time of initial enquiry or visit – we cannot backdate recommendations.
- Your friend must live at a different UK address to you.
- Once a registration form has been completed by your friend and they successfully start at our nursery, hdc head office will send out an Amazon £25 gift voucher.
- The e-vouchers will be sent to your email address from our nursery database. Please make sure to check your junk/spam folders.
- A cash alternative is not available.
Careers with hdc
We know that the Early Years Sector is notoriously poorly paid and many may feel unmotivated and devalued. That is why we go above and beyond for our team to pay them better and reward them more often. We want to inspire our staff to be the best that they can be.
See our Careers Page to learn more about our current positions