November 2023
Dear Parents/Carers
Welcome to the Winter term at Busy Bees. We hope all of the children are settling in well, making lots of new friends and enjoying their activities.
As part of the EYFS we focus on seven main areas of learning, which are:-
Prime Areas
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Physical Development
Communication and Language
Specific Areas
Literacy
Maths
Understanding the World
Expressive Arts and Design
All Parents/Carers should by now be aware that we use a software programme called ‘Tapestry’ to record the children’s development. By using this online method it will enable each Parent/Carer to access and add to their child’s Learning Journey at your convenience, therefore, enabling good links and communication between home and nursery. This is an extremely safe method as you will choose your own password to enable you to access your child’s information.
You should have received information relating to ‘Tapestry’, if you haven’t, please ask your child’s key person for yours.
HEALTHY SNACKS
As you are aware, each child is required to bring in their own healthy snack. May we please stress the emphasis on ‘HEALTHY’
Items for a healthy snack could include:
Fruit/vegetables (prepared please)
Raisins
Cereal bars
Yogurts
Crackers etc.
Please ensure that all items are clearly named.
LUNCHTIMES
If your child stays for lunch, could we please ask that you also provide a healthy lunch. Please ensure that any food that requires heating up is clearly labeled with your child’s name, what the item of food is and the date it was made/prepared. Please be aware that we are unable to reheat rice. Only children who stay for a full day are permitted to bring food in that requires re-heating.
PLEASE REMEMBER – DUE TO SEVERAL CHILDREN WHO HAVE NUT ALLERGIES – WE ARE A ‘NUT FREE’ SCHOOL
Extra curricular activities
Swimming lessons – £7.00 per lesson
Swimming lessons are available to Busy Bees children once they are 3 years of age and potty trained. They are held on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays each week, if you would like to sign your child up to swim please see your child’s teacher.
We are now allowing a limited amount of parents to come and watch their child’s swimming lessons. If you would like to sign up to watch your child swim, please speak to your child’s room leader. Please be aware that mobile phones or recording equipment are not to be used in the pool area.
Pre-School Dance and Acro Classes – Held in St John’s Church Hall (opposite Busy
Bees)
Classes are held on Monday mornings between 10.00am – 11.00am (Term time only)
If your child is booked into nursery on Monday mornings we will take them over to the Church Hall and Kimberley will bring them back to Busy Bees at the end of the session. If your child doesn’t attend nursery on a Monday morning, they are still welcome to attend the class, you can just drop him/her off at the Church Hall and collect them at the end of the session.
Cost – £6.50 per class
For further information please contact Kimberley Ann (KATS principal) on 07743494899 or visit www.katsdance.com to book a place.
French and Spanish classes for Busy Bees and Primary School age children
-Tuesdays 4.00pm – Nursery/young Primary Spanish
-Wednesdays 4.00pm – Primary School Spanish
-Thursdays 4.00pm – Primary School French
Classes are easy, relevant and fun! Trial first lesson free.
For further details please contact Beverley Smith on: 07860647240
Outdoor Play/Forest School
Could we please ask that now the colder/wetter weather is on its way, you send your child to school with a rain coat (with a hood) every day, and an all in one rain suit on your child’s forest school day. Each class has their own storage areas for their wellington boots in one of the poly tunnels, therefore could we please ask that you provide a pair of boots which can be left at nursery (please ensure all boots are clearly named). Could we also please remind you that children are required to bring in a pair of soft soled shoes/slippers for indoor use.
Busy Bees items for sale
Children’s Busy Bees T-shirts £6.00 each
Children’s Busy Bees sweatshirts £10.00 each
Busy Bees book bags £5.00 each
Swimming bags £3.00 each
Swimming hats £5.50 each
Could we please ask that you name your children’s clothes, especially items such as coats, sweaters, hats, gloves etc.
For parents using the school grant
The grant runs until Friday 15th December 2023
Normal fees apply from Monday 18th– Friday 22nd December 2022.
Christmas holidays
We will close for Christmas on Friday 22nd December and will reopen on Tuesday 2nd January 2024 (non grant period Tuesday 2nd – Friday 5th January 2024).
The new grant term will begin on Monday 8th January 2024, therefore please ensure that all grant claim forms are completed A.S.A.P
Christmas Parties
We will be holding our Christmas parties for each class on the following days this year:
-Thursday 7th December – Morning – 10.00am – 11.00am – Little Chicks Class
-Thursday 7th December – Afternoon – 1.30 – 2.30pm – The Ladybird Class
-Friday 8th December – Morning – The Robins Class
-Friday 8th December – Afternoon – 1.30pm – 2.30pm – The Butterfly and Bumble Bees classes combined
You should have received an email with information relating to the party. Please ask your child’s Room Leader for a letter if you have not received your email.
Parent/Carers meetings
We will be holding face to face Parent/Carer consultations in the new year. Further details will be given out shortly.
Book Sale 4th – 8th December
We will be holding a pre-loved book sale in the Kid’s Club all week. These are second hand books, which are in excellent condition; although there won’t be a set charge for any of the books we are suggesting a small donation of your choice. All money raised will be donated to East Anglia’s Children’s Hospice.
Fingerprint Entry System
If you have not had your fingerprint registered to gain entry to the nursery via the biometric entry system, please see a member of staff who will be happy to help you to get your fingerprint registered.
Our sickness policy
Please do not send your child to school if they are unwell as it puts other group members at risk of catching an infection. If your child is not well enough to participate in their daily activities they should not attend school that day. If a child has had diarrhoea or sickness please do not send them to school for 48 hours since their last attack / symptom. Please ensure that you either telephone the nursery or send us an email on: [email protected] on each occasion that your child is absent from school.
Many of our policies can be found on the ‘Policies’ section on our website, along with a full list of all of our policies. If you would like further information relating to any of our policies which are not on our website, please email the office and we will be happy to send you a copy of that particular policy.
SENDco Information
Lorna Barker MA DIP SW is our settings SENDco
(Special Educational Needs and Disability Co-coordinator). Lucie Craigen is our Deputy SENDco, If you have any concerns relating to your child please speak to either Lorna or Lucie who will be happy to help you.
Safeguarding – Out of Hours Emergency Contact Number:0739 291 7681
Designated Safeguarding Lead: Lorna Barker (Nursery Manager)
Deputy Safeguarding Officer: Marie Sadler
Busy Bees Team
A full list of the Busy Bees Team and the classes / days they work on etc. can be found on our website www.busybees-nurseryschool.co.uk
Busy Bees Car Park
Could we please ask that you do not park in staff car park by the bins as staff need access to this area at all times throughout the day. Also, please do not park in front of the house as these places are reserved for the nursery vehicles.
Please do not leave children unattended in your car whilst bringing siblings into the nursery.
Please also ensure your engines are switched off and your vehicle is locked securely behind you whilst you are dropping off/collecting your child. Busy Bees will not accept responsibility for any loss damage to your vehicle whilst using the Busy Bees car park.
We would like to mention a few safety points to Parents/Carers
1) Please ensure that all contact numbers are updated regularly so that we have good communication in an emergency situation.
2) Although we try to encourage independence for each child, for safety purposes could we please ask that you do not allow your child to open the nursery doors and gates.
3) Please do not take photographs or use any type of recording devices in the nursery or within its grounds without prior permission from a member of staff.
4) We have tried to make our entrance and exit area as safe as possible, could we please ask for your co-operation in not allowing your child to run ahead of you – especially in the car park. Could we also please ask that you follow the one way system AT ALL TIMES when entering and exiting the premises
5) May we please remind you, that if you wish for your child to go home with anyone else, they must be listed on your child’s ‘parental permission form and the nominated person must have valid I.D
6) For safety purposes, please do not allow your child to use the play equipment in the front play area when dropping of and collecting your child.
7) Could we please ask that you do not bring dogs onto the school grounds, this includes tying them close to the entrance and exit gates.
8) Please do not smoke or vape on the premises, this includes in the Busy Bees car park.
We are always looking for ways to improve our service. If you have any suggestions on ways in which we can do this, please send an email to the main office [email protected]
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the kind parents who have helped us in various ways over the past year, it has been greatly appreciated.
Thanks again - Best wishes
Lorna Barker Rachel Davies
Nursery Manager Operational Manager “Our setting is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of
children, young people and adults at all times and expects everybody
working within this setting to share this commitment”