Attendance and Punctuality
Somerset Nursery School and Children’s Centre is run by Wandsworth Borough Council. The education we provide is carefully planned, monitored and inspected by OFSTED.
Although nursery education is non-statutory, there are good reasons why it is important that children attend regularly and punctually. There is a very high demand for places here and we ask all parents and carers to cooperate by making good use of the provision we offer.
Our Attendance and Punctuality policy is below.
Behaviour Policy
Our aim is to encourage and develop a child’s self-discipline. Nursery staff, give positive encouragement to reinforce good behaviour. They speak quietly and calmly to the children pointing out inappropriate behaviour, its impact and help the child consider an alternative behaviour to get their needs met. In case of disputes they will listen to the children and help them to negotiate with each other, often suggesting strategies to help them if behaviour is repeated. In the case of very anti-social behaviour, staff work with parents to agree a common approach.
Complaints
We always aim to work in close partnership with parents and carers, working on the best interests of the children. However, if you have any concerns about your child or the school, please bring them to our attention as soon as possible. We will always take your views seriously and do our best to resolve any problems.
You can talk to any member of staff who will pass your concerns on to the Deputy Headteacher if necessary. Alternatively you can talk directly to the Deputy Headteacher. We will respond to you as quickly as possible, but please allow us enough time to think carefully about the problem.
If you wish to make a formal complaint there is a procedure to follow. This is set out in the Complaints Policy below.
To contact any one of the Governors please leave a message with the Office, or contact the Chair of Governors, Adam Ockelford a.ockelford@roehampton.ac.uk
Confidentiality
We hold confidential information on all the children who come to the school. We undertake to treat all this information with care, to keep it safely and away from public view. Information about children may be shared between staff or with other professionals but only for the purpose of planning or providing for their needs. Some information may be stored on our computers which are secure.
If you need to speak in confidence with a member of staff we can provide a private place to talk.
You have the right to see your children’s records at any time, but we may need some notice so that we can arrange for you to be seen in private. We will never disclose information that you have given us in confidence unless we think that a child may be at risk of harm. We will always act in the best interests of your child.
Please read our Confidentiality, Data Protection and the Use of I.T. Policy for more information
Equal Opportunities
Each child is valued as an individual. We ensure that we offer equality of opportunity to all children in every area of our school life. We encourage children to value and respect each other’s differences and aim to reflect different cultures and backgrounds in our activities.
Please read our policy for Equality and Cultural Diversity for further information.
Home Learning
During this period of long term closure, staff at Somerset Nursery School and Children’s Centre will continue to provide education and support to our children through home learning. All learning will be conducted using Padlet, Zoom, email and phone calls. This will allow staff to keep regular contact with children in a professional and confidential manner. Learning resources and support will be provided in a manner that does not overwhelm children or families. Teaching and learning will be individualised using the extensive planning already in place, and replicate regular experiences offered at Somerset where possible. In all communication we will prioritise the wellbeing of our children.
Online Safety
Online safety is an integral part of safeguarding. Accordingly, this policy is written in line with ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ 2018 (KCSIE) and other statutory documents; it is designed to sit alongside your school’s statutory Safeguarding Policy. Any issues and concerns with online safety must follow the school’s safeguarding and child protection procedures.
Privacy Notice
How we use your information
This notice is to help parents understand how and why Somerset Nursery School and Children’s Centre collects your child’s personal information and what we do with that information. It also explains the decisions that you can make about your child’s information.
We are giving you this notice because you are able to exercise your child’s data protection rights on their behalf. When your child is older (usually when they reach the age of 13) they will be considered mature enough to exercise their own data protection rights.
If you have any questions about this notice please talk to the Executive Headteacher.
School statement on safeguarding children
The Governors and staff of Somerset Nursery School fully recognise the responsibilities and duty placed upon them to have arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of all pupils at the school. We recognise that all staff, including volunteers, have a full and active part to play in protecting pupils from harm.
We also recognise that children have a fundamental right to be protected from harm and that pupils cannot learn effectively unless they feel secure. The Executive Headteacher, staff and Governors will, therefore, provide a school environment which promotes self-confidence, a feeling of worth and the knowledge that pupils’ concerns will be listened to and acted upon.
We are legally required to investigate and report to the appropriate authorities if we have any reason to suspect that a child is suffering from any kind of abuse. The school will raise Child Protection / Safeguarding concerns with parents / carers at the earliest appropriate opportunity, and work in partnership with them and other agencies to improve outcomes.
Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is defined as:
- Protecting children from maltreatment
- Preventing impairment of children’s health or development
- Ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care
- Taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes
Please remember that mobile phones or devices are not allowed to be used in the classrooms or outdoor learning areas. Thank you for your cooperation regarding this matter.
The school supports the Prevent Strategy, which works to prevent the growth of issues that create a climate which encourages radicalisation and extremism, which in turn can lead to acts of violence or terrorism.
The school works within the curriculum to promote tolerance and respect for diverse views, while challenging prejudice of any kind. We are an inclusive school which values citizenship and a sense of belonging. Pupils are encouraged to share their views and recognise that they are entitled to have different beliefs, but that these should not be used to influence others.
Operation Encompass is an information sharing agreement between the Metropolitan Police and Wandsworth Borough Schools.
If police have responded to a domestic incident and there are children in the family, Operation Encompass will disclose this incident to the child’s school. The actual content of the information shared is kept to the minimum, i.e. outlining the offence, but without specific details.
At Somerset information is shared with one of the Designated Safeguarding Leads, Emma Williams, Executive Headteacher or Kellie Schrader, Deputy Head Teacher and is treated as sensitive and confidential.
Research shows that children who are involved or who have witnessed domestic abuse are more at risk of emotional harm and potentially physical harm. The information is shared in order to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the child, and so that support can be offered to your child if necessary. The school is part of the network available to support you and your child.
If you have any concerns about children’s safety please discuss them with our Deputy Headteacher or Executive Headteacher, or you can contact the Wandsworth Children’s Services Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) on Tel: 0208 871 6622 or 0208 871 6000 (out of hours) email: mash@wandsworth.gov.uk (secure email)
Make yourself familiar with our safeguarding policy below.
Sickness
Sickness
We would like children to attend regularly so that they do not miss out on what is going on, but please do not bring your child if they are unwell i.e. has a temperature, is tired or listless, has the early miserable stages of a bad cold, or any other symptoms which might be infectious to other children. If a child has vomited or has had diarrhoea they should be kept at home for 48 hours after the last bout.
Administering Medicines
We can only give out prescribed medicine in school e.g. children with inhalers to control asthma. This must be arranged with the Deputy Headteacher and instructions documented and signed.
If you have administered any medication e.g. Calpol then your child is not well enough to be in school. Please keep them at home.
COVID-19
Adults and children who have symptoms of a respiratory infection, including COVID-19, should follow the UKHSA guidance. Children and young people who are unwell and have a high temperature should stay at home and avoid contact with other people, where they can. They can go back to school, college or childcare and resume normal activities when they no longer have a high temperature, and they are well enough to attend. Children and young people with mild symptoms such as a runny nose, sore throat, or slight cough, who are otherwise well, can continue to attend their education setting.
It is not recommended that children and young people are tested for COVID-19 unless directed to by a health professional.
If a child or young person aged 18 years and under has a positive COVID-19 test result they should try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for 3 days after the day they took the test, if they can. After 3 days, if they feel well and do not have a high temperature, the risk of passing the infection on to others is much lower. This is because children and young people tend to be infectious to other people for less time than adults.
Children and young people who usually go to school, college or childcare and who live with someone who has a positive COVID-19 test result should continue to attend as normal.
UKHSA has now published new guidance for the general population on reducing the spread of respiratory infections, including COVID-19, in the workplace. This came into effect on Friday 1 April, and is also relevant to education and childcare settings.
Schools no longer need to record pupils who do not attend for reasons related to COVID-19, using Code X. Pupils with symptoms of COVID-19 are no longer advised to get a test, and most of the scenarios that this category was brought in to record no longer apply. Pupils who have symptoms of COVID-19 should follow the UKHSA guidance about when they should stay at home. Where a pupil is not attending because they have symptoms of COVID-19 or have had a positive test, schools should record this using Code I (illness) unless another more appropriate absence code applies. Schools can continue to use the sub-code (I02) to record illness due to suspected COVID-19, although they are not required to.
Symptoms to look out for :
a high temperature or feeling hot and shivery
a runny nose or sneezing
a new continuous cough
loss of or change to smell or taste
shortness of breath
feeling tired or exhausted
muscle aches or pains
headache that lasts longer than normal
blocked or runny nose
sore throat
loss of appetite
diarrhoea
feeling sick or vomiting.
Only stop self-isolating when these symptoms have gone.
If your child has diarrhoea or is being sick, please keep them at home until 48 hours after their last bout.
When children are unwell they may still ask to come to school. However much your child wants to come, if they are unwell, please keep them at home. Please let us know if your child is going to be away and if they have an infectious or contagious disease.
Somerset Nursery School Department for Education Benchmarking
You can find more information on the Department for Education’s (DfE) benchmarking here: Schools Financial Benchmarking Service
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
As part of our SEND Policy one of our main roles as a Wandsworth Nursery School is to offer a number of our places to children with a range of special educational needs.
We aim to provide a rich and stimulating environment and a curriculum that meets the diverse educational needs of all the children who come here. We recognise that children’s needs vary and our organisation is designed to ensure that each individual gains maximum benefit from our provision. For some children this will mean offering particular support to access the curriculum, and may mean seeking specialist support from other services.
We aim to ensure that our procedures will facilitate the early recognition of the special educational needs of our individual children, and that we meet these needs through regular assessment, discussion with parents and other professionals and careful planning. We believe that intervention at this early stage can make a crucial difference to the child’s successful entry into primary school and achievement throughout life.
We support an inclusive policy for children with different needs whether they are physical, emotional or developmental.
If you have any concerns regarding your child’s speech, hearing, vision or general development our Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) will be happy to talk these through with you and put together a programme of support. There is a Governor with special responsibility for overseeing Special Educational Needs provision. Please visit Our Governing Body
