Nursery
About us
Child to adult ratios
The Nursery is registered to accept 38 children per session aged between 6 months and 5 years, between September and June and fewer children are accepted during the Summer and Easter vacations.
Staff
The Nursery is staffed by 2 part time Managers, a Deputy Manager, and 13 Nursery Practitioners. All staff are experienced and qualified in childcare.
Sessions
- Morning: 8:30am to 12:30pm
- Lunch: 12:30pm to 1:30pm
- Afternoon: 1:30pm to 5:30pm
The Nursery is able to stay open until 6:00pm for those parents who have a lecture scheduled until that time. An authorisation form must be completed in advance for a 6:00pm collection. Parents are able to drop off and collect their child at any time during their allocated session.
The minimum number of sessions a child may attend is four per week.
Fees
From 17 September 2012, the price for one half-day session is:
Students' Children
| Children | Age | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Butterflies | 6 months to 2 years | £13.24 |
| Bumblebees | Approx. 2 to 3 years | £12.83 |
| Ladybirds | Approx. 3 to 5 years | £12.78 |
Staff's Children
| Children | Age | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Butterflies | 6 months to 2 years | £16.03 |
| Bumblebees | Approx. 2 to 3 years | £15.63 |
| Ladybirds | Approx. 3 to 5 years | £15.24 |
Payment
Parents are invoiced termly in advance. Fees are paid termly or monthly by direct debit only. Invoices are raised by the Nursery Manager and are sent to parents via email. Fee collection is the responsibility of the University's Finance Department.
Parents may pay their Nursery fees in any of the following ways:
- Via the University website at www.port.ac.uk/pay/nursery
- In person at the cash desk, ground floor of University House
- By sending a cheque in the post with the remittance slip to Finance Department, University House, Winston Churchill Avenue, Portsmouth, PO1 2UP
- Monthly by Direct Debit; please contact Linda King on (023) 9284 3409 to arrange this
Parents are obliged to pay for their child's registered sessions for 31 weeks of the Academic Year, regardless of whether their child attends every session or every week.
Notice
Parents are required to give 4 weeks' notice in writing of any permanent reduction in the number of weekly sessions their child attends. 4 weeks' notice is also required to withdraw a child from the Nursery.
Nursery Education Grant (NEG) Funding
All 3 and 4 year old children are eligible for NEG funding, starting in the term after they become 3 years old. THe NEG funding provides 15 hours free per week. The Nursery claims funding on behalf of all eligible children attending the Nursery.
Financial assistance
The Student Finance Centre is able to advise on loans, grants, bursaries, tax credits, housing benefits, income support and budgeting. To contact the Student Finance Centre please telephone (023) 9384 3014 or visit them at the Nuffield Centre, St Michael's Road.
Equal opportunities
We respect the right of our consumers to have access to our services and endeavour to ensure equality of opportunity and service, at all times, irrespective of ethnic origin, gender, age, religion, ability or sexual orientation.
Anti-discrimination
The University of Portsmouth Nursery is committed to identifying and combating racism in all its forms, and taking decisive action where instances of such behaviour occur. The Nursery strives to display positive images of men and women from different cultural and religious backgrounds, thus promoting anti-discriminatory behaviour in Nursery staff and children.
We will treat all parents, children and other Nursery users with courtesy and respect. We expect the same behaviour of them.
Special needs policy
The Nursery has a policy based on the DfEE Code of Practice on the identification and support for children with special needs. The Nursery aims to ensure that all children are treated equally and are given access to the full range of activities and equipment.
Child protection
Every child who attends the University Nursery has the right to be protected. This registered Day Nursery has a duty to report any serious concerns regarding children in its care to the Local Safeguarding Children's Board. The safety of the children may include a duty to share confidential information with others involved in protecting children.
Trips and outings
As part of the Nursery Curriculum, and with parental permission, the children are sometimes taken to places of interest in the local area, e.g. the library, the park, the beach and the harbour. The child to adult ratio is maintained at 2:1, so that young children hold an adult's hand. Road Safety is practised with the children so that they may learn to 'Stop, Look and Listen', and learn to understand the dangers of traffic. Procedures are in place to ensure children's safety at all times when out of the Nursery on trips.
Healthy eating
Food is provided by parents. Food to be reheated may be provided by parents for children under two years only. Due to the number of children in the other areas of the Nursery the reheating of hot food is not possible, therefore all two to three year olds (Bumblebees) and all three to five year olds (Ladybirds) may only bring cold lunches.
The children have a morning snack time at approximately 9:30am. The Nursery provides healthy snacks e.g. fruit, crackers and cheese, toast and vegetables that the children grow in the Nursery garden. Lunchtime is between 12:30pm and 1:30pm. Another snack time is at approximately 3:00pm.
The Nursery staff try to help the children understand that food and mealtimes are pleasurable experiences and the children are not put under any pressure to eat.
Parents as partners
The Nursery recognises the important role parents play in supporting their child's education and therefore we welcome feedback from parents on any issues relating to their child's learning and development, or any other concerns they may have. We encourage parents to come to the termly progress reviews to discuss their child's development and progress with their child's Key Person.
Analysis of Parents Questionnaires 2011/2012
Ofsted
The Nursery was re-inspected in September 2010. The Nursery was judged as providing a 'Good' standard of care and education, with 7 outstanding judgements.
For the full Ofsted report please go to: www.ofsted.gov.uk/inspection-reports/find-inspection-report and search for 'University of Portsmouth Nursery' (URN 143572).
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Parent Handbook 2012 [Acrobat (.pdf) - 232 KB Fri, 14 Sep 2012 15:29:00 BST] |