Cylch Meithrin Llanilltud Fawr

Charity Number: 1140355

Parent Handbook

The Old School Wine Street Llantwit Major Vale of Glamorgan CF61 1RZ

Tel. 0790830294

[email protected]

Welcome

Welcome to Cylch Meithrin Llanilltud Fawr, a Welsh medium playgroup for children aged 2 to 4 years, at the Old School, Llantwit Major. The Cylch is managed by a voluntary committee and is a member of Mudiad Meithrin (MM), which is the National Welsh Nursery Schools Movement. It abides by all the rules, policies and regulations of MM and is registered with the Care and Social Services Inspectorate for Wales (CSSIW).

A copy of all our policies and latest inspection report will be available in our ‘Parent File’ at all times in the Cylch foyer.

All staff members are vetted by the disclosure and barring service and have relevant childcare qualifications. The staff undergo regular training as an early years provider in the Vale of Glamorgan and are all qualified in paediatric first aid, child protection and food hygiene.

The Cylch is a registered charity non-profit making organisation which means that we must cover the cost of salaries, rent, the day to day running costs and equipment from fees and fundraising activities.

By ‘parent’ in this document, we mean any person in a caring capacity, be it child minder, guardian, grandparent etc.

Aims of the Cylch

The main aim of the Cylch is to provide a happy, family atmosphere in which children learn through play through the medium of Welsh. Language development is fostered by games, stories and songs which feature prominently in each session of the Cylch. As a Cylch Meithrin we believe strongly in the immersion method and believe it is the best start for your children in their future as a Welsh speaker, therefore during our sessions staff will only speak to the children in Welsh. Please feel reassured that we also use a number of alternative forms of communication including gestures, pictures and other visual prompts to support children who do not speak Welsh fluently.

In order to develop new vocabulary, the children follow a different theme each half term. The Cylch is staffed by play leaders who are qualified and experienced in early years care and education and who undertake continuous professional development in these areas. The play leader aims to provide a stimulating atmosphere which has opportunities for play with sand, water, dough, paint and craft materials as well as dressing up and creative role-play. The child's physical confidence and co-ordination skills are developed with the opportunity to ride on toys, outdoor play, music and movement and percussion instruments. The emphasis however is always on enjoyment and play. The children learn to socialise by playing together. The routine set for each session is good preparation for the more formal structure of primary school education.

We believe that every child has the right to:

 receive care, love and respect  receive appropriate attention and support in order to meet his/her special needs  benefit from all play opportunities  guidance which will enable him/her to become a full member of society  be stimulated in order that he/she develops to his/her full potential  benefit from nursery experiences through the medium of Welsh  be treated as an equal regardless of race, colour, religion, nationality or social background.

We have a ratio of 1 adult to 4 children for children aged 2 years and 1 adult to 8 children for ages 3 and above. We are also willing to care for children with special needs and will work with parents and outside agencies to enable children with specific needs to be fully involved in learning through play and to develop to their full potential.

Your child will receive a full report at the end of the academic year and verbal reports are available at any time at the end of a session from the leader.

The Welsh Language

It is important to emphasise that Welsh is the main language of the Cylch. All activities are carried out through the Welsh Language; extensive research has shown that this is the best way to introduce a second language at this age.

Do not expect your child to use much Welsh at home in the early months. Remember that your child may not be used to speaking Welsh to you. You can help them by speaking as much Welsh as you can. Do not worry about complete sentences, your child won't! Using simple phrases such as 'Bore da' - Good Morning, 'Diolch' - Thank you etc. you will help your child to understand that this is a normal simple means of communication.

The power of hearing family members using even simple greetings cannot be overestimated. Welsh is not supposed to replace English, your child is going to be bilingual and it is still good to discuss with your child the things they have learnt in English.

Our aim is that your child receives the best possible start in their Welsh education and will be confident Welsh learners when they arrive at ‘big school’.

We would strongly recommend that your child attends two sessions minimum to provide continuity and to benefit from the Welsh language provision.

Vocabulary and song sheets are available for those who are interested so you can practise at home. Ask the staff for further help and information about Welsh courses available in the area - these are publicised on the information walls in the foyer.

As a Cylch we aim to support you and your child at this exciting time as they start their journey to school. Days and times

Monday to Friday mornings and Monday to Friday afternoons

Morning sessions are 9:00 am to 12:00 pm standard session or 9:00am to 12:40pm extended session (with the offer of a wrap-around service to the afternoon nursery session at Dewi Sant at 1:00 pm)

Afternoon sessions are 1:15pm to 4:15pm (with the offer of a wrap-around service from the morning nursery session at Dewi Sant to Cylch for 1:15 pm)

Wrap-Around Service and Extended Sessions

Cylch Meithrin Llanilltud Fawr maintains a great relationship with our local Welsh primary school Ysgol Gymraeg Dewi Sant. As part of this, we are pleased to offer a wrap-around service. Parents wishing to use this service provide a packed lunch that the children eat at the Cylch after the morning session at 12:00pm before being taken by taxi with a member of staff to the afternoon nursery session at Dewi Sant for 1:00pm. Children attending the school morning session who wish to attend the Cylch afternoon session, will eat lunch at school, before being collected by the Cylch staff at 1:00pm.

Wrap-around travel to other schools may be considered by prior arrangement with the Cylch. In most cases this will only be available from the Cylch morning session to the schools’ afternoon session.

In addition to our wrap-around service we are also able to offer extended morning sessions 9:00am – 12:40pm. The cost of the longer session is £16.20 and MUST be booked in advance to ensure availability. Children should bring a packed lunch which they will eat in the Cylch room and must be collected promptly at 12:40pm.

Due to the restrictions imposed by CSSIW for sessional day care, we are currently unable to offer full day sessions. Fees

Standard Session (AM or PM) - £13.20

Extended Care Session - £16.20

Wrap-around Session (AM or PM) - £16.20

Payments

On completion of your registration forms a non-refundable deposit of £50 is required to reserve your child’s place. This deposit covers the registration fee of £10 for a standard registration, a Cylch uniform t-shirt and bag and the remaining £40 will be deducted from your first invoice. Children who have previously attended Cylch, but have left the re-registration fee will be £5 and no uniform provided. Fees are payable half termly in advance; you can pay by a number of different methods all outlined on your invoice. We also accept a number of childcare voucher schemes; please ensure that we are made aware of how and when these will be paid in advance.

Late payment will incur a one off fee of £10 followed by £2 per day thereafter until the outstanding balance is cleared (the date by which we should have received your payment will be detailed on your invoice). After 7 days of non-payment, care will be withdrawn however, late fees will continue to accrue until such time as the fees have been recovered. Outstanding balances of more than 28 days will be referred to our legal team and court proceedings will be actioned to recover fees and costs incurred. Any such costs will be added to the outstanding balance.

Payment is expected for every session, even if the child is absent as staff and other costs still have to be met. If a child is absent for more than 3 weeks without explanation or by prior arrangement, we reserve the right to allocate the place to another child.

Fees are reviewed regularly by the Parent Committee.

We require a four week notice period before your child is removed from the Cylch, where this is not received we will be unable to refund any overpayment of fees.

Ordinarily we will require the same notice for changes to your child’s regular sessions; changes to your child’s sessions should be made using the ‘Changes to Sessions’ form which can be found in the ‘Parent File’ in the entrance hallway. We may not be able to accommodate temporary session changes as we operate a waiting list meaning your regular space may be filled.

It is the parents’ responsibility to ensure invoices are correct. Any queries should be raised with the treasurer as soon as possible. The Cylch reserves the right to reclaim unpaid fees for up to 6 months after the invoice date in the event of an invoicing error. Overpayment of fees due to parent error and not brought to the treasurer’s attention within the invoicing period, will only be refunded at the discretion of the management committee.

If the Cylch is closed e.g. due to adverse weather conditions/staff sickness, we will still have to cover our costs and regrettably require payment unless this period extends beyond 3 days. This includes if the Cylch is closed in the middle of a session by an uncontrollable event.

The Cylch reserves the right to hold 3 INSET days per year; the Cylch will be closed to children and you will not be charged for these session. You will be given a minimum of 4 weeks’ notice of any planned INSET days.

Food and Drink

The children are given a drink of milk or water and a healthy snack midway through the session. Please let us know if your child has any allergies or dietary requests.

An additional flat charge of £1 per child per week for snack is made according to policy; this is paid at the beginning of each half term as part of your invoice. Cylch Meithrin Llanilltud Fawr is part of the Vale of Glamorgan’s ‘Golden Healthy Snack Award Scheme’ (please see leaflet enclosed in this pack) and is part of the Vale of Glamorgan Healthy and Sustainable Pre School Scheme.

Children's Clothing / Weather Issues

The children will be free to experiment with dough, sand, water, glue and paint. Aprons will be provided for these activities, but we cannot guarantee that their clothes will not be messy at the end of the session. T-shirts, bags and hoodies are available for parents to purchase so that the children's own clothes can be kept for best. A t-shirt and bag are included in a standard registration fee and more are readily available to purchase (please see flyer enclosed in your registration pack). Please can parents identify children's clothes with a name tag.

Children are timetabled to use the outdoor area every day and therefore will need weather appropriate clothing; coats, hats and gloves in cold/wet weather and sun cream and hats in warm weather.

We ask that all children have a full change of clothes in their bags each session. We would suggest that children tie back long hair for safety reasons.

Nappy Changing Procedures

If your child wears nappies, please ensure that there are spare nappies and wipes in your child’s bag. Soiled nappies will be returned to parents as unfortunately we are unable to dispose of them.

Toilet Training

We will work with you when the time comes for toilet training to make it easier for your child. The children may go to the toilet whenever they need to, however, accidents do happen, no fuss will be made and we ask that you provide a spare set of clothing. We also provide a stock of dry clothes at Cylch for such occasions. If your child comes home in borrowed clothing, we ask that you return it, washed, to the Cylch as soon as possible.

Medicine

If your child has to take medicine of any sort, arrangements must be made with the staff and the appropriate form completed and signed by a parent (a copy of which is enclosed in this pack (M1) and additional copies can be found on our website or in the ‘Parent File’ in the entrance hallway). A form is kept recording medicine given. We will not administer medicine which is out of date, not in original packaging or prescribed to another person.

Injuries

A book is kept recording all accidents and incidents at Cylch. You will be asked to countersign the record of an injury to your child. An account of the accident will be held in your child’s file and an accident form will be sent home. We are required under safeguarding policies to note any pre-existing injuries that your child may have incurred prior to arriving at the Cylch, to enable us to monitor for further symptoms or reactions.

Illness

If your child becomes ill during a Cylch session, the staff will inform you immediately on the contact telephone numbers that you have provided. It is therefore important that these details are kept up to date.

If it is considered that your child is suffering from a contagious illness, Cylch staff will request that you check with your GP and may as a result inform parents of other children so that they are aware to look out for symptoms in their child.

If your child is suffering from diarrhoea or sickness we request you do not send your child to Cylch for 2 days after the symptoms have ceased. If your child suffers this at Cylch, we will have to contact you to ask you to collect your child.

We also ask that children suffering from highly contagious infections such as impetigo and conjunctivitis be kept at home until they are no longer deemed infectious by your GP.

Additional information on exclusion periods can be found in our sickness and exclusions policy and on the chart located in the entrance hallway.

Birthdays

We celebrate the children's birthdays by singing 'Penblwydd Hapus' (Happy Birthday) and presenting a birthday card. Parents may bring a cake for the session closest to their child's birthday which will be sent home to be enjoyed after lunch/dinner, in line with our healthy eating policy.

Safety

Parents will have to complete and provide passport photographs of anyone who will be picking up their child and are expected to collect children promptly at the end of the session. In the event of non-appearance, all emergency contacts will be called. If no contact can be made the police will be called and social services informed. If a parent is frequently late by 15 minutes or more a fine of £15 will be levied on each occasion thereafter. Please remember that we are not insured or responsible for the children after the session ends. Parental Contribution

Parents can support the Cylch in many practical ways such as fundraising and helping out on trips. If you have any practical skills e.g. gardening, music, craft, etc. please let us know as we would welcome your help. The parents’ committee meets once every term and all parents are welcome to attend. Parents are expected to support, when possible, at fundraising events.

The Cylch cannot operate effectively without the support of parents. Educational Visits

We believe that it is very important for the children to have regular external visits and we will require your consent before your child can leave the Cylch, so please remember to sign the appropriate form. If transportation is needed we may ask for help with costs or transport.

If you are able to volunteer on educational visits it would be greatly appreciated by the staff as often these visits would not be possible without a few extra hands.

In cases where the visit will be all day, parents will be required to make their own alternative arrangements for care including wrap-around for children unable to attend. We will endeavour to provide parents with 4 weeks’ notice of any trip to enable you to make sufficient arrangements. Children not attending, will not be charged.

Practicalities

The registration documents must be completed and any relevant medical or other information submitted before your child attends the Cylch. This information will be dealt with totally confidentially. Your child will not be able to attend the Cylch until all forms are complete and countersigned by the Cylch Leader and the relevant fees paid.

You are welcome to stay with your child to settle them into the Cylch for the first session or thereafter if needed; we recommend that you stay no longer than 5 minutes to give your child the opportunity to participate fully in the session. Unfortunately we are not able to accommodate parents within the session due to the disruption this causes to other children.

We ask all parents to wait in the foyer at the end of the session; should you wish to collect your child before the end of a session, the session leader should be notified in advance. The end of the session can be particularly busy and to ensure a smooth handover to parents we ask that any early collections are kept to a minimum.

In the foyer you will see notice boards telling you of anything your child needs to bring the next week and any events or activities you should be aware of.

Please do not send sweets, drinks, money or jewellery with your child to the Cylch.

Confidentiality

All staff and committee members have a duty of confidentiality towards parents and their children. Information of a sensitive nature will be kept in confidence and only divulged through the proper channels. All records will be kept in a locked filing cabinet which can only be accessed by authorised members of staff/committee.

We are registered with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) and adhere to the relevant data protection laws. Special Needs and Inclusion

Cylch Meithrin Llanilltud Fawr adheres to the ‘Special Educational Needs Code of Practice for Wales’. Further details of how the Cylch puts this into practice can be found in our Inclusion and Special Needs policy.

Mudiad Meithrin operates referral schemes which can support children with additional needs. These schemes employ co-ordinators who work in partnership with other agencies for the benefit of the children and their families. As a Mudiad Meithrin member the Cylch is able to access this support of behalf of your child should they need it.

In addition we follow MM’s Inclusion Policy as laid out in ‘Guidelines for Cylch Management’.

Behaviour Management and Promoting Positive Behaviour

As a Cylch we will always aim to provide a safe and happy environment based upon clear, fair and consistent guidelines that promote a child’s understanding of acceptable behaviour. The Cylch works to prevent difficult behaviour rather than seeking ways to deal with the behaviour once it has occurred.

The Cylch believes it is important to acknowledge and praise positive behaviour as well as modify unacceptable behaviour, and so uses a card system (traffic light colour system) when dealing with behaviour during a session. This helps the child to identify quickly and simply positive and desirable behaviour, times when they need to stop and think about changing their behaviour and behaviour that is unacceptable.

If a child persistently misbehaves or their behaviour is causing concern the Cylch Leader will where needed consult with the SENCo and discuss the situation with the child’s parent/carer/guardian to put together an action plan to support the child.

For further information on behaviour management and promoting positive behaviour, please see our policy which is available at the Cylch at all times.

Grievances

If you have a query about your child's progress at the Cylch, please see your child’s key person/leader.

If you have a complaint, please raise it with a member of the committee. Contact details for all our committee members can be found in the ‘Parent File’ in the entrance hallway and on the following page. We have strict rules for dealing with complaints to ensure that all are dealt with properly and fully.

In line with updated guidance, CSSIW is not a complaints agency and cannot deal with complaints linked to individual circumstances. CSSIW would always listen to concerns raised and take appropriate action if it was deemed that the setting was failing to meet the requirements and conditions of registration. You may contact CSSIW at:

4-5 Charnswood Court Heol Bilingsley Parc Nantgarw Nantgarw CF15 7QZ

(01443 848527) [email protected] The Management/Parent Committee

The committee consists of three main officers: Chairperson, Treasurer, and Secretary. Elections to these posts are usually held during the AGM in June. All parents and carers are welcome to attend and stand for office, or make nominations.

For more general queries, please email [email protected] marking the subject field F.A.O (relevant staff or committee member)

Management/Parent Committee Contact Details

Kirsti Harding – Leader

Contact Number: 07908308294

Email: [email protected] (marked FAO: Kirsti Harding)

______

Ceri Malessa-Thompson – Chair / Responsible Individual

Email: [email protected]

______

Danielle Williams – Secretary / Fundraising Leader

Email: [email protected] (marked FAO: Danielle Williams) (Secretarial) [email protected] (Fundraising)

______

Mair Heaton - Treasurer

Email: [email protected] (marked FAO: Mair Heaton)