Induction

We know that starting in a new setting can be stressful for children and their families and that everybody is unique and different and will experience the change in a different way. Therefore, we do not have an induction procedure which is set in stone. Instead we encourage parents to talk to us about what may work best for them and their child and we try our best to be flexible and accommodate your wishes.

We offer a variety of approaches to help support you and your child in starting Pre-School and below are some examples of the options available. However, please don’t feel you must follow this advice, if there is something else you feel we could do to help don’t be afraid to ask!

Stay and Play Sessions

Some families choose for their children to come along to sessions with Mum, Dad or a special person and they stay and join in with a session alongside that adult. You are very welcome to do this if you feel it will be beneficial and we are happy to have you with us for as long as you feel it is necessary to settle your child.

Home Visits

Our Manager, Helen is very happy to come and visit you and your child in your home or in an environment more familiar to the child before you begin Pre-School. Helen will bring along some toys for the child to explore and will play with your child so that they are able to get to know each other beforehand. This can be beneficial as it puts the child at ease and gives them a friendly face to relate to when they enter the new environment and it also gives you and your family opportunities to ask any questions you have about starting Pre-School.

Staggered Entry

We are happy to arrange for your child to stay for shorter sessions to begin with if you feel this may be more beneficial. For example, they could just come along for an hour for the first few sessions and then we can slowly build up the length of time they stay with us before somebody returns to collect them.

Finally, we recognise that for some parents it can be difficult to leave your child with us for what may be the first time since they were born, and also to trust others to take care of them on your behalf for the first time. We wish to support our parents and families as well as the children through the induction period so please let us know if you are feeling anxious, and if there’s anything we can do to support you and put your mind at rest. We are always happy to telephone you once you get home after leaving your child for the first time to let you know how your child is settling if you are worried.