Dionne
Family Coordinator
Here at Canterbury Road Day Nursery we acknowledge parents as a child’s first educator. We ensure we work closely with our families from the start of their journey with us until their child’s last day here at nursery, providing a collaborative and consistent learning approach to their child’s learning and development.
Our Family Co-ordinator, Dionne, is responsible for promoting our family focussed values, gathering families’ views, planning annual nursery events and running a Family Focussed Cycle.
As part of our Family Focussed Cycle every four months we offer;
Stay and Play Sessions
Family Representative Group Meetings
Family Workshops
Family Fun Days
Stay and play sessions
During stay and play sessions we invite children’s families into nursery to engage in their child’s play and extend their own knowledge of the Early Years environment. Sessions may be linked to children’s interests or parental requests.
These sessions provide families with an insight into nursery life and promotes positive relationships between the child’s key person, and their family whilst having fun together in a stimulating environment.
Family Workshops
Family workshops provide parents with information and support regarding a specific area of learning, this may be linked to children’s current developmental needs or parental requests.
The sessions are led by the room leader and the practitioners within the room. Practitioners use this opportunity to share information with families relating to the chosen area of learning, and ways to support children’s learning further at home.
Family Fun Days
Families of the nursery and the general public are invited to our family fun days where we plan fun-filled activities for all of the family!
We welcome families to take a tour of the nursery and to enjoy taking part in family fun activities.
Home Visits
Starting nursery can be a difficult time for both children and their families. We therefore have a thorough settling in procedure which aims to support new families who are joining our nursery. Prior to children beginning their journey here with us, all children are offered a home visit to support the establishment of a trusting relationship between the child and the nursery practitioners.
During the home visit the nursery family co-ordinator and a practitioner from the child’s room will visit the child in their home environment. The practitioners will engage in play with the child and will begin to form a relationship with the child’s parents whilst discussing information about their child and discussing nursery life.
Family Representative Group Meetings
Here at nursery we value the importance of involving children’s families in nursery life and in gaining parent feedback regularly. As part of this we have a Family Representative Group, all nursery families are invited to join the group.
Our Family Co-ordinator, Dionne, holds regular meetings with our Family Representative Group to discuss upcoming events and to discuss anything that the parents wish to discuss, as well as welcoming any parent feedback.
Grab and Go Breakfast
We offer to all parents a free ‘Grab and Go’ breakfast every day consisting of fruit, breakfast bars and tea/coffee.
We understand that some parents/ carers do not get the chance to eat breakfast before they drop their children off to nursery. Through offering a grab and go breakfast we provide busy parents/carers with the opportunity to eat breakfast before they go to work. This will boost their energy levels and increase their ability to concentrate, ensuring they are ready for their busy day ahead.