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Westwood Nursery: your child's first day

Learn about what to expect on your child's first day at Westwood Nursery, including opening times.

Opening times

Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5.30pm

Arrival and collection

We are open throughout the year in line with the university, including closing for the Christmas period when the whole campus shuts down. The week beginning with Easter Monday and August Bank holiday week, the nursery is closed to children for the whole week.

Please check with the nursery for exact closure dates.

Please allow at least 10 minutes to collect your child prior to closure of the nursery at 5.30pm. The nursery is not insured to have children on the premises after this time or before 8.30am

A late collection charge of £20 per quarter hour or part of is applicable after 5.30pm and children cannot enter the Nursery before 8.30 am.

Unless we are informed we will not allow your child to leave with anyone other than parents or an adult that has been previously met by staff and approved.

Preparing for your child's first day

The following is a guide to starting your child at the nursery and can be flexible. Your child will be assigned a Key Person who will help you and your child with this process.

  • Your child will be invited for a one hour visit with yourselves staying.

  • Your child will be invited for a one hour visit and you can leave your child if you feel they are ready.

  • Your child will start their booked hours if ready.

You will be welcome to stay with your child longer if needed but please take the advice of the staff if they feel your child is ready to be left. Often it is the parents that find this transition harder than the children.

Tips for leaving your child for the first time

When the time comes to leave a child at the Nursery, it is important to be honest with them, to tell them when you are leaving. Return at the right time - no child wants to be the last to leave especially when they are new. It is a good idea to leave a child for a short time to begin with, and gradually increase the time that they are left as and when the child is ready. Parents are free to ring us at any time to check if their child has settled.
Learning does not only take place in the Nursery: parents/carers can help their child's progress at home by encouraging and discussing their day.

Home visits

During the settling in process two members of the team will arrange to vist you and your child at home. These visits are a very important part of the settling in process.

The benfits of a home visit are:

  • you will be in a familiar surrounding and have time to ask questions,
  • the staff will see your child in familiar comfortable surroundings and get a better understanding of your child,
  • the staff will be able to see what sort of things your child likes to play with and would be able to replicate this at the nursery
  • your child will see us as trusted adults as you have invited us into their home
  • your child will recognise the staff as a familiar face when they attend the nursery

Visits will not last more than an hour and feedback from previous parents has been that these have been highly beneficial to the settling process.

Illness and medicine

If a child is unwell, they should not attend Nursery. The Nursery staff can only administer prescribed medicine and a medicine form has to be completed by parents. Calpol can only be given as first aid to babies under the age of 12 months to bring their temperature down whilst you get to the nursery to pick your child up. You will be called to pick up your child if they are considered unwell. If your child is feeling ill they will want cuddles from mummy or daddy and find the busy environment of the nursery difficult to cope with.

Please consider other children's well being in the nursery. Catching a mild illness for your child may be more serious for others.

Enquiries

If you have any questions, please contact us.


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