To ensure the highest standards for all children, the nursery is inspected regularly by the Care Inspectorate & Education Scotland (HMIE).

GCC also regulates the work of the nursery through it’s Management Circulars, Health & Safety Regulations, Policy Guidelines, & regular meetings.

Standards & improvements are monitored annually within the nursery using the Quality Indicators from “A Quality Improvement Framework” document.

All nursery places are allocated in line with GCC Admissions Policy. The Head or other nursery leaders can talk in more detail about the policy when applying.

An area admission panel will meet at regular intervals throughout the year to decide how nursery places will be allocated, however in between those panels, the Nursery Head can allocate spaces as they become available.

Applications are banded based on the information in application forms & the evidence to support it. If information on an application form changes it is vital it be updated to remain banded correctly.

Any excursions that take place will be planned in advance & involve parental consent. General consent forms are part of the nursery enrolment paperwork. Consent forms for specific trips or events will be given to parents to sign.

A child can only be dropped off & collected from the nursery by a responsible adult; that is, someone over 16 & capable of caring for them. We require at least 2 emergency contact numbers for your child in the event of an injury, illness, evacuation, or other situation. It is vital that all contact information for parents & emergency contacts is kept up to date,

The nursery follows GCC policy on admissions. If your child is offered a place. a date will be set for them so start with us, & they will have a settling in period. When they start there will be further paperwork to fill in e.g. enrolment forms, What Matters To Me sheets, & within 30 days, a Care Plan. The nursery leadership team & your child’s Key Worker will guide you through the process.

New parents will also be invited along to an Enrolment Day prior to their child starting, in order to expedite any paperwork and to enable them to meet other new parents too.

Daily attendance registers are maintained to provide safety & security for all children. If a child does not attend for 2 consecutive days, their key worker will contact you to ensure everything is alright. Whilst Early Years is not a mandatory part of education like Primary, it is important that attendance levels are kept up, as if a space is not being used due to extensive non-attendance, the Head may write to you to reduce provision, or if prolonged, remove the space altogether.

If your child becomes ill or injured when in nursery, we will contact you to collect them & we will keep them comfortable until you arrive. GCC nurseries operate within Greater Glasgow & Clyde Health Board guidance regarding communicable diseases, illness, & sickness & diarrhoea. Further information can be found in the nursery or by speaking to the leadership team.

If you child has an accident or is injured, we will record the details in an accident book & ask you to read and sign it. Any injury involving the head or face will also warrant a phone call to a parent to let them know.

If your child has asthma then they MUST have an inhaler that can stay in the nursery, along with an asthma plan. If your child has epilepsy or is prone to seizures, you MUST provide a seizure plan.

If your child requires medication during their day in nursery, we would support that administration at the discretion of the Head. Only medicines that are prescribed for your child, & that are for a specific purpose e.g. fighting infection, will be administered. Pain relief will not, & if a child is unwell enough to require pain management such as Calpol, then they should be at home until well enough to return to nursery.

At times throughout the year, medical professionals visit the nursery for specific purposes e.g. teeth varnishing, visual screening etc. Your consent will be sought before your child takes part..

Bullying or intolerant behaviour will not be tolerated within Glasgow City Council buildings or workplaces. Discrimination or harassment of any sort that goes against the Equality Act (2010) can be considered a criminal offence and Acredyke Nursery operates a zero tolerance policy in line with GCC guidance and Equality legislation.

We strive to ensure everyone can access, and feel welcome into, the nursery, facing zero or manageable barriers to equal access and interactions.

Acredyke Nursery, as a Glasgow City Council establishment provide the statutory 1,140 funded hours to all 3 - 5 year old, & eligible 2 year old children.

In Glasgow, this funding model comprises 5 sessions per week for children on a 52 week contract, & 6 sessions per week for children on a term time contract.

Additional hours can be purchased, subject to registration capacity. A session is either AM or PM, and 2 sessions make up a full day.

AM is 8.00 - 12.45 & PM is 1.00 - 5.30

Current charges for additional sessions & hourly rates for non-eligible children can be found in the nursery.

All children in nursery are provided with snack in the morning & afternoon, & all 1,140 eligible children receive lunch. Menus for both snack & lunches can be accessed here.

The dining experience in Acredyke is a calm, child led, & enjoyable experience. We aim to provide a social experience in our Bistro, where the children serve their own food, clear away their dishes, taste new foods, & enjoy their snack & lunch.

We work with our colleagues in CFM (Catering & Facilities Management) to ensure all food safety & hygiene regulations are adhered to, & ensure the voices of the children stay front of centre of any changes & improvements we make.

Please note that no food can be brought from home except with arrangement by the Head.

The nursery is covered by Employers Liability & Public Liability insurances, which is organised by Glasgow City Council in line with their obligations as the legal provider of the service.

All insurance & liability information is displayed in the main foyer of the nursery.

Please note that neither insurance policy covers loss or damage to property so please be mindful of what your child brings to nursery, & equally what they wear.

Glasgow City Council nor Acredyke Nursery accept any responsibility for loss or damage of property that is left unattended.

Our children will access outdoor play every day in all weathers (with the exception of red weather warnings) & so the children should come to nursery dressed for the weather. We have wet-suits, welly boots, and jackets that the the children can use, however jackets, footwear, & clothing generally that is appropriate for the weather that day is also essential and should be brought from home. We have sun hats for the children to wear on sunny or hot days

On sunny days, please ensure sun cream is applied to your child before they come to nursery. If the UV level is 3 or higher, a young child should be wearing sun cream to protect their developing skin from sun damage. The nursery staff will reapply during the day as needed. If a child is not wearing sun cream on days of high UV, then they cannot access their nursery session, in line with our Sun Protection Policy, that can be accessed here.

We will provide a canvas bag to each child for their peg, in which can be kept changes of clothes. We endeavour to ensure the children wear aprons when painting, playing in water or messy materials, & remain clean when eating, however play & toilet accidents do happen, so please ensure the bag is full each day in order that we always have a spare change of clothes for your child. Nappies & wipes cannot be kept in these bags. Please write your child’s name on all clothes to avoid them being lost or taken in error.

There is no parking provided for parents/carers in the campus car park between 8am & 4pm. Please use the drop off zone only. There is also no parking or stopping permitted on the access road to the campus.

We would encourage all children to walk, cycle, or wheel to & from nursery as much as possible to promote physical fitness, community awareness, & general health & well being for them & their family. Where this isn’t practical then please drive carefully into & out of the campus. The speed limit is 5mph.

Children cannot be dropped off or collected by anyone under 16 years old, & that person must always be a responsible adult, preferably a parent/carer, but certainly someone who can competently care for your child once they leave nursery. We may refuse to let a child leave with someone if they are under 16, or with an adult we deem them to be irresponsible e.g. intoxicated, irrational etc. We would contact the police &/or Social Services if we felt that was an appropriate action in the circumstances.

Children’s learning & development is continually assessed by their Key Worker, & in collaboration with all staff. The children will have opportunities to engage in a large variety of play & learning experiences. The playrooms are divided into areas that support different types of play e.g. Discovery using sand, water, malleable, tactile etc. or Construction using technology, tools, block play, digital, small world, loose parts etc.

The play is child led in line with the children’s interests, needs, & seasonal & cultural calendars. Learning is tracked using the Curriculum for Excellence & Realising the Ambition, & supported by other documents such as Nurturing My Potential, and Developmental Milestones, that enable Practitioners to create meaningful experiences & provocations that help the children develop & learn.

We record all children’s learning on Showbie. A digital app that enables parents/carers to interact with their child’s play & learning in real time as the learning journal is updated by Practitioners.

We will have meetings with you twice a year to discuss your child’s progress, care, learning, & overall development.

The nursery has a statutory duty to ensure that all children have equal access to the curriculum, supported as appropriate to their individual needs. This covers not only play, learning, & resources, but also the nature of our environment, interactions, & experiences.

The nursery team is made up of Child Development Officers, qualified to at least HNC level (although often to degree level), with Support for Learning Workers who supplement the staff team & who can assist children, either individually or in small groups to access the curriculum, learn, grow, & express themselves. The CDOs & SFLWs work in conjunction to meet the needs of our children who require that extra bit of support as they grow.

All staff in the nursery are guided on policy & procedures relating to child safety, protection, & welfare by Glasgow City Council. All educational establishments must take positive steps to help children protect themselves by ensuring that health & personal safety are central to the curriculum.

The nursery creates & maintains a positive ethos & climate which actively promotes child welfare & a safe environment by;

• Ensuring that children are respected & listened to.

• Ensuring that staff are aware of child protection issues & procedures.

• Establishing & maintaining close working relationships & arrangements with other agencies to make sure that professionals collaborate effectively in protecting children.

The Head of Nursery is the designated child protection officer & will act on all issues that are raised & pass them to other agecies if initial investigation warrents it.

We communicate with our parents in a variety of ways; digitally, in print, & in person. We would always prefer to speak with our families face to face as the relationships we have with you are very important to us. When this isn’t possible we will use Groupcall to send you text messages & emails, Showbie to notify you of learning or play announcements, & our noticeboard located outside the nursery front door. We will also create a nursery newsletter every term that can be printed or read online. Our website acts as a one-stop shop to access information and communications.

If at any point you want to speak to your child’s Key Worker, or a member of the nursery leadership team, that will always be accommodated at a mutually suitable time.

We abide by strict data protection guidance & therefore nothing personal or sensitive would ever be communicated remotely or en masse.

There is no smoking allowed anywhere on the campus.

There are no dogs allowed anywhere on the campus. Guide dogs are permitted.

Phones cannot be used anywhere inside the nursery. Please finish or hold off making any phone calls until you are outside the nursery.

Please be mindful of voice levels when in the nursery, in particular when in the playrooms.

Please ensure all gates and doors are closed behind you at all times.

In the event of an emergency closure of the nursery, we will communicate with families to inform you. Please therefore ensure any changes in your contact information is passed to the nursery in a timely manner.