Parents & carer information - Nursery - University of Bradford

We aim to build a strong relationship and rapport with all our parents and carers, working in partnership and establishing positive communications from the onset.

Throughout the year, we have different events and dates which can be viewed at any time by accessing our online calendar.

Parents as partners

We value our parents and carers, working in partnership with them to maintain a consistent approach within all aspects of care, between the home environment and Nursery.

Within the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework, a partnership includes 'parents, families, and practitioners working together to benefit children'. For a partnership to work well, it must be built on trust, transparency, and responsibility from all parties involved.

Communication

We endeavor to maintain thorough and consistent communications with all our families.

We use the following methods to maintain communication and to build on positive relationships:

Tapestry system; this app system allows us to share care diaries, regular photographs and videos between home and nursery, memos, termly summative assessments, and monthly photo sheets
Emails and newsletters; we regularly send email updates and termly newsletters to keep everyone in the know
Notice board; at the entrance to the main building, check here for updates and reminders
Parent/Carer consultations; we plan these in termly with all parents/carers, but can also arrange additional meetings based on individual needs and requests.
Phone calls; in some situations, it may be more suitable for us to give you a call to discuss a change or issue that has arisen

There are lots of other ways that you can get involved with Nursery life:

Parent/Carer optional workshops; Literacy development, mathematical development, phonics training
Coffee mornings; have a brew with the management team and other parents and carers
Stay and play sessions; these may include, baby yoga, messy play, cooking or craft sessions
Parent/Carer Committee; we encourage you to join these are regular meetings with the management team to discuss upcoming events and updates, fundraising ideas, and to discuss any matters which parents bring to the agenda prior to each meeting
You can also like our Facebook page to see updates from the Nursery

Partnership working is a key strength of this setting. Parents are pivotal to children's learning.
Ofsted report 2019

Calendar

Important Dates – 2022/23

Autumn Term 5 September until 16 December 2022

Dates	Event	Additional Information
17 October	Parent & Carer Coffee Morning	Drop in between 09.00-10.00 for tea, coffee, and biscuits to have a chat and meet other parents and carers.
24-28 October	Half Term	‘Term time only’ children off this week.
1 November	Preschool Stay & Play	Parents/carers are invited to come between 09.00-10.00 to stay and play with their child/ren – there will be lots of activities ongoing throughout all sessions.
10 November	Toddler Room Stay & Play
15 November	Baby Room Stay & Play
31 October - 5November	Toddlers Parent/Carer Consultations	Telephone consultations between the child’s keyperson and parent/carer to discuss termly development/specific needs.
7-11 November	Baby Parent/Carer Consultations
14-18 November	Preschool Parent/Carer Consultations
24 November	Parent/Carer Workshop	Please join us at 09.00 for a 1-hour parent/carer workshop which will be held within the setting. The focus of the workshop will be sent out nearer to the time. Refreshments will be provided.
1 December	Parent/Carer Committee Meeting	Parents and carers are invited to join the management team for termly meetings to discuss upcoming events and updates, fundraising ideas, and any other matters which parents/carers bring to the agenda, prior to each meeting.
19 December – 2 January 2023	Christmas Closure	Nursery closes at 18.00 on Friday 16^th December. All children off for 2-weeks, Nursery re-opens on Tuesday 3^rd January 2023 at 07.30.

Spring Term 03 January until 31 March 2023

Dates	Event	Additional Information
19 January	Parent & Carer Coffee Morning	Drop in between 09.00-10.00 for tea, coffee, and biscuits to have a chat and meet other parents and carers.
7 February	Parent/Carer Workshop	Please join us at 09.00 for a 1-hour parent/carer workshop which will be held within the setting. The focus of the workshop will be sent out nearer to the time. Refreshments will be provided.
13-17 February	Half Term	‘Term time only’ children off this week.
15 March	Parent/Carer Committee Meeting	Parents and carers are invited to join the management team for termly meetings to discuss upcoming events and updates, fundraising ideas, and any other matters which parents/carers bring to the agenda, prior to each meeting.
9 March	Preschool Stay & Play	Parents/carers are invited to come between 09.00-10.00 to stay and play with their child/ren – there will be lots of activities ongoing throughout all sessions.
16 March	Toddler Room Stay & Play
21 March	Baby Stay & Play
6-10 March	Toddler Parent/Carer Consultations	Telephone consultations between the child’s key person and parent/carer to discuss termly development/specific needs.
13-17 March	Baby Parent/Carer Consultations
20-24 March	Preschool Parent/Carer Consultations
7-11 April	Good Friday, Easter Monday & University customary closure day	Nursery closes at 18.00 on Thursday 6^th April for Easter weekend and reopens on Wednesday 12^th April at 07.30.

Summer Term 03 April until 01 September 2023

Dates	Event	Additional Information
03-14 April	Half Term	‘Term time only’ children off for 2-weeks.
1 May	Bank Holiday	Nursery closed to all children.
10 May	Parent/Carer Workshop	Please join us at 09.00 for a 1-hour parent/carer workshop which will be held within the setting. The focus of the workshop will be sent out nearer to the time. Refreshments will be provided.
DATE TBC in May	Team Bradford – Staff Team Building Day	Nursery closed for the annual Team Bradford event at the University.
24 May	Parent & Carer Coffee Morning	Drop in between 09.00-10.00 for tea, coffee, and biscuits to have a chat and meet other parents and carers.
29 May-2 June	Half Term	‘Term time only’ children off this week.
8 June	Preschool Stay & Play	Parents/carers are invited to come between 09.00-10.00 to stay and play with their child/ren – there will be lots of activities ongoing throughout all sessions.
15 June	Toddler Room Stay & Play
20 June	Baby Stay & Play
5-9 June	Toddler Parent/Carer Consultations	Telephone consultations between the child’s keyperson and parent/carer to discuss termly development/specific needs.
12-16 June	Baby Parent/Carer Consultations
19-23June	Preschool Parent/Carer Consultations
13 July	Parent/Carer Committee Meeting	Parents and carers are invited to join the management team for termly meetings to discuss upcoming events and updates, fundraising ideas, and any other matters which parents/carers bring to the agenda, prior to each meeting.
Date TBC in August	Staff Training Day	Nursery closed to all children.
17 July-1 September	Summer Holidays	'Term time only’ children off for 7-weeks.
28 August	Bank Holiday	Nursery closed to all children.

The new Academic year will begin on Monday 4^th September 2023.

Events Religious/Non-Religious Festivals, Celebrations & Holidays 2022/2023

People all over the world celebrate religious and non-religious holidays and festivals as a way to reunite with family and loved ones. This may be through the sharing of special foods, the exchange of gifts, taking part in cultural traditions or special activities. Please be aware, the list below is not exhaustive, and we encourage parents/carers to keep us updated on any other special events, festivals, or celebrations which you celebrate at home, as we would encourage the celebration of these at Nursery.

Autumn Term Sept – Dec 2022

Event	Date(s) of Event / Celebration at Nursery	Actual Date of Event / Celebration		Additional Information
Remembering Queen Elizabeth II	12-23 September	1926-2022		Activities, poems and stories in relation to Queen Elizabeth to mark our respects to Her Majesty the Queen.
World Smile Day	4 October			A day dedicated to how we can share a smile and promote acts of kindness, thinking about how we are kind to and make people smile every day.
National Poetry Day	6 October			A day celebrating poetry; reading poems and thinking about rhyme.
Diwali	24-26 October		22-26 October	A variety of fun activities, including crafts, baking, card making, music and storytelling in relation to Diwali.
Halloween	31 October			A variety of fun activities, including crafts, baking and music. Fancy dress optional for children who are in Nursery on the day.
Guy Fawkes (Bonfire) Night	1-4 November	5 November		A variety of crafts, baking and storytelling in relation to Guy Fawkes. Bonfire/firework safety discussions throughout the week.
Remembrance Day	7-11 November	13 November		Lots of crafts and storytelling in relation to the meaning of Remembrance Day all week and also thinking about people who help us.
King Charles III Birthday	14 November			A variety of activities & baking to mark our new King’s 74^th Birthday.
Children in Need	15-18 November	18 November		A variety of activities across the week to support raising funds for Children in Need. (More information to follow.)
St Andrew’s Day *(Scotland)*	30 November			A variety of fun activities, including crafts, baking and music in relation to St Andrew and Scottish traditions throughout the day.
Advent Begins	1 December			Discussions around advent on the first day of advent as we are led up to Christmas.
A Christmas Jingle	2 December			Join us for a festive hour of Christmas carols, mince pies and warm refreshments as we get ready to end the year ahead of 2023! 18.15-19.15
Christmas Jumper Day	5-9 December	8 December		Wear your favourite Christmas jumper and bring in £1 to raise money for Save the Children.
Christmas	5-16 December	25 December		A variety of crafts, baking, storytelling in relation to Christmas. There may also be a special appearance from Father Christmas! (More information to follow.)

Spring Term Jan – April 2023

Event	Date(s) of Event / Celebration at Nursery	Actual Date of Event / Celebration	Additional Information
Chinese New Year *(Year of the rabbit)*	16-20 January	22 January	A variety of fun activities, including crafts, baking and music in relation to Chinese New Year and traditions throughout the week.
Saint Valentine’s Day	8-14 February	14 February	Cards, baking and crafts for children to give out to their loved ones at home. Thinking about people who are special to us.
Random Acts of Kindness Day	17 February		A day promoting and encouraging acts of kindness and thinking about how we are kind to others every day.
Shrove Tuesday *Pancake Day*	21 February		A delicious day of making and tasting pancakes, also thinking about what Shrove Tuesday is and why is it celebrated.
Ash Wednesday *The first day of lent*	22 February		Activities and storytelling in relation to Ash Wednesday throughout the day.
St David’s Day *(Wales)*	1 March		A variety of fun activities, including crafts, baking and music in relation to St David and Welsh traditions throughout the day.
World Book Day	27 Feb – 3 March	2 March	A week of celebrating world book day. (More information to follow.)
St Patricks Day *(Ireland)*	17 March		A variety of fun activities, including crafts, baking and music in relation to St Patrick and Irish traditions throughout the day.
Mother’s Day	13-17 March	19 March	Card making and special crafts throughout the week.
Ramadan	20-24 March	22 March – 21 April	A variety of fun activities, including crafts, baking, music and storytelling in relation to Ramadan as the month of fasting begins.
Easter	3-6 April	9 April	A variety of fun activities across the week, including crafts, baking, our annual Easter egg hunt/lunch and storytelling. (More information to follow.)

Summer Term April – Aug 2023

Event	Date(s) of Event / Celebration at Nursery	Actual Date of Event / Celebration		Additional Information
St George’s Day *(England)*	21 April	23 April		A variety of fun activities, including crafts, baking and music in relation to St George and English traditions throughout the day.
Eid al-Fitr	17-21 April	21-22 April (dates may vary)		A variety of crafts, baking, food tasting and storytelling in relation to Eid al-Fitr across the week.
World Laughter Day	3 May			A day thinking about how laughter can make us feel good and promote wellbeing. Laughter yoga included!
National Sun Awareness Week	8-13 May			Raising awareness of the dangers of the sun and what we can do to keep our bodies and skin safe and healthy.
World Bee Day	19 May		20 May	Extending our knowledge of our pollinators and their contribution to sustainable development. Preschool trip down to the beehives at the University.
Family Fun / Open Day	Date TBC in June			We invite all of our children, families, and the wider community, to join us for a family fun day. There will be food, drinks, activities for the children and fun games for all! More information to be provided closer to the time.
World Environment Day	5-9 June	5 June		A week thinking and learning about our natural environment and what we do and can do to look after it, including our oceans and the animals within it.
Father’s Day	12-16 June	18 June		Card making and special crafts throughout the week.
Make Music Day	19-23 June	21 June		A week being expressive as we create our own music and enjoy a wide range of music from different cultures and religions.
Eid al-Adha	26-30 June	28 June – 2 July (dates may vary)		A variety of crafts, baking, food tasting and storytelling in relation to Eid al-Adha across the week.
Preschool Leavers Graduation Ceremony	Date TBC in July			Our annual ceremony for our preschool children who are leaving us in 2023 to transition to school. More information to follow.)

Policies & procedures

We have a comprehensive list of policies and procedures to ensure high quality care and learning, compliance with EYFS (2021), and all relevant legal requirements. For access to our latest policies and procedues, please contact us.

Email nursery@bradford.ac.uk

Nursery parents and carer information