It means supporting parents as they raise their children in an ever-changing world. And at the centre of good practice when supporting parents, we see communication as the key.   We believe this so much, that Banana Moon Bromley were national finalists in the Nursery World Awards 2022, in the “Working with Parents” category. Find out more about the awards here: https://www.nurseryworldawards.com/shortlist-2022 

 

Many parents wonder how we keep those lines of communication open and how they are kept up to date on their children’s progress. We have a parent app, and with this, parents can see the daily activities and routines, as well as any pictures, or if there has been a “wow” moment. This could be when your child has achieved something they have been working towards, e.g. using scissors, or an unexpected achievement, when they scored their first “basket” in basketball, demonstrating amazing hand eye coordination, taking into account speed, direction and accuracy! 

 

There is usually a short handover at pick up at time, and the nursery team are always available to book some time with, for any longer discussions. 

 

Aside from the daily updates, there are several key points where we invite parents in to meet with the management team, or the key person.  We are very fortunate to have a parent room at the nursery, a comfortable and relaxing area for parents and children to feel welcome. 

 

Before joining, parents are invited to a personal tour of the nursery, on a one-to-one basis, with one of our management team. During this time, we share a lot of information on how the nursery works and how we support parents, particularly how we help families settle into a new nursery. 

 

When parents first join there is an opportunity to sit down with their child’s Key Person. This usually takes place while the child is having their “settling-in” sessions. (Did you know? We only ever have one child settling in at a time in each room, to ensure they have the attention - and all the cuddles -they may need.) 

 

At this meeting, we work with parents to learn all about their child, their likes, dislikes, dietary requirements, routines, and their developmental “starting points”. 

 

Starting points at Banana Moon Bromley link to our own bespoke Learning and Development Programme and development outcomes, where our curriculum is all about “learning through play”.  

 

Room transition meetings are just as they sound! This is an important time, and we want room movements to be as enjoyable and as easy as possible. Our rooms are split by age group: 

 

·       Baby Moons and Teenie Moons are for our under 2’s. 

·       Mini Moons for our 2 – 3-year-olds.

·       Full Moons for our over 3’s. 

 

Room moves will usually be to the room most suitable for their age, but we do consider the stage each child is at in their development – every child is unique!  Parents are invited to visit the new room and meet the new team, so they can look around and ask any questions. The key person will also share a progress review document with parents. 

 

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) states that parents should have a short, written summary of their child’s development at age two, relating to the three prime areas of learning and development:
  

·       Communication and language (CL) 

·       Physical development (PD) 

·       Personal, social, and emotional development (PSED) 

 

The key person will discuss what the nursery are working on, in each area listed above, and how parents can support this at home. 

 

There are some great activity ideas for all age groups on the BBC “Tiny Happy People” page here: Activities for babies, toddlers and kids: Fun games to help development and bonding - BBC Tiny Happy People with lots of inspiration for things to do at home. 
 
The two-year-old check takes place when the child is aged between 24-36 months, and is another stage where parents are invited to discuss their child’s progress and next steps, including any additional or special educational needs. The main difference with this progress meeting, is that parents will be encouraged to share information with their health visitor, or any other professionals who may be supporting the child. 

 

The NHS Better Health, Start of Life website, has helpful ideas for “Chat, play, read” for all age groups, to support parents at home with communication and language. You can find out more here: Learning to talk | 0 to 6 months | Start for life (www.nhs.uk) 

 

There is also an opportunity for reflection and for parents to add their comments to the report. (Did you know? Parents can share any activities or home “wow” moments with us by uploading pictures to the parent app! We would love to see any new interests they have acquired, maybe after a trip to the zoo, or the very tall tower of bricks they have built!) 

 

Periodically, we also invite parents in for a progress meeting with their key person. The next one is in March. This will usually be on a Saturday, but some weekday appointments can also be made available. And for those that cannot practically make it into the nursery, we can also arrange for a phone call, or online meeting. 

 

At our next progress meetings, we will be launching our new “Home Learning Bags”. Follow our latest updates on Facebook and Instagram to find out more (@BMBromley). These will be available for parents to take home, based on the recommendations by the key person on your child’s next steps. Very exciting! 

 

Our manager is our Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator, and for those children who may have more complex learning needs, or physical disabilities, we meet with parents and where appropriate this may include visits from external agencies, or the local authority. 

 

Starting school is a very important time, and we try to do all we can to make this a smooth transition. We will meet with parents to discuss which school their child will be moving to, so we can group together the children who may all be moving on together, and we will reach out to the new school and invite teachers to the nursery (we had a lovely tea party last year!) 

 

Together with the children and key person, we complete a Passport to School document that will give a good understanding of the children that will be joining the school. (Good to know: we always get parents’ permission before contacting any external bodies.) 

 

At Banana Moon Bromley we have an open-door policy and ensure that management are always available for any feedback parents may have. 

 

We also host events at the nursery for parents to come in and chat, or take part in an activity with their children, even on days when they don’t usually attend. These are just some of the events we have had: 

 

·       Parent Communication Day 

·       Oral Hygiene information 

·       Easter Fun 

·       Summer Party 

·       Graduation 

·       Zoo Lab visit

·       Photography sessions 

·       Pumpkins and Potions, in the Secret Garden 

·       Festive Brunch 

·       First Aid for parents 

 

If you have any questions or would like to find out more, please contact the nursery at info@bananamoon-bromley.co.uk