Display for various pictures of the Bath YMCA Day Nursery Our aim is to create the best possible environment for each child, working closely with parents and carers to provide the quality of care that your child requires.

YMCA Day Nursery in Bath

The YMCA Day Nursery provides pre-school care and early education for children between the age of 18 months and 5 years. The nursery is registered and inspected by OFSTED for a maximum of 26 children. We offer both full-time and part-time places, with a variety of sessions available between the hours of 8.30am and 5.30pm.

At YMCA Day Nursery we aim to provide high quality childcare, with experienced and qualified staff working closely with parents and carers to meet the needs of each child as an individual. We believe that young children should learn through play and our aim is to provide a safe, secure, friendly and relaxed environment in order that all children will achieve and develop during their early years.

To achieve these aims we will :

Celebrate each child’s learning and development and recognise the achievements of all
Show respect for all children and for each other, so that children and adults alike feel included, secure and valued
Recognise that parents, carers and families are central to the well being of each child and value the contribution that they make towards their child’s learning
Help all children to develop a positive self-image by valuing their individuality and by showing regard to each child’s racial origin, religious beliefs and cultural and linguistic backgrounds
Provide equality of opportunity and ensure that all children have equal access by removing all barriers to learning
Ensure that all children are cared for, kept safe and protected from harm, with the welfare of the child paramount at all times
Promote good health for all children by encouraging them to be healthy and active and by providing a nutritious diet
Create a learning environment that is well planned and organised, with experiences that reflect the age and level of understanding of all children
Provide activities that are well planned with an understanding of their purpose, building upon what the children already know and can do
Ensure that learning is play centred and that there is a good balance of adult led as well as child initiated activities available for all
Encourage strong and secure relationships between children and adults, in order that each child may gain the confidence and independence to learn
Recognise the importance of staff development and ensure that all staff are encouraged and given the opportunity to keep up to date with current thinking
Incorporate all aspects of the Every Child Matters: Change for Children programme (The Children Act 2004) into everything that we do and use the guidance for the Foundation Stage and Birth to Three Matters framework as a basis for good practice when planning for children’s experiences and learning.

Nursery life

We have a high staff: child ratio as follows:

For those under the age of two, there will be 1 adult for every 3 children
For those aged two years old, there will be 1 adult for every 4 children
For those who are between the ages of three and five, there will be 1 adult for every 8 children

All staff are qualified to an appropriate level and police checked. Additional students / volunteers are supervised at all times. We also provide training positions for those working towards qualifications. Full details are available on our parent noticeboard.

Details of the nursery’s usual daily routine is displayed in the parents’ notice area. This clearly shows the way that the day is divided up and what will be happening at set times during the session. Our aim is to provide times for both adult-led and child-initiated activities. Children are also given the opportunity to sleep during the day should this be their usual routine.

Throughout the day children are offered fresh, nutritious food that is prepared and cooked on site. Snacks consist of a variety of fresh fruits and children are encouraged to try all types. Lunch consists mainly of non-processed foods with the majority of meals cooked from fresh ingredients. A wide range of foods will be included on our menus and details of food offered will be displayed daily.

Around the room you will be able to see children’s work displayed. We ask all parents to try and take the time to have a look at what the children have been learning as this is the perfect starting point for discussion with your child, with the possibility of following up at home some of the themes and skills learned at nursery. Details of specific planned activities are displayed each day for the different age groups.

Being a small nursery, all staff are involved with the care of all the children. Each child however will have a named ‘keyworker’ who will work closely with them and be a point of contact for you as a parent. It will be the keyworker who will hold the most information about your child’s progress at nursery, as ongoing written observations will be kept and each child’s progress monitored every six months. We invite all parents to contribute to their child’s developmental records by reading and adding to observations made by staff, and by regularly meeting with your child’s keyworker to review the progress being made and discuss future plans for their development.

Early years foundation stage

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) will be introduced from September 2008, a framework that sets the standards for learning, development and care for children from birth to five. This framework includes the legal requirements that must be followed by all settings, as well as practice guidance for all those working with children.

The main principles of the EYFS are grouped into four main themes as follows:

A Unique Child recognises that every child is a competent learner from birth and focuses on development, inclusion, safety, health and well-being.

Positive Relationships shows how secure relationships with others help children learn to be strong and independent and focuses on respect, partnership with parents, supporting learning and relationships with nursery staff.

Enabling Environments focuses on the importance of the environment in supporting children’s learning and includes observation, assessment and planning, the learning environment and working with others.

Learning and Development shows how all children learn in different ways and at different rates as well as how equally important and inter-connected all areas of learning are. The educational programme is part of this theme, with early learning goals in six main areas:

Personal, social and emotional development
Communication, language and literacy
Problem solving, reasoning and numeracy
Knowledge and understanding of the world
Physical development
Creative development

Overall the EYFS sets standards to enable early years providers to deliver individualised learning and care that enhances the development of all children. Further information about the EYFS and how we are putting the main principles into practice will be available for all parents and carers from September.

Starting Nursery

This can be a daunting time for both child and parent, but with a little forward planning we can help the process run as smoothly as possible.

A couple of weeks before your child is due to start, we will invite you both to come in together and spend some time with us. This will help your child to become familiar with the room and meet some of the children and staff. You will get chance to see how the nursery works and get to know the people who will be caring for your child.

At this time we will work together to plan a settling in program for your child. This will involve leaving your child with us for short periods of time, anything from 10 minutes to a couple of hours at a time. We encourage all parents to bring their child in for at least one trial session before they start properly, but in reality most children will come in for two or three or more trials before being left for a full session. We are happy to offer as many trials as necessary to ensure that the process runs smoothly at no extra charge to you.

Nursery Grant

Your child will automatically be entitled to government Nursery Education Grant from the term after their third birthday. This amounts to 2½ hours of nursery education and care per day, for 38 weeks of the year. At the YMCA we have sessions available for children who just want to attend for 2½ hours per day term time only. There are also specific five hour sessions that enable parents to use two nursery grant sessions back to back (no more that 5 hours per day can be claimed for each child). In either case, the maximum number of hours that can be used in this way is 12½ per week during school term time only.

Many of our parents prefer to use the Nursery Education Grant as part payment towards our standard fees so that they can continue to make the most of our full day care facilities all year round. The maximum value of the grant during term time is £42.50 per week when nursery care is spread over three or more days. For further details please speak to the Nursery Manager.

What makes the YMCA nursery unique?

A city centre location within the main YMCA building
Small friendly service
Caring staff who are experienced and qualified
Great facilities
The YMCA is a non profit making organisation. We aim to keep our fees as affordable as possible and reinvest any surplus funds back into the facility
Dedicated garden and use of dance studio area
Meals provided from our in-house kitchens (special diets catered for)
The YMCA is a charity that focuses on work with children and young people
Nursery grant sessions available
We accept Childcare Vouchers

To arrange a visit or for more information, please contact Diane or Rosie on:

Tel: 01225 325911 Email: daynursery@bathymca.co.uk

We are also registered with Bath & North East Somerset to receive nursery grants for eligible children in our care. For further information on nursery grants in this area, please see the website or contact the Family Information Centre on 01225 395343.

For further info on
the way the YMCA Nursery caters for children in receipt of nursery grants,
please contact the
nursery manager.

NURSERY FEES
SEPT 08 - AUG 09