Little Ripley
Frequently Asked Questions
Here we list some of the frequently asked questions you may have, and perhaps some you hadn’t thought of, to help give you all the information you need.
Little Ripley
Frequently Asked Questions
Here we list some of the frequently asked questions you may have, and perhaps some you hadn’t thought of, to help give you all the information you need.
Day to day nursery life
We are open from 7am – 6pm, Monday to Friday, for 52 weeks of the year. The only closures are for Bank Holidays.
We welcome children aged from 6 weeks to 5yrs
We run whole day sessions and children may arrive and depart at any time throughout the day
We understand that sometimes your plans and work patterns may change, and we try to be as accommodating as possible. The Manager will be happy to discuss with you any additions or changes that you may wish to make.
Yes. Please contact us to let us know how we can help.
Yes. To ensure a happy transition from home to nursery, we will arrange settling in sessions (which are not chargeable) for you and your child to meet staff members and become familiar with the nursery environment. Staff will also chat to parents and carers to gain an insight into their child’s particular needs eg, mealtimes, sleeps and physical skills already achieved. This will then allow nursery staff to work with parents to ensure that children’s needs and targets are met from the first few weeks of their arrival. We continue to keep records which allow staff to monitor progress, plan to support children’s individual needs and share children’s achievements with their families.
As well as the settling in sessions, your child will also be assigned a key worker who will keep you informed about your child’s time at nursery.
At Little Ripley we aim to make each day busy and fun by adopting a flexible approach responding to the interests of the children and providing a wide range of activities to stimulate and engage everyone. In addition, all of our nurseries benefit from visiting specialist staff who run French, cooking and music sessions within the nursery and at no extra charge. These sessions are designed to be fun and interactive.
We have a good supply of everyday items that your child might need during their day at nursery including wipes, tissues, cups, water bottles and bibs (if worn). We kindly ask parents to provide nappies and formula/breast milk if applicable.
There is no right or wrong way to dress your child for nursery, however, we recommend that younger children wear clothes that they can easily move in. They need to be able to move and crawl easily and pull themselves to standing. For children that are potty training it is helpful for them to wear clothes that can be quickly undone and encourage them to be independent and successful. We recommend that our older toddler and pre-school children wear clothes and shoes that they can fasten and unfasten themselves. We want them to be confident and independent in their dressing and self-care in readiness for the next step to ‘big’ school. Whatever the age of your child aprons will be provided for ‘messy play’. However, clothes can still get dirty from time to time and accidents do happen so no ‘best’ clothes please!
For all children’s safety, we advise against children wearing jewellery that could catch and cause injury. Also, small clips and hair slides should be avoided as they could be a choke hazard.
We ask that when your child is sick you do not bring them to nursery – to help prevent the spread of infection. We will not accept a child into nursery who is running a temperature. When the cause of illness is sickness or diarrhoea we ask that you child stays away for 48hrs after the last bout of illness. For specific illnesses we follow the guidelines for schools, nurseries and other childcare facilities produced by Public Health England.
Fees and funding
Our fees are payable monthly in advance by standing order, cash, cheque, credit/debit card. We also accept vouchers and tax-free childcare.
A registration fee is charged to secure a place for your child at a Little Ripley Nursery. The fee is taken as part payment of nursery fees for the first month of your child’s attendance.
The fee in non-refundable if you choose not to take up the place for your child. It is retained to cover administration costs.
The fee in non-refundable if you choose not to take up the place for your child. It is retained to cover administration costs.
Yes, we charge a registration fee per individual child. This secures each child’s place in the nursery.
Payment needs to continue in the event of illness or holiday, including bank holidays, in order to retain the place. A month notice in writing is required to terminate the contract.
Fees are normally reviewed on an annual basis and we will give you one month’s notice on any changes.
No, we do not offer a sibling discount.
Yes, we offer various funding options, including 15 and 30 hours of funded nursery education, supporting your child's learning journey.
For detailed information on these opportunities and to determine your eligibility, please visit the Childcare Funding section of our website. Childcare Choices
For detailed information on these opportunities and to determine your eligibility, please visit the Childcare Funding section of our website. Childcare Choices
The Early Educational Entitlement funding is provided for 38 weeks of the year, however we provide a stretched funding model so that you can use your funded hours for 52 weeks of the year.
The Early Years Foundation stage
Play underpins all development and learning for young children. We adopt a topic-based approach to learning incorporating fun, play based activities that focus on specific skills and areas of learning. We also place great importance on child initiated activities in which the children choose what and how to play and who to play with.
In order to support your child and plan appropriate activities relevant to their developmental stage we follow the Early Year’s Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework. This sets the standard that childcare providers must meet for the learning, development and care of children from birth to 5.
To read and learn more about the EYFS curriculum the Department for Education has produced a guide for parents What to expect in the Early Years Foundation Stage
In order to support your child and plan appropriate activities relevant to their developmental stage we follow the Early Year’s Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework. This sets the standard that childcare providers must meet for the learning, development and care of children from birth to 5.
To read and learn more about the EYFS curriculum the Department for Education has produced a guide for parents What to expect in the Early Years Foundation Stage
Meals and snacks
All meals and snacks at Little Ripley are provided. Your child will be offered breakfast, a snack, lunch and afternoon tea.
All of our nurseries have their own dedicated cook who prepares fresh meals every day. Children are encouraged to be as independent as possible and are provided with cutlery, dependent on their individual development.
All of our nurseries have their own dedicated cook who prepares fresh meals every day. Children are encouraged to be as independent as possible and are provided with cutlery, dependent on their individual development.
We will ask you to provide information of dietary requirements and/or known allergies to ensure individual needs are catered for. We have a balanced menu ensuring that we meet all food groups throughout the day.
We understand that weaning – the gradual introduction of semi-solid foods to a baby’s diet – is an important stage of children’s development and a process that should not be rushed. You, as the parents and carers take the decision of when and how you wish your child to be weaned and we will always follow your lead including the supporting of any routines that you have already established at home. This enables us to ensure that food is presented appropriately (for example, smooth, mashed or finely chopped), for your child’s age and stage of development.