Crosfield Nursery School and Children’s Centre

1. Crosfield Nursery School and Children’s Centre 15 hours flexible early education and childcare provision

2. What is important? Statement of purpose: • All are welcomed, valued and respected • High quality learning experiences • Services for families

3. Priorities: • improve outcomes for children • ensure additional provision is of the highest quality • provide flexibility for families • manageable

4. Key priority: CHILDREN

5. What did we do? • Consultation with Governors • Agreement of 8 “offer” packages • Presentations for parents to explain options • Allocation of 15 hour place packages

6. Option packages: • 5 mornings and 2 lunchtimes • 5 afternoons and 2 lunchtimes • Mon, Tues all day, Wed am • Wed pm, Thurs, Fri all day • 5 mornings, 8.15am start (charge for food at breakfast) • 5 mornings, 8.00am start (charge for additional care hours and food at breakfast) • 5 mornings and 1 whole day (charge for additional care hours) • 5 afternoons and 1 whole day (charge for additional care hours)

7. What was the take up of each package? Currently 92 children on roll, of whom: • 16 attend mornings and 2 lunch times • 23 attend afternoons and 2 lunch times • 3 attend first half of the week • 5 attend second half of the week • 1 attends mornings and breakfast • 6 attend mornings and 1 full day • 5 attend afternoons and 1 full day • 3 attend mornings and 5 lunch times • 24 attend full time • 5 have other flexible packages • 1 has chosen only to access 12.5 hours

8. How did we implement this?

9. Breakfast club • Averages 6 – 8 children per day • Children arrive 8.00 or 8.15am and have opportunity to change sharing book with parent/carer before they leave • 2 existing staff members completed food hygiene training • Both work additional hours to staff sessions

10. Additional lunchtime provision • Planned for maximum of 56 children each day (actually 48 – 54) • Minimum of 7 staff members (maximum 3 unqualified) • 4 lunchtime supervisors (2 unqualified, 2 with NVQ level 2) • Additional staff drawn from nursery key persons and support staff (all teachers or with level 3 qualification) • Complex rota arrangement to ensure everyone also able to have a break – targeting more staff at “transition” times, arrivals and departures • Initially 7 tables (maximum 8 children per table) – 3 first sitting, 1 middle sitting, 3 second sitting • Endless lists! • Still very challenging, reviewed and amended system • 8 groups, 4 tables at each sitting

11. Flexibility of attendance patterns • Organisational challenges – lists! • Impact on children’s learning and development: curriculum focus weeks continuity of provision confidence in nursery routines self-esteem and well-being • Staff morale

12. Priorities: • improve outcomes for children • ensure additional provision is of the highest quality • provide flexibility for families • manageable

13. Are we meeting our identified priorities?

14. Positive outcomes • Positive feedback from parents – especially those accessing most flexible packages • Improved physical and social skills of children accessing breakfast club • Opportunities for different play experiences at lunchtime

15. What would we have done differently? • Simpler staffing arrangements at lunchtime • More effective communication with parents about children’s eating experiences and our lunchtime expectations • Review financial management arrangements for additional hours

16. What challenges remain? • Maintaining effective parent / key person communication • Securing routines where staff are confident in our capacity to provide high quality experiences at lunchtime • Ongoing management of payment of fees for additional hours • Securing shared vision and values – articulating this clearly and respectfully to parents

17. But, we must get this right for our children and their families