Working in Partnership

Partnership with Parents and Carers

We believe that children benefit most from early year’s education and care when parents and settings work together in partnership.

We recognise the parents as the initial educator of their children and value the knowledge they have of their child and their needs.  As such we encourage the parents to play an active part in their child’s development and learning at pre-school by sharing their child’s profile with them using Tapestry's on line journals and then if they wish, to meet with their key worker to help plan their child’s further development. We provide opportunities for parents to learn about the curriculum offered in the setting and about young children's learning, in the setting and at home.

Parents are consulted at every level of intervention. Parents have a right to be involved in discussions about their child.  Procedures should be explained to parents in order to develop a close working relationship and so parents can be made aware of the targets being set for their child. Parents should be offered advice about how they can work with their child at home if they so wish. The effectiveness of any intervention will depend upon the level of involvement of parents.

 Consultation with parents is made informally on a daily basis.  Additional consultation is made at either the parents or the pre-schools request at a mutually convenient time.

 We also aim to support parents in their own continuing education and personal development. We inform parents about relevant conferences, workshops and training We aim to ensure our setting is warm and welcoming to parents/carers to help them feel at ease.

The Role of Staff

We have a staff team who are trained in the importance of working in partnership with families to best support and meet the needs of individual children.  They are committed to ongoing dialogue with parents to improve our knowledge of the needs of their children and to support their families.

 The staff inform all parents about how the setting is run and its policies through access to written information and through regular informal communication. We check to ensure parents

understand the information that is given to them.

Partnership with Other Settings

 Working closely with the family and other settings the child attends is essential.  We need to ensure continuity and coherence by sharing relevant information with each other. Communication books can be invaluable. The parent and child at the heart of all our observations, assessments and planning, with the knowledge we have already gained, suitable activities are planned to help them settle.  Maybe in a small group of children they already know.  Positive relationships among children can also greatly help them through transitions as they provide each other with understanding.

Partnership with Outside Agencies

 Children with different learning needs are welcomed in the same manor as those from different cultural backgrounds.  We all work together with the Early Years Advisory Team to include everyone in our daily routine.  The children support the children and learn together that everyone has their own individual needs.  The parents are supported by our links with outside agencies we hold information evenings run by specialists in their field, when the other parents can ask any questions that are concerning them and receive factual and hopefully reassuring answers so they too will be able to support the children their families and the whole community.  This supportive group will then move onto primary school together making the transition that much smoother.

 As practioners we always take whatever suitable training is provided to ensure our knowledge is up to date and relevant for all the children in our setting.  Often training can be arranged for the whole group if considered beneficial.

Parental Involvement

 At Groombridge Pre-school we value highly the part played by our parents. We welcome the contributions of parents, in whatever form these may take.

 We believe it is good for both the child and the parent to be as involved with the pre-school as their lives will allow and we therefore encourage parents to be as involved as they can be.

 Our parent committee runs pre-school and there are always opportunities to help the committee, whether they wish to have a named role such as Chair, Treasurer or Secretary or just wish to help out with their ideas and time.

 We are always grateful for any extra help within the sessions on any day, which suits the parents.

 We often have parents who run dance, yoga and music sessions with us as well as those who come in regularly to help out during the morning or afternoon sessions.

 We utilise any particular specialities the parents might have to constantly provide a varied and stimulating environment for the child.  Parents such as doctors, dentists, pilots, civil engineers, cooks, artists and musicians all help to keep a diverse learning environment. 

This policy is known, agreed and implemented by all staff.

 This policy is known and made available to all parents.

 This policy was reviewed April 2011 and April 2015