BEST PRACTICE FOR PARENTAL PARTNERSHIP

December 05

BEST PRACTICE FOR PARENTAL PARTNERSHIP

İlknur Şemşek

Introduction

Our pre-school is run by a private management and mixes

both Montessori and traditional nursery methods. As a pre-

school setting, we welcome all children registered with us

and having attained the appropriate age. One of our

setting’s main aim is to work in partnership with

parents/carers. “When parents and practitioner work

together in early years settings, the results have a

positive impact on the child’s development and learning”.

Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage, Quali cationsfi

and Curriculum Authority 2000, P/9.

Early Years Practitioner2

Our Setting’s Parental Partnership Policies and

Procedures

We have two separate information sheets which cover

parental partnership. One of them is the main copy of

policies and procedures, which covers all the policies and

procedures such as admission, settling in, medication,

equal opportunities, complaints, arrival and departure,

accident and emergency, health and safety, parental

involvement, child protection, fees, special needs, nursery

hours and closure days, road safety, children’s clothing,

uniforms, student placement, information about the setting

and activities. The other one is “terms and conditions of

staff and parents in partnership”, which contains the most

information about parental partnership. We give this

written information to parents/carers with the registration

form.

Parental Partnership Policies And Procedures In

Our Setting

Settling in, gives information about how we support

parent/carer and the child during settling in period.

Medication, this policy is about, which medications we

will administer and the medical signing book for

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parents/carers.

Arrival and departure, policy informs parents/carers

about opening and closing times, insurance cover and,

if a child is not collected or collected by someone

else (the procedure we follow).

Complaints, procedure gives information on how a

parent/carer can make a complaint, how we offer help

to sort the problem or if we can help them and how

they can contact to ofsted.

Equal Opportunities, explains how and why we care

about equal opportunities, anti discriminatory and

anti bias practice.

Accident and Emergency, what procedures we take should

there be an accident and or emergency situation.

Fees, gives information about setting’s registration,

full fee and how to make the payments to pre-school.

Special Needs, policy explains that we welcome all the

children to register with us and if the child has got

special educational or physical needs then as a pre—

school setting we would like to make sure that we can

meet the child’s needs.

Nursery hours and closure days, information about

setting’s opening and closing times and the days we

would be close during terms.

Children’s Clothing and Uniforms, gives suggestions to

parents/carers how to dress children for pre—school

and explains why. Student Placement policy, gives

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information to parents/carers that our setting employs

students as helpers.

Information about the setting and activities, details

about our setting’s working system, key worker groups,

planning and activities such as indoors, outdoors and

trips based on curriculum guidance for the foundation

stage.

Our Implementation Of Parental Partnership

Policies And Procedures

Equal Opportunities: In our setting we have an anti-

discriminatory/anti-bias policy for children, their

families, staff and volunteers. We register all the

children without discriminating against their race,

gender, culture or religion. Also our setting employs

a wide range of staff members from different

nationalities, religions and cultures. We do not

tolerate discrimination on the grounds of race, creed,

gender, sexual orientation or disability.

Accident and Emergency: In our setting, almost every

member of staff has a first aid certificate. If not

our management encourages everyone to attend a first

aid course. If a child becomes unwell during nursery

hours, our supervisor contacts the child’s

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parent/carer. If any child has an accident we give the

necessary support to the child e. g. TLC and record it

in the accident book and ask parent/carer to sign it.

If the accident is serious, we would take further

action such as calling an ambulance, suggesting

parent/carer to take the child to a doctor.

Fees: We charge, a sum of money as a deposit from

parents/carers when they register their children with

us and we reduce this amount from last term’s fee.

Parents/carers can pay 1 term in advance if they wish

or annually. Also we divide payment into twelve equal

monthly payments. If parent/carer wants to withdraw

their children from the setting we ask them to give us

1 terms notice, we do not charge parents/carers for

our staff training, bank holidays or other closure

days, but if absence is due to a child’s illness or

holidays then we do not refund payments.

Arrival and departure: We inform parents/carers that

our policy does not cover children before 09.30 am and

after 12.30 pm. We mention in our policies and

procedures that before 09.30 staff will be moving

furniture around and setting up the hall for children

so it is not safe for children health and safety wise.

Collection time, if someone else is going to pick up

the child other than the main carer, then we expect

the parent/carer to inform us about the person’s

identity and set a password between main carer and

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nursery leader. If the main carer does not inform us

about the collection then we contact the main carer

before we let the child go with that person, to make

sure that it is the right person.

Special Needs: As a setting we believe that every

child has the right to learn and to be encouraged at

all times. We give commitment and support to every

special need child and register special physical and

educational needs children. As a staff team, we give

extra support to parent/carer and we pass outside

agencies’ information to them such as therapists,

health visitors, psychologists, social workers,

pediatricians. . .etc to make sure that we can all

meet the special need child’s needs.

Closure days: We close between Christmas and New Year,

for all bank holidays and 1 day for staff training. We

put up a notice on the information board about the

closure days as well as we mentioning in the policies

and procedures for parents/carers.

Children’s Clothes: We ask parents/carers to dress

their children in appropriate clothes, recommending

track suits, soft shoes, no wellington boots, no

jewellery or belts with sharp edges. If we see any

danger signals e. g. shoe laces, we make sure it does

not harm the child and we recommend Velcro fastened

shoes for their children. In our setting we also keep

clean spare clothes for children in case we need to

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use them.

Uniforms: Our setting requests all children to wear

our pre-school’s uniform as the nursery holds no

responsibility for any stains or damage which may

occur to best clothes. Therefore we sell our own

tracksuits, t—shirts and jumpers if parents/carers

wish to buy for their children.

Student Placement Policy: As well as mentioning in our

policies and procedures we also inform parents/carers

verbally that our setting has students or volunteers

working and everybody has an enhanced criminal record

bureau check (CRB).

Information about the Activities: In our setting we

plan towards the Curriculum Guidance for the

Foundation Stage and Birth to Three Matters. Our

setting gives freedom of choice of material, books,

paints or any other creative materials. We provide

opportunities for children to develop their physical

skills, social skills and also once a week we provide

Music and French specialized sessions for children. We

introduce children to Language and mathematical skills

such as phonic sounds, small script, amounts and

numerals. The nursery also implements a policy in

which the children learn about other cultures and

religions,

Key Worker Groups: We operate a key worker group

system, which involves one member of staff to be

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responsible for a certain number of children.

Children’s records of achievement and staff

observations are kept confidential and shared with

parents/carers by key workers. We introduce children

to shapes, numbers, colours, pencil control, cutting

and gluing with the key worker sessions and also to

writing names and phonic sounds if the children are

ready.

What Areas of Parental. Partnership Could Be

Improved?

Policies and Procedures: To add terms and conditions

of parental partnership information into main policy

documents and giving child registration forms

separately and following sessional care, irrational

standards for under 8’s daycare and child minding.

Arrivals and Departure: Providing a book for

parents/carers to sign in and out their children.

Planning: To include trips to local amenities with

short and medium term planning.

Information about staff: To mention about enhanced

criminal record bureau check (CRB) in the policies and

procedures, as it is no longer called police check.

Collection of children: If someone else picks up a

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child apart from main cater, to ask for an ID card as

well as password as it mentions in the policies and

procedures.(implementing of the policy)

Children’s Clothes: For parents/carers to name their

children’s clothes and to keep extra labels in the

setting.

Access to records: To mention in the policies and

procedures that parents/carers can access to their

children’s records any time they wish as long as they

ask help from key worker and keep records con dential.fi

Parents should be kept fully informed about their

child’s activities in a day care or educational

setting or with a child minder” The Children Act 1989,

The frame work for the care and upbringing of

children, 1991, p/34.

Equal Opportunities: To provide policies and

procedures in different languages and formats e. g.

interpreter, brail, large print, sign language, audio,

cassette. . . etc.

Sharing Ideas: To provide questionnaires, suggestions

and concern boxes for parents/carers and staff to

share their ideas or concerns with the setting.

Confidentiality: Mentioning about con dentiality as afi

separate paragraph in the policies and procedures and

put up a note on the information board for everyone to

be double careful with keeping records con dentialfi

about children and their families.

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Trainings and workshops: To provide trainings and work

shops for parents/carers and inform them about courses

such as parental skills, behaviour management, child

protection . . .etc.

How I Would Implement Change About Parental

Partnership:

l. I would write parental partnership policies and

procedures in the main policies and procedures copy rather

than making two different copies and give child

registration form as a separate document. When I am writing

the parental partnership policies and procedures I would

follow Sessional Day Care: Guidance to the National

Standards for under 8’s day care and child minding,

2. I would organize trips to local amenities such as

library, park, post office, fire station . . . etc, when I

write short and medium term planning. I would also mention

in the policies and procedures that parents/carers are

welcome to join us as long as they would have their

enhanced CRB checks.

3. I would give information about the parental courses to

parents/carers. Therefore I would mention about it in the

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policies and procedures and to put a list of courses up on

the information board and also send written information if

necessarily in different languages or formats to

parents/carers.

4. It is already in the policy that we would ask for an ID

from the person who comes to collect the child other than

main carer. I would also put a note on the door about this

procedure and inform parents/carers verbally that we would

be asking for an ID card as well as password. In the mean

time I would make sure that all the staff members are aware

of this procedure’s importance.

5. I would extend the information about children’s clothing

in the policies and procedures and to give extra written

and verbal information saying that naming all clothes,

bags, shoes and other belongings, to put on Velcro fastened

shoes instead of Wellington boots and shoe with laces for

indoors and also not to put on belts (this makes toilet

visits difficult for child) or sharp end jewellery. Apart

from these I would still keep extra labels and clean spare

clothes in the setting.

6. As pre-school staff members we are very careful with

keeping records con dential but I also would make thisfi

clear in the policies and procedures for parents/carers.

During consultations I would inform parent/carers that we

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keep children’s records confidential and individual,

therefore parents/carers should be careful not to pass

their children’s records to others and they can access to

their children’s records at any time. If necessarily I

would also send written information to homes as well.

7. I believe sharing information with parents/carers is

very important, first of all, I would change the place of

the information board and re—design it by putting it

somewhere more noticeable and putting interesting

information on the board rather than keeping first aid and

qualification certificates such as information about

behaviour management, parental skills courses, a chart

about child protection issues, advertising trips, meetings,

coffee mornings. ..etc. Plus I would also supply

questionnaires, suggestions and concern boxes for

parents/carers and staff to share their ideas and concerns

with the setting.

8. I would add to the policies and procedures that we would

be providing policies and procedures or other information

about the pre-school and their children in different

languages and formats depending on parents/carers needs e.

g. interpreter, brail large print, sign language, cassette,

email or letters for working families. I would also mention

about it when they come for their first visit to the

setting.

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Possible Barriers That Might Hinder This Change:

Management might decide that we are not able to change

parental partnership policies and procedures and their

implementation.

Finance we might not have enough funds in our nancefi

to be able to make the change.

Staff, the staff team might not feel knowledgeable

enough to implement the change.

Special needs families, we might have special physical

or educational needs parents/carers. They might not be

able to come to the setting or they might need extra

support depending on their needs e. g. English as an

additional language, sign language, Braille, physical

disability or could be working families.

Landlord, our setting is in a privately rented

building therefore we need to get permission for some

of the changes from the landlord e.g. changing

information board’s place, putting up notices on the

board. . etc.

Trips. we might not be able to get enough help to meet

child adult ratios. Parents/carers might not be

interested in joining us, would not get CRB checks.

Weather conditions might not be suitable,

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parents/carers might not be free to join us due to

other siblings, work, and sickness or busy with

something else.

Potential Benefits of My Change

l. Benefits for children:

The relationship between parents/carers and pre-school

will make children happier and more secure.

Child will build more self-esteem, con dence andfi

trust.

Children will express their feelings and socialize

better; therefore they will be more successful with

their education.

They will build strong friendships with other children

and adults. With the change children’s needs will be

met quicker and better.

Children’s knowledge about outside places will extend

by visiting local amenities e.g. library, GP,

shops. ..etc

To go on trips by foot which will develop children’s

gross motor skills and their stamina by also having

fresh air.

Partnership with parents/carers will make transition

easier between pre-school and home.

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Being careful with children’s clothing will save them

from having accidents e. g. not to put wellington

boots for indoors, shoes with laces or sharp jewellery

and also by not putting belts will make their visits

to the toilet need much easier.

2- Bene ts for families:fi

By attending parental courses, parents/carers will

extend their knowledge about childcare, parental

skills, behaviour management and child protection. . .

etc.

Parents/carers will have opportunity to meet other

parents/carers and staff; therefore they will extend

their social skills.

Having an extra pair of hands will give a chance to

parents/carers to involve with planning and

activities.

With involvement parents/carers will feel more

involved in their children’s learning progress and

this will increase parents’/carers’ self-esteem and

confidence.

“Pre-school settings can be vitally important for

parents as well as for under- ves. Many parents findfi

in pre-school the support they need in order to help

overcome feelings of isolation and begin to feel a

part of their local community” Equal Chances, Pre-

school learning Alliance, 200l,p/4l. Providing

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policies and procedures in different languages and

formats will include all the parents/carers with the

pre-school and their children’s education.

To care about con dentiality will protectfi

parents/carers beliefs and values.

Working in partnership with parents/carers will give

them the chance to see their children safe and happy

and being informed about their children’s progress.

To learn about outside agencies such as ofsted, child

protection and special needs organizations, pre-school

learning alliance. . . etc.

3- Bene ts for our setting:fi

If the change works out well, this would increase the

setting’s reputation.

The setting would get more application and might need

to open another branch or move into a bigger building.

Finance would increase.

Other qualified and experienced practitioners would

want to work with our setting for a good reference and

work experience.

The change would extend managements success.

To follow National Standards for sessional care will

make setting ready for Ofsted inspections.

Setting will be working with more responsible parents

and carers.

Setting will have more staff ratio by having

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volunteers, students and parents/carers as an extra

pair of hand.

By providing questionnaires, suggestions and concern

boxes, the setting will be receiving different ideas

and opinions.

By sharing information, the setting will see mistakes

quicker and improve their practice.

Strategies for Monitoring and Evaluating:

Monitoring:

Feed back, from management, supervisor, staff, parent

and carer.

Questionaires, to give out to parents/carers and

staff.

Observations about the change.

Conversation, with parents/carers and staff about the

change.

Letters, from parents/carers with their opinions about

the change.

Contact with special needs parents/ carers through

interpreter, sign language, brail, telephone. . .etc.

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To check following regularly:

l. Arrivals and departure signing book

2. Suggestion and concern boxes

3. Applications for parental courses.

Evaluating:

Writing report; about the change after monitoring by

covering these questions:

l. Has it worked?

2. Any gaps?

3. Has it been implemented correctly?

4. Can we fill the gaps and how?

Evaluating policies and procedures against

legislation,

To organize a meeting with parents/carers and staff to

look at what is working and what we need to change.

To get social service’s opinion about evaluation of

the change,

Evaluating altogether with parents! Carers and staff.

How to Overcome the Possible Barriers?

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By,

l. Providing the change in writing for management and

supporting them with any procedure it might take,

2. Organizing fund raising activities to increase finance

by coffee mornings, evening meetings or concerts,

3. Getting volunteers, students and parents/carers as an

extra pair of hands,

4. Setting up a parental rota,

5. Providing trainings and work shops about the change for

parents/carers and staff to implement it correctly,

6. Sending information through letters and email ways to

working parents/carers,

7. Sharing information with special need children’s

parents,/carers through an interpreter, sing language,

Braille, large print, cassette, audio. . etc,

8. Getting written and verbal permission from landlord

about the change e.g. replacing information board and

putting notes on the wall and door.

9. Informing parents/carers about the Criminal record

bureau check (CRB) in writing and verbal.

A strong relationship is built through good communication,

therefore a wide range of

methods of communication such as written, spoken, sign

language, braille. . etc should be accessible, clear and

relate to all parents/carers, children and staff.

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References and Bibliography

Day Care: Guidance to the National Standards, 2003,

Nottingham, DFES, Publications.

Department for Education and Skills, 2003, Sessional Care

National Standards for under 8 5 day care and Child

minding, Nottingham, DFES Publications.

Quali cations and Curriculum Authority 2000, Curriculumfi

Guidance for the Foundation Stage, London.

Pre-school Learning Alliance, 2001, Equal Chances, London.

Tassoni P, Beith K, Eldridge H, Gough A, 2002, Diploma

Child Care and Education, Oxford, Heinemann Educational.

The framework for the care and upbringing of children,

199}, The Children Act l989.

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