Making Progress

On joining Head Start you will receive a Parent Book for you and an All About Me pack for you and your child to complete. Your child will be allocated a member of staff as their designated Key Person within their room. This person will be especially aware of your child’s development and will be responsible for compiling their Learning Adventure Folder.

The Learning Adventure Folder is a written record of your child’s progress throughout the nursery with lots of examples of their work, loads of photos of a typical day and comments about all the things they get up to at Head Start. It is a great document to take with you when your child goes to BIG school as it will enable their new teacher to see what they have learnt at Head Start. It is also a brilliant and extremely thorough record of their time at nursery and one you will no doubt cherish for years to come!

We hold an informal parents evening each year, giving you the opportunity to discuss your child’s development with their Key Person. We encourage you to add comments to your child’s communication book about their development at home. Sharing information is really important, this ensures we all get a complete picture of your child and their interests, development and learning needs.

The staff within your child’s room will observe all the children in their group and you are welcome to discuss your child with any member of staff at a convenient time. These continuous observations enable us to plan for your child’s next stage of development and to be sure we meet all their needs within the Early Years Foundation Stage.

Children in our care will always be encouraged to try something new and to take that extra step, whether it’s on a climbing frame, a slide or a trike, children learn by simply having a go! Occasionally this can result in a bump or scrape, but often after a cuddle and reassurance they are usually ready for another attempt. Learning what it is like to take a little risk (in a safe environment) at an early stage is an essential part of growing up and enables your child to discover just what they can achieve.