Find your nearest nursery
Here we list some of the frequently asked questions you may have, and perhaps some you hadn’t thought of, to give you all the information you need about Blackberry House Day Nursery Group.
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What if I want to change my child’s sessions or terminate their place?
If you wish to defer your child’s start date you must give Us the Minimum Notice. If a parent requests termination or intends to take up a place elsewhere during the first half of the funding period, we will negotiate to end the contract with a reasonable notice period (minimum 8 weeks).
During the second half of the funding period, we may negotiate the change, but we are not obliged to end the claim without reasonable notification (one full term of approximately 12 weeks) unless there are ‘exceptional circumstances’. In such cases, we may need to relinquish the funding claim. Blackberries Childcare Group will promptly notify the Local Authority team of any reductions in parents’ claims to avoid overpayment and overclaims.
The notice period is the time period between the receipt of the letter of Termination of Childcare Services. Our services run from Monday – Friday weekdays only. For Example, typically, two weeks’ notice means 10 business days, and you can give it any time during the Childcare service business week.
The Paid Notice period of one full term will be taken from the day you hand in your form to the Nursery as date stamped or the day the emailed Termination form is received. Our childcare notice period starts running from the end of the day on which you give it.
So, as you are required to give one full term notice the rule applied is your notice on 1 January would mean your last day would be 31 March, or 1 April – 31 August, or 1 September – 31 December.
Registration fees are non-refundable.
Any changes to your childcare place must be notified by the 1st of each month and will take effect from the next invoicing period. You must complete an Orange change of hours form and return to Head Office
NB: You can access all Nursery Forms Via our Online Parent Forms section on our website
What if my child is taken out of provision for a holiday or due to sickness?
We ask that you complete a holiday form to keep us informed of your child’s attendance. This should be submitted by the 1st of the month for the following invoicing period to see a deduction to meal costing. Contracted sessions/hours are still payable. If your child is sick, we ask that you inform us via phone or email to advise they will be absent from nursery. Their sessions/hours are still payable. Please refer to our sickness exclusion policy on our website, as depending on their illness they may be required to remain absent for a period of time.
NB: You can access all Nursery Forms Via our Online Parent Forms section on our website
What are your opening hours and holiday dates?
We are open 51 weeks of the year with the exception of bank holidays, and the one-week closure over Christmas – we do not charge for our Nursery closure periods
Make sure to download our Nursery Calendar, keeping you up to date with all Nursery Events, Closure, and upcoming Term Dates. The best part about our Nursery Calendar is its compatibility with various calendar platforms like Google Calendar, Apple iCalendar, Outlook 365, and Outlook Live, ensuring you never miss a moment.
Do you accept same-day bookings? If so, is there a cut off time / additional charges?
Depending on the availability we have for the session you are interested in; we do accept same day bookings. Prior notice is advised to increase the likeliness of availability being offered. Advanced payment for these bookings will be required.
Do you have a settling in process for new children?
Children who are starting with us here at Blackberries Childcare Group are provided with a settling in period, where we provide 1 free hour session where you child can get to know their surroundings and staff. During this time, we will ask you to complete a “Getting to Know Your Child” form, which gives the staff an understanding of your child’s likes, dislikes, interests, routine and any individual needs your child may need. Following on from this session you can book further sessions prior to your child’s start date if you feel that it will be beneficial to them settling in.
How do you support with children’s transitions through the setting?
We have our Nursery “Jump up Day’s” in place. When children are moving units, we provide short transition sessions where the child spends time in the new unit with the support of a familiar adult. These sessions take place about a month prior to their transition date. Our practitioners use transitions forms to share information between key workers as well as meeting to share your child’s file. We keep you updated and informed of these changes during our handovers to you, as well as inviting you to join us for Jump Up.
How will you keep me informed about my child's progress?
Your child’s Key Person will complete observations, to show your child’s progress. You will always be able to discuss these with your child’s Key Person and the observations will also be available through the Blackberries Childcare Group App – ParentZone
Every child is allocated a key worker who is responsible for observing your child within the Early Years Framework. At the end of each term, they will gather this information into their Child files and make an overall assessment of their development for that term. Both the file and the child’s next steps will be shared with you during our termly parent’s consultations via our online family teams’ meetings. Regular updates of your child’s journey with us are shared with you throughout each term offering you a snapshot of their nursery day and sharing relevant parent information to support you to continue your child’s learning on at home. We pride ourselves in our informative and friendly daily handovers when you collect your child.
What qualifications and experience does your staff group have?
Our staff’s qualifications vary from Apprentices, level 2 and level 3 qualified practitioners to degree-level managers along with Early Years Professional Status.
How does the key person system work in this setting?
Once you child starts nursery, he/she will be assigned a key worker based on initial bonds they make with the members of staff within their unit. You will be provided with a “Key Person Information Leaflet”, about that member of staff which explains their role in your child’s care and development. You child’s key worker will be the main person who plans your child’s daily activities and observes their development progress. If their key person changes for any reason, for example when they move units, you will be informed and provided with a new key person information leaflet.
What can I do to support my child's development and learning?
Parents are of course children’s first educators. Parents and practitioners working together can provide positive outcomes for the children and their learning and development progress. We encourage you to take an interest in your child’s learning and development and gain an understanding of how we support your child whilst they are at nursery and continuing this on at home. Our “Have a Go at Home” encourages our parents to join in and regular newsletters, parent’s evenings and daily handovers share the topics we are focusing on, and how we are planning activities and experiences to support their child’s next steps in their development.
How do I find my nearest nursery?
You can browse details of nurseries in your area by clicking here. You are also welcome to speak with our Onboarding team on 01945 589867, or to email us at enquire@blackberrieskids.com.
How do I go about securing a place for my child at nursery?
Firstly, we would recommend booking a personal tour of the nursery you are interested in if you haven’t done so already. Visiting the nursery means you can meet our team, talk through your requirements in person and really appreciate what we have to offer your family.
Our nurseries fill up quickly, especially now that additional funding is being made available to parents of babies, so if you would like to book a place with us, we recommend you do that as soon as possible, to avoid disappointment. If you are expecting a new baby, or are planning to move house, we suggest you start looking for a place sooner, rather than later.
FEE’s
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Do you offer free childcare and early education under the Nursery Education Funding Schemes for two / three and four year olds?
Yes. We are affiliated to the government schemes and the new Child Choices website all about Government help with childcare costs, including 15 to 30 hours’ free childcare, Tax-Free Childcare, Tax Credits, Childcare Vouchers and Universal Credit.
For more information please see the links below:
Help with Childcare Costs
Childcare Choices
Do you require a Registration fee?
Yes, you will need to pay a £80.00 non-refundable registration fee. Please note this is not applicable for Fully Funded children.
What if my child is taken out of provision for a holiday or due to sickness?
We ask that you complete a holiday form to keep us informed of your child’s attendance. 4 weeks’ notice must be given to allow us to deduct meal costs from your invoice during the time they are away, hours are still payable. If your child is sick, we ask that you inform us via phone or email to advise they will be absent from nursery. Their session is still payable. Please refer to our sickness exclusion policy on our website, as depending on their illness they may be required to remain absent for a period of time.
Welfare
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What does my child need to bring in with them?
We ask that your child attends nursery with appropriate clothing and footwear which must be labelled to avoid items being lost. Indoor shoes or slippers must be provided if they are attending wearing outdoor boots or wellies to enable them to play and explore both indoors and outdoors without the restrictions of feeling uncomfortable. You will also need to bring in any item’s you child requires during the day, which many include nappies, wipes, bottles, milk, comforters such as snugs or dummies. We ask that you please me mindful of the size of the bag you bring in as these are hung on trolleys with limited space available if oversized bags are used. Blackberries have their own uniform and accessory range, including polo’s, t-shirts, jumpers, hoodies, and bags, which you can purchase via the link below:
Want More Information?
If you are interested in what Blackberries can offer for your child or just want some more information, please click the button to be redirected to the enquiries form. Please complete and submit the form.
