Policies

The Behaviour Management Policy, Equal Opportunities Policy and Complaints Procedure are
just three of our many policies and procedures which are in the Operational Plan, which is available to all Pre-School parents. Prospective parents may request details on our Operational Plan from the Pre-Shcool Secretary.

All our policies are designed to offer the best possible experience for the
children and families in the group. Our policies are reviewed annually and comments and
suggestions from parents are always welcome. You can see the rest of the policy documents listed on the right.

Pre-School Kids

Behaviour Management

We believe that children and adults flourish best in an ordered environment in which everyone
knows what is expected of them and children are free to develop their play and learning
without fear of being hurt or hindered by anyone else. We aim to work towards a situation in
which children can develop self-discipline and self-esteem in an atmosphere of mutual respect
and encouragement. In order to achieve this:

Rules governing the conduct of the group and the behaviour of the children will be
discussed and agreed within the pre-school and explained to all newcomers, both children
and adults.
All adults in the pre-school will ensure that the rules are applied consistently, so that
children have the security of knowing what to expect and can build up useful habits of
behaviour.
All adults will try to provide a positive model for children with regard to
friendliness, care and courtesy.
Adults in the pre-school will praise and endorse desirable behaviour such as
kindness and willingness to share.
We will take positive steps to avoid a situation in which children receive adult attention
only in return for undesirable behaviour.

When children do behave in unacceptable ways:

Physical punishment, such as smacking or shaking, will never be used or threatened.
Children will never be sent out of the room by themselves.
Techniques intended to single out and humiliate individual children such as the "naughty
chair" will not be used.
Children who misbehave will be given one-to-one adult support in seeing what was wrong
and working towards a better pattern.
Where appropriate this might be achieved by a period of "time out" with an adult.
In cases of serious misbehaviour, such as racial or other abuse, the unacceptability of the
behaviour and attitudes will be made clear immediately, but by means of explanations
rather than personal blame.
In any case of misbehaviour, it will always be made clear to the child or children in
question that it is the behaviour and not the child that is unwelcome.
Adults in the pre-school will make themselves aware of, and respect, a range of cultural
expectations regarding interactions between people.
Any behaviour problems will be handled in a developmentally appropriate fashion,
respecting individual children’s level of understanding and maturity.
Recurring problems will be tackled by the whole pre-school, in partnership with the child’s
parents, using objective observation records to establish an understanding of the cause.
Adults will be aware that some kinds of behaviour may arise from a child’s special needs.

Equality and Diversity

Winford Village Pre-School works in accordance with all relevant legislation, including:

Disabled Persons Act 1958, 1986
Race Relations Act 1976 and Race Relations Amendment 2000 Act
Sex Discrimination Act 1986
Children Act 1989
Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001

We believe that the group’s activities should be open to all children and families, and to all
adults committed to their welfare. We aim to ensure that all who wish to work in, or volunteer
to help with, our pre-school have an equal chance to do so.

Admissions - Winford Village Pre-School is open to every family in the local community.
We operate a waiting list which is arranged in order of date of birth with the intention that
every child on the waiting list be offered at least one session.
Employment - we will appoint the best person for each job and will treat fairly all
applicants for jobs and those appointed. Commitment to implementing the group’s Equal
Opportunities Policy will form part of the job description for all workers. All employees
are subject to a Criminal Records Check.
Families - we recognise that many different types of families successfully love and care for
children.
Festivals - our aim is to show respectful awareness of all the major events in the lives of
the children and families in the pre-school, and in our society as a whole, and to welcome
the diversity of backgrounds from which they come:
- Children will be made aware of the festivals which are being celebrated by their own
  families or others, and will be introduced where appropriate to the stories behind the
  festivals.
- Before introducing a festival with which the adults are not themselves familiar, appropriate
  advice will be sought.
- Children and families who celebrate at home festivals with which the rest of the Pre-school
  is not familiar will be invited to share their festival with the rest of the group, if they
  themselves wish to do so.
- Children will be encouraged to welcome a range of different festivals, together with the
  stories, celebrations and special food and clothing they involve, as part of the diversity of
  life.
The Curriculum - all children will be respected and their individuality and potential
recognised, valued and nurtured. Activities and the use of play equipment offer children
opportunities to develop in an environment free from prejudice and discrimination.
Appropriate opportunities will be given to children to explore, acknowledge and value
similarities and differences between themselves and others.
Resources - these will be chosen to give children a balanced view of the world and an
appreciation of the rich diversity of our multi-racial society. Materials will be selected to
help children develop their self-respect and to respect other people by avoiding stereotypes
and derogatory pictures or messages about any group of people.
Special Needs - Winford Village Pre-School recognises the wide range of special needs of
children and families in the community, and will consider what part it can play in meeting
those needs of people with disabilities.
Discriminatory Behaviour/Remarks - these are unacceptable in the pre-school. The
response will aim to be sensitive to the feelings of the victim(s) and to help those
responsible to understand and overcome their prejudices.
Language - information, written and spoken, will be clearly communicated.
Bilingual/multilingual children and adults are an asset. They will be valued and their
languages recognised and respected in the pre-school.
Food - medical, cultural and dietary needs will be met.
Meetings - the time, place and conduct of meetings will ensure that all families have an
equal opportunity to be involved in the running of the pre-school.

Complaints Procedure

As a member of the Pre-School Learning Alliance we aim to provide the highest quality
education and care for all our children. We aim to offer a welcome to each individual child
and family and to provide a warm and caring environment within which all children can learn
and develop as they play. We believe children and parents are entitled to expect courtesy and
prompt, careful attention to their needs and wishes. Our intention is to work in partnership
with parents and the community generally and we welcome suggestions on how to improve
our group at any time.

We have a 5 Stage procedure to address complaints, and the full procedure is available for all
parents to read in our Operational Plan. All complainants will receive a written account of the
investigation and actions taken as a result of their complaint within 28 days. This account is
available on request to all parents of children at our Pre-School and Ofsted. All complaints
and the action taken are recorded in our Complaints Summary Record.

Parents may approach Ofsted directly at any stage of this complaints procedure. In addition,
where there seems to be a possible breach of the setting’s registration requirements, it is
essential to involve Ofsted as the registering and inspection body with a duty to ensure the
National Standards for Day Care are adhered to. The address and telephone number for
Ofsted is: Early Years, Ofsted, Freshford House, Redcliffe Way, Bristol BS1 6NL.
Complaints and Enforecement Telephone: 0845 6404040. This address is displayed on our
notice board.