Daisy Chain Day Care Nursery

Introduction

As the pre-school years are the most important, you want a safe, happy and secure environment in which your child can develop. Daisy Chain is a purpose built nursery that has been created to provide a relaxed atmosphere and a stimulating environment.
Trained, qualified and experienced staff will give your child care and educational opportunities tailored to each child's individual needs. We will listen to and answer any questions you have and support parents / carers during these vital years by building a good relationship with the families that attend Daisy Chain.
We acknowledge the importance of communication in the interest of your child, enabling you to leave your child with complete confidence.

History

Daisy Chain Nursery has been established since 1991, opening its doors at
The Plume School, Maldon. In 2002 we opened our brand new, purpose
Built nursery in Royal Court, Maldon.

Opening Times

Monday -Friday 8am -6pm
Daisy Chain Nursery is open all round with the exception of bank holidays
and the week over Christmas and New Year.

The Staff

Proprietors- John and Julie Hall
Kim Lambert -Manager
Edna Wilson -Deputy Manager

All staff employed at Daisy Chain are relevantly trained. At least 50% of
staff per room are qualified to that of a Level 3 in childcare and pre-
school standards. The other 50% are either that of a Level 2 or are
highly experienced and able. All staff are constantly updating their skills
by attending courses that are available to ensure we as a nursery are up
to date with currents issues and standards within the childcare sector .
We have first aiders in each room and many staff have completed health
and safety courses including food and hygiene.
We have a trained cook that comes in daily to prepare fresh, healthy
meals for the children and we have a cleaner that comes in daily to ensure
the cleanliness and hygiene of the nursery is that of a high quality.

The Nursery

Daisy Chain can take up to 74 children per day between the ages of 3
months - 8 years. Each room has age appropriate toys and equipment
including sand and water play, role play and art and craft activities. All of
the older rooms have computers and each group participate in singing and
music activities throughout the day.
Each child has a designated key worker that are in charge of keeping a
development record of each child which moves with them throughout the
nursery and eventually is passed on to school when they leave.

Our children are divided into the following age groups:

3 Months - 2 Years

Our baby unit consists of 2 rooms, with 9 children in each. 3 months -1
year and 1 year - 2 years with 3 members of staff per room. We follow
each childs individual routine to ensure the continuity and easy transfer
between home and nursery.
The under 1's have a diary which comes to and from nursery daily to
ensure you have a written account of your childs day to refer to, including
activities they have participated in and meals they have eaten. Staff
ensure each child is comfortable and will spend time with them
individually as necessary during play or sleep time.
In the 1-2 room, children are giving opportunity to experiment with sand
and water play as well as activities suitable for their age group.
Everything is recorded and fed back to parents at the end of each day.

2 - 3 Years

We have one room for our 2-3 age group with 12 children and 3 staff. At
this stage of your childs development they will have the opportunity to
develop social skills as well as mixing and sharing with others. The
children cover simple topics, which include the basic skills of learning for
this age group; they will look at shapes and colours and experiment with
painting and gluing activities. We have facilities for potty training and low
toilets and basins in order for your child to become more independent at
washing hands etc. There is a quiet area for children to relax, look at
books or have a nap if required.

3 - 5 Years (pre-school)

Once your child turns 3, they are entitled to Government Funding, which
pays towards part of your nursery fees. Our 3-5 unit is set out in 2 areas,
3-4 years and 4-5 years (28 children in total). In this area children are
now covering the curriculum on a wider range, preparing them for school.
In order to do this we have 6 learning areas: Personal, Social and
Emotional Development, Physical Development, Creative Development,
Knowledge and Understanding of the World, Communication, Language and
Literacy and Mathematics. By choosing interesting Topics for the
children to cover we can involve all these areas within their daily routine
through a mixture of art and craft, experiments, communication and role
play, as well as much more. Each child has a work and writing book, which they complete with adult input each time they attend. This is to encourage basic reading and writing skills, recognising words and pictures in a relaxed and fun way.
The children are encouraged gently to participate in these activities;
each child is treated individually and stretched to their own level of
development and ability.

5 - 8 Years

We operate an 'After School' and 'Holiday Club' for children attending
school in any of the Maldon schools. During term time staff will collect your child from school and bring them back to Daisy Chain where they will be mixing with a group of 16 children. There will be opportunity for your child to participate in activities and
games suitable for their age range. We have a quiet area where your child
can sit and read and complete homework tasks if necessary.
Children attending our After School Club have priority over spaces in our
Holiday Club, which runs during every school holiday (except Christmas
unless it overlaps into our opening times and not on bank holidays). During
our holiday club children can be dropped off at nursery from as early as
8am where they will have a full day of fun and exciting activities. They
will have opportunities to attend trips out such as bowling, cinema and
picnics in the summer months (some activities will include an additional
charge but are optional).

Arranging a Visit

Please feel free to contact the nursery buy phone or Email to receive a
prospectus with further information and to arrange a time suitable for
you to come and look around. You will meet the staff that will be caring
for your child. You will be able to discuss availability with the manager
and also ask any questions you may have. Once you have decided on which
days/sessions you wish to attend and returned you registration form and
fee, you will be able to bring your child along for some pre-visits to
introduce then to nursery life.

Refreshments and Meals

Example of Weekly menu (Rotated over a five week period)

Week 1	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Dinner	Spaghetti bolognaise	Chicken Curry & Boiled Rice	Fish Pie & mixed Vegetables	Irish stew & mixed Vegetables	Shepherds pie & carrots
Pudding	Apple Crumble & Custard	Chocolate Sponge & Chocolate Sauce	Trifle	Fresh fruit salad	Fruit jelly & Cream
Tea	Tuna or Ham Pitta Pockets Shortbread	Filled Rolls & crisps Fruit Yoghurts	Sausage rolls, salad & home made coleslaw Fruit cake	Cornish Wafers with Ham & Cubed Cheese Lemon cake	Bagels with cream cheese & cucumber slices Rock cakes