At Hopscotch we strongly believe children benefit most from early years provision which works in partnership and harmony with parents and carers. We are committed to this and prioritise open and ongoing communication with all parents and carers. We value the information we receive from parents and carers and we also try to ensure we share all relevant information with parents and carers in a pro-active and timely manner.
Hopscotch believes in full transparency in the provision of and access to our company policies and these are listed on our website for easy access, as needed.
We use https://app.famly.co/ as our online learning journal and parent communications tool (see below).
We hold termly Parents Evenings at our nursery settings where parents are invited into the setting to speak directly to staff and Key Workers about their child’s development. Where parents are not able to attend parents are always welcome to visit the nursery on another occasion or to hold an online video call or a phone call to receive an update.
Staff will also endeavour to provide an insightful update at collection time although sometimes due to the busy nature of this time of day this might have to be relatively brief.
We hold webinars online for all Hopscotch parents to join. These events aim to focus on a specific topic which relates to parenting and child development such as food preparation and nutrition, toilet training, behaviour management at home and more.
We keep out social media channels updated and active and we encourage our parents and carers to follow us on our social media channels.
We aim to hold regular activities at our nurseries which parents can participate in and we also aim to organise Hopscotch events outside of our nurseries for special occasions and to enable further parent participation and interaction between our families.
Famly
We share information about children’s development and their learning journeys via Famly, a digital sharing platform. All parents and carers are encouraged to sign up when they start at Hopscotch.
We are committed to providing regular updates and observations to reflect and track children’s progress and development at nursery.
As well as helping track the development of children in line with EYFS requirements, Famly is also an easy and efficient way for Hopscotch to share information with our parents and carers, by providing frequent updates via the software, either through its website or app.
As part of our desire to forge and maintain strong parent partnership links, Hopscotch will undertake the following at all settings:
Daily update with photo for children on days they attend
Monthly in-depth written observations for every child
Paper will not to be used for daily feedback information sharing
These requirements will be measured as part of operational review meetings and visits by Hopscotch Senior Management. Frequent audits of Famly will be undertaken to ensure the above standards are being achieved.
Hopscotch Curriculum
At Hopscotch we have developed our own curriculum which is unique to our nurseries and the needs of our children.
The Curriculum is available to all staff and children and can be accessed via Famly.
We regularly review the effectiveness of our curriculum and undertake regular training sessions with staff on how we can best implement the curriculum.
We wish to fully support all families, no matter how big or small. There are more and more multiple births occurring in the UK, twins, triplets and even more. As a nursery we accommodate all families and work together with parents and carers to ensure all children are treated as individuals and supported to make the best progress they can.
This policy should be read in conjunction with our Settling in policy and Parents as partners policy. In addition to these to support the needs of multiple birth families, we will:
Acknowledge multiple birth relationship as special and to be celebrated as well as enabling children to develop as individuals
Work with parents to explore each child’s individual preferences, interests, needs and starting points including, where applicable ways for staff to identify them apart
Complete individual forms for each child to discover their individual routines, specific requirements, dietary needs etc.
Recognise and celebrate all individual achievements
Report back on each child separately at the end of the day to the parents
Consider separation if this is beneficial for their development. Parents, and where appropriate the children, will be involved in the decision for when, where and how this may occur (e.g. focused activities, outdoor play)
Arrange parental consultations for each child. Each child will receive the same time during the consultation as any other child in the setting. Assessments will be shared based on their individual progress and comparisons between the children will not be made, any concerns will be discussed as per SEND policy
Understand that each child is unique and not expect them to behave in the same manner, excel in the same areas or enjoy the same activities.
Supporting Separated Families
It is our intention to support any families going through separation by working closely with the parents to establish the most effective transition and support. We understand that this can be a difficult time and support a child’s emotional well-being and report any significant changes in behaviour to the parent. Parents are signposted to relevant services and organisations for support for the whole family, where required.
While the law does not define in detail what parental responsibility is, the following list sets out some of the key features of someone holding parental responsibility. These include:
Providing a home for the child
Having contact with and living with the child
Protecting and maintaining the child
Disciplining the child
Choosing and providing for the child's education
Determining the religion of the child
Agreeing to the child's medical treatment
Naming the child and agreeing to any change of the child's name
Accompanying the child outside the UK and agreeing to the child's emigration, should the issue arise
Being responsible for the child's property
Appointing a guardian for the child, if necessary
Allowing confidential information about the child to be disclosed.
In England, where all Hopscotch operations are based, if the parents of a child are married to each other at the time of the birth, or if they have jointly adopted a child, then they both have parental responsibility. Parents do not lose parental responsibility if they divorce, and this applies to both the resident and the non-resident parent.
This is not automatically the case for unmarried parents. According to current law, a mother always has parental responsibility for her child. However, a father has this responsibility only if he is married to the mother when the child is born or has acquired legal responsibility for his child through one of these three routes:
By jointly registering the birth of the child with the mother (From 1 December 2003)
By a parental responsibility agreement with the mother
By a parental responsibility order, made by a court.
During the registration process we collect details about both parents including who has parental responsibility, as this will avoid any future difficult situations.
We request these details on the child registration form. If a parent does not have parental responsibility or has a court order in place to prevent this, we must have a copy of this documentation for the child’s records.
If a child is registered by one parent of a separated family, we request disclosure of all relevant details relating to the child and other parent such as court orders or injunctions. This will make sure we can support the child and family fully in accordance with the policy set out below.
Hopscotch will:
Ensure the child’s welfare is paramount at all times they are in the nursery
Comply with any details of a court order where applicable to the child’s attendance at the nursery where we have seen a copy/have a copy attached to the child’s file
Provide information on the child’s progress, e.g. learning journeys, progress checks within the nursery, to both parents where both hold parental responsibility
Invite both parents to nursery events, including parental consultations and social events where both hold parental responsibility
Ensure any incident or accident within the nursery relating to the child is reported to the person collecting the child
Ensure that all matters known by the staff pertaining to the family and the parent’s separation remain confidential
Ensure that no member of staff takes sides regarding the separation and treats both parents equally and with due respect
Not restrict access to any parent with parental responsibility unless a formal court order is in place. We respectfully ask that parents do not put us in this position
We will seek legal advice in the case of any disputes regarding the care/collection and sharing of information, where required to ensure we meet all legal requirements.
We ask parents to:
Provide us with all information relating to parental responsibilities, court orders and injunctions.
Update information that changes any of the above as soon as practicably possible.
Work with us to ensure continuity of care and support for your child.
Not involve nursery staff in any family disputes, unless this directly impacts on the care we provide for the child.
Talk to the Nursery Manager / Key Person away from the child when this relates to family separation in order to avoid the child becoming upset. This can be arranged as a more formal meeting or as an informal chat.
Not ask the nursery to take sides in any dispute. We will only take the side of your child and this will require us to be neutral at all times.
It is important for Hopscotch to always be aware of different types of family arrangements and we will always seek further advice from a solicitor, the Federation of Small Business (FSB) legal helpline, NDNA legal helpline or children’s social services care if required.
Information Sharing between Nursery Settings
If a child at Hopscotch also attends another setting or provider, for example a childminder, a playgroup or another nursery setting, we will endeavour to obtain as much information from them before the child starts at Hopscotch.
In instances where a child regularly attends another setting in addition to their Hopscotch setting, then we will try to have conversations to share the child’s progress or, in other circumstances, discuss any concerns about their development.
Drop-off and Collection Times
Hopscotch does not generally permit parents and carers to enter nursery premises at drop-off and collection times. We have found children settle more quickly into their nursery days when they are dropped off at the door. Likewise, any impact of early collections on the groups is minimised since children do not see when their peers’ parents and carers come onto site for collection. This has a positive impact on the children’s focus and application for the whole nursery day and therefore further supports their development. It is also good practice for when they arrive at school.
Organising drop-off and collection times like this also helps us reduce any risk of security breaches at these busy times.
Parents/carers are requested to pass the care of their child to a specific member of staff who will ensure their safety. The staff member receiving the child will immediately record their arrival in the Famly app. The staff member will also record any specific information provided by the parents or carers, including the child’s interests, experiences and observations from home.
If the parent/carer requests the child is given medicine during the day the staff member must ensure that the medication procedure is followed.
The child’s Key Person or other nominated staff member must plan the departure of the child. This should include opportunities to discuss the child’s day with the parent/carer in addition to what may already be shared via electronic systems, e.g. meals, sleep time, activities, interests, progress and friendships. The parent/carer should be told about any accidents or incidents and the appropriate records must be signed by the parent/carer before departure. Where applicable, all medicines should be recovered from the medicine box/fridge after the parent/carer has arrived and handed to him/her personally.
On departure, the staff member releasing the child must mark the child register immediately marked to show that the child has left the premises.
As an alternative to not entering the nursery premises at drop-off and collection times, nursery staff are encouraged to offer parents an opportunity to visit their nursery settings at other times in order to ensure parents and carers are happy and reassured with the nursery environments their children attend. Parents evenings and other events also help facilitate such visits.
In such a scenario, parents and carers should be treated like any other visitor and asked to sign the visitors book on arrival.
Safe Collection of Children
Hopscotch takes the security of our children extremely seriously.
Currently parents and carers do not come into the nursery premises at drop-off and collection times, which does help mitigate any increased security risk around these times. Nonetheless, staff should remain vigilant and prepared and ensure the following procedures are always followed:
Only parents and carers with parental responsibility or other authorised responsibility for collections should be allowed to collect children from nursery
Parents may nominate authorised individuals to collect children from nursery but their full name, relationship to the child, a photo and a password should be provided to the Nursery Management Team
The Nursery Management Team must be informed in writing of any changes to individuals with parental responsibility or authorised collectors
Staff should never under any circumstance allow a child to leave nursery with an individual who they do not know or do not recognise. If a staff member is not sure they should always check with the Nursery Management Team about the individual.
If the Nursery Management Team are unsure then further checks should be made with the child’s parents via telephone. If there are still any uncertainties then the child should not be released from nursery until someone who is recognised and known to the nursery staff team is able to collect them.
Doors with external access are fitted with intercom systems to allow staff to communicate externally without needing to open the door. Because this is a key safety feature any problems with the functionality of these devices should be immediately reported to the Hopscotch Maintenance Manager and the Head of Operations should also be notified. If the device is not working properly then special extra care should be taken until it is fixed and in working order again.
Late Collection and Uncollected Children
Hopscotch has a duty to continue caring for any child who is not collected at the usual or expected time. This can happen for a variety of reasons and nursery staff should keep an open mind until further information is known.
Parents are able to collect their child from the nursery flexibly within this time period, asking them to be no later than the session end time. We understand that some parents may arrive earlier to collect their child, this is acceptable. However, the full fees still remain in place for the allocated session times.
If parents think they might be late for collection, they should follow these procedures:
Calling the nursery as soon as possible to advise of their situation and expected time of arrival
Asking an alternative designated adult to collect their child wherever possible
Informing the nursery of this person’s identity so the nursery can talk to the child if appropriate. This will help to reduce or eliminate any distress caused by this situation
If the designated person is not known to the nursery staff, the parent must provide a detailed description or a photo of this person, including their date of birth where known. This designated person must know the individual child’s safety password in order for the nursery to release the child into their care. It is the responsibility of the parent to pass this on.
If a child has not been collected from the nursery after a reasonable amount of time e.g. ½ hour has been allowed for lateness, the following procedure will be initiated:
The Nursery Manager will be informed that a child has not been collected
The manager will check for any information regarding changes to normal routines, parents’ work patterns or general information. If there is no information recorded, the manager will try to contact the parents on the telephone numbers provided for their mobile, home or work. If this fails the manager will try the emergency contacts shown on the child’s records.
The Nursery Manager and one other member of staff must stay behind with the child (if outside normal operating hours). During normal operating times, the nursery will plan to meet required staff ratios. If the parents have still not collected the child, the manager will telephone all contact numbers available every 10 minutes until contact is made. These calls will be logged on a full incident record.
In the event of no contact being made after one hour has lapsed, the person in charge will ring the relevant local authority children’s social services emergency duty team (information set out in Hopscotch Safeguarding Policies).
The nursery will inform Ofsted as soon as convenient and within the notification requirements i.e. 14 days
The two members of staff will remain in the building until suitable arrangements have been made for the collection of the child
The child’s welfare and needs will be met at all times and to minimise distress staff will distract, comfort and reassure the child during the process.
Depending on the circumstances, late fees may be charged for late collection incidents, particularly if this has happened on more than one occasion and without good and reasonable excuse. This will pay for any additional operational costs that caring for a child outside their normal nursery hours may incur.
Application of the late fee is at the discretion of the Nursery Manager. The late fee is set out in the Hopscotch Terms and Conditions, which are accepted on registration with Hopscotch. Parents will always be notified when a late fee has been charged and invoices will also make this clear.
Unexpected Absence from Nursery
When children are unexpectedly absent from nursery for an extended period without prior notification then staff should make efforts to contact the child’s parents or carers.
If a child who is scheduled to attend nursery is unexpectedly absent and their parents or carers have not notified the nursery of their absence, then the nursery should contact them via phone prior to midday. If they are not successful in connecting via phone then a voicemail should be left and then followed up with an email. A number of phone calls might be made.
If this is not successful then the nursery, in dialogue with the Head of Operations, might consider contacting the relevant safeguarding organisation (as set out in Hopscotch’s Safeguarding Policy) for further advice and support.
Concerns or Complaints
The health, safety and wellbeing of all our children is paramount and is our priority at all times. Failure for staff to follow any of the above policies and procedures could result in disciplinary action being taken against them.
Initially, all concerns or complaints should be raised with the Nursery Management Team who will receive the complaint and investigate as needed.
If any parent, member of staff or any member of the public has any concerns about how Hopscotch is implementing this or any other of our welfare or safeguarding policies then they should contact our Head Office at office@hopscotchmail.com immediately and outline their concerns.
We welcome any suggestions from parents on how we can improve our services, and will give prompt and serious attention to any concerns that parents may have. Any concerns will be dealt with professionally and promptly to ensure that any issues arising from them are handled effectively and to ensure the welfare of all children, enable ongoing cooperative partnership with parents and to continually improve the quality of the nursery.
We have a formal procedure for dealing with complaints where we are not able to immediately resolve a concern. Where any concern or complaint relates to child protection, we follow our Safeguarding Policy. Otherwise our internal complaints procedure will be followed, as set out below:
Stage
Action
Stage 1
Parent raises concern with child's Key Person, Lead Practitioner, or Nursery Management Team (preferably Nursery Manager).
Stage 2
If unresolved, parent submits formal written complaint to Nursery Manager or Head of Operations. Hopscotch investigates and responds within 14 working days. Complaint documented in nursery's complaints folder.
Stage 3
If still unresolved, Head of Operations holds formal meeting with parent, Nursery Manager, and relevant staff. Meeting recorded and actions documented. All parties review and sign record.
Stage 4
If parent remains unsatisfied, they may raise the matter with Ofsted. Parents can contact Ofsted at any stage of the complaints process. Ofsted investigates complaints suggesting non-compliance with registration requirements.
Note: Parents may contact Ofsted at any stage, even before raising a complaint directly with Hopscotch. While we prefer to address concerns directly, this is not always the case.
A record of complaints will be kept in each nursery. The record will include the name of the complainant, the nature of the complaint, date and time complaint received, action(s) taken, outcomes of any investigations and any information given to the complainant including a dated response. It is the responsibility of the Nursery Management Team to undertake this.
Parents will be able to access this record if they wish; however, all personal details relating to any complaint will be stored confidentially and will be only accessible by the parties involved. Ofsted inspectors will have access to this record at any time during visits to ensure actions have been met appropriately. Records of complaint are made available to Ofsted on request, usually at inspections.
Hopscotch is unable to investigate any concerns or complaints retrospectively once your child has left the nursery.
We will always aim to follow these procedures where applicable.
Parents will also be informed if the nursery becomes aware that they are going to be inspected and after inspection the nursery will provide a copy of the report to parents of children.
Aggressive Behaviour from Parents and Conflict Resolution
As already set out in this policy, we always aim to develop a strong parent partnership with all our parents. We also have a clear complaints procedure, as set out earlier in this policy. Parents and carers are always encouraged to follow this policy when making complaints and Hopscotch will always aim to do the same to ensure transparency and consistency.
In the case of a parent emailing, calling or using social media to complain the nursery will direct them to the correct procedure for raising a complaint.
Whilst we will always try to act in a compassionate, empathetic and understanding way when dealing with complaints from our parents, Hopscotch has a zero tolerance approach to abusive calls, emails, social media contact and face to face confrontation.
If and when this happens we will respond in the following way:
Type of Behaviour
Action Taken
Abusive or Aggressive Phone Calls
Remain calm and professional
Ask to follow complaints policy
End call if abuse continues
Log abusive calls with conversation outline
Abusive or Aggressive Emails
Ask parents to speak in person
Warn that abusive tone is unacceptable
Cease communication until amicable tone adopted
Keep all emails as evidence
Social Media
Request to follow complaints procedure
Ask for removal of slanderous/abusive posts
Consider legal action if necessary
Investigate pseudonyms or false profiles
Aggressive or Abusive Behaviour in Person
Direct person away from children
Ensure second staff member present
Remain calm and professional
Contact police if behavior escalates
Listen to concerns if person calms down
Complete incident form
Provide support to staff involved
Depending on the circumstances, if deemed serious enough by Hopscotch Management, any of the eventualities above might lead to either a warning or the immediate termination of the registration at Hopscotch. In such a scenario all paid fees and the full deposit will be kept in lieu of notice.
This policy will be followed in the event of any other visitors/member of the public displaying this type of behaviour either by phone, email, social media or in person.
Useful Links:
Here are some useful links for parents from the Hopscotch website (hopscotch.uk.com):