C A R I B B E A N E A R LY C H I L D H O O D G O O D P R A C T I C E G U I D E
8.3. HOW THE PRACTICE WAS DESIGNED INTRODUCTION
...one of the strengths of the school is its communication with parents...
The Policy for communicating and working with parents of children attending the Little Trotters Farm and Nursery School is set out on their website.6 The 2013 quality assurance report on the nursery school, published online 7, notes that one of the strengths of the school is its communication with parents, as evidenced by the effective operation of its open door Policy and the mechanisms for engaging parents in the work their children are doing. The context for the design of the practice in parent engagement is as follows: the school is privately owned and entirely funded by income from parental fees. It provides education and care from 7.30 in the morning to 5.30 in the evening, all year round. Children can attend for five morning sessions a week, or five afternoon sessions, or for a full day five days a week. Of the 86 children enrolled (2013 figures), a third of the intake were Caymanian. The ages of children range from 18 months old to the age of entry to primary school8. Most of the parents are committed in the daytime with work. The school has a staff group of 14, all of whom are trained at varying levels, and five of whom are qualified and licensed to teach in the Cayman Islands. In summary, the school has built a secure foundation as evidenced by the low turnover of staff and stable financing.
8.3.1. Policy of Engaging Parents Little Trotters has an open-door Policy for parents which allows them to stop by at any time and have all concerns and questions treated with respect and understanding. The Policy is written and given to parents (see Annex A) together with a ‘Welcome Note’ (see a sample at Annex F). The key expectations of parents are: zz showing respect for the children’s ‘space’ where they work when parents
stop by;
zz supporting the transition and settling in of children at different ages and
stages;
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Details on the school can be found on its website at http://www.littletrotters.ky/ Data from 2013. See the Inspection Report at http://www.education. gov.ky/portal/page/portal/esahome/publications/early-childhood-careeducation-Inspection-progress-report/little-trotters-farm-nursery-school/ Little-Trotters-Farm-Nursery-School-Inspection-Report-June-2013.pdf In the Cayman Islands, the age of compulsory education is four years nine months old. Children can be admitted to the kindergarten class of the primary school at age four years if they are turning five years of age during the school year. http:// www.caymannewresident.com/education-schools-cayman-islands