Nursery by DumptonSchool

FOUNDED 1903

Nursery Handbook

NURSERY HANDBOOK

Dumpton has many moving parts! But for all the excitement and opportunity this provides the children, we are aware that there is lots to learn as parents to ensure you are up to speed.

This handbook is here to help – a one-stop shop for the key information you might need about the year ahead. Whether you are a new Dumpton parent, or an experienced one, we hope the information on the following pages helps you understand the school, your child’s experience, and importantly, your own role as parents.

We do feel that the closer we can work with you, the better. They do say ‘it takes a village to raise a child’…

Christian Saenger Headmaster

BE

SCHOOL VALUES

Lie at the heart of all we do at Dumpton.

BE KIND

Kindness could not be more important to us. Our main school rule is ‘treat others as you would like to be treated’, and we aim for friendliness and empathy to permeate every classroom and corridor of the school. The atmosphere is nurturing and inclusive, and children, staff and parents share strong relationships as a result. Dumpton is more than just a school: it is a home away from home.

AIM HIGH

Our quiet sense of aspiration and ambition is illustrated by our school motto: ‘you can because you think you can’. Inspiring self-belief is key. Inside the classroom, this means a commitment to small class sizes, highquality teaching, and academic success for all. It means helping every child realise that with hard work, practice, determination and resilience, anything is possible. Every single child has remarkable potential within them: it is our job to help them discover it.

KIND, AIM HIGH

CHARACTER EDUCATION THE DUMPTON WAY

At Dumpton, we believe that character matters. Whilst academic success remains a core priority, we ensure children know that it is the person they become – not the grades they achieve – that is most important to us.

We are preparing our children for an increasingly challenging world. We believe that discovering, developing and harnessing their character at school is the best preparation for happiness and success in their futures.

Our approach to character education is underpinned by ‘The Dumpton Way’. This framework is built around seven-character virtues which we model, teach, seek out and celebrate throughout the school: Empathy, Resilience, Courage, Collaboration, Enthusiasm, Creativity and Global Citizenship.

EARLY YEARS ETHOS

Every child should be happy, secure, valued and confident and our philosophy is to value every child as a unique individual, who enjoys learning and thinking for themselves.

We provide a supportive and secure environment in which every child can flourish and learn at their own pace and in their own individual way. Our role is to stimulate and encourage their development and enjoyment of learning through a variety of different activities in secure indoor and outdoor situations, through play and through structured and creative activities. We encourage the growth of social skills and empathy amongst the children. The relationships which the children develop with each other and with our staff are central to their happiness and lay the best possible foundation for their future.

NURSERY DAILY SCHEDULE

Our Nursery operates on a year-round basis and places are available for either term-time provision or term-time and holiday provision (year-round). For all Nursery children there is a minimum requirement of two sessions to be attended over two days.

Our Nursery is open as follows and sessions can be booked in any combination:

8.00am | Doors Open (via the Early Years garden)

8.15am-12.15pm | Morning Session and Lunch

8.15am-3.15pm | All Day Session

3.15pm-4.15pm | After School Club Session

3.15pm-5.30pm | After School Club Session

SETTLING IN

To help ensure a smooth settling in we ask that all our new children stay only for the morning session and are collected at 11.15am for their first two sessions. Thereafter, children may stay for their booked sessions unless further settling is required which will be discussed with you if necessary.

TERM-TIME PROVISION

Bluebells and Snowdrops

Monday

AM – Performing Arts

PM – Dance

Tuesday AM – PE

Wednesday

AM – Forest School

Thursday AM – Swimming

PM – Performing Arts

Friday AM – PE

Dandelions

Monday

AM – Performing Arts

PM – Yoga

Tuesday AM – Swimming

Wednesday AM – Forest School

Thursday AM – Dance

PM – Performing Arts

Friday AM – PE

Nursery After School Club Provision is available for all children in the Nursery between 3.15pm and 4.15pm or 3.15pm and 5.30pm – these sessions are not eligible for the Early Education Funding.

Any extra sessions for term-time provision are available on a first-come first-served basis and are also not eligible for the Early Education Funding.

EARLY EDUCATION FUNDING

(MAXIMUM 15 HOURS PER WEEK)

Early Education Funding for 2-year-olds and 3- and 4-year olds can only be claimed during the core hours of 8.15am-3.15pm during term-time provision for 32 weeks per year. Dumpton Nursery does not currently participate in the 30 hours funded scheme.

HOLIDAY PROVISION

The pattern of activities will vary during holiday provision depending on the seasons but the Nursery children have regular access to the adventure playground, astro, allotments and woodlands, playing fields, sports hall and recital room in addition to their normal classroom and Early Years garden. Please note that a packed lunch and snacks will need to be provided by parents during holiday provision.

Nursery After School Club Provision is available for all children in the Nursery between 3.15pm and 4.15pm or 3.15pm and 5.30pm. Any extra sessions for holiday provision are available on a first-come first-served basis.

You will also be asked to complete an annual Child Collection Form which specifies adults permitted to collect your child on a regular basis, any changes via telephone will require a password.

KEY PERSON ROLE

Our Nursery and Pre-School use a key person/buddy approach. This means that each member of staff has a group of children for whom they are particularly responsible. Your child’s key person will be the person who works with you to make sure that what we provide is right for your child’s particular needs and interests - if your child’s key person is absent then the buddy will be responsible for their care that day.

CURRICULUM INFORMATION

Our Early Years Curriculum encompasses Nursery, Pre-School and Reception and is based on the Early Years Foundation Framework and the three prime areas and four specific areas of learning.

Underpinning our practice are the overarching principles of the EarlyYears Foundation Stage:

• A unique child;

• Positive relationships;

• Enabling environments;

• Learning and development and the characteristics of effective teaching and learning;

• Playing and exploring;

• Active learning and creating;

• Thinking critically.

All Nursery children are given equal access and opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills in:

• Personal, social and emotional development

• Communication and language

• Literacy

• Mathematics

• Understanding the world

• Physical development

• Expressive arts and design

All areas are delivered through a balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities, both indoors and outdoors.

PUPIL PROGRESS

We constantly monitor the progress of each and every child in our Nursery setting. We also carry out a range of informal and formal observations of the children throughout the year to monitor their progress including completion of the 2-year check. All observations are carried out in a relaxed and gentle way. Any concerns are discussed with parents, and if need be, we will give your child some extra support in a particular area.

We would also stress that we have an open-door policy and encourage ongoing conversations about your child’s progress – please don’t feel you need to wait to hear from us if you have any concerns.

REWARDS AND PRAISE

The best way to promote super behaviour and motivate children is to ensure that they receive a strong sense of positivity when they are ‘getting things right’. Our Nursery children are encouraged to have positive attitudes towards each other and their learning, and receive lots of praise when due.

THE GOLDEN RULES

We believe these Golden Rules slot neatly into the Dumpton Way; Be Kind and Aim High and help children to ‘treat others as you would like them to treat you’. Our Golden Rules are easy for children to remember and refer to.

• Be Gentle

• Be Kind

• Be Honest

• Do Listen

• Work Hard

• Look after Property

WELLBEING AND RULER

At Dumpton, kindness, empathy and wellbeing lie at the heart of all we do. Our forward-thinking approach to whole school emotional literacy is called RULER, and it aims to give every child the strongest possible foundations for their wellbeing.

We will share the RULER tools with you so you can use them with your children at home too.

As ever, if you are ever concerned about your child’s wellbeing or emotional health, please come and talk with us straight away.

KEY EVENTS

All events will be included in the school calendar and published in advance of the new term, but please note some key events to look out for:

Towards the end of the Autumn term the children put on a Christmas Concert to which you are warmly invited to attend.

During the Spring term all Nursery children are involved in the Spring Spectacular performing arts performance.

Our Sports Days are held during the Summer term and on the Friday of Summer half-term we hold our Family Afternoon: all parents are invited to walk around the school with their children to view the exhibitions and displays. Tea is served and half-term begins afterwards.

ADVENTURE PLAYGROUND

We are always happy for parents to take Nursery children to the Adventure Playground between 3.15pm and 4.15pm each day. It is a lovely way to let the children have a play together to run off steam, and for you to spend time with other parents. We do please just ask that you supervise your children carefully and ensure that they follow the Adventure Playground rules.

EARLY YEARS GARDEN

We ask that children do not play in the Early Years Garden after school or use any of the equipment as often this has already been tidied away and safely stored.

The exception is for Nursery children waiting for Pre-Prep siblings to finish, who are welcome to use the sandpit from 3.15pm to 3.30pm while they wait with you.

COMMUNICATION AND KEEPING YOU UP TO DATE

Staying in touch is so important, and we are keen to ensure the communication between home and school is as effective as possible.

iSAMS Email: If we need to tell you something important, we will email you. We try to give you as much notice as possible about upcoming events involving you or your child. All letters from school are sent home by email to parents via iSAMS. These are also stored on your parent portal account.

Headmaster’s Newsletter: This weekly newsletter arrives by email and contains important and useful information for parents and is a must read each week.

School Calendar: The school calendar, detailing all events for the current term is on the homepage of the school website where it can be downloaded to your mobile. It can also be found on your parent portal account.

Parent Portal and iParent App: All parents should also log in to a personalised parent portal which includes lots of information about your child, access to important documents, as well as a record of all school reports and communication. Whilst this can be accessed via a webpage, we highly recommend downloading the iParent App – once logged in for the first time, access is extremely straight forward.

Tapestry: We also use Tapestry as a communication tool - you will be sent a login just before your child starts - please do login daily or weekly to see what the children have been doing.

Social Media: Social media feeds are on the home page of the school website – please do follow us on Instagram and Facebook. Updates and photographs of what has been happening within the school are posted regularly and it is a lovely way to see clips and pictures of school events, trips and much more.

Policies: All key school policies including the EYFS Framework are published each year on the school website, as well as the parent portal.

GETTING IN CONTACT WITH US

You can always get in contact with us. If you have any query, no matter how big or small, we would encourage you to get in touch.

In Person: Please always feel free to catch us in person at the beginning or end of the day. If we need a longer chat we can always arrange one.

Email: Email is perhaps the most efficient way to communicate with us. We will do our best to respond quickly, and certainly within 24 hours.

Telephone: Telephone messages may also be received via the School Office 01202 883818 or directly to the Nursery – for Snowdrops and Bluebells, after school club and all holiday provision please call 01202 847934 and for Dandelions during term-time please call 01202 883847.

MEDICAL MATTERS AND ABSENCE

We have a fantastic team of Matrons who are ‘on call’ every day between 8.00am and 4.30pm for any medical emergencies.

All medicines that are brought to school by any child must be handed straight to Matron, with an explanatory letter, and will be dispensed under supervision.

We will always contact you if your child suffers anything more than a trivial injury, or if they become unwell during the school day, or if we have any concerns about their health. Our full Medical Policy is available on the school website.

Although your child will normally receive medical care from your family GP Practice, we hold medical and dietary information on all the children in order to ensure that we can provide appropriately for their needs or look after them if they are injured or have an accident. We would therefore be grateful if you would complete or update the Medical, Dietary and Well-Being Questionnaire appropriately.

In line with EYFS Statutory Requirements all staff promote good health, including oral health, of our children. All medical records will be stored securely in the School Office until your child’s 25th birthday.

If for any reason your child is unwell and unable to come to Nursery, please contact Miss Taylor using b.taylor@dumpton.com or telephone 01202 847934 or 01202 883847 as soon as possible to advise of their absence.

Mrs Hayley Corben, Assistant Matron

Mrs Beverley Brehaut, Matron

Mrs Janette Clayden, Assistant Matron

SLEEP

We follow a safe sleep procedure whereby children in the Nursery and Pre-School are invited to rest each day and we liaise closely with parents to ensure sleep patterns are maintained.

INTIMATE CARE

We view toilet training as a self-care skill that children have the opportunity to learn with the full support of our staff team. We work closely with you, as parents, towards toilet training, unless there are medical or other developmental reasons why this may not be appropriate at the time – please see our Intimate Care Policy for more detailed information.

SAFE PLAY

We aim to provide a safe environment where children can work and play happily. Individual staff are responsible for first aid and attend Red Cross First Aid courses (including Paediatric First Aid) regularly. A lifeguard is always in attendance during swimming lessons and regular fire drills take place to ensure both staff and children are familiar with the emergency routine.

ROAD SAFETY

For our purposes, it is important that Deans Grove is treated as one wayturn into the School drive at the South entrance on Burt’s Hill (nearest the Horns Inn) and leave through the exit at the North end onto Smuggler’s Lane. However, please remember that, to the general public, it is a two-way road.

SAFEGUARDING

The most important thing of all at school is that everybody is safe.

It is our top priority to know everyone as an individual and to provide a secure and caring environment so that every pupil can learn in safety. We work closely with parents to understand specific family circumstances and situations where it is appropriate to offer extra support. We encourage you to share as much with us as you can, in the knowledge that all personal information will be treated with the utmost sensitivity and confidentiality.

Whilst safeguarding is everybody’s responsibility, it is led by a dedicated team of Designated Safeguarding Leads. They and all staff regularly receive relevant and up to date training and Dumpton has strong links with local Safeguarding Partners. We maintain the ratio of adults to children that is set out in the EYFS Safeguarding and Welfare Requirements.

The Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy is on the public area of the school’s website. Other policies, including arrangements for admissions, accessibility, children with EHCPs, anti-bullying, health and safety and many others are available on request from the School.

If you ever have any concerns about anyone’s safety or wellbeing – a child, a parent or a member of staff – at Dumpton, please do let us know.The Designated Safeguarding Lead is Sam Moulton, email s.moulton@dumpton.com or telephone 01202 847936.

Mr Sam Moulton Designated Safeguarding Lead

Mrs Kellie Wort Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead

USE OF IMAGES

We use information relating to our children - photographs, digital and video recordings - for the purpose of publicising the school and its activities. This includes use of such information in the school’s prospectus, website and social media channels. To this end please complete the Nursery Photograph Permission Form as appropriate if you do not want your child’s photograph or image to appear.

FOOD

Children do not need to bring extra food into the Nursery during term-time provision as the school provides a delicious home cooked lunch, which is eaten in the Nursery with the Nursery staff. Children are expected to sit at a table and encouraged to use their cutlery in an age appropriate manner. The children will be encouraged to eat well. We also encourage children to try new foods even if they think they will not like them. We provide snacks in the morning and, if children are staying later, in the afternoons. Children should bring a water bottle with them for independent use during the day, as we fully recognise the importance of proper hydration.

Menus for the week can be found on the school website and parent portal.

We aim for all food leaving the kitchens to be nut free. While we understand that a completely nut free school cannot be guaranteed, we aim for a whole school awareness of allergy, educating all staff and pupils in the signs and symptoms and how to deal with allergic reactions. As a result of ‘Natasha’s Law’ and the associated risks, we would ask that no food is brought into school from home, including birthday cakes, coins in Christmas cards and so on.

All our EYFS staff complete food hygiene training.

If your child has a medical allergy to certain foods or is on a special diet please complete the Medical, Dietary and Well-Being Annual Update Form.

FOOD FOR HOLIDAY PROVISION

During holiday provision children will need to bring in a nut free packed lunch and a morning and afternoon snack together with their water bottle. We will provide a cup of milk at morning snack time.

If your child is staying past 3.15pm they will require two afternoon snacks. We will have a supply of fruit and crackers available for children who stay late and need some energy to get them through to the end of the day. When you arrive at Nursery we will encourage you to label your child’s snack with their name and whether it is for the morning or the afternoon.

Some ideas for healthy snacks include:

• Banana bread

• Crackers and cheese

• Rice cakes

• Fruit muffin

• Fruit flapjack

• Carrots and hummus

• Hard-boiled egg

• Yoghurt or Smoothie

• Fruit

• Bread roll

• Bread sticks

Please avoid foods that are considered a choking hazard – for example grapes and cherry tomatoes.

BELONGINGS

On your child’s first day, and in order to comply with legal admission requirements, please bring their birth certificate and red book with you so that we may confirm their date of birth and two-year check information where appropriate.

Your child will also need the following belongings:

• A named bag that remains in school with spare clothes (these do not have to be uniform). This bag will be returned if clothes are used, please replace them for the next session.

• A named bag containing nappies and wipes if required.

• A named water bottle that will come home each day.

• A pair of named wellies that remain in school.

• A named waterproof suit that remains in school.

• A coat must be brought in each day.

• A sunhat that remains in school and all-day sun-cream applied.

• A cuddly for sleeping and early days of settling in if needed.

We would discourage children from bringing fragile or very precious possessions into Nursery, just in case they get lost or damaged.

NURSERY UNIFORM

Please note that all nursery uniform is optional and all items marked * are obtained from:

Bartletts Schoolwear | 45 East Street | Wimborne BH21 1DX bartletts.schoolwear@hotmail.co.uk | www.bartlettsofwimborne.co.uk

Opening Hours: 9am – 5pm Monday to Saturday by appointment only

All items (including underwear) must be clearly named.

Please can we request that no jewellery is worn at Nursery and that hair that has reached shoulder-length should be neatly tied back with navy accessories.

Suggested Uniform:

• 1 Yellow Dumpton Pre-Prep PE Shirt *

• 1 Navy Dumpton Pre-Prep Hoody *

• 1 Pair Navy Tracksuit Bottoms or Navy Trousers

• 1 Pair Navy Shorts or

• 1 Dumpton Summer Dress (with short white socks) *

• 1 Navy Dumpton Cardigan *

• Dumpton Book Bag *

• 1 Pair Trainers

• 1 Pair Wellington Boots

Extra Uniform:

• 1 Pre-Prep Kit Bag *

• 1 Dumpton Swim Bag *

• 1 Pair Swimming Trunks or Swimming Costume (if applicable)

• 1 Bath Towel and Swimming Hat for Swimming (if applicable)

• 1 Navy Dumpton Coat *

• 1 Navy Dumpton Hat *

• 1 Navy Dumpton Scarf *

• 1 Dumpton Baseball Cap or Sunhat *

SECOND-HAND

UNIFORM SHOP

Buying: Our second-hand school shop is open every Monday from 3.00pm to 5.30pm during term-time. If you are unable to visit the shop during these hours, requests can be made using the form available from the School Office or email uniformshop@dumpton.com.

Selling: Uniform and kit should be in good, clean condition and packed into bags which are clearly labelled with your name and a list of contents and handed in to Mrs Jeremiah in the School Office. We usually accept all uniform and kit in good condition although this can vary depending on stock required. Uniform and kit which is worn, torn or stained, will be rejected and returned to you. You will then receive payment for the items we retain in due course.

DUMPTON FRIENDS

The Dumpton Friends organise social events throughout the year for parents to get to know each other. Events to look forward to include the Quiz Night, Christmas Fayre, Dumpton Stroll, Summer Picnic, Christmas Party and the Dumpton Ball (every 5 years).

Dumpton Friends use the Classlist App for parents to connect with each other, organise events and learn about the school community. Please sign up at Classlist.com.

MUSICAL DUCKLINGS

If you have a child under the age of 2 years please do come along to our Musical Ducklings sessions which are held every Wednesday morning during term-time between 8.30am and 9.30am and are a great way to introduce your child to our setting.

TERMLY ACCOUNT

Please note that the fees are normally reviewed annually and parents are informed of any changes to take effect the following September as soon as possible.

Nursery Fees for the Academic Year 2025-26

For the academic year beginning September 2025 the fees will be:

Term-Time Provision

£9.75 per hour (VAT exempt)

Holiday Provision

£8.75 per hour (VAT exempt)

There are no extra charges in the Nursery.