frequently asked questions

Unfortunately no. If you have had to give your little one medication to bring their temperature down it is because they have a virus or infection. Children can recover fast, however, they can also deteriorate just as quickly, for their own safety they need 1-on-1 care at home. We know all of our lives are busy with commitments such as work, however, we must just remind you that you would be upset or even horrified if someone else bought their child to nursery with a fever or masking a fever and made your child sick. In addition, our nursery staff work really hard, they do not want to take unpaid time off work sick if your little one passes something on to them. Also, although they would be happy to comfort a child in need, doing this on 1-on-1 basis for a sick child means that they are not able to spend time with other children. *or generic alternatives.

You will receive a daily diary at collection or just afterwards, this will detail what time your little one arrived, departed, milk consumption (for babies), naps, nappy & potty training, how much food they ate etc. You will find these in: Daily handovers usually with your little ones key worker or room leader. Monthly invoice. Newsletters and updates. Observations which usually include pictures and videos (not always), these are recorded and assessed which form part of your little ones learning journey.

If your child becomes ill during nursery, the manager or room leader will immediately contact you (parent/guardian) or the emergency contact indicated on the application form. If required we will ask your permission to give Calpol in certain cases, however, it is not fair for us to look after a sick child as it risks taking attention away from other children, that is why it is imperative to keep a sick child at home and to inform us of any condition in the night or the morning. If necessary, staff will administer first aid and seek further medical help (Hospital/Doctors) and stay with the child until a parent arrives. ​ If we call you to collect your child from nursery, we require you to pick up your child ASAP and no longer than 90 minutes - at this point, we will require your emergency contact to collect them. ​ If your little one's sibling is at nursery, they can stay at nursery unless they are showing symptoms of an illness, or in-line with government guidance.

Please contact the nursery manager by email or in person as it is essential that our records on your child be kept up to date. Please ensure you inform the Nursery Manager promptly of any changes to any of the information given on the application form as it is vital that we know each and every detail.

If your child bumps or bruises themselves at home, please ensure you inform the nursery staff on arrival at the nursery, who will require you to complete a form. This is vital to ensure we have full knowledge of potential medical issues and is required by our safeguarding policies.

Of course! It is available on Famly and on nursery notice boards. Note: Some items may vary due to dietary requirements. For example, Bangers & Mash will be Quorn sausages for preferences such as no meat or Halal/Kosher.

Yes, if it is prescribed by a doctor and it has been administered for 48hrs, this is in the case of any allergic reaction. For example, if your child is on medication such as antibiotics, they must remain at home for the first 48 hours of the course. They may then return at the discretion of the Nursery Manager. You will be required to fill out and sign a medication form. Any over-the-counter medicines and remedies will be down to the discretion of the manager - it may be refused for any reason and we do not need to give our reasoning behind it. Medication must be supplied in the original packaging with the child's name.

No. We cannot accept lunches from home due to allergy contamination, additional preparatory requirements and fairness when children eat together. We offer to cater for a very wide variety of dietary requirements - please speak to your child's key worker or nursery manager.

Of course, you may pick up your child at any time you want! However please remember if you haven’t told us we may be out on a walk or be in the middle of an activity your child really wants to be involved with. To ensure your child gets the most benefit from our education and care please discuss with a member of management if you are thinking of picking up early on any occasion.

During our settling in sessions, you will receive a pack of information, a bag and a list of items to bring in, your key worker will also be happy to explain anything. We provide Pampers nappies, Pampers Sensitive Wipes, cows milk (or Soya alternative) and food. You may be required to bring in seasonal items such as coats, wellies, hats, suncream, gloves etc. Please do not dress your child in anything that has sentimental value or of great cost as your child will enjoy and explore messy play and we cannot be responsible for clothing becoming marked. Don't be surprised if your child leaves nursery wearing messy clothes or packed in their bag.

If your child is suffering from a high temperature, sore throat, rashes, headache or discharge from eyes or ears, he/she should not attend nursery until the symptoms have cleared up or until medical advice is sought and clearance is given for your child to return. If your child is suffering from sickness and/or diarrhoea, he/she should not attend nursery for 48 hours after the symptoms have ceased or until clearance is given by a Doctor, in writing. We strictly follow our Sickness & Illness and Infection Control policies. We also follow advice from Public Health England which can be found here.(https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-protection-in-schools-and-other-childcare-facilities) It is super important that you inform your child's key worker of any changes in their health, it is not fair to other children for us to look after a sick child as it risks taking attention away from other children.

Because we are awesome there is a very high possibility of us having a waiting list. This can be joined online just ask the nursery manager for the details. Terms and conditions apply and there are no guarantees. There is a £150 non-refundable registration fee for our waiting list, payable immediately, you will receive an email with instructions once signed up. We have a priority on our waiting list, which is: 1. Siblings of registered children 2. Registered children increasing days 3. Full-time children are given priority 4. Date of waiting list sign up We do not use any other circumstances in offering a place. We will send out emails offering places when they become available on a first come first serve basis.

We are open 51 weeks of the year (expect Sutton), we only close for a few days between Christmas and New Year plus all bank holidays. ​ We do not charge for the Christmas closure, this is automatically price adjusted for you. However, we do charge for Christmas Eve but we are not open - this was a decision we made based on parent feedback. Parents offered to keep their children home so we could close the nurseries on Christmas Eve so our hard-working staff could have a paid day off as a little thank you and prepare for Christmas with their families. ​ We do charge for bank holidays as it the normal practice in most nurseries in the country.

As an OFSTED registered provider we must follow the Early Years Foundation Stage framework (EYFS). This is available for everyone through the GOV.UK website. ​ In summary: Under 2's - 1 adult to every 3 children 2-3 year's - 1 adult to every 4 children 3-5 years - 1 adult to every 8 children* * 1 qualified teacher to every 13 children We sometimes will mix age groups, for example at nap or lunchtimes. ​ During COVID-19 these ratios were guidance only, however, we only dropped below these standards during emergencies and if risk assessed for a matter of hours.

Yes, this is fine as long as they have the collection password with them. We will ask you for a description of the family member and an approximate time they are coming to collect your child. They must also carry a government photo ID such as a driving licence or passport. We do prefer receiving an emailed picture of them too.

Speak to your little ones key worker, please do remember to be respectful as it's a really hard job. ​ Alternatively, you can message us on Famly, speak to or email the room leader, nursery manager or even area manager. ​ You can also email management at enquiries@mindfulnurseries.com (enquiries@mindfulnurseries.com)

We do not supply sun cream, the reason for that is each child or family may have a preference, a child be have an allergy and we try to avoid cross-contamination. Please label your sun cream! ​ Please apply sun cream at home before attending nursery! It takes up to 20 minutes for sun cream to begin working. How long does it take to put sun cream on your little one and then wash your hands? - we have to do that 20, 30, 40 times - we need your help! ​ The glowing ball of fire in the sky a few million miles away is there all year round, so it is important to protect your little ones skin even in the winter.

We will always be completely unapologetic about ensuring that our staff are always meeting the highest standards of care and legal requirements. We are required to follow the strictest safeguarding and suitability processes, these are specified by safeguarding laws, by OFSTED, by the local authority, by employment laws by the police, and even GDPR laws. In a lot of cases, we cannot deviate from these processes, however, if there is a concern about a child's specific care you will usually be informed. ​ We know that you and your little ones form bonds with our staff so we understand the value of knowing about staff leaving us. We never take decisions to suspend or terminate employment lightly, there is always a reason - we may not be able to give the full details but always ask if you're concerned. ​ Staff retention is very important to us, we try our best to be a safe, happy workplace and to be competitive with compensation and rewards. However, we do encourage career development and progression as a matter on a day-to-day basis so we are always pleased for our staff who leave us to go on to better things. Our staff do not just play with children, it's a very difficult job and sometimes the stresses of the job means that they may leave childcare completely, so please work with us to always show your gratitude, understanding patience - thank you!

Have you ever seen a washing powder advert? Isn't it better to have us deal with that here at nursery?! ​ We become independent by trying, these little steps mean that we can sit in Nando's as adults without having Perinaise down our fronts. ​ Just remember it might be messy but we can't make memories in a sterile box so excuse the mess, the children are making memories.

No, we do not pay for lost toys or comforters - these are personal items, nothing of value should be bought into the nursery. Comforters are such a personal item to each child, a loss of "blankeeeee" could be devastating, many of our parents will buy spares, even if they're coming from eBay from Canada - we will of course do our best to keep things safe, but we would rather keep your child safe, keep them engaged and all of the other awe-inspiring things! ​ We see ruined clothes as a sign of a good day at nursery! We won't apologise for your little one making memories, having fun and exploring new materials or getting snagged on a tree making a den! ​ Yes please to labelling clothing, it makes our staff's lives so much easier.

Download our terms and conditions below. .