Maples Day Nursery Autumn Newsletter
A warm welcome and hello to all the new children and families who’ve recently joined us. You should now have had your nursery induction in person; if you haven’t, please contact a member of our office team who will be happy to arrange this for you. You’ll find their contact details at the end of this newsletter.
Autumn has arrived and, with it, lots of exciting nursery news, including plans for a family pumpkin patch event and new opportunities for your little one to unleash their creativity. Grab a chair and a cuppa and read all about what we’ve been up to – plus what’s to come – at The Maples.
Newsletter contents
Dates for your diary; Staff news; 2025 school admissions; Parent and carer consultations; Parent and Carer Forum; Nursery arrivals times; Celebrating harvest; Pumpkin patch Forest School workshop; Cheesecake workshop; Explore this autumn; Buggy and Sling Walk; Get your groove on; Funding information; Playing in the car park; Taking medicine at nursery; Adverse weather; Cold weather policy; Travelling safely this autumn and winter; Keeping everyone safe; Safeguarding and child protection; Ban on Bepanthen; Get in touch
Dates for your diary
From harvest to Halloween, Diwali to Durga Puja, there’s plenty to celebrate over the coming months. As well as hosting themed activities to celebrate these occasions at nursery, we also have lots of upcoming events and workshops for you and your little one to look forward to.
Staff news
A big official welcome to Jenny who has joined us as a senior member of staff in our Buttercup Room. She’s been working alongside Jen for the last six weeks; thank you, Jen, for helping Jenny settle in.
Bil will also join us as a permanent member of the team after nearly a year of working with us through our agency. She enjoys her time and already feels comfortable at The Maples. Many of you will recognise her from the time she’s spent with us.
As well as welcoming new faces, we have also moved around our existing team. You’ll now find:
- Debbie, Ikra, and Sunita in the Daisy Room
- Jenny (room senior), Faiza, Tam, Melody, Sam, and Ruqayya in the Buttercup Room
- Alex (room senior), Keren, Leila, and Leanne in the Bluebell Room
Our office team comprises Heather (Nursery Manager), Jen (Deputy Manager), Hazel (Early Years Advisor), Paula (Childcare Services Manager), and Caroline (Senior Nursery Administrator).
2025 school admissions
If your child was born between 1 September 2020 and 31 August 2021, it’s almost time to apply for their primary school place! You can do so via Birmingham City Council’s website between 9am on 1 October 2024 and 11.59pm on 15 January 2025. This is the first step towards an exciting new chapter in your little one’s life, so we’ll be on hand to support you.
On 16 October, you’ll have the chance to ask our early years teacher, Hazel, any questions you may have. She’ll be available from 5.30pm – 6.15pm in the Daisy Room to go through the application process with you. There’s no need to book an appointment, just drop in.
Parent and carer consultations
Twice a year – once in April and once in October – your child’s key person will formally gather information about your child and the progress they have made.
Each child will have a report created by their key person with a couple of paragraphs of personalised writing about how they’re progressing at nursery and achieving in line with the early years foundation stage (EYFS) framework. The report will be shared with you through ParentZone.
All children at nursery in the UK follow the EYFS, which is a curriculum that encourages children to progress and eventually be school-ready. If your child is behind the expected guidelines for their age group, this will be discussed with you at the earliest possible opportunity; staff will not wait for parent/carer consultations, as we will be putting structured plans in place for their learning and development. We would also encourage you to contact us with any concerns regarding your child’s progress or development as, and if, they arise.
We hold parent/carer consultations via Teams which allows parents to join from different places and prevents travelling for such a short session. Session times are limited to ten minutes to ensure staff spend as little time away from their room as possible, allowing your child to get the care and attention they deserve.
Parent and Carer Forum
After the successful launch of our Parent and Carer Forum, we will hold another event on 4 November for families to discuss all things nursery. All parents and carers are welcome to attend, but please do arrange childcare; you can’t bring your child with you.
Heather will deliver a short session about our curriculum and ethos at the beginning of the next Forum, introducing the early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework. You’ll then have a chance to access your child’s planning books, while having a brief overview of how The Maples’ ethos supports the growth and development of children under the age of five.
Nursery arrival times
In the interests of both children and our practitioners, please ensure your little one arrives at nursery before 10am – unless you have a prior arrangement or appointment. 10am is when we begin to distribute staff and children across our indoor and outdoor areas, as well as start group times and routines, such as nappy changing.
Late arrivals can result in children being unable to leave for Winterbourne on time and the wrong number of lunch and teas being ordered for the day.
Celebrating harvest
In October, we will be celebrating harvesttime by picking and cooking with the vegetables planted by our children in our allotment area, collecting fallen leaves, and using any leftover fruit and veg in painting and craft activities.
This year, we’re asking for donations of long-life and canned foods for Birmingham and Solihull Women’s Aid from 7 October to 31 October. You’ll find a donation basket in our hallway. All donations are gratefully received, no matter how small.
Pumpkin patch Forest School workshop
At our last Parent and Carer Forum, we listened to feedback about our events at nursery. There were a few suggestions, including the amount of notice we give for workshops and the timings of these sessions.
We are working to improve the timing of nursery events so that more families can attend. That’s why you’ll see more events listed in our newsletters in the coming months so you can get dates in your diary well in advance.
We’d love for you to join us at our pumpkin patch Forest School workshop on 24 October. Between 3.45pm to 5pm, you and your little one can scour our learning garden for a pumpkin to take home and decorate. Once you’ve found your treasure, you can get to know other families and warm up over toasted marshmallows around the campfire. We hope to see you there!
Cheesecake workshop and tea
Design, make and decorate your very own mini cheesecake with your child! On Wednesday 13 November, all parents and carers are invited to join in the fun, starting at 2.30pm.
The session will last until 3.30pm; please let us know if you plan on leaving your child in nursery after teatime, which is due to end around 3.45pm. Please note that only one parent/carer will be permitted to attend this activity per child as space is restricted within the playrooms.
Explore this autumn
The fun doesn’t have to end when nursery does. Keep the adventures going with Birmingham Day Nurseries’ Mini, Wild, and Muddy Explorers groups! Open to everyone, Explorers gives every child the opportunity to experience the magic of Forest School through a range of exciting and enriching outdoor activities.
- Mini Explorers is perfect for under twos and their grown-ups to discover the great outdoors together, in acres of garden at Winterbourne House and Garden
- Muddy Explorers is hosted at The Oaks Day Nursery’s award-winning Forest School and is a stay-and-play group for parents and children aged six months to five years
- Wild Explorers based at Winterbourne is a holiday club for four- to eight-year-olds
Buggy and Sling Walk
Join our Mini Explorers team for a Buggy and Sling Walk – your chance to bond with your baby in nature while meeting fellow parents and carers.
On 14 October and 15 October (10.30am – 11.15am), we’ll be taking a relaxing wander around the beautiful botanic garden at Winterbourne House, exploring the different sounds and sights of the season. Afterwards, we’ll warm up with a hot drink in Winterbourne’s Terrace Tea Room (included with your ticket). We hope to see you there.
Get your groove on!
Don’t miss ‘Groove onto the Moon!’, the latest instalment in The Barber Institute of Fine Arts’ family concert series. Following a sold-out show last year, the Groove Baby Organ Trio are back with a fun, interactive musical adventure set in space! Designed for children aged three to seven and their grown-ups, get ready to blast off on a cosmic adventure like no other.
There will be two performances in the Elgar Concert Hall at The Bramall on Saturday 12 October – one at 11am and the other at 2pm. The show lasts approximately one hour. Afterwards, you can enjoy family arts and crafts in The Bramall’s foyer, courtesy of The Barber’s Learning and Engagement team. Tickets cost just £1 for children and £5 for grown-ups. Book your space online today (no pun intended!).
Funding information
If your child will be eligible for funding for the spring 2025 term (1 January – 31 March 2025), you can now apply for funding through the GOV.UK website.
Although you have until 31 December to apply for your code, please send us your code and National Insurance Number by 25 November. This ensures we have sufficient time to apply funding to your nursery fee calculations.
Once you have your code, remember to reconfirm it every three months to ensure you remain eligible for the funding.
For more information about the financial support available while your child’s at nursery, please visit our nursery fees webpage.
Playing in the car park
This is a gentle reminder that the car park is not a safe or suitable place for your child to play. Several near misses have been reported where children have not been adequately supervised after leaving nursery. As the nights draw in, it will be even more difficult for drivers to see children who may be running around.
We therefore would like to call on all our families to help us keep children safe and out of this routine. There is lots of space to run and play just a little further up the road at The Vale Village, should you wish to continue socialising after nursery collection.
Taking medicine at nursery
If your child needs to take prescription medication at nursery, the medicine must be clearly labelled with your child’s name and dosage, and in its original packaging. Please note we will only administer the dosage advised on the label from the pharmacy.
Our practitioners can only administer antibiotics and temperature relief medicine as set out by our well child and medicine policy. And they will only administer non-prescribed medication, such as fever and pain relief, for 48 hours if your child has a temperature of 38C or above. If they still have a temperature after this time, we politely request that you book an appointment with your GP. Please keep your child at home for at least 24 hours to ensure they’re well enough to return. Find out more by reading our Sickness Policy.
Our expert practitioners pride themselves on forming strong bonds with your child, which allow them to understand what is normal for them; if they believe your child is unable to continue with the nursery day and that their wellbeing is being affected by being here, we will contact you to collect them within the hour.
We seek advice about illnesses and infections from the Health Protection Agency and the NHS to best promote health of the children in our care and staff team, including signs and symptoms, exclusion periods and notifiable illnesses and risk assessments.
Adverse weather
If you need to collect your child early or the nursery has to close due to adverse weather conditions, we will let you know through ParentZone and, where possible, through University platforms. Therefore, please ensure we have your correct and current contact details so we can reach you in an emergency.
Cold weather policy
The nursery exercises an all-weather policy, and children spend time outdoors throughout the year, no matter the weather. This is an important part of our daily curriculum and key to keeping children healthy. It’s therefore not possible for you to request that your child remains indoors.
Please ensure your child has the right clothing for exploring outdoors this autumn – an extra jumper or hoodie; a hat, scarf, and gloves; wellington boots; and an all-in-one suit, or waterproof trousers – and that all items are clearly labelled with their name or initials.
Travelling safely this autumn and winter
For the safety of your child, we advise that you remove any thick autumn or winter clothing before placing your child in a car seat and travelling home. Winter coats make it tricky to tighten harnesses close to your child’s upper body, which means they may not have as much protection as in the warmer months. Find out more, plus some top tips on how to keep your child warm while travelling by car, at besafe.com.
Keeping everyone safe
When entering and exiting the nursery, please do not allow anyone to follow you into the building, even if you know them. If another parent or carer holds the door open for you, please politely decline; every person must either fob in or press the office buzzer to be welcomed in by a member of the team. This ensures every person in the building is known to the nursery and that visitors are accompanied and shown around.
For our children’s safety, the use of mobile phones, tablets, watches, and laptops with camera technology is strictly prohibited within the nursery. Any parents/carers seen using mobile phones in the nursery’s communal areas or playrooms will be asked to put them away. If you need to take a call or check a message, please do so in the nursery office or wait until you’ve left the premises to ensure you’re complying with our safeguarding policy.
Safeguarding and child protection
In the interests of safeguarding, there may be times when we have to consult with other agencies about a child without a parent/carer’s prior knowledge. The nursery’s first concern is the welfare of our children, and it’s our responsibility to act and protect in line with our Child Protection Policy.
A consultation like this may result in a formal referral, which can prompt visits from police or your local authority’s safeguarding team. We understand that this would be a distressing set of circumstances, but we have a legal duty to follow the procedures set out by the Birmingham Children’s Trust.
Ban on Bepanthen
The health and safety of our children, families, and staff members is our priority. To keep everyone with allergies – severe or otherwise – safe, we have banned Bepanthen Nappy Care Ointment at nursery, as it contains almond oil derivative. We kindly request that you do not apply this to your child before they attend nursery or bring this cream with you when you drop your child off. Thank you for your understanding.
Get in touch
Heather Bench, Nursery Manager – [email protected]
Jen Owen, Deputy Manager – [email protected]
Caroline Bannister, Nursery Administrator – [email protected]
Please copy both Heather and Jen into notifications about your child’s absence from nursery or late arrival, as they may not always be in the office.
If you have a general nursery enquiry, please email [email protected].