Maples Day Nursery Winter 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.
A sparkly new year has arrived and, with it, lots of exciting nursery news. We’re talking plans to fundraise for Birmingham Hospice and chances for your little one to celebrate the special people in their life.
Newsletter contents
Dates for your diary; Staff news; Edgbaston Park Road roadworks postponed; Funding information; Nursery arrival times; Celebrating friends and family; Supporting local charities; Celebrating individuality; Parent and Carers’ Survey; Outdoor forest adventures; The Elms is ‘Good’; 125 years of University of Birmingham; Artisan Markets; Adverse weather; Cold weather policy; Taking medicine at nursery; Parking responsibly; Keeping everyone safe; Safeguarding and child protection; Get in touch
Dates for your diary
From Lunar New Year to the Persian New Year of Nowruz to Valentine’s Day and Holi, there’s plenty to celebrate over the coming months. As well as hosting themed activities to celebrate these occasions at nursery, we have lots of upcoming events and workshops for you and your little one to look forward to.
Staff news
Huge congratulations to Faiza who got married just before Christmas. Many of us were able to join her as she celebrated her new chapter – it was a truly special day.
As most of you are now aware, Heather is expecting her third baby on 5 April. She will be at work up until the end of March, both in the office and our playrooms. Jen will work alongside another nursery manager for the year while Heather is on maternity leave. When we have further details on this appointment, we will let you know.
We’re also pleased to share that we’ve employed a Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Co-Ordinator, Kelly, to work across Birmingham Day Nurseries. Kelly’s role is to support the SEND provision, ensuring that all our children receive high-quality care, are kept safe, and receive rich and stimulating play experiences that meet their individual needs, whilst supporting all aspects and components of the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum.
This month (January), Kelly will attend each nursery for a full induction and handover, so you may start to see her around the building. Parents of children who are already utilising SEND provision at the nurseries will have an opportunity to meet Kelly formally.
Edgbaston Park Road roadworks postponed
The roadworks that were due to take place on Edgbaston Park Road this winter have been postponed until the summer. A new start date has yet to be confirmed. As soon as we know more, we’ll let you know so you can plan your journey to nursery.
Funding information
If your child will be eligible for funding for the summer 2025 term (1 April – 31 August 2025), you can now apply for funding through the GOV.UK website.
Although you have until 31 March to apply for your code, please send us your code and National Insurance Number by the middle of March. 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.
Nursery arrival times
In the interests of our children and 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.
As such, your access fob will not work after this time. We will not permit children entry to nursery between 11.30pm and 1.30pm without prior conversation moving forward. Very late arrivals are often extremely unsettling for children and staff who are following the lunch and sleep routine at nursery.
Celebrating friends and family
We’d like to invite all our families to a special friendship picnic on Friday 14 February. From 3pm, you can join your child for their tea while enjoying handmade biscuits they made and decorated earlier in the week to share with their loved ones. We know it can be tricky to take time out of work to attend nursery events, so you’re very welcome to nominate a family member to come and eat with your child instead.
There will be another chance to spend time with your child at nursery on Wednesday 26 March, when we’ll be hosting a Forest School workshop to celebrate the special people in our children’s lives. There will be opportunities for planting, bark rubbing, and exploring the outdoors, as well as toasting marshmallows on the fire before getting cosy with some warm milk. Timings will be released soon; keep an eye on ParentZone for more information.
Supporting local charities
We will be supporting Birmingham Hospice this year by taking part in its ‘Bulls in the City’ initiative. Along with our friends at The Oaks and The Elms Day Nursery, we will adopt and decorate a calf sculpture to join the city’s herd, which will go on display in the summer.
It’s all part of a free-for-all adventure trail in Birmingham city centre, which aims to create meaningful connections while raising crucial funds for Birmingham Hospice.
To adopt a calf, Birmingham Day Nurseries needs to raise £1,000 by March. We’ll be holding our first fundraising event in the next few weeks – look out for more information on ParentZone!
Celebrating individuality
From 3 March – International Zero Discrimination Day – to 7 March, we’ll be encouraging children and staff to celebrate what makes them unique (even more so than usual!). We’re currently planning our events for the week and would love our families to join us to share what makes them unique.
You might donate traditional decorations from your culture to decorate nursery with, cook your favourite dish with the children, dress in your national or cultural dress, or share your hobby. Please do get in touch if you have any ideas and/or would like to contribute.
We hope to display some examples of what our children say makes them unique on our picture boards. If you have any photos from home that you’d like to add, please let us know.
Parents and Carer Survey results
Thanks to everyone who filled in this year’s annual Parent and Carer Survey, which helps us improve what we do.
We were delighted to see that parents scored the nurseries an average of 9.33 points out of 10, exceeding 2023’s score of 9.30.
The number of surveys filled out almost doubled this year – 106 compared to 62 last year – reflecting parent’s growing involvement and interest in the quality of care their children receive.
This is what some of you had to say:
‘Staff are always caring and responsive…it feels like one big happy family!’
‘The room staff are wonderful… and create a warm, nurturing environment that makes kids feel comfortable and supported.’
‘We like that the nursery does lots of interesting activities. The staff really care and are responsive when we raise things with them. We… know that they do a wonderful job looking after our daughter.’
Paula Hunt, Head of Childcare Services, said: ‘We were thrilled with the positive feedback from the survey. The increase in our very high recommendation score and the greater numbers of responses is a testament to the dedication of our staff and shows that more parents are actively engaging with us, which benefits everyone. We also take onboard the constructive feedback we’ve received and look to make our services even better in 2025.’
Outdoor forest adventures
Our much-loved Explorers groups are taking a break over the winter, but will return with a bang with Wild Explorers in February half-term (17 – 21 February).
If you’ve missed out on a place this time round, register your interest for our April Wild Explorers club (14 – 17 April) early by emailing [email protected]. Please include your name, child’s name and date of birth, and your preferred club days (minimum of two).
Mini and Muddy Explorers will return in March with a programme of exciting spring-themed activities. Expect lots of flowers, pastel colours, and Easter-inspired fun.
Not sure which group is right for your little one?
- Mini Explorers – stay-and-play group for babies and toddlers
- Muddy Explorers – stay-and-play group for confident walkers up to the age of five
- Wild Explorers – holiday club for four- to eight-year-olds
The Elms is ‘Good’
We’re happy to share that our sister nursery, The Elms Day Nursery, has retained its ‘Good’ Ofsted rating in its most recent inspection. Inspectors praised the nursery’s ‘insightful leaders’, strong parent partnerships, and effective support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
Staff were also praised for being ‘caring and nurturing’, encouraging children to be self-sufficient, and providing a range of experiences for children to get stuck into.
You can read the full report online. Well done to everyone at The Elms!
125 years of University of Birmingham
This year we’re celebrating the University’s 125th anniversary. A huge milestone, there will be all sorts of events and celebrations in the coming months. We’re especially excited for the 125 Anniversary Concert, which will take place on Saturday 21 June.
Enjoy the music of Birmingham and its people against the backdrop of the Green Heart and Old Joe from 6.45pm. Entry is free for all, but pre-booking is essential. Find out more on the University’s ‘Celebrating 125 years of achievement’ webpage.
Artisan Markets
On the first Tuesday of every month, independent sellers and businesses from up and down the Midlands come together for the University’s Artisan Market. Open from 10am – 4pm on the Green Heart, this is your chance to pick up some fantastic local produce and gifts for the family. The next market will take place on Tuesday 4 February. We hope to see you there!
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 via text, 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
We recognise the importance of daily outdoor play for the wellbeing and physical development of all children, which is why we have an all-weather policy. This means that children spend time outdoors no matter what the weather, all year round. 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. If you do not want your child going outside on colder days, or they’re not well enough to do so, please keep them at home.
Please ensure your child has the right clothing for exploring outdoors this winter: 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.
Our staff work in line with current policies for excessive heat and cold and will adapt their practice accordingly to ensure the safety and enjoyment of our children.
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 a 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.
Parking responsibly
Your child’s safety is very important to us, so please drive at a safe speed when entering, manoeuvring around, and exiting the nursery car park. If you accidentally hit another vehicle, please report the incident to the nursery office. However, please note that we do not accept any liability if a car is damaged in the car park.
Remember to park responsibly too; disabled bays should only be used by parents/carers with a Blue Badge and the emergency bay kept clear. Please note that we may use the emergency bay to drop resources off to nursery to save taking a space away from our families.
The nursery car park is for the drop-off and collection of children only. We kindly request that you turn your engine off when waiting for your child to help reduce air pollution and keep our children healthy. If you’re a University permit holder, you must use a designated University car park during the nursery day. We thank you for your cooperation.
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/carer holds the door open for you, please politely decline; each person must either fob in or press the office buzzer to be welcomed in by a member of the team. This will ensure every person in the building is known to the nursery or dealt with by the office team.
For our children’s safety, the use of mobile phones, tablets, watches, and laptops with camera technology is strictly prohibited within the nursery. If you need to take a call or check a message, please do so in the nursery office or wait until you have 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 must 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.
Get in touch
Heather Bench, Nursery Manager
Jen Owen, Deputy Manager
Caroline Bannister, Nursery Administrator
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].