Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) – the statutory framework for care and early learning in England. A revised framework was published in March 2021 and is mandatory for all early years providers including maintained schools; non-maintained schools; independent schools; all providers on the Early Years Register; and all providers registered with an early years childminder agency from September 2021.

Ofsted – is the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills and regulates and inspects early years providers in England against the EYFS.

Parents – refers to mothers, fathers, legal guardians and the primary carers of looked-after children. There may also be other significant adults in children’s lives and other relatives who care for them.

Practitioner – Any adult who works with children in a nursery.

Key Person – The named member of staff assigned to a child. Their role is to help ensure that every child’s care is tailored to meet their individual needs, to help the child become familiar with the setting, offer a settled relationship for the child and build a relationship with their parents.

A policy is a collectively agreed statement of beliefs. It is a course of action recommended or adopted by an organisation. Policies inform procedures.

A procedure is a way of doing something; a written method or course of action to be taken in particular circumstances.

Our comprehensive set of policies and procedures demonstrate a professional approach to processes and practice as well as, where applicable, compliance with the requirements of law. It is essential to have robust and clear policies and procedures which staff can understand, follow and implement to ensure high-quality provision.

Policies and procedures enable our setting to plan and provide evidence that sound practice is taking place. For example, a policy on parental partnership formulated by staff and parents demonstrates our commitment to working with parents for the benefit of the children’s care, welfare and early learning.

Policies and procedures set a baseline underpinning decisions made every day and act as reference points for all practice in Little Explorers. They form the core processes upon which parent partnerships are based. When parents consider placing their child in a nursery, the policies and procedures outline for them the underlying ethos behind that particular nursery. How parents feel a nursery’s beliefs and ethos fits with their own beliefs will determine whether they send their child to our nursery.