Stepping Stones

About

Stepping Stones is a purpose built Day Nursery based in South Wales near Aberdare town centre and just a short walk from the local bus and train station.

Story

About Stepping Stones Nursery

Stepping Stones pride ourselves on the commitment and dedication of our staff. Stepping Stones Nursery have been established for over 12 years. With an average five and a half year service record from employees.

Stepping Stones Nursery consider ourselves to be the leading childcare provider in the Aberdare area. We are proud to say that over 80% of our intake is from returning families and recommendations.

We are inspected annually by the CSSIW and receive exceptional results year after year.
Stepping Stones Nursery follow all new and existing guidelines set by the Governing Bodies. Ensuring we provide the best possible child care.

Stepping Stones feel that most parents want their child to be given a ‘home from home’ experience when at Nursery. Although learning is very much apart of everyday life at Stepping Stones, we do feel that our priority with this age of children is care, attention and fun.

The facility is state of the art and has a dedicated management team that are happy to answer any of your questions.
Frequently Asked Questions

At Stepping Stones Nursery we are asked many of the same questions time and time again. Please feel free to ask us anything that you do not see below. You can guarantee that some parent has felt the same as you or has had that niggling question at the back of their mind.

We are here to put you mind at ease and to help you feel comfortable in leaving your precious child in our care:

Frequently Asked Questions:
•What time do you open?
We are open Monday to Friday from 7:30am until 18:00.

•When does the nursery close for holidays?
we are closed all bank holidays and Christmas week. There is no charge for these holidays.

•Do I have to pay when my child is on holidays?
Yes, if you provide us with one month’s notice prior to your holiday, the charge will be half of what you usually pay, however – failure to provide one month’s notice will result in full charge.

•I am a teacher and I do not need my child to attend through school holidays – will I still be charged?
Amendments may be made to our policies for special circumstances – this will be discussed with a manager prior to your child starting nursery.

•What do I need to bring with me?
Whilst your child is on formula milk you can either bring in your bottles made up every day or provide us with a carton of formula and we will make it up as and when needed. Children go onto nursery diet at roughly 1 year old as we follow specific guidelines – you will need to provide baby food/jars up to the age of 1 year old.

You will also need to bring in nappies, creams, comforters and any medication your child needs.

•How will you settle my child into nursery?
We recommend settling in sessions – We start the child at one hour, see how they are and go from there – sometimes the child is ready to start after the first hour while other children need a few more hourly sessions to adjust to their new surroundings. Staff discuss settling in periods with the parents and together they come up with a plan for each individual child – parents are not permitted to stay with the child during settling in sessions due to health and safety regulations.

•What happens if my child is taken ill at nursery?
We will contact you immediately if your child is taken ill. Sometimes we will ask for permission to give Calpol etc, other times we will ask you to come and collect your child if they are not well enough to be in nursery or have a contagious illness. In the interests of all children it is important that your child is well before returning to nursery.

•What happens if my child is ill and cannot attend nursery?
We ask parents to ring and let us know if their child will not be in nursery. Unfortunately, no refund can be made if your child doesn’t attend nursery owing to illness.

•Does the nursery accept childcare vouchers?
Yes. We are registered with the main childcare voucher providers, however, if your employer uses one we are not registered with, we can register with them. We are happy to accept childcare vouchers from both parents, even if they are from different voucher providers.

•How many staff will look after my child?
We work on Ofsted guidelines for adult : child ratios

Under 2s – 1 adult to every 3 children
2 to 3s – 1 adult to every 4 children
3 – 5s – 1 adult to every 8 children

•What qualifications do your staff have?
Our Management staff hold a level 5, Over 80% of our staff hold a Level 3 in childcare (or equivalent) – the remainder have either NVQ Level 2 or are Trainees working towards their Level 3. The majority of our staff have been trained in Paediatric First Aid and also Safeguarding (child protection).

How do I know my child is safe in nursery?
All rooms to the nursery are locked and only staff who have the codes may enter. No access to the rooms is permitted to anyone who is unknown to us. We follow a strict visitor policy throughout the nursery. There is also CCTV surveillance outside nursery, the play area is enclosed and gates are padlocked while the children are playing in the outside areas. All staff have Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau check – until this is received they are never left unsupervised in the rooms.

•Are staff allowed mobile phones in the rooms?
No, we follow a strict no mobile phones policy.

•Will I know what my child has done throughout the day at nursery?
Every day you will be given verbal daily feedback. Each unit completes daily record sheets, which states what your child has eaten, when they have slept and when they had nappy changes.

•My child has a food allergy, are you able to cater for them?
We have a lot of experience in dealing with children with different dietary requirements. When your child starts nursery you will be asked to complete a Registration Form, which will include details of any allergies. We may ask you to provide certain foods for your child e.g. gluten free bread, goats milk.

•What happens if I can’t get to pick my child up?
If you know that someone different will be picking your child up then give us a description of the person and a password. Once we know these people a password isn’t necessary but please inform us that they will be picking up your child.

•What happens if I am delayed collecting my child?
We understand that occasionally there are traffic problems or problems at work – please ring us as soon as you know you will be late to pick your child up so that we can make arrangements for staff to stay behind. Extra charges may be incurred.

•Does the nursery have a full set of policies and procedures?
Yes, we have policies and procedures covering all aspects of child welfare, staffing etc. They are available to view in all rooms and also reception area. We review our policies once a year, or more often should there be a need e.g. a change in regulations/legislation

Mission

Stepping Stones is a purpose built Day Nursery for children between the ages of 6 weeks and 5 years. Based in Aberdare in the Cynon Valley, South Wales. Your child will receive the highest levels of care and attention, regardless of gender, race, religion and ability.

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