Brookfields, Cheadle

EYFS

We follow the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and plan activities and a curriculum based around the interests of the children. The framework sets the standards for the learning, development and care of children, from birth to 5 years old.

We provide quality resources and activities which are changed, extended and enhanced in order to provide an environment that has a significant impact on children’s level of engagement.

The children are given opportunities through ICT, problem solving, maths skills, imaginative and creative play, reading, mark making and physical activities on a daily basis and the planning for the environment encompasses both indoors and outdoors.

In addition, the children have extracurricular activities run by external providers and these include Spanish, Ballet and Movement and Football skills. We also arrange visits into the local community including, the park, the library, the pet shop, the cinema and theatre as well as Christmas and Summer outings.

We use workshops to support the children’s interests and learning such as visits from the dentist, police, fire brigade, the really wild show (a hands on experience with small animals and mini beasts), and a science interactive show. Each year in the Spring we care for eggs supplied by a local farm and look after the chicks when they hatch.

We have superb outside play areas and these are used constantly throughout the day to extend the children’s learning opportunities for example, more mark making opportunities, growing plants, large scale construction, large scale water play, large scale sand areas, mud kitchens, den making, small world habitats and more space for challenging physical activities.

Parents and Online Learning Journey

We are keen to work with you as parents/carers and keep you fully informed of where your child is up to. We use Tapestry as an online learning journey system which records your child’s development through photographs, observations and videos in relation to the Early Years Foundation Stage.

Each child has their own personal online learning journey which is password protected and you can access from a number of devices (IOS, Android and PC)

Tapestry will allow you to see what your child has been doing at nursery and also where they are at in relation to their learning and development on a regular basis.

You will receive updates when a practitioner adds a new entry to your child’s learning journey and you can then access and add your own comments. Parents have found Tapestry especially beneficial when their child is settling into the nursery or a new room and it provides a great tool for sharing observations at home and at nursery.

“I just want say thank for incorporating Tapestry, my favourite app. Nothing beats seeing first hand what the kids get up to, it is absolutely priceless. Memories we will have forever, thank you so much.” Maureen, Keira’s Mummy-Crescent Park.

We also hold regular parent stay and play sessions, annual parents/open evenings, Christmas productions, sports days and a graduation ceremony. In addition for pre school parents we hold parents information evenings including, ‘Getting Ready to Write’, ‘Maths is Everywhere’ and a ‘Reading and Phonics’ evening. These are very hands on and interactive sessions and help you in knowing how to support and extend your children’s progress.

We work with Millie’s Trust regularly and are proud to also provide support for our parents/carers with evening paediatric first aid workshops across our nursery settings.

Ofsted

We are extremely proud of all of our Ofsted reports. Click here to review our latest reports.

Fees

Please contact the individual setting for an up to date price list.

Fees are inclusive of:

• Freshly prepared healthy home cooked food including:
  • Breakfast
  • Mid morning snack
  • Two course Lunch
  • Afternoon Tea

• Extra curricular classes from our visiting ballet teacher, Spanish or French teacher (depending on setting) and football coach.
• Elm Cottage personal nursery rucksack.
• Wet wipes are provided however parents are required to provide nappies and cream.
• Recommended daily portions of milk for all children however formula is provided by parents.

Fees have been calculated on a yearly basis taking into account Bank Holidays and the Christmas closure. Fees are then divided by twelve to give a monthly fee. There are, therefore, twelve equal monthly payments due each year.

Fees are expected to be paid by the 20th of each month in advance of childcare. 

For example for February fees they would need to be paid in full by the 20th of January.

Our preferred method of payment is by standing order.

Late Fee Charges.

We have a daily late fee charge of £5 per day for any late payments received after the 20th of the month. Should payment not be made by the first of the following month you could risk losing your child’s place.  We are always happy to discuss and help families where possible so please speak to the setting manger with any concerns.

Help Paying for Child Care

Free/subsidised places

15 hours free Childcare

Currently all children from the age of three are eligible for 15 hours of free childcare per week for 38 weeks per year.

At Elm Cottage we open from 8.00am-6.00pm five days a week and for 51 weeks of the year. Thus catering only for families who need our service all year. We therefore operate the free places system as subsided places. The funding we receive for term time only is stretched over the whole year and divided by twelve, reducing the monthly fee payable throughout the year. This makes it easier for parents to set up regular standing order payments with their bank.  Some two year olds will also be eligible for 15 funded hours a week for 38 weeks, although parents will have to apply see here. ​

30 hours free Childcare

You may be able to receive a further 15 hours of free/ subsidised Child Care (totalling 30hrs) available for 3-4 year olds.

To receive this funding parents will need to apply to HMRC  for eligibility click here.

Tax Free Child Care

This is an online savings account and for every £8.00 you put in the government adds a further £2.00 to a maximum of £2,000 per child.  For eligibility click here.

Click here for useful information on how to use Tax Free Childcare.

This article is a Q&A with HMRC regarding TFC payments with a number to call should payments be delayed-0300 123 4097

When using Tax Free Childcare please be aware that the fee’s still need to reach our account by the 20th of the month in advance. For example for February fees they would need to be paid in full by the 20th of January.  We have found there are often delays when paying by TFC or Vouchers so please factor this in when meeting deadlines to avoid any nursery late fee charges.

Child Care Vouchers:

Some employers provide assistance towards the cost of nursery fees. Employees can choose to have some of their salary paid in child care vouchers. In doing this you do not have to pay tax and NI on the portion of the salary that is paid in vouchers.

When using vouchers please be aware that the fee’s still need to reach our account by the 20th of the month in advance. For example for February fees they would need to be paid in full by the 20th of January.  We have found there are often delays when paying by TFC or Vouchers so please factor this in when meeting deadlines to avoid any nursery late fee charges. 

Ofsted require 50 percent of staff to be trained to NVQ level 2. At Elm Cottage 98% of our staff are qualified to level 3 or above-2 % are presently training on the childcare apprenticeship scheme and a huge 25 % have degrees in Early Childhood Studies. This includes a qualified teacher with a  BEd (hons) and an  Early Years Teacher as part of the team. All staff are supported and guided by the area manager and experienced Nursery Teacher, Tina Kapp who has worked at Elm Cottage for 22 years.

“Highly skilled staff have excellent knowledge of how children learn and couple this with a very secure knowledge of each child’s individual needs. This enables very successful promotion of children’s care and learning.” Ofsted, January 2013

“Robust recruitment and vetting procedures help to ensure that all staff are suitable to work with children. All staff undergo an induction programme and their progress is monitored by room leaders and more formally with an annual review. The manager sets very high standards and staff are fully committed to achieving standards of excellence in all areas. This is demonstrated by the support given to all staff to continue further with their professional development, which has led to the setting team being very highly qualified and skilled.” Ofsted, January 2013

ALL our staff are trained and are kept up to date in Paediatric First Aid.

For the 34 years that Elm Cottage has been caring for children we have always believed that every member of our team should be trained in and kept up to date in paediatric first aid, this is something we have felt very strongly about and has been implemented since first opening in 1989.

We now work with Millie’s Trust regularly and are proud to also provide support for our parents/carers with evening paediatric first aid workshops across our nursery settings.

We are now delighted to announce that our Orrishmere Nursery is one out of ten childcare providers across England that have become the first to achieve Millie’s Mark, the new quality mark for excellence in paediatric first aid for early years settings.

Click here to see Millie’s Trust and Elm Cottage on Granada Reports

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