Policies

Admissions

It is the policy of Castle Kidz childcare service to offer equal access to all children from the community including children with additional needs or special requirements, and irrespective of their culture, religion, membership of ethnic group or minority, or family background.

Admissions Procedures

Pre-school

  • Each child must be at least 2 years 7 months old and toilet trained when formally enrolled at Castle Kidz, unless in the case of exceptional circumstances agreed with the Manager.
  • Children availing of the government-sponsored free pre-school places will be admitted in line with ECCE requirements (see ECCE Enrolment Policy)
  • Parents seeking to secure a place for their child must complete an enrolment form and pay a deposit
  • A completed enrolment form must be lodged with the service prior to the child attending the service
  • Full time children will be admitted on a “first come first served” basis, following submission of the enrolment form.
  • Part-time places will be allocated in certain cases at the discretion of management and where places are available.
  • Children of pre-ECCE age will be accommodated where places are available.
  • If there are no remaining places a waiting list will be drawn up and the following will apply when allocating a place.
    • Priority to full time (5 days)
    • Existing Children
    • Siblings
    • Past pupils
    • Staff children

 After school

  • Each child must be of primary school age when enrolled at Castle Kidz.
  • Parents seeking to secure a place for their child must complete an enrolment form and pay a deposit
  • A completed enrolment form must be lodged with the service prior to the child attending the service
  • Children will be admitted on a “first come first served” basis, following submission of the enrolment form.
  • If there are no remaining places a waiting list will be drawn up.

Management reserve the right to amend this admissions policy at any time.

Record Keeping

At Castle Kidz we will maintain all records according to the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016  and  in accordance with General Data Protection Regualtions.

Records will be maintained and made available to parents and any relevant persons on request, to ensure the health, safety and development of all children and to promote the learning development of all children attending the service.

  • We aim to ensure that all records are factual and written impartially
  • Under the Freedom of Information Act 1997, parents will have access to all records pertaining to their child on request.
  • Parent, carers or guardians will be asked to co-sign the medical administration form and accident report form, when necessary
  • Staff members will only have access to records of children in their care and they will be used to inform staff on how best to meet the needs of each child and plan for further learning
  • All files are kept in a locked unit. Only the manager has access to this unit.
  • All staff are informed of the confidentiality policy during their induction period.
  • Parents are informed of the confidentiality policy before their child is enrolled in the service in the Parents’ Handbook.
  • The service will only share information with other professionals or agencies, with consent from parents or without their consent in terms of legal responsibility in relation to the welfare of the child
  • Staff follow Síolta the National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education guidelines in relation to various aspects of record keeping within the service.

Record Keeping Procedures

  • Records Relating to Children Register of Preschool Children
  • A register of every child attending the service is maintaine
  • The information on the register will be up dated on an ongoing basis

Health and Safety

  • Records will be maintained in relation to medical administration and accident report forms which will be co-signed by parents / guardians and staff
  • Written parental consent is obtained to allow the service to seek medical assistance when necessary in the case of an emergency
  • Information on children’s allergies will be displayed in their play area and in the kitchen so that all staff are aware of allergies
  • The daily arrival and departure time of each child is recorded

Observations, Assessment and Programme Planning

  • Staff uses regular observation and assessment as a means of supporting and planning for children’s learning and development. Observations and assessments are recorded in the form of written observations and discussions, photos and the use of children’s work. These in turn will be shared regularly with staff and parents to ensure a cohesive approach to ensuring the needs of each child are met .
  • A record of the planned programme/ activities is clearly documented. Observations and assessment records are used to inform the plans and ensure that activities are suitable for the age, stage and interests of children service.
  • An individual education plan (IEP) may be used to support the individual needs of children. These will be developed in partnership with parents and relevant professionals involved in a child’s care.

Records of each child are available on the premises for inspection by:

  • A child’s parent or guardian but only in respect of information concerning their child.
  • Staff members with whom the information is relevant
  • An authorised person eg: Túsla Preschool Inspection

Equal Opportunities/Inclusion

It is the policy of Castle Kidz to respect the individuality of all children and adults involved in our service and to promote positive attitudes to differences of culture, race, gender, language and economic circumstances. We actively promote inclusive practices in order to best meet the needs of the children, families and staff of our centre. All children are welcome to attend Castle kidz regardless of ability, need, background, culture, religion, gender or economic circumstances. Through inclusive practice, we aim to reflect our wider community and promote positive attitudes to both the similarities and differences in each other. In order to achieve this, we actively engage with children, parents and other organisations as appropriate.

Procedures

Admissions

  • In order to provide an open and accessible service for all children and families, admissions are accepted on a first come first served basis where possible or in line with stipulations of the national ECCE scheme. For further information, see our Admission Policy

Valuing Diversity in Families

  • Key Workers regularly engage with parents to facilitate information sharing and to ensure parents are involved in planning for their child’s learning and development
  • Information sharing between staff and parents ensures a partnership approach which happens in the form of daily communications as well as schedule meetings as required
  • Staff, children and parents work together to ensure that food served in our service meets the medical, cultural and dietary needs of each child.
  • Parents and children are encouraged to contribute to various aspects of our service for example providing information or resources illustrating aspects of their lives, culture or community

Accessibility and Flexibility

  • An induction process is carried out for all families and children new to the service. This involves registration, information sharing about both the child, the service and the exploration of policies and procedures of the service
  • Because the needs of each family and child can vary, the service will respond to individual needs where possible, for example, period of induction, times of attending the centre 

Representation and Participation

  • The curriculum, activities, books, materials and environment are used to reflect the diversity of all children, families and the wider community. Where possible, these will be adapted as necessary to facilitate the inclusion of all children within the daily routine and activities of the service
  • Staff actively discourage stereotyping of gender, culture, background or ability by facilitating non stereotypical play, and through the use of non-stereotypical resources and images
  • We strive to provide learning experiences that are meaningful to each individual child and recognise varying learning styles and abilities