Structures and staffing
We provide ratios of staffing in line with the welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage to ensure children have sufficient individual attention and to guarantee high quality care and education.
Our Early Years Unit is structured as follows:
- Fledglings (under 2 years)
- Robins (aged 2 to 3 years)
- Skylarks( Pre School aged 3 years to 4 years)
- Oak Reception (4 years to 5 years)
All rooms are run by a senior member of staff or a teacher, supported by an appropriate number of suitably qualified and experienced Nursery Practitioners and teaching assistants to maintain the ratios of 1:3 in Fledglings, 1:4/1:8 in Robins 1:8 in Skylarks, 2:20 in Oak.
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We operate a key-person system throughout the Early Years Foundation Stage (where a staff member is allocated a small number of children). This encourages close, secure relationships between children and adults which is critical for children’s early development. By organising ourselves in this way one staff member can take responsibility for gathering in-depth knowledge of each child, based on observation and discussions with colleagues. This information is used to plan activities that interest and stimulate each child. A key-person is also able to build relationships with, and get know a child’s family and background, thereby encouraging meaningful conversations with both child and parent, which will also help to enhance learning. In addition each child has a secondary key person.
We are all part of the Hazelwood family and as such are answerable to the Head of Hazelwood School, Mrs Lindie Louw.
The Assistant Head, Howard Garlick, has responsibility for the day to day running of the Early Years site.
