OUR         POLICIES Our Discipline Policy Our Special Educational Needs and Disability Policy Our Pastoral Care Policy Our Parent/Carer Policy Curriculum Policy Our Discipline Policy During the settling- in period, the children are made aware of some positive rules to facilitate the smooth running of the nursery. It is the policy of our school that any child displaying disruptive behaviour will be channelled into more constructive, challenging and meaningful play. Further disruptive behaviour may require staff to direct the child out of the situation for a short period of 'time out'. Persistent behavioural problems will necessitate the teacher / Principal discussing the matter with the parent/s and possibly further action taken. Reasonable force to restrain or control a pupil may be required: To prevent the child harming another child / other children To prevent the child harming him/herself To prevent the child harming an adult (Such times rarely occur) Back to Top  (A copy of the complete Discipline Policy is available for consultation from the hall.) Our Special Educational Needs and Disability Policy The primary aim of Ballymena Nursery is to provide for all the children an enriching and enjoyable early years experience. All children including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities are entitled to a broad, balanced curriculum, matched to their individual needs and abilities. Our curriculum is planned and provided in a way that allows all children to develop and progress, at their own pace. Where a child begins nursery school, having had specific needs already identified, we aim to take these into consideration and along with the parents and other professionals we plan for that child as an individual. Where a child is newly identified as having special needs whilst attending our nursery school, we aim to follow a similar process. The channels of communication are always kept well open and the needs of your child along with the others in the room remain our focus. (A copy of the complete SEN Policy is available for consultation from the hall.) Back to Top  Our Pastoral Care Policy Each and every child is very important to us. Their safety, well-being and happiness are of the utmost importance. We have a very open, loving and caring ethos which demonstrates our overall pastoral care. We aim to provide an extension of a loving home for every child. Most children have a very happy home and school life. However, throughout the year, daily contact with your child's teacher enables you to discuss any problems or concerns, which you may have regarding your child or another child who attends our school. You will find the teachers and other staff trust worthy and approachable. In the event that you have a concern regarding your child's safety or well-being you are encouraged to talk to the class teacher or the Principal. You may also discuss this with the Chairperson of the Board of Governors. Any concern raised will be discussed with the appropriate member/s of staff within school or with board officers who deal with such issues and the outcome will be reported back to you promptly. (A copy of the complete Pastoral Care Policy is available for consultation from the hall.) Back to Top  Our Parent/Carer Policy We value our parents, their input into the nursery and what they can tell us about their child. Throughout the year you are always welcome to come into the nursery, to become involved and to get to know each other. We have a very successful Parents' Group. You can meet along with others for a cup of tea and a chat. Parents are invited to take charge of the format of the group, with the support of the nursery staff. We run several information sessions and operate a lending library for the parents. Professional assistance (e.g. Health visitors, Speech & Language Therapists, Educational Psychologists) can be made available for parents' meetings on request. We hope also that those involved in the group will help us to add to the nursery in different ways. We ensure that parents/ carers are kept well informed in various ways in order that they may share in their child's nursery year. These include our parent's information board, monthly news letters, song and rhyme sheets and other written communication. Besides catching up on your child's progress with the staff each day, parent information sessions and parent / teacher interviews also help to keep both you and us better informed. ABOVE ALL, YOUR JOB IS TO ENJOY YOUR CHILD'S TIME AT THE NURSERY. ASK THEM ABOUT WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN LEARNING AND TAKE PART IN THEIR EXCITEMENT. Back to Top  Curriculum Policy We aim to provide a balanced curriculum to meet the needs of the all children. This curriculum ensures that the children experience a variety of rich play experiences which are carefully planned by a qualified teacher and qualified classroom assistants. We consider each child as an individual, taking into account their needs, their age and their previous experience. Our curriculum also places great emphasis on the language used by both children and adults. Back to Top