At Over the Rainbow, we recognise that you as parents and carers know your child better than anyone else and really value your contribution and thoughts about your child’s learning and development journey. We understand that there are a number of factors, such as time, work, and family commitments, that can affect how much face to face contact we are able to have with you on a regular basis. We have tried to ensure that we have a number of ways that you can have contact with your child’s Key Person regarding your child’s learning, development and wellbeing, Management for day to day questions regarding the running of Over the Rainbow, and indeed any member of the staff team, to ensure we work together as partners in supporting your child to achieve the best possible outcomes. We value all feedback we receive and take your comments and suggestions to constantly evaluate our practice to provide a welcoming, challenging, varied and exciting environment for your child.
How do we achieve this?
Here are the ways in which you can contact us at the Setting, and also the key times where your child’s learning and development will be communicated with you:
Come in and chat to us: Although we still ask parents to drop and and collect their child from the outside doors, if there is anything at all you would like to speak to us about, please just mention it to the member of the team at the door and we can invite you in for a chat. Alternatively, please contact us to book a time to come in and talk to us about anything. Similarly, if we have anything that we would like to talk to you about, we may ask you to join us inside where we can meet in a more confidential way.
Tapestry: All of our Pre-School children have their own account on Tapestry. This is a two-way information sharing platform where we will let you know what the children have been enjoying and learning at Over the Rainbow. There is also the opportunity for you as parents and carers to add your own photographs and messages letting us know what you have been enjoying together at home. We love to hear all about any birthdays, days out, family visits, new skills that your child has learnt at home. This is also a great way to send a message directly to your child’s Key Person regarding your child.
Key Person Messages: You will receive regular messages on Tapestry from your child’s Key Person. This will be a quick check in letting you know how your child is getting on and what they are enjoying at the minute. The Key Person will ask you about your child in their home environment. We appreciate every reply we get as it really helps us to have that holistic view of each child’s development both at Over the Rainbow and at home. Equally, please feel free to message your Key Person on Tapestry at any time if you have any questions about any aspect of your child’s time with us.
Progress Summaries: Once a term, your child’s Key Person will complete a progress summary for your child. This will be published on Tapestry for you to read and comment on. Progress Summaries are a way of highlighting your child’s learning and development at Over the Rainbow across the EYFS. It also gives you suggestions on how you can support your child’s learning at home. After each Progress Summary is published, you will be invited in to the Setting for a meeting with the Key Person to discuss their progress and give you the opportunity to ask any questions you may have. The summary may also highlight an area where progress is slightly less than expected. This is usually nothing to worry about, but the Key Person will discuss with you strategies we can put in place to concentrate on that particular area.
Stay and Play Sessions: We offer a Stay and Play session towards the end of each half term. This will be an opportunity for you to come in to the Setting with your child and see our daily routines, take part in themed/seasonal activities, talk to the team in an informal environment and meet the other parents and put faces to names of your children’s friends! We will change the day of the week that we hold the stay and play session each time, to allow as many parents/carers the opportunity to attend as possible. The sessions are also open to the children and families who don’t usually attend on that particular day as we want it to be as inclusive and accessible as possible for those that wish to attend.
Emails: Important information will be emailed out to you as and when needed. We try not to bombard you with too many emails but reminders, Holiday Club booking forms, newsletters and other important changes/reminders will be sent out to all parents via email. If you would like a hard copy of any of the information we send out, please let a member of the team know.
Phone calls: Please feel free to pick up the phone at any time to talk to a member of the team. Equally, we may ring you if we need to, for example if your child becomes poorly while with us.