What hours are you open?
Our Nursery is open 8.15am – 6pm for under 3’s but our preschool room is open 8am-6pm Monday to Friday for 51 weeks of the year. Our Nursery School is open 8am – 6pm for all the children and they are able to attend various sessions within these times. We are closed on bank holidays, for one day of annual training and for one week over the Christmas holiday period.

When is the latest pick-up time?
We ask that you arrive at nursery at least 15 minutes before you’re due to pick up your child, so you have time to talk to a member of the team and find out how the child’s day has been. Our doors close at 6pm. If you’re going to be late, please let us know as soon as possible as we will need to arrange for two members of staff to stay behind. There will be a fee to pay as set out in our policies.

How many days does my child have to attend?
If your child is under 3 years of age they have to attend for 2 full days at either setting and if they are over 3 years of age they have to attend for at least 1 ½ days or three morning or afternoon sessions.

Do I have to pay if I take my child on holiday or they are sick?
Yes, every booked session has to be paid for in full even if the child is on holiday or sick.

Can I change my days or sessions once my child starts nursery?
Yes, if the change can be accommodated immediately, we will support this or you can go onto a waiting list for a change of sessions.

How do I know my child is safe and secure?
Your child’s safety is paramount to us and our premises are all secure and checked each day. Our fingerprint entry system at the city nursery allows only registered persons to gain access and our coded gate entry code is only given to parents and staff and is changed regularly. Through our Safer Recruitment procedure, our staff are all DBS checked and no member is ever left unattended until they have completed our strict induction program.

Do you take government funding for 3-4 year olds?
Yes we do take funding for 3-4 year olds but not for 2 year old children.

Do you accept voucher schemes?
Yes, we do accept voucher schemes and we also are set up to receive ‘Tax-Free Childcare’ from the government.

What food do you provide at nursery?
All meals are prepared and provided fresh every day and included within our fees. Our chefs are passionate to make healthy food and provide well-balanced options for the children. We cater for special dietary requirements and support families with regular changes. We also support babies’ individual needs through the weaning process. Fresh drinking water is available at all times for all the children.

Do you supply nappies and wipes?
We ask that you provide nappies, however, we supply wipes, unless you require something specific.

Where should I park?
At our city nursery on Chapelfield East, there are two loading bays or Chapelfield East Car park which you can park in and walk over to the nursery, as long as you have a Chapelfield Nursery Sticker displayed. These are available to buy for £1 from our office. This gives you 15 minutes to park and pick up/drop off. At our nursery school in Trowse, you are able to use the main school car park in various times or use the drop-off bays on the roundabout.

Is there anywhere I can leave my pushchair if I walk to nursery?
Yes, at Nursery we have a buggy shed within the grounds of nursery where parents can leave folded up pushchairs for the day. At our nursery school in Trowse, you can leave your pushchair undercover next to the nursery.

Can my child bring in any personal belongings?
It can be a worrying time for children to start nursery so we understand that a comforter from home could help with the transition, therefore we will work with you to bring in the necessary toys however we do discourage other toys once they are settled in case they get lost or damaged. The nursery cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage to toys, books etc. brought in from home.

We ensure children feel valued and secure by supporting every child as an individual, all of whom with SEND are welcomed and included in the setting as far as is possible. Where a special educational need has been identified then specific support such as an individual education plan will be put in place working with the child, Key Person and Parents. Any support given to the child will be reviewed regularly. Nursery is a purpose built setting on one level.

Application process
If you would like a place at Chapelfield Nursery then please check availability under rooms page, it may also state when the waiting lists re open if there is currently no space. If your child is 1-3 years of age there is very little chance of a place becoming available because our youngest baby room gets filled up and then the children progress through to the other rooms. Our preschool room is bigger so we take a handful of children in at 3 years of age. If you want an application form please call the nursery 01603 611147.

All children have an accurate record of development which is completed by each child’s key person on computer software called Famly. Famly links to the Early Years Foundation Stage and practitioners capture children’s memorable experiences as well as monitor development and learning. It also enhances the precious times of fun through the visual aid of photos and is a unique journal shared online with parents, who are able to see special moments and view their child’s progress.

At Chapelfield we also have a Special Book which each family gets to keep at the end of their child’s nursery days which is full of treasured photos.

Outdoor play for children has many benefits and at Chapelfield Nursery the children go outside in all weathers and experience fun and freedom. Playing outdoors helps children’s learning, social skills, creativity, independence, risk-taking and much more.

There are also numerous health benefits to playing outside which is crucial to healthy development. All of the group rooms have access to an outdoor area and we often use the park and surrounding areas as we explore nature on nursery trips.

Children’s early experiences are paramount for their future success and these are influenced by many factors including the impact of their early play, education and care; we pride ourselves on providing these quality experiences. At Chapelfield Nursery Parents and Key Persons work together in partnership to ensure every child is supported individually.

At the beginning of nursery life development levels are attained and parents are provided with a ‘What to expect’ book which supports parents with levels of development and also ideas to progress learning. Then during nursery days children’s development is tracked by the Key person and shared with Parents termly. In addition to this we have home learning information and resources – ‘Learning Together’ for parents to take home and share with their children. We believe together we can make a difference.

Starting nursery is a big milestone for children as well as parents, however we pride ourselves in taking every step to ensure the process is as smooth as possible. At the beginning of nursery children have gradual visits with the key person building up from a play to a bottle and then onto a meal.

Throughout nursery the children transition slowly and at a pace that suits each individual to progress onto each room. When the time comes to move onto school in the next chapter of their lives we do all we can to support and celebrate this transition, ensuring the children are well prepared for the next stage in their learning. At Chapelfield we strongly believe that all children need to be able to start school ready to learn, that they are able to make friends, have good independence skills and be confident to ask for what they need.