FAQs

We were delighted to be awarded an Ofsted ‘Good’ rating in October 2024 and 'Outstanding' in February 2019.

Ofsted's latest report highlights many positive points about our nursery, including:

Our Nursery Environment

• The nursery strives to offer the highest quality of education and care.
• Children show immense excitement when they spot their friends entering the nursery.
• Children settle quickly into the appealing learning opportunities that the dedicated staff provide for them.
• Staff create a varied curriculum that builds on children's natural curiosity and resilience.
• Staff create a language-rich environment, where children's babble, talk and singing are greatly valued.

Preparing Children for School

• Staff prioritise children's development to feel confident to do things for themselves For example, at mealtimes children pour their own drinks from a jug and feed themselves with cutlery...giving them a true sense of responsibility.

Staff and Parent Relationships

• Leaders and staff work remarkably well with parents. Their partnership effectively helps children settle quickly.
• Parents appreciate the community feel, enhanced by organised family events, including the preschool children's graduation ceremony.

Our SEND Provision

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are progressing as well as other children. Staff swiftly identify gaps in children's learning through their secure assessment processes.

You can view a full copy of our report here: www.reports.ofsted.gov.uk URN EY485275.

Our nursery is open every day from 8am to 6pm with the option to book your child in earlier at 7.30am and/or stay later until 6.30pm.

We are open 51 weeks a year, closing only for bank holidays and the week between Christmas and New Year.

7.30am to 8am and 6pm to 6.30pm sessions cost £5 per morning or evening cover.

Early morning or later evening sessions must be booked and confirmed beforehand with a staff member.

We supply pretty much everything your child needs, including nutritious snacks and meals, drinks, nappies, nappy cream, and wipes. If your baby is breast or formula fed, please bring in freshly prepared bottles for the day clearly marked with their name.

If they use a soother or comforter to fall asleep, please bring that in too.

We also ask that you bring in a spare change of clothes every day in case they get soiled. Also, please ensure items of clothing – the spare set and what they wear normally – are named.

Children love playing outside in our garden in all weathers. If it’s chilly, please provide suitable outdoor clothing, such as a waterproof coat, outdoor shoes (wellies if it is raining) and hat and gloves.

For sunny days, we can supply sun cream for the children (unless otherwise instructed) but please bring a sun hat.

Again, please ensure all items of clothing – from sandals to sun hats – are labelled with your child’s name.

If your child is ill and unable to attend nursery, please let us know as soon as possible by calling 01753 855543 or emailing info@theriversidedaynursery.co.uk

If your child has vomiting and/or diarrhoea to prevent the infection spreading, we ask that you keep them at home for 48-hours after the last episode.

For infections such as chicken pox, please wait until five days after the rash has gone.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to refund or credit nursery fees for sessions missed due to illness.

The Riverside Day Nursery adheres to latest statutory guidance relating to nursery staff to child ratios.

Our minimum staff to child ratios are: For under two-year-olds - one carer to every three children, two to three-year-olds - one carer to every four children, three to five-year-olds - one carer to every eight children.

This ensures every baby and child receives a high amount of care and attention and is closely supervised as they move about our nursery space.

We take the safety and security of children seriously at the Riverside Day Nursery. Strict safeguarding measures apply to all aspects of the day-to-day running of the nursery, including:

• Stringent security procedures only allowing access to nursery personnel.
• Secure entrances which are staffed and locked immediately after child drop off and collection.
• Visitors to the nursery can only enter if approved and accompanied by a senior member of staff.
• Continuous monitoring and head counts of children in our indoor rooms and outdoor space.

As a parent, we ask that you notify us and provide photo identification for anyone else who is authorised to collect your child. We also use a unique password system.

If for any reason you, or the person you have authorised, is unable to collect your child we put additional checks in place.

All staff receive enhanced DBS checks and are professionally trained, including Health and Safety and Paediatric First Aid qualifications. Skills are regularly updated as part of our staff’s ongoing training and development.

Our nursery’s safety and security policies are available to view. If you would like to see copies or discuss any aspect of our procedures, just let us know.

No, all staff’s mobile phones are secured in lockers in our office. We also ask that visitors, including parents, do not use their mobiles to take photos in the nursery rooms.

We actively support and encourage communication between parents and our team.

As well as providing verbal feedback at collection time, you’ll be given a steady stream of information, along with photos, about what your child has been up to via our Famly app.

You’ll also be invited to regular Parents’ evenings, where you can talk in-depth with your child’s key person. Plus, our door is always open if you want to chat anything through.

If you are having a problem getting to us on time, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can arrange for staff to stay later.

A late pick-up fee applies of £10 per 15 minutes. Late charges start at 1.05pm (morning half day session) and, unless you have pre-booked a late pick up with a member of staff, 6.05pm (afternoon half day session or full day).

If you have pre-booked a 6.30pm pick up and arrive after 6.30pm, late charges will apply.

Please be aware that even if you provide a warning that you will be late, late pick up fees still apply.

We provide simple, clear pricing for full days and half days, Monday to Friday.

Daily Nursery Fee - 3 months to five-years-old

Full Day 8am – 6pm Monday to Friday                                          £76.00

Half Day Nursery Fees - 3 months to five-years-old

Morning Half Day 8am – 1pm Monday to Friday                           £44.00

Afternoon Half Day 1pm – 6pm Monday to Friday                        £44.00

To help your child settle into a nursey routine, we ask that you book a minimum of two sessions per week.

Any ad-hoc extra hours, days or additional costs in any given month will be added to your invoice the following month. Our fee rates include Bank Holiday closures and one week Christmas closure.

Yes. If your child is age 3 or over, we can claim Early Education Funding from the Local Authority on your behalf. All 3 to 4-year-olds can receive 570 free hours per year, which is usually taken as 15 hours per week over 38 weeks of the year. This is shown on your monthly invoice as free hours.

Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to claim up to 30 hours per week. To check your eligibility visit: https://www.gov.uk/apply-30-hours-free-tax-free-childcare

At the Riverside Day Nursery, we are pleased to offer a competitive 10% discount on childcare costs for the second child in a family, whether they attend half day or full day sessions.

Extra-curricular activities, such as language, yoga, and sports lessons, are all included. However, there may be an additional charge for ‘consumables’ required for these activities, for example, lunch or stationery materials. We will let you know beforehand how much any additional items will cost.

We accept childcare vouchers from a wide range of providers. If you wish to pay for childcare with vouchers, please contact us for our scheme registration number.

We are signed up to the Government’s Tax-Free Childcare scheme which is designed to help working parents and offers up to £2,000 a year per child towards childcare costs.

To check your eligibility, click here. 

If you would like to book extra morning or afternoon sessions, in addition to your core sessions, we will try to accommodate these wherever possible. Please ask a staff member to check availability. You can also book extra sessions via our Famly app.

Unfortunately, this is not possible due to the number of places allocated per session. If you would like to arrange extra morning and/or afternoon sessions, let us know and we will confirm whether this is possible.

No, our settling in sessions are free. We offer up to five settling in sessions over a two-week period. You are welcome to stay with your child for the first settling in session. This first session usually lasts around an hour, although you can take up to three.

Regrettably, it is not possible to swap or credit childcare sessions missed due to holidays or illness.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to swap or credit sessions that are missed due to events or circumstances beyond our control (‘forces majeures’) which force the nursery to close unexpectedly. For example, extreme weather conditions or the Government enforcing Covid-19 lockdown measures.

Many of our staff are local, as such we endeavour to open whatever the great British weather throws at us. In the unlikely event we are unable to open, we will let you know as soon as possible.

Yes, as an all-inclusive OFSTED-registered nursery we welcome and support SEND children. Our qualified SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator), Jemma, provides dedicated one-to-one support for special educational needs children. Please get in touch to see how we can help with your child’s care.

To find out more or to arrange a time to come and look around, please get in touch. 

We have lots of experience of catering for young children with dietary requirements, including food intolerances and allergies, as well as preferences, such as vegetarian diets. When your child starts with us you will be asked to complete a registration form detailing any special dietary requirements. Our nursery caterer can then prepare for these accordingly.