Cygnets Childcare

Emotional and Social Development

1. How do you support children’s emotional development?
   • We create a nurturing environment, teach emotional literacy, introduce healthy habits and coping techniques to help self regulate, and provide opportunities for children to express their feelings through play, music, art, drama and conversation.
2. What strategies do you use to promote social skills?
   • We encourage cooperative play, model positive interactions, read books, and use group activities to help children develop empathy and communication skills.

Transition to School

1. How do you prepare children for the transition to school?
   • We focus on building independence, social skills, and familiarity with school routines. We also collaborate with local schools to ensure a smooth transition.  We will have a professional discussion with the Reception class teacher to ensure a smooth transition and give the reception teacher and the parents the opportunity to contact us at any time during children's first year at school to ensure all support is given.
2. What information do you share with the receiving school?
   • We provide detailed transition reports, including the child’s developmental progress, interests, and any additional needs. 

Cultural Awareness

1. How do you incorporate cultural diversity into your curriculum?
   • We celebrate various cultural festivals, include multicultural resources, and encourage children to share their own cultural experiences. Parents are encouraged to share cultural values, special food recipes,  religious festivals etc with the setting.
2. How do you address cultural differences among children?
   • We promote respect and understanding through discussions, activities, and by modelling inclusive behaviour.

Environmental Awareness

1. How do you teach children about the environment?
   • We incorporate nature-based activities, teach recycling and conservation, and explore topics like plants, animals, and weather.
2. What eco-friendly practices do you follow?
   • We use sustainable materials, reduce waste, and involve children in eco-friendly projects like gardening and recycling. Please see our values - 14R's

Communication and Language

1. How do you support language development?
   • We engage children in conversations, read stories, sing songs, performing art, and provide a language-rich environment.
2. What if a child has a speech delay?
   • We work with speech therapists, use targeted activities, and provide additional support to help the child develop their communication skills.

Physical Development

1. How do you promote physical development?
   • We offer a variety of physical activities, both indoors and outdoors, to develop gross and fine motor skills.
2. What is your approach to physical education?
   • We incorporate movement into daily routines, provide structured physical activities,  i.e. dancing, singing, performing, and encourage active play.

Record Keeping and Documentation

1. How do you maintain records of children’s progress?
   • We use both digital and manual portfolios, observation notes, and assessment tools to track and document each child’s development.
2. What information do you include in a child’s learning journal?
   • Learning journals include observations, photos, videos, samples of work, and notes on milestones and achievements.

Staff Ratios and Supervision

1. What are your staff-to-child ratios?
   • We adhere to the recommended ratios, ensuring there are enough qualified staff to provide adequate supervision and support for all children.
2. How do you ensure children are always supervised?
   • We have clear supervision policies, conduct regular headcounts, and ensure staff are positioned strategically to monitor all areas.

Continuous Improvement

1. How do you evaluate the quality of your setting?
   • We conduct regular self-assessments, seek feedback from parents and staff, and participate in external evaluations and work in partnership with Surrey Early Years Quality Improvement Teams.
2. What steps do you take to improve your practice?
   • We implement action plans based on evaluations, provide ongoing training for staff, and stay updated with best practices in early years education.

Emergency Procedures

1. What is your procedure in case of an emergency?
   • We have clear emergency plans, conduct regular drills, and ensure all staff are trained to respond effectively.
2. How do you communicate with parents during an emergency?
   • We use multiple communication channels, such as phone calls, text messages, WhatsApp messages and emails, to keep parents informed.

Child-Led Learning

1. How do you incorporate child-led learning in your setting?
   • We follow children’s interests, provide choices in activities, different environments both setting and external premises and encourage real life exploration and creativity.
2. What are the benefits of child-led learning?
   • It fosters independence, enhances engagement, and supports individual learning styles and paces with the real life experiences.

Collaboration with Other Professionals

1. How do you work with external professionals?
   • We collaborate with Surrey SEND Advisor, health visitors, speech therapists, and other healthcare and education specialists to support children’s development and well-being.
2. What is your approach to multi-agency working?
   • We maintain open communication, share relevant information, and work together to create comprehensive support plans for children and families in need. 

Celebrations and Events

1. How do you celebrate children’s achievements?
   • We hold regular celebrations, i.e. Graduation Ceremony, display children’s work, and provide positive reinforcement to acknowledge their efforts and successes.
2. What events do you organize for families?
   • We organize family days, cultural celebrations, and parent workshops to build a strong community and involve families in the setting.

Early Science Exploration

1. How do you introduce scientific concepts to young children?
   • We use hands-on activities, experiments, and observations to introduce basic scientific concepts. This includes exploring nature, playing with water and sand, and simple experiments like mixing colours. Based on child interests and engagement we might dive deeper.
2. What are some examples of science activities for young children?
   • Activities include planting seeds and observing their growth, exploring magnets, making simple weather charts, and experimenting with water and ice. May dive deeper and construct scientific equipment based on child enquiries and curiosity.

Encouraging Curiosity

1. How do you foster a sense of curiosity and inquiry in children?
   • We encourage children to ask questions, explore their environment, and engage in activities that stimulate their natural curiosity. We also model curiosity by showing enthusiasm for discovery and learning.
2. What role do questions play in early science education?
   • Questions are crucial as they drive exploration and learning. We encourage children to ask “why” and “how” questions and help them find answers through investigation and experimentation.

Nature and Environment

1. How do you incorporate nature into your early science curriculum or educatio?
   • We take children on nature walks, explore local parks, and create nature tables with items like leaves, rocks, and insects. We also discuss the seasons, weather, and the importance of caring for the environment.
2. What are the benefits of outdoor science activities?
   • Outdoor activities help children develop observation skills, understand natural processes, and foster a connection with the environment. They also support physical development and well-being.

Scientific Thinking

1. How do you teach children to think like scientists?
   • We encourage children to make predictions, conduct experiments, observe results, and draw conclusions. We also teach them to document their findings through drawings and simple charts.
2. What is the importance of process over results in early science education?
   • Focusing on the process helps children develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. It teaches them that making mistakes and trying again is a valuable part of learning.

Science Integration with Other Subjects

1. How do you integrate science with other areas of learning?
   • We incorporate science into literacy by reading books about nature and science topics, into math by measuring and counting during experiments, and into art by creating representations of scientific observations.
2. Can you give an example of a cross-curricular science activity?
   • An example is a gardening project where children plant seeds (science), measure their growth (math), write about their observations (literacy), and draw pictures of the plants (art).

Safety in Science Activities

1. How do you ensure safety during science activities?
   • We conduct risk assessments, use child-safe materials, supervise closely, and teach children about safety rules, such as not tasting unknown substances and handling tools carefully.
2. What are some common safety guidelines for early science experiments?
• Guidelines include wearing protective gear like gloves and goggles when necessary, keeping materials organized, and ensuring that activities are age-appropriate and supervised.

Feel free to ask for more details or specific topics from Rose or Peter Dias message 07737782669