9 Months Baby Zone policy Aim: We understand the impact of children’s surroundings on their development and aim to create a stimulating, clean and safe environment for very young children to explore which will inspire and encourage all areas of learning with supportive adults for children to absorb. Method: - The temperature of the baby room will be regularly checked to ensure children are in an environment which will be comfortable for mobile and non mobile children.
- To ensure the baby zone is kept free of cross contamination no shoes will be worn within the baby zone.
- Equipment will be cleaned on a regular basis and all equipment which babies may put into their month will be cleaned daily. Cleaning records will also be kept.
- Their will be daily risk assessment of the baby zone and all other areas of the nursery to ensure safety for children, staff, visitors and parents.
- All children will be allocated a key Person who will be responsible for making attachments with your child, recording their development, observing their interests and planning for they needs. In the event the child’s key person is absent then another member of staff will be allocated to the child for that day, you will be informed who this person is.
- Your child’s key person will discus with you daily to provide high levels of communication and give such feed back as what activities your child has participated in, and personal information on feeding, sleeping, nappy changing etc.
- The resources which babies will come into contact with will be suitable for the age and stage of their development and will include a range of natural materials.
- All members of staff in the baby zone will have completed some in house training of procedures and will be well qualified and understand babies come first. All members of staff have ongoing staff training within their area of responsibility. Which will be shared with parents / carers. Staff ratios within the baby zone is 1 member of staff to 3 babies, this will increase during outings and any evacuation.
- The baby zone will include much sensory equipment such as mirrors lights and comfortable calming areas and will be suitable for young children with special needs or impairments.
Curriculum The first years of a child’s life are the most informative in development of mind, body and spirit. Sleep, emotional and physical nourishment, and sensory stimulation are more important in babyhood than any other time. Babies and toddlers learn through all their senses. The sense of touch babies feel things with their feet as well as their hands and will experience textures to explore. Babies sense of sight is active very early and they will be introduced to contrasting patterns and watch movement of others and resources. Babies and toddlers like to listen to music and will experience a wide range of listening through nature, signing, musical instruments and conversation. During this time children will start to use purposeful sounds and begin to vocalize and take turns in conversation. Babies and toddlers discover through their sense of taste as they experiment with new foods (When weaning) or explore objects with their tongues and gums. Children's development and learning Children’s development and learning is guided by the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework issued by the Sure Start Unit of the Department for Education and Skills. (This document is mandatory with effect from September 2008)The EYFS aims to provide an integrated approach to Care and Education, removing the false distinction between the two and also aims to help young children achieve the five Every Child Matters outcomes of staying safe, being healthy, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution, and achieving economic well-being. Underpinning the framework is a play-based approach to an education program that supports the development and learning of children from birth to five in all early years settings. In line with the framework we recognise the key influences of parents and families in children's learning and the importance of working in partnership with parents. We plan for individual children to ensure the early identification of their particular needs. Our Setting values diversity in the local community, including recognising the importance of children's home languages.The EYFS adopts a principled approach that guides our work. The principles are grouped into four distinct but complementary themes as listed below:A Unique Child recognises that every child is a competent learner from birth who can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured. The commitments are focused around development; inclusion; safety; and health and well-being.Positive Relationships describes how children learn to be strong and independent from a base of loving and secure relationships with parents and/or a key person. The commitments are focused around respect; partnership with parents; supporting learning; and the role of the key person.Enabling Environments explains that the environment plays a key role in supporting and extending children's development and learning. The commitments are focused around observation, assessments and planning; support for every child; the learning environment; and the wider context - transitions, continuity, and multi-agency working.Learning and Development recognises that children develop and learn in different ways and different rates, and that all areas of learning and development are equally important and inter-connected. The learning and development areas are outlined below:The Early Years Foundation Stage for children birth to five yearsChildren start to learn about the world around them from the moment they are born. The care and education offered by our setting helps children to continue to do this by providing all of the children with interesting activities that are appropriate for their age and stage of development.
