Settling In

Enquire now for a personal tour of our nursery

We recognise that each child, parent, and nursery relationship is unique, and we use our experience to support everyone in making that transition into nursery life as smooth as possible.

Gradual steps – your first sessions

Your child will then be invited to 3 FREE settling in sessions within the nursery that will be organised as follows:

Settling in sessions

Session 1

Our first step with our settling-in process is to meet with parents / careers either in person, via a team’s call or telephone, this allows an opportunity for you, your child, and their key person to get to know each other.

During this session, we’ll spend time learning all about your child—their interests, favourite toys and activities, routines, likes and dislikes ,any allergies or additional information that maybe needed to support your child’s learning journey with us. This will also be a great opportunity for you to ask any questions you may have about them starting nursery.

Together, we’ll complete an “All About Me” booklet, helping us build a clear picture of what makes your child unique.

Our aim is to create a positive first experience, laying the foundations for a happy and confident start to nursery life.

Session 2

Your child’s second settling in session will take place within the room that they will begin their learning journey in at Monkey puzzle East Malling. This session will last one hour. During this session we request parents / carers to stay for the hour. This allows for an opportunity for you to observe how your child settles and begins to build a bond with their allocated key person.

During this session your child’s key person will arrange your child’s next settling in session.

Session 3

During your child’s 3^rd settling in session we will meet and greet you at the reception area and then take your child to their room, this session will last for 1 hour, for this settling in session we kindly request that parents / carers leave the child in the care of Monkey Puzzle East Malling, this allows your child to have an opportunity to continue to build a relationship with their key person and play and engage in activities of their choice.

At Monkey Puzzle East Malling, We recognise that each child settles at their own pace, from the two initial settling in sessions if we feel that your child would benefit from further settling in sessions this can be discussed with your child’s key person and arranged at the discretion of the Nursery management Team.

We advise settling in sessions to take place with a morning and afternoon session as this enables your child to experience all of the activities and mealtimes that go on throughout the day.

These sessions are free and flexible to suit. Usually booked in for the week before the start date keeping the experience fresh in your child’s mind, your key person will fill in a report each step of the way which will help us and yourselves to track your child’s settling in and plan future support and development.

Strong relationships – Your Key Person

Our experience has shown that having a Key Person for your child is the most effective way of ensuring that children develop a strong relationship with a significant adult in the nursery, giving every child the reassurance to feel secure, familiar, and confident in the nursery environment.

At East Malling your child’s Key person will:

Be assigned to your child on their first settling-in session, getting to know the child and family well in order to form strong relationships to support emotional needs.
Be with your child at every settling-in session in order to make the handover as smooth as possible, providing essential consistency for you and your child.
Ensure they have all of the information about your child and share this with other staff so that your child’s individual needs are cared for throughout each and every day.
Carry out assessments and plan for your child’s development, ensuring they are always challenged and supported to reach their full potential.
Prepare a report every 6 weeks to ensure you are kept up to date with all of the information about your child and their development.