However we understand the need may arise for parents to settle their
children and you are welcome to come in to pre-school if your child
requires support or you need to speak with their keyworker/pre-school
manager.
Any parents who have come in to settle children must then leave by the
front door ensuring that a staff member has let them out to guarantee the
door is closed fully behind them.
Parents and children MUST NOT
open the pre-school door to ensure the safety of all children
within the setting.
The doors will be closed at 09:15. Parents arriving later than this must use
the intercom to alert staff of their arrival. Once all parents have left the
building and all outside doors are secured then the children’s class
registration/mat time can begin.
If children are in the process of moving up or down the stairs parents
arriving with children will be asked to wait outside. The door cannot be
opened if the children are near the door or on the stairs as staff’s priority
in that moment is to safely support the children on the stairs. Once the
children are in the rooms the door will be opened to let parents/visitors
come in.
Safe Departure of Children
After our end of day group sessions the children will be asked to sit on the
carpet area. Once we have sung our goodbye song the staff deploy
themselves so the front door and
front gate
is covered. All additional staff
must stay with the children to ensure their close supervision whilst the
doors are open. Children will be required to stay on the carpet until their
name is called. They may then go to the person collecting them. The staff
member on the entrance door must sign out each child that is collected
and no adult will be allowed to enter the building unless the child they are
there to collect has been signed off on the pre-school register. If an adult
arrives to collect a child that is not someone who would usually collect
then staff will check the collections log book for parental consent. If
parents have not signed the log book the child will not be released into
the adults care. Parents must be contacted to collect the child or provide
verbal consent. A log of any conversations with parents regarding safe
collections will be kept within the settings incident file. Children staying
for the afternoon session will be upstairs preparing for lunch time with
staff
When all morning children have been collected the register must be
checked again to ensure all children have been signed out correctly.
At 12,0clock the children attending the afternoon session must be signed
in on the afternoon register to ensure everyone is present. The same exit
procedure must be carried out at the end of an afternoon to ensure the
children’s safety.
Visitors to the Setting
If a visitor arrives at the setting their identification must be checked to
verify who they are, if needs be their office can be phoned to verify their
?
identity. Whilst their identity is being verified the visitor
MUST
remain
outside of the building.
Once their identification has been verified they can be let into the building
.The pre-school manager needs to be informed when any visitor has
arrived. All visitors MUST sign in to the visitors log. The front door will
need to be secured behind the visitor by the staff member who has let
them in.
Staff must enquire if the visitor has a mobile phone or electrical
equipment in their personal belongings. Any mobile phones go into the
phone box in the hallway and electrical equipment must have any camera
on it covered by a white sticker.
All personal belongings of the visitor must
remain in the office away from the children.
Visitors must be accompanied by a staff member at all times when in the
setting and if coming into the setting to work directly with the children
they must present a full enhanced DBS certificate which is relevant to the
childcare workforce sector. A photocopy of their DBS must be obtained
and filed within the DBS section of the filling cabernet for future reference.
When the visit is finished the visitor must sign out on the log book and be
escorted from the building. Staff will need to ensure the front door is
locked after the visitor has left the building.
Lock Down Procedure
In the event that a visitor to the setting is attempting to gain entry
without permission, staff must calmly move all children to the upstairs
rooms ensuring they have checked the bathrooms and garden. The key
phrase to alert all staff is “
Peanut Butter Sandwiches
”. The children will
remain upstairs & the classroom doors will be locked once inside so that if
anyone gains access to the building the children are secure. If staff are
not able to get the children upstairs they will lock themselves and the
children in the toilet cubicles or the outside store room. If they are outside
and unable to safely come inside they will be escorted to West Wycombe
School for refuge.
Staff must telephone the police on 999 for assistance
and remain upstairs until the police arrive. Once the police have dealt with
the intruder all parents must be contacted and asked to collect their
children immediately. The staff must write witness accounts and hand
them to the police with a copy of all accounts being kept on file in the
settings Safeguarding File. The settings Manager will then report the
incident to OFSTED within 24 hours.
The setting operates from a rented building and therefore note all key
holders to the building. A copy of all key holders are kept on file.
This policy was adopted by West Wycombe Pre-school in January 2016.
Policies are updated when necessary and reviewed on a yearly basis.
Reviewed and amended January 2024