January Newsletter 24 - Highwood Nursery

The Nursery Manager writes…

Hello and happy new year. The run-up to Christmas saw children and staff make some very fond memories to take forward into 2024. Father Christmas visited, and there were lots of festive craft activities for the children to enjoy as well. We are currently well into what some people in education call the pancake semester, and for good reason… As we enter Lent, there will be lots of opportunities for children to experience the sights, sounds and smells that are typical of the time of year. And importantly, this Spring marks the official start of a new, broader, government funded nursery entitlement for working families. See below for details.

Best wishes,

Sarah Bower

Eleven or fifteen hours FREE childcare for two-year-olds

From April 2024 working parents of two-year-olds will be able to access 11 or 15 hours of free childcare each week. The number of funded hours will depend on whether your child attends all year or during term time only. Applications opened on 2 January 2024. If your family is eligible, we recommend you apply between mid-January and the end of February. This means you will not need to reconfirm your eligibility before April. You can apply through the government’s Childcare Choices website by clicking here

Future funding reform

From September 2024, up to 15 hours of free childcare will be extended to all children of working parents from the age of nine months. We will publish more information about this nearer the time.

Ad hoc school holiday sessions

Did you know? If your child attends during term time only, we can still provide sessions during the school holidays when you need them, subject to availability. All you have to do is let us know at least two weeks in advance.

Family holidays

January is when a lot of people plan family holidays for the year ahead. If this sounds like you, please be sure to let us know any dates that will clash with your nursery bookings. You can do this quickly and easily via Famly.

Important reminders:

Please ensure you keep us up-to-date with any changes to your contact details so we can contact you easily and swiftly if necessary.
Please remember to let us know if someone different is going to be collecting your child. If they have not done so before, or staff are not familiar with them, please remember you will need to send their picture and a password to us via Famly.

Menu changes

Following a review of our menu, we have made a few adaptations to suit children’s preferences. Updated copies of the menu will be available on Famly and in your child’s room. Please ask your Room Lead if you would like a paper copy.

Baby & Child Resuscitation course

A short course on Baby & Child Resuscitation will be held on Saturday 2 March 2024 at Brockenhurst Village Hall on Highwood Road. It will run from 9:00am to 11:00am and costs £15 per person. For further information or to book a place or places, please visit www.babyresuscitation.co.uk or email info@babyresuscitation.co.uk