Admissions is mainly on first come first served basis. We accept babies and children from 5 months to 5 years. All children who register with Cornerstone Day Nursery and Pre-school will be given equal rights and will be treated as individuals.
Before you register your child with us, we recommend that you book a visit to our nursery by ringing us on 020 8776 6789 or send an email request to admin@cgnurseries.co.uk
Once a place has been offered to your child/children, a refundable deposit of £100 per child is required to secure the place/places.
Free settling in period is then mutually agreed by the nursery and parents/carer This is confirmed in writing in your child’s admission offer letter.
We adopt this approach to ensure that parents are part of the settling in process and to seize the opportunity to begin building a partnership.
If you wish to withdraw your child from the nursery, one calendar months’ notice must be given in writing or one month’s fees will be charged.
The settling in process
At Cornerstone day Nursery and Preschool, we are committed to ensuring that every child settles down and adapt to the learning environment as quickly as possible.
Our aim is for children to enjoy their time at Cornerstone Day Nursery & Pre-school whilst learning through play and encourage their inquisitive minds! Children are unique individuals and will settle at their own pace, however, our years of experience has shown us that 6 weeks is a good time – frame to allow most children to make their transition from being at home with close family and friends to be in a much larger and stimulating environment with less familiar adults. There are no charges for the settling in visits.
Preparation for Nursery – A form requesting information about your child will have been sent out to you with the admission offer letter. This needs to be completed and returned to us at least 2 weeks before your child’s first settling in visit. This helps us to prepare and plan for your child and you and endeavor to settle in your child without tears!
First settling visit – lasts a half an hour to an hour and a familiar adult stays with the child, supporting them in getting to know the staff and the environment. This is also an opportunity to share lots essential, information with the people who will be caring for your child; the more information we have, the ability we are to make you and your child feel welcome and at ease.
Some of this information is contained in our ‘All about me’ forms, which we complete with you, but staff will also spend these first settling in visits talking with you, getting to know you and your child and exchanging information about home and nursery.
The next stage – once children show through their interactions that they are beginning to relate well with the staff, we will encourage the adult settling them in to say goodbye and step out of the room for a short period. This is usually only for a short time, to begin with, whilst staff uses all of their knowledge and experience to engage the children in nursery life and show them that even without their parent or carer – it’s still a great place to be!
Children quite naturally show sadness and separation anxiety at the time of parting, but if the settling process is managed well, he or she will be able to manage this with the support of their key person and the other members of staff. Please be reassured that we would never leave a child to cry unnecessarily and would always contact you if your child is unable to be comforted appropriately.
Equality and Diversity
All the children at our nursery will be treated with equal respect and we are committed to developing an environment free from prejudice and discrimination. Gender, cultural, linguistic and religious backgrounds as well as disabilities are taken into account in the resources we provide as well as in our programme of learning. Staff will address any form of prejudice.
Racist and sexist remarks and attitudes are not acceptable anywhere in the Nursery and will not be tolerated.
Our Nursery serves the community in which it is situated and all children are welcome for admission, irrespective of their racial origin, gender, family groupings, cultural and linguistic backgrounds, class, ability or religious beliefs.
Information is available on request.
The members of staff are responsible for implementing and developing this policy.