Policies & Procedures
At Droxford Montessori School, the safety, wellbeing and happiness of every child is our highest priority.
We have clear policies and procedures in place to guide our practice, support our staff team and help ensure that all children are cared for in a safe, nurturing and inclusive environment.
This page gives parents and carers an overview of our key policies and procedures. Full copies of our policies are available to read at school, and downloadable copies can be provided where needed.
Safeguarding
Droxford Montessori School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children in our care.
We believe that every child has the right to feel safe, respected, listened to and protected from harm. All children, regardless of age, ability, background, culture, gender, race, religion or individual need, have the right to equal protection from all types of abuse or neglect.
Our safeguarding procedures help us to:
- Protect children from harm
- Recognise and respond to concerns
- Work in partnership with parents, carers and outside agencies
- Ensure staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities
- Provide a safe and supportive environment for every child
We take any safeguarding concern seriously and always act in the best interests of the child.
Safeguarding Lead
Our Safeguarding Lead is:
Scarlett Jenkins
School Leading Practitioner: Safeguarding
Scarlett is responsible for leading safeguarding practice within the school and ensuring that any concerns are managed appropriately and in line with our safeguarding procedures.
SENCO
Our Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator is:
Scarlett Jenkins
School SENCO
As SENCO, Scarlett works with children, families, staff and outside professionals to help ensure that children with additional needs are supported appropriately.
We aim to work closely with parents and carers so that every child receives the care, understanding and support they need to thrive.
Local Authority Designated Officer, LADO
The Local Authority Designated Officer, known as LADO, should be contacted where there are concerns or allegations about an adult working with children.
LADO contact number: 01962 876364
Admissions Policy
Droxford Montessori School accepts children from the age of 2 years.
Children may be registered before they are old enough to start. We recommend early registration due to high demand and to help secure your child’s place.
Children are accepted throughout the year as they come of age, subject to availability.
Admissions Procedure
Parents and children are warmly invited to visit the school, meet the teachers and see the classroom environment.
A child’s place is confirmed once we have received and acknowledged the completed registration form and the £50 registration fee.
Attendance fees are paid termly in advance. Once a child has started at the school, one term’s notice is required to end their place.
Each child is considered individually, and we will work with families to support a settling-in process that meets the child’s needs.
Settling In
Before starting school, children usually have two pre-start visits.
The first visit gives you and your child time to explore the classroom together, meet your child’s key person and become familiar with the setting.
During the second visit, many children begin to feel more comfortable spending time in the classroom without their parent or carer, although some children may need more support.
Once your child starts school, they may be ready for full sessions straight away, or they may benefit from shorter sessions at first while they settle. We will always work with you and your child to make this transition as gentle and positive as possible.
Complaints and Feedback
We want families to feel comfortable speaking to us.
If you have a concern, complaint or feel that we are not meeting your expectations, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can address the issue. If we do not know about a problem, we cannot help to put it right.
We also welcome suggestions, feedback and ideas from parents and carers. We are always open to improving our practice and working with families to make the school the best it can be for the children.
If you would like to make a formal complaint, please speak to Scarlett Jenkins or request a copy of our complaints procedure.
Collection Policy
Children will only be handed over to an authorised collector.
If you would like your child to be collected by someone other than yourself, please speak to a member of staff and complete a collection slip. This information will be kept on file.
For safeguarding reasons, we cannot release a child to anyone who has not been authorised by a parent or carer.
Illness Policy
We take the health and wellbeing of all children seriously and ask families to help us keep the school community safe.
Please let us know as soon as possible if your child will be absent due to illness.
If your child requires Calpol or other paracetamol suspension, we recommend that they stay at home to rest and recover.
If your child has been sick or had diarrhoea, they must stay at home for at least 48 hours after the last episode.
If your child has had a temperature, please keep them at home for at least 24 hours after their temperature has returned to normal.
These measures help reduce the spread of illness and protect children, families and staff.
Medicines and Additional Forms
From time to time, parents may need to complete additional forms.
Please speak to a teacher at the door if:
- Your child needs to take medicine at school
- Your contact details have changed
- Someone without prior permission will be collecting your child
- There is a medical, emotional or family circumstance we should be aware of
A teacher will provide the correct form for you to complete.
Ratios
We follow Ofsted requirements for adult-to-child ratios.
Our ratios are at least:
- 1 adult to 4 children for two-year-olds
- 1 adult to 8 children for three-year-olds and above
These ratios help us provide safe, attentive and appropriate care for all children.
Record Keeping and Tapestry
We carefully record each child’s development and progress so that we can support their individual learning journey.
Each child has a key person who is responsible for maintaining records of their development, observations, next steps and examples of their work.
We use Tapestry, an online learning journal, to record and share children’s progress across the seven areas of learning:
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development
- Communication and Language
- Physical Development
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the World
- Expressive Arts and Design
Parents are encouraged to contribute observations and comments, helping us build a full picture of each child’s development both at home and at school.
Policies Available to Parents
Our full policies and procedures are available for parents and carers to read.
These include, but are not limited to:
- Safeguarding Policy
- Child Protection Procedures
- Admissions Policy
- Complaints Procedure
- Behaviour Policy
- Collection Policy
- Illness Policy
- Medication Procedure
- Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Policy
- Health and Safety Policy
- Equal Opportunities Policy
- Privacy and Data Protection Policy
If you would like a copy of any policy, please ask a member of staff.
Downloadable Policies
Download our Policies & Procedures
Working Together
We believe that strong communication between home and school helps children feel secure, supported and understood.
Please speak to us if you have any worries, questions or changes at home that may affect your child’s happiness or wellbeing. This could include illness, a bump or injury, moving house, a new baby, bereavement or any other change in family circumstances.
By working together, we can provide the best possible care and support for your child.