As an Ofsted registered Childminder, I am restricted to the numbers and ages of children that I can care for at any one time. These details are on my Ofsted Registration Certificates, which are displayed in the playroom.  
 
When working alone Louise Lawson is registered to care for:  
 
No more than 6 children under 8 years; of these, not more than 3 may be under 5 years, and not more than 1 may be under 1 year at any one time. 
 
I am happy to take any baby/child within my registered numbers and will not discriminate against children or their families for reasons such as race, religion, sex or ability. However, I would like to make the following statements:  
 
I will be dropping off/collecting children from Hickling Infant School and therefore I am unable to collect children from any other school.  
 
I will be dropping off/collecting children from Hickling Pre-School and therefore I am unable to collect children from any other pre-school.  
 
I am happy to take children with special needs. If your child has additional needs, please do discuss them with me.  
 
All children will be welcomed into my setting and I will encourage the other children in my care to support us with this. I will request a four-week settling in period in our contract, so if you or your child or I, am not happy with the arrangement, it can be terminated easily. When taking on additional children, I must take into consideration the children already in my care who are happy and settled. It would be unfair on them to introduce a child who was very disruptive.  
 
Enquiries about childcare or Funded places are welcome at any time, either verbally in person, over the phone, via email or text. Records will be kept of names, childcare requirements and contact details, so that families can be informed when a place becomes available.  
 
The number of places available will depend on the number of children already in attendance, the days required, and the number of children on the waiting list. Families will be updated before they agree to a place.  
 
I am currently open Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 7:30am to 5:30pm, 49 weeks per year. Funded places can be agreed by contract for any of the above hours. Families will be informed of any imminent holiday closures.  
 
A payment deposit is taken to cover the estimated cost of one month’s fees. If this is likely to be zero due to take up of a fully Funded place, then the deposit will be returned within 6 weeks of the child’s first day of attendance.  There are currently no Registration Fees. A Retainer Fee of 50% may be paid in order to retain a childcare place whilst on Maternity Leave, but this is optional.
 
Allocation of available places will be prioritised according to the needs of families with existing contracts, before places are offered to new families. The allocation of those remaining places will depend on the hours and days available at the Setting, versus the hours and days required by families. I will liaise with all families to ensure a fair and democratic outcome. Places become available throughout the year and not just in September at the start of the school year.  
 
Please refer to the Special Educational Needs policies concerning the SEND support on offer to children and how I support families to choose the right setting for their child with SEND. I have a responsibility to identify groups of disadvantaged children who attend the setting and will apply for additional funding available locally, if families meet certain criteria. I will use this funding to ensure support is in place to improve children’s outcomes. I will work with the local authority via the SEND Local Offer, to ensure information is available locally to parents, to ensure they are able to make choices about the right childcare provision for their child with SEND.  
 
I aim to identify all children that may attract any additional funding such as EYPP, DAF or the Inclusion Fund and any locally available funding streams with a view to submitting a claim / application to support and improve their outcomes.  
 
I will work with parents to ensure that, as far as possible, the hours / sessions that can be taken within the provision, are convenient for parents’ working hours.  
 
The registration process requires up to date and accurate information of the child’s full name, date of birth, address, family contact details, parental responsibility, GP and medical details. In order to confirm eligibility for a Funded place and verify the child’s date of birth, I will need to see the child’s birth certificate and any Eligibility codes issued by Norfolk County Council or HMRC. This is to confirm they have reached the eligible age, if parents are accessing the Local Authority free entitlement. A copy of this document will be retained. This will be stored securely and destroyed when there is no longer a good reason to keep the data. A thorough and family-led settling-in process involves as many settling-in sessions as the child requires and a home visit.
 
Funded Early Education is offered within the national parameters:  
No session is longer than ten hours  
No minimum session length (subject to the requirements of registration on the OFSTED Early Years register.)  
Not before 6am or after 8am. 
A maximum of two sites in a single day  
 
Funded Early Education is offered to families 49 weeks of the year. The funded hours can be claimed (to the maximum available), Monday, Wednesday and/or Friday, 7.30am to 5.30 pm. 
 
All families are required to sign a contract before their child starts at The Treasure Box.  
 
The Admission Policy is issued to all families as part of the registration process. It is also available on request, on my website, or through the Baby’s Days system.  
 
If you have any concerns regarding my Admissions Policy please do not hesitate to contact me.
 
Reviewed by Louise Lawson July 2020