Welcome to the Lichfield Nursery

The staff and children would like to welcome you to Humpty Dumpty Day Nursery, Lichfield. We are lucky to be located in spacious grounds and a new, state-of-the-art premises in the beautiful Cathedral City of Lichfield.

We provide the children at our Nursery with the highest possible standard of care and our highly qualified and experienced staff recognise the importance of the well-being and nurture of children as they grow and develop.

Children have a wide range of experiences as they move through the Nursery. All activities are planned so that they are age and stage appropriate but always ensuring that everything is done in a fun way. Outside play is very important to us and we are lucky enough to have our own Forest School on site.

Even on rainy days we still get to play outdoors in our unique glazed Atrium where children can hear the ‘pitter-patter’ of the rain so that it feels as if they are outdoors. Being situated in an elevated position it gives them uninterrupted views across the fields and their community.

Top quality day care in purpose built premises

Our Lichfield nursery was designed by Heather Sutton of local Architects, Sutton and Wilkinson to a brief based on our 25 years of Nursery and Pre-School experience and built by G.F. Tomlinson Birmingham Ltd. We believe it equals the very best in childcare available nationally.

Brand new pre-school!

Back in 2015 when the Government announced its initiative to fund 30 hours of childcare for working families we set about designing a new home for our Pre-School to accommodate up to 48 three and four year olds in a state-of-the-art learning environment.

As a result of this 2-year project we are delighted to have opened our wonderful new Pre-School facility in February 2017; a fitting celebration for our 30th year anniversary. It comes complete with an exciting and extensive new PlayScape specially designed for fun, play-based activities all with specific learning and developmental goals.

Following the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum, we support our children to meet developmental milestones whilst gently and gradually introducing the feel of a school day in readiness for their transition to “big school”.

Traditional home cooking on the premises

We have a fully equipped, professional kitchen which has been judged 5 Star by Lichfield District Council and we have two resident cooks who prepare home-cooked meals on the premises and ensure that children have a nutritious and balanced diet. Our menus strike a healthy balance across all food groups in line with national advice.

A wide range of experiences

All of our children are offered a wide range of multi-sensory experiences appropriate to their age and level of development. The emphasis is on holistic learning. Activities such as music and movement, art and even French are taught in a fun and enjoyable manner.

Read our testimonials...

Groups

Chicks (0 to 16 months)

Ducklings (0 to 16 months)

Penguins (16 to 26 months)

Pandas (16 to 26 months)

Zebras (24 to 30 months)

Giraffes (24 to 30 months)

Ladybirds (30 to 42 months)

Robins (30 to 42 months)

The environment at Humpty Dumpty is happy and relaxed so that your child feels at home and secure. The approach is friendly and informal creating an atmosphere conducive to healthy social interaction and sound emotional and physical development. We believe your child is an individual. Each day gives your child the opportunity to enjoy a wide variety of activities which are tailored to suit their individual needs. during your child’s time with us they will grow and develop and after discussions with you and their keyworker we will ensure their move to the next group is a smooth and happy one.

Pre-School (3½ to 4½ years)

Brand new Pre-School!

Back in 2015 when the Government announced its initiative to fund 30 hours of childcare for working families we set about designing a new home for our Pre-School to accommodate up to 48 three and four year olds in a state-of-the-art learning environment.

As a result of this 2-year project we are delighted to have opened our wonderful new Pre-School facility in February 2017; a fitting celebration for our 30th year anniversary. It comes complete with an exciting and extensive new PlayScape specially designed for fun, play-based activities all with specific learning and developmental goals.

Following the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum, we support our children to meet developmental milestones whilst gently and gradually introducing the feel of a school day in readiness for their transition to “big school”.

Intermediate

All children work at their own pace and are constantly encouraged and praised for their efforts. Their work and paintings are either taken home that day or, quite often, put on display in the room.

Toddlers

Potty training is an important part of their development around this time and we continue this in the Nursery when you feel the time is right for your child. There are activity rooms, a nappy changing room and cot rooms available for the toddlers, as well as a wide variety of activities.

Baby unit

The Early Years Practitioner in charge of the Baby Unit will discuss with you all of your baby’s needs and routine and will quickly build up a relationship with your child. This is essential for the well being of your baby and your own confidence in the Nursery.

Opening Times & Fees

If you would like your child to join us at Humpties then please telephone for an appointment to come and have a look for yourself at what we have to offer.

Fees are billed and must be paid monthly in advance. Bills are issued on or just after 5^th of the preceding month and are payable by 20^th of the preceding month. All attendances missed for any reason, including holidays and sickness, are payable in full. Any late payment will attract a £10 Late Payment Fee followed by a further £10 for every week it remains unpaid or 10% interest whichever is the greater. In case of genuine financial hardship please make sure that you contact the Nursery Manager as a matter of urgency.

Owing to the long-term commitment we make when reserving a child’s place, we must ask you to make a similar commitment to us. We therefore, require a minimum of 3 calendar months written notice, given on the first of the month, to cancel your child’s booking. The same notice is required if you wish to reduce your child’s attendance and for operational reasons we reserve the right to consider requests for reductions in attendance as new bookings if necessary. Notice must be given in writing and will always apply, except for in exceptional circumstances and at the sole discretion of the Management. In the event of a child not attending Nursery during the notice period the appropriate full fee will be payable. Parents with children continuing on to our Pre-School will be required to complete a Pre-School booking form but will not be charged any additional booking fee.

A booking fee of £40.00 is required with all bookings and should be sent in with completed application and personal detail forms.

All enquiries to Anne Etchells, Manager, on 01543 416002.

Opening times

FULL DAY (Monday to Friday 8.00am to 6.00pm)
Sessions: Monday to Friday 8.00am to 12.00noon, 1.00pm to 5.00pm
Lunchtime: 12.00noon to 1.00pm
Teatime: 4.00pm to 5.00pm
Times flexible by arrangement
7.30am early start available

HOLIDAYS
Summer: Nursery remains open
Christmas: Nursery closed for one week
Easter: Nursery closed Easter Monday only
Statutory: Nursery closed all statutory holidays except Good Friday

Fees

BABIES UNDER 1 YEAR
Full Time: £257.00 per week including breakfast and lunch
Single Day: £57.00 per day including breakfast and lunch
Session: £28.50 per session, £34.50 per session including lunch or teatime

CHILDREN AGED OVER 1 YEAR
Full Time: £252.00 per week including lunch
Single Day: £56.00 per day including lunch
Session: £28.00 per session, £33.50 per session including lunch or teatime

A cooked tea is optional on a full day or an afternoon session at a cost of £3.25. A cereal or toast breakfast with fresh juice or milk is optional at 8.00 a.m. at a cost of £1.20 for the over 1 year olds. Breakfast is inclusive of charge for the 7.30 a.m. start and for the under 1 year olds. The early start charge is £5.00 per day.

Any additional hours will be charged at the rate of £9.90 per hour. Drinks and healthy snacks are provided at each session inclusive of charge.

Fees are billed and must be paid monthly in advance. Bills are issued on or just after 5^th of the preceding month and are payable by 20^th of the preceding month. All attendances missed for any reason, including holidays and sickness, are payable in full. Any late payment will attract a £10 Late Payment Fee followed by a further £10 for every week it remains unpaid or 10% interest whichever is the greater. In case of genuine financial hardship please make sure that you contact the Nursery Manager as a matter of urgency.

Owing to the long-term commitment we make when reserving a child’s place, we must ask you to make a similar commitment to us. We therefore, require a minimum of 3 calendar months written notice, given on the first of the month, to cancel your child’s booking. The same notice is required if you wish to reduce your child’s attendance and for operational reasons we reserve the right to consider requests for reductions in attendance as new bookings if necessary. Notice must be given in writing and will always apply, except for in exceptional circumstances and at the sole discretion of the Management. In the event of a child not attending Nursery during the notice period the appropriate full fee will be payable. Parents with children continuing on to our Pre-School will be required to complete a Pre-School booking form but will not be charged any additional booking fee.

A booking fee of £40.00 is required with all bookings and should be sent in with completed application and personal detail forms.

3 & 4 year old funding

30 Hours Nursery Funding for 3 and 4 year-olds

You will have heard that from September 2017 the Government is introducing 30 hours “free” childcare for working parents of eligible 3 and 4 year-olds. The scheme aims to support working families by reducing the cost of childcare.

The eligibility rules for the scheme are:

Your child will be aged 3 or 4
Both parents must be working – or the sole parent is working in a lone parent family
Each parent earns, on average, a weekly minimum equivalent of 16 hours at National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage . . . note, this could be fewer hours at a higher rate
Each parent must have an annual income of less than £100,000
You must live in England

Although the scheme is widely referred to as 30 hours “free” childcare it is only 30 hours per week during the 38 weeks of school term-time, which amounts to 1,140 hours per year. Nurseries like ours are typically open for 51 weeks a year precisely because we’re here to meet the needs of our working families. There is a certain irony that a scheme designed to encourage people into work has been developed around a term-time model but publicised conveniently omitting the words term-time only!

We have worked out a way of making the best use of the money we receive from the Government towards funding your child’s place here at Humpties. To be able to continue providing the outstanding childcare everyone expects from Humpties, it is essential that our offer is sustainable both now and into the future. This short video will explain some of the challenges we’ve been faced with.

www.30hoursfunding.co.uk

We have decided to “stretch” our offer over the whole year. This will mean that parents will be able to receive just over 22 funded hours a week for 51 weeks of the year instead of 30 hours, only in term-time.

These hours can be taken over a minimum of 3 days, or 4 or 5 full-days. As our minimum recommended booking for Nursery and Pre-School is 2 full-days it will also be possible to have just under 15 hours over 2 days all year round. As a guide it will cost just over £50 per week for a 2-day place or £76 per week for a 3-day place all year round. These costs include hot lunches, healthy snacks and all extras over and above the basic funded provision.

The table below shows the monthly costs to parents for 2, 3, 4 and 5-day-a-week bookings as from September 2017.

Any bespoke bookings, for instance, to incorporate part days where available, will be quoted separately. We are able to offer some stand-alone funded places on a limited basis, which changes from time to time and is dependent on how our occupancy and staffing levels fluctuate over time. We would encourage anyone interested in such sessions to enquire at the office.

Tax Free Childcare

Even if you have not previously been able to benefit from a childcare voucher scheme run by an employer you may be eligible for the Government’s new Tax Free Childcare initiative. This would mean a 20% saving on your childcare costs for standard rate taxpayers. It may also be advantageous to switch from an employer provided childcare voucher scheme to a Government Tax Free Childcare account. We recommend that you use the calculator on the ‘Childcare Choices’ website and/or take independent advice to help you make this decision.

How do I access these schemes?

If you are eligible and want to take advantage of either of these schemes you will need to register on the Government’s ‘Childcare Choices’ website as soon as possible. In fact, we encourage all parents who use our Nurseries and Out of School Clubs to view the information on this site and use the online calculators to ensure that you are making the most of your entitlements. We also recommend that parents who have children who are currently 2 years old register early in preparation for when their child turns 3 years of age.

The website, which is simple to use, can be found at:

www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

Daily Routine

Our routines are appropriate and differentiated according to the age of the child. There are opportunities for supervised play and craft and table top activities. Children are given opportunities to do puzzles and build things with construction.

Fresh water is available all day and children are provided with a range of healthy snacks that always include a selection of fresh fruit.

We have a wide range of craft and painting activities and provided experiences to the children both indoors and outdoors.

A traditional story time is on offer every day along with plenty of singing, rhymes and games

Learn more about the group routines

Ducklings and Chicks
With babies we follow the home routine as closely as possible, especially with regard to sleep and feed times. Appropriate indoor and outdoor activities are then incorporated throughout the day.

Pandas and Penguins
We incorporate more structured activities at this age but still follow the home pattern for naps. Children are given a wide range of opportunities to play both inside and out.

Giraffes and Ladybirds

Ladybirds and Robins
The Ladybirds and Robins have access to our free flow area so that they can choose whether to take part in a learning experience inside or outside. The normal routine for snacks and lunches is followed as well as story sessions and time for singing.

Pre-school
In our Pre-School group the children follow a more formal routine which builds up gradually during the year to ensure they are ready for their transition to school. Children are encouraged to self register when they arrive.

A stimulating learning environment...

Forest School
As an accredited forest school we make the most of our fantastic setting and provide as many outdoor learning opportunities as possible. Our children develop a clear and in depth knowledge of nature and the world around them.

French
Our weekly French lessons for our older children give them the early foundations of learning a modern foreign language.

Movement & Dance
The music and movement classes are carefully structured music and movement sessions. Each week they introduce fun educational themes i.e. colours, shapes, numbers, animals. The sessions provide the children with another creative opportunity to express themselves and develop self control and confidence in their movements.

Physical Education
As well as the wide range of equipment we provide for our children to use everyday, we have a visit from a specialist PE provider on a weekly basis who helps the children learn to jump, balance, listen and follow instructions and to work as a team.

Healthy Eating

We really do CARE about the dietary requirements of the children at Humpty Dumpty Day Nursery. We have an 4 week rotational menu system and all of our menus are planned to provide a healthy, nutritious and balanced meal preparedfresh on the premises each day. Breakfast, snacks, lunches and teas have been carefully balanced to take into account the governments recommendations for children’s diets. Each nursery has its own in-house cook who prepares meals fresh every day, and who also ensures that any child with special dietary requirements have specially prepared food.

Meal times are also a time to educate children on the table manners and etiquette; we believe it’s important for a child’s discipline and preparation for integrating confidently into their home life and schooling.

Take a look at our tasty four week cycle...

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
WEEK 1 LUNCH	Pasta bolognese with cheese Homemade courgette and lime cake	Chicken and vegetable pie with roast potatoes Homemade milk jelly	Broccoli and salmon pasta bake, with vegetable Fruit mousse	Beef and mushroom stroganoff served with rice Bananas and custard	Fish pie with peas Fruit smoothie
WEEK 1 TEA	Hot roast beef in a bread roll, with roast potatoes Cheese and crackers	Homemade Cheese and potato pie with baked beans Homemade oatmeal cookies	Filled pitta pockets with corn on the cob and sweet potato wedges Rock cakes	Cheese potato pie with Baked beans Semolina pudding	Sausage pasta Homemade fruit cake
WEEK 2 LUNCH	Chicken chow mien with egg noodles Fruit crumble and evaporated milk	Lamb tagine served with pasta and green beans Lemon, orange and polenta cake	Roast turkey with mashed potatoes and two seasonal veg Raspberry fruit jelly	Salmon and pea risotto, served with carrot batons Homemade apple, beetroot and chocolate cake	Chicken Thai green curry and rice Yoghurt with toasted oats and honey
WEEK 2 TEA	Pea, ham and mushroom pasta bake, served with broccoli Fruit smoothie	Fish goujons, potatoes with peas Double choc cookies	Meat balls in a tomato sauce and Pasta Homemade carrot and apple muffins	Homemade turkey burgers in a bun with baked beans Stewed fruit and custard	Lamb Keema served with naan bread Homemade raspberry swirls
WEEK 3 LUNCH	Chicken curry and rice Berry smoothie	Cottage pie with vegetables Homemade chocolate brownies	Steamed cod in a tomato and mixed pepper sauce, served with rice and green beans Fruit yoghurt	Chicken chasseur, with new potatoes and vegetables Homemade blue berry muffins	Lasagne and garlic bread Creamy apricot dessert
WEEK 3 TEA	Toad in the hole with potatoes and peas Homemade melting moments	Butternut squash macaroni cheese Peach crumble and custard	Homemade Cornish pasty and baked beans Homemade chocolate brownie	Bean and vegetable Enchiladas served with corn on the cob and sweet potato fries Rhubarb fool	Cheese whirls with baked beans baked beans Jelly
WEEK 4 LUNCH	Macaroni cheese and tuna bake Lemon tart	Vegetable lasagne and garlic bread Ice cream and fruit puree	Sweet and sour chicken and rice Shortbread and strawberries	Sausage, mash and baked beans Apple and cinnamon muffins	Chicken and mushroom stroganoff with rice Chocolate brownies
WEEK 4 TEA	Fish fingers with mashed potato and baked beans Fruit mousse	Tuna pasta bake Homemade carrot cake	Hotdog with spaghetti hoops (Sausage in a hot dog bun) Rice pudding	Cream of Tomato soup with a cheese sandwich Chocolate cake and custard	Fajitas corn on the cob and potato/sweet potato wedges Shortbread biscuits

* This menu could be subject to change. Please note that a variety of `hidden’ vegetables are in most of the dishes where possible.

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Testimonials

At Humpty Dumpty our primary goal is the care and wellbeing of your child. Below are a small selection of the many thankyou letters and cards we receive from parents whose child or children have been cared for by Humpty Dumpty. Click the image to enlarge…

“Everything you do… is to an amazing standard”

“It was very thoughtful of you”

“Thank you… for making our lives easier”

“Thank you for looking after me”

“I have loved every minute of it”

“I just wanted to say a BIG thank you”

“Looking forward to coming to Humpties”

“It was very much appreciated”

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We’re so proud of our Ofsted Outstanding status!

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Lichfield are proud to announce that they have gained an award with Millie’s Mark a Quality Mark for nurseries where employees working directly with children are trained in paediatric first aid. This has been awarded by National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) in association with Department for Education and Millie’s Trust.