Registering your child at nursery
Come Visit Us
We’d love for you and your child to see Alphabet Yard in action! Before making a decision, please get in touch via our [contact form], email us at alphabetyard@live.co.uk or call us on 01292 260444 to arrange a visit.
During your visit, you’ll meet our friendly staff and have a chance to explore all of our playrooms.
Our Playrooms:
The Snug: Our baby room, designed for children aged 6 weeks to around 18 months. This nurturing space provides a safe and stimulating environment for our youngest learners.
The Nest: For toddlers up to 3 years old, The Nest encourages exploration, social development, and early learning through play.
The Hive: Our ante- and preschool room for 3- and 4-year-olds, The Hive prepares children for school with a focus on creativity, independence, and foundational skills.
How to Register: Complete our registration form and submit it with the registration fee. Once done, we’ll set you up on our family app, where all communication will take place.
our Security: Before your child starts, fill out our security form. This lets us know who can collect your child and provides a password for unfamiliar collectors. We have a buzzer
All About Me: Share important details about your child with our “All About Me” form, helping us settle them in quickly and comfortably.
Settle-in Visits
All new children are offered settle-in sessions before starting their regular sessions. These visits help your child feel comfortable and confident, and they’re included in the registration fee.
Welcome to FAMLY!
FAMLY is our nursery communication app where parents receive daily updates about your child’s time at nursery. These include information on eating and sleeping patterns, toileting, and the activities your child has enjoyed.
Our staff will always be happy to discuss your child’s day with you, the app is a helpful way to stay connected at home. Photos will be shared regularly, and we encourage parents to upload achievements from home to their child’s online journal.
Parents and staff can communicate through messages throughout the day to pass on information.
Sleep Times
Your child will sleep in either a cot or a small bed for their sleep times. Each child has their own bed linen and are calmly settled for their sleep by the nursery staff. Children are monitored by the staff throughout their sleep time.
Care Plans
Each child at the nursery receives a care plan every three months from their key worker. These plans outline what your child has been working on during their time at nursery and the next steps in their learning and development. Staff set individual targets for each child, which are shared and discussed with parents. We greatly value parents’ contributions to the care plans, as working in partnership helps us support each child’s development effectively.
Activities & Experiences for Children
In our Ante & Pre-School Room, children enjoy a wide variety of activities that cover all areas of The Curriculum for Excellence. Our flexible approach ensures every child has a balanced and engaging learning experience, tailored to their interests and stage of development.
For children under three, staff plan using Achieveing Our Ambition. Our activities are also child-led, allowing staff to respond to each child’s individual needs, abilities, and curiosity. Learning happens naturally through play, exploration, and everyday experiences.
Tooth Brushing
All children brush their teeth daily after snack and/or lunch. Each child will be provided with their own toothbrush and toothpaste. If you would prefer that your child does not brush their teeth while at nursery, please inform the Manager in writing.
Illness
For the health and well-being of all children and staff at the nursery, we ask that your child remains at home if they are unwell.
If your child has a medical condition or allergy, please inform us. We will endeavour to accommodate any special requirements and ensure appropriate care is provided.
Medication
Parental permission is required for all medication administered at the nursery. Parents will be asked to complete a medication consent form on the day the medicine needs to be given. Nursery staff are unable to administer pain relief medication unless a temperature has been confirmed. Long-term medications may be kept at the nursery and administered on a “when required” basis, in line with the completed consent form.
Promoting Positive Behaviour
Positive behaviour is promoted through consistent praise and encouragement from nursery staff. Children learn our Nursery Golden Values through positive reinforcement and by observing staff modelling appropriate behaviours. The children are also supported to understand these values through songs and daily discussions about kindness, sharing, and being a good friend.
Additional Needs
If your child requires extra support for any reason, either on a temporary or permanent basis, we will make every effort to provide this support. The nursery staff are experienced at working closely with parents and other professionals such as Health Visitors, Speech and Language Therapists to help your child reach their full potential.
What do I Bring?
Depending on our child’s age and stage of development you will need to provide: formula or breast milk, nappies/wipes, soft indoor shoes/slippers, suitable outdoor clothing and a change of clothes. If your child has a comfort toy, blanket or a dummy which helps them to sleep you should also bring these to nursery.
Clothing and Personal Property
Your child will be involved in messy activities at nursery and although the staff will encourage them to wear aprons whenever possible, we would advise that your child does not wear ‘good’ clothes to nursery as accidents can happen. It is helpful if you mark all your child’s belongings with their name as it can be difficult for our nursery staff to locate unnamed items.
We would also recommend that your child does not bring toys from home as they do become upset if items become mislaid or broken. Favourite books and comfort toys are of course always welcome.
Funded Partnership with SAC
Alphabet Yard works in partnership with South Ayrshire Council Education Department to deliver the pre-school curriculum for children aged 3–5 years (and eligable 2 year olds). The Early Years peripetetic teacher visits the nursery weekly to provide additional support to our children early learning journey.
Transition to Primary 1
Starting Primary 1 is an exciting and important step for children and families. Our nursery staff understand how big this change can be, and we work closely with each child to help them feel confident and ready for school.
Our staff complete a developmental report for your child, which will be shared with their Primary 1 teacher. You will receive a copy of this report first, so you have time to read it and add any comments before it is sent to the school.
We also faciliate visits from all new P1 teachers into the nursery to meet each child before they leave us to move onto school. We support children and parents during this transition helping to make it move a positive and smooth experience for everyone.
Parents Events
Parents Events are held throughout the year for all children in the nursery. Although the nursery staff are available on a daily basis, this gives you the opportunity to discuss your child’s progress in a relaxed atmosphere on an individual basis. This is done through charity events, stay and play, coffee mornings/evenings, open evenings etc.
Nursery Events
Throughout the year, our nursery staff plan a variety of fun and meaningful events to celebrate special occasions. These include seasonal celebrations such as Easter, Christmas, and Halloween, alongside charity fundraisers and themed days like World Book Day, helping to enrich children’s experiences and learning. All the information is shared on our FAMLY app.