Entry and Exit to Nursery Policy

Aims

• To clarify how the staff will do everything possible to ensure the children are safe as they enter and exit the nursery at Spring Meadow.
• To detail the procedures carried out by staff to check visitors identities and the security around this
• To explain the processes in place if a child is not collected from nursery at the expected time by a parent/carer

 Security during arrival and departure times

We aim to maintain the highest possible security on our premises to ensure that each child is safely cared for. 

The Nursery door is secured by an internal security system when Nursery is closed this alarm is always set.  Only key members of staff will have a fob for this alarm system.

The main gate will be unlocked during drop off and pick up times. At these times a member of the nursery team will be stationed on the gate to welcome people and to ensure only parents/carers and their children who are planned to be there actually come onto site. It will then be locked once the Nursery sessions have started. The Nursery Teacher needs to take responsibility for ensuring that the external nursery gates are locked at all times during the session.

Our systems are put in place to stop any unauthorised person entering the Nursery.  This includes keeping the doors locked to the nursery at all times other than when a staff member is standing at the door to see children in or out of session.  The key is on a hook above the door incase of emergency.

If another adult will be collecting a child from Nursery, such as a grandparent or family friend, we will need to be notified by the parent/carer of the child by telephoning the main office or speaking to the Nursery staff when they drop off. The parent/carer will need to be reminded that the collecting adult will need to know their child’s password. 

On collection of the child, we will ask the adult for the password code. If they are unsure of this, we will contact parents for confirmation and not let the child leave with them until this has been resolved. 

We will NEVER let a child leave the premises with an unauthorised person.  We will never leave a child alone with a person who has not passed a DBS check.

Please ensure that when dropping off or collecting a child to nursery you remain calm, and polite. Our staff will report any abusive language and aggressive behaviour and this can lead to that adult being banned from entering the school site.

Visitors

Please refer to our whole school Child Protection & Safeguarding policy as our procedures and policies in Nursery link directly to this document:

ALL visitors must wear a visitor badge gained from the school office electronic sign in system, then on leaving nursery they must sign out using the electronic sign out system set up in the nursery or the one in the schools main office.

We will make sure that all visitors to the Nursery will be signed in and out when entering and exiting.

We will NEVER let any person(s) into the Nursery without seeing their identification. 

Appointments with staff must be made in advance through the main school office or with the Nursery Teacher or Nursery Leader.

All staff/volunteers will be approved by the designated member of staff at Spring Meadow Primary.  A record of volunteers will be kept through the electronic sign in and out system.

Uncollected Child Procedure

Children who are not collected at the end of the Nursery session they are booked in for this could be a morning, afternoon or all day session.  Parents/carers are given 5 minutes past the time the session ends and then they will be called.  We are always happy to discuss one off incidents and extreme circumstances with parents/carers in relation to a stand alone late collection.  This will be monitored and referred to the safeguarding officer should this become a regular occurrence.

Do not inform the child if they are unaware as this could alarm them. 

Do not show the child that you are concerned in any way. 

Check with all Staff, including the School Office about any messages that may have come in which could explain the delay in collection by the parent/carer.

Allow reasonable time after the session has ended as parents may have been delayed usually around 20 minutes. 

Two members of staff are required to remain at the Nursery. This should ideally be the Nursery Teacher / Leader and one other member of staff.

One member of staff needs to make telephone calls whilst the other cares for the child.

Try to contact all the adults listed on the child’s registration form in the order they are listed. Try to contact all other contacts listed on the Child’s Permission to Collect Form in their records.

Amber Alert after 20 minutes

Use initiative to find out cause for parents’ delay (i.e. Traffic incident or Weather).     

Check Child’s details on CPOMs for any recently recorded family or personal difficulties.

Red Alert after 25 minutes and no contact has been able to be made with any family member

Inform the Designated Safeguarding Lead (Head Teacher).

Remember to provide snack/drinks and reassurance to the child throughout the delay.

A senior staff member will call outside agencies including the Police for practical assistance of the child.    

Courtesy and Concern 

Despite the fact that staff may have experienced considerable concern and personal disruption when a parent is extremely late collecting their child; it is important that staff continue to respect and extend courtesy and understanding to them in this difficult situation.  

The concerns will then be shared with the designated safeguarding leads and written up and recorded onto the CPOMs system, which may lead to further discussions or monitoring to take place in the future. 

Children’s safety is our highest priority, both on and off the premises. Every attempt is made, the entry and exit policy, to ensure the security of the children is maintained at all times. In the unlikely event of a child going missing, the following procedure will be followed.

If a child is found to be missing:

The Head Teacher and Senior Leadership Team MUST be informed IMMEDIATELY should it be feared that a child is missing.

The register is to be checked to make sure all other children are accounted for. 

All access routes to the property/area e.g. doors and gates should be checked. 

One member of staff is to remain outside the gates on standby if we 

All staff must be alerted immediately. 

The Nursery Teacher will nominate one member of staff to remain with the group of children. Staff/child ratios must still be adhered to throughout this scenario.

All other available staff will be called to assist in the search. 

Investigation

Staff keep calm and do not inform the other children.

The Head Teacher along with a representative of the management team, speaks to the parent/s.

The Head Teacher will carry out a full investigation taking written statements from all the staff in the room or who were on the outing.

The Nursery Teacher writes an incident form detailing:

• What staff/children were in the group/outing. 
• The date/the time
• When the child was last seen in the group/outing.
• What has taken place in the group or outing since the child went missing.
• The time the child went missing is recorded; this may be an estimation that is dependent on the circumstances of each individual case.

A conclusion is drawn as to how the breach of security happened.

If the incident warrants a police investigation, all staff cooperate fully. In this case, the police will handle all aspects of the investigation, including interviewing staff. Children’s social care may be involved if it seems likely that there is a child protection issue to address.

The incident is reported under RIDDOR arrangements. The local Health and Safety Officer may want to investigate and decide if there is a case for prosecution.

In the event of disciplinary action needing to be taken the Head teacher will lead on this.

Information gathering 

While information is being gathered the search procedure will commence without delay. 

Gather information from all staff in recent contact with the child. 

Seek information from all children in contact with the missing child. 

Pinpoint last definite sighting.

Linked Policies

Child Protection

Nursery Attendance 

Child Health Policy

Educational Visits Policy