Frequently asked questions

Our Early Years provision is available for children aged 10 months to 4 years old. We have 3 rooms, to cater for each age group (baby, toddler and preschooler): Explorers 10 months - 2 years Adventurers 2 years - 3 years Dreamers 3 years - 4 years

We do have a uniform, but it is optional. When your little one joins, they will receive a piece of uniform as part of their welcome pack, but if they choose not to wear it that is fine. We have some children who wear uniform head to toe to protect their own clothing, while others feel more comfortable making their own choices each day. We are happy with either! All we ask is that your child wears something they are comfortable in, but also that you are happy for them to get (very) messy in. We love to learn through exploration and messy play is a big part of this, so please make sure your chosen nursery-wear is messy play friendly! If you decide you would like to send your child in uniform, you can see the uniform shop here (https://www.chromasport.co.uk/shop/enyas-childcare)

We have children from 12 months to 4 years, so we are more than happy to handle nappies, potty training or a transition between the two. If your child is still in nappies, we have 4 scheduled nappy checks in a Short Day (8:00am-3:00pm) session and we check ad hoc throughout the day. For those children embarking on or in the process of potty training, we are always more than happy to work with families throughout the transition. We just ask that you leave a supply of nappies here, which will be kept in your child’s box in the changing space. If you have preferred wipes, please also leave a supply of them. Our team will then let you know when supplies are running low 😊 We will log any nappies and/or toileting throughout the session on our Famly app, so you will be kept thoroughly up to date. Your key person will also be on hand to point you to resources or even create resources (e.g. achievement chart) to help support consistent potty training at home and at nursery.

Forest school sessions are a key element of our Wilderness Pathway, and central to our ethos. Available to our 3 and 4 year olds, these sessions are carried out in both our purpose-built outdoor classroom (Basecamp) and our private woodland area in Crowland. Both sites afford all of the opportunities and resources our little ones need to seek challenge, exploration and independence through outdoor learning and play. Activities include cooking on the fire pit, woodworking and tool work, foraging, gardening, wildlife surveying and much more! We’ve held plays in the forest, immersed ourselves in role play and spent hours providing food and shelter for wildlife. Our Forest School Lead, Uncle Charlie, is always on hand to tell you more about our forest school sessions and what to expect. We are so fortunate that our children are able to connect so deeply to the world around them and experience everything outdoor learning has to offer.

At Enya’s, we don’t really promote ‘discipline’ in the traditional sense. We promote positive reinforcement at all ages, and as soon as they are able, we talk to the children about why they might feel or act a certain way. This encourages open and honest communication, so we can try and help the children understand their feelings and why certain behaviours are not acceptable. We use our Golden Rules, which the children learn through repetition, discussion and modelling from adults. These rules are Kind Heart, Listening Ears, Safe Hands, Inside Voices, Slow Feet and Have Fun! Our children are not given a ‘time out’, nor are they isolated or ‘told off’. We really put an emphasis on modelling good and respectful behaviour ourselves and, where that doesn’t work, we talk to children one on one or in small circle times. In some circumstances we might put a Behaviour Plan in place with the help of parents, which allows us to tailor our response in a way that best resonates with the individual child. This is something we then work in partnership with parents on, to make sure the responses to certain behaviours are consistent both at home and at Enya’s

We have our full Policies and Procedures available in our online Library. You can access and familiarise yourself with any of our policies here: (https://www.enyas.co.uk/policies-and-procedures)

Our days differ slightly room to room, but generally you can expect that each room will conduct circle times and encourage both free play and planned activities. Outside time is essential and we get the children outdoors as much as possible, be it on our daily walk in the community or free flow play in the garden. Amidst the activities, play and learning, we have mindfulness and meals to keep us going. Here’s a loose guide to our room rhythms for a Short Day Session (8:00am-3:00pm): 8:00am - Friends start arriving 9:15am - Breakfast finishes 9:30am - Circle time, free play and child-led activities 10:00am - Snack 10:30am - Daily Outing 11:30am - Lunch 12:15pm - Quiet reading, mindfulness or sleep 12:30pm - Free Play and planned activities 2:00pm - Snack 3:00pm - Home time

Many of our children, at all ages, still require one or two naps a day. For our 2-4 year olds, naps are after lunch, between 12:30pm and 2:00pm. Each child has their own sleeping mat and blanket, kept in a named bag when not in use. We set up for sleepers in a separate room that is dim lit and quieter. If children have a difficult night and need an extra sleep in the day, we just ask that you communicate this with us and we will do our best to get them to sleep and top up their rest! For our babies (under-2s) we will run through their current sleep schedule during the Stay & Play and we will ensure their daily routine continues as we ease their transition into a nursery routine. For our littlest friends, naps are usually after breakfast and after lunch. Each baby has their own sleep cot and blanket, but we do encourage you leave any comforters that will help them to sleep.

We love outdoor play and learning! We have ‘free flow’ where the children can choose to play outside whenever they want (provided it is not snack time/meal time/circle time). We also go on a walk everyday; around town, or to Snowden field, sometimes to see the horses or frogs on West Bank or the chickens behind the setting. Our 2-4 year olds also tend to community gardens in partnership with Crowland Bloom so there’s time outside to tidy and plant the gardens, as well as learn about the herbs and plants we are using. On top of that, we have our outdoor classroom which runs alongside our forest school and is in use year-round. Then, of course, we have our Forest School too…so we spend as much time as possible outdoors 😊

We do have limits on spaces in each room. As much as we would like to welcome all the children who want to come to Enya’s, we ensure our group sizes remain on the smaller side so we can give your child the attention they need and deserve as they develop. We know this may seem very small compared to some settings, but it’s what we find works best for our little ones with their learning and development. We consistently have a higher staff to child ratio than the guidelines state, but we will always have a minimum of 1:3 for babies, 1:4 for toddlers and 1:8 for preschoolers.

We have 3 session types available to our Adventurers (2-3yo) and Dreamers (3-4yo): Short Day Sessions 8:00am - 3:00pm Full Day Sessions 8:00am - 5:30pm Extended Full Day Sessions 8:00am - 6:00pm As the Short Day sessions are available as a transition from nursery to preschool/school timings, our Explorers (10mo-2yo) can utilise either a Full Day (8:00am-5:30pm) or an Extended Full Day (8:00am-6:00pm) session. If you need to collect your child before 5:30pm that is fine, please just let us know as we do not serve tea until 4:00pm.

Morning drop offs are any time after 8:00am. Some families choose to drop off nearer to 9:00am while others drop off right away at 8:00am. We are happy with either, but we do ask that you aim to get your child to us by 9:30am at the latest. Although this will be after breakfast and early morning free play, it will ensure they are with us in time for the day’s routine to start (walks, circle times, planned activities). You can collect your child any time before the end of your booked session, please just let us know when to expect you. Sometimes we go on spontaneous outings or enjoy an impromptu child-led activity, so we will try to plan around the collection times we have been given. We do understand there are times you cannot plan ahead, in which case, please just give us a call to let us know if you are going to be early or late.

While our setting is designed in a way that separates age groups to allow for age-appropriate learning and activities, we encourage the children to mix as often as possible. Sometimes this is through structured activities or a simple circle time, and sometimes it is wonderful to see how gently our bigger friends play with our littlest friends in the garden. We also encourage our after school club children to practice caregiving and responsibility, and they are always eager to read a story to our toddlers or act as good role models for our preschoolers.

We do operate a fixed booking pattern structure, with set session times as opposed to an hourly structure. As such, we are unable to offer flexible booking patterns. Please note, there is a 2-day minimum booking pattern as we find this is best for our children to get used to their routines and consistently build bonds with their key person and friends.

When your child starts with us, we will send you a First Day Checklist that lists everything they need to bring in or prepare. What is needed will depend on the age your child joins, but a very loose overview of what is needed for all children is: Healthy, packed lunch (nut-free) Water bottle (or sip cup for younger friends) Slippers for indoors Outdoor shoes or wellington boots for messy outdoor play, puddle jumping and rainy walks Spare changes of clothes (and underwear, especially if your child is potty training) Nappies (and your preferred wipes or creams, if you have a preference)

We like to think of Enya’s as a family and as such, your child will get to know our grown-ups as Aunties and Uncles. All of our Aunties and Uncles will be involved in your child’s growth, but there will be something special about your key person/key child relationship. Your child’s key person will be their constant on their journey at Enya’s, providing the consistency your little one needs and really being able to know (and love) your child as knowing as an individual; with all their unique traits and preferences. As well as monitoring progress, providing updates on learning and development, and building a special bond with your child through lots of play and one-to-one activities, your child’s key person will be your support. They will work in close partnership with you to ensure your little one is getting the most out of their learning opportunities at the setting and at home.

Absolutely! As a year round setting, we do provide care for 51 weeks of the year (with closure for Christmas)

When you accept the offer of a placement with us, we will enrol your child and arrange a Stay and Play Session, as well as a Settling In Session; both of which take place before your child’s official start date. The Stay and Play session will last around 30 to 45 minutes. We will run through your child’s Early Years Passport and create their “About Me” book (which will help soothe them during their settling period) while your child plays with their Key Person. Once the first part of the Stay and Play is over, your child will be able to enjoy the rest of the morning with us in a way that mimics the usual session, but gets them used to you coming back and collecting them after a short time. The standalone Settling In Session again mimics a normal session, albeit shorter, where you drop your child off with us for a couple of hours and collect them just before lunch.

We provide breakfast and 2 x snacks per day for all children. Our breakfasts are a mix of toasted options (bagel, crumpet, croissant, pancake), cereals and fruit. Snacks are varied and rotated as part of our menu, but examples include frozen berry yoghurt, hummus and pitta, vegetable crudités and salsa, or fruit salad. Cow’s milk (or dairy free alternatives) is also available throughout the day, and we do ask little ones to bring a bottle for water. Those children with us for a Full or Extended Full Day (after 3:00pm) will be provided with a cooked tea and pudding. Again, our menus rotate so the children get a variety of different and wholesome foods to enjoy. Meals are provided by 'Nursery Kitchen' (https://nurserykitchen.co.uk) and prepared to the utmost standards in nutrition. (please note, we are a nut-free setting)

We are supportive of our little ones and any choices they make based on their tastes or principles. We are always open to adapting our menus or providing alternatives to suit individual dietary preferences, whether a child is exploring vegetarianism or they need to avoid/include certain foods in line with their beliefs. Allergies and intolerances are a priority at Enya’s and we have a number of safeguards in place to ensure all allergies and intolerances are catered for and strictly adhered to. As well as our in-room practice, and ensuring all staff are trained to Level 2 Food Hygiene and Safety, we work with The Professional Nursery Kitchen to ensure the foods they provide are free of common (or specific) allergens and cross-contamination. The Professional Nursery Kitchen also employ the highest food safety standards (https://www.theprofessionalnurserykitchen.co.uk/our-values) We are a nut-free setting and nuts of any kind (including nut-flavoured yoghurts, nut butters or hazelnut spread) are strictly prohibited. When your child joins Enya’s, we will complete their Early Years Passport and include extensive notes on any medical conditions, allergies, intolerances or preferences. We will ask you what ways the allergy presents and communicate this in depth with the team. If your child requires an epi pen or specific medication in the event of a reaction, we will request that an epi pen (or alternative) is left onsite to be administered in line with our Administering Medicines Policy. For more information on our policies and procedures, please visit our Policies & Procedures Library here https://www.enyas.co.uk/policies-and-procedures.

We do have limited spaces in each of our rooms so we operate a waiting list which covers up to 4 cohorts at a time. As such, we would recommend joining the waitlist at the earliest opportunity so we can bear your requirements in mind as we do intake throughout the year. We often forecast placements a year or so in advance, based on the requirements on our waitlist. If you are not on the waitlist, you will not be given priority over those who are, and as such we cannot guarantee you will be considered for a placement. Once you join the waitlist, we will be able to keep you updated on availability and while we may not be able to guarantee a placement right away, you will be considered first when a space does come up.

To join our waitlist, please get in touch and let us know: Your child’s name Your child’s date of birth Your care requirements (how many days, what session type, do you need care on specific days of the week) Any funding information (if applicable) Your name and contact details (phone and email) There is also a refundable £25 registration fee due to formally register your interest. With the information above and the registration fee, you will be able to join our waitlist and secure your ‘place in queue’ as it were.

Your £25 registration fee will secure your spot on the waitlist, which means you will be considered for a placement when availability allows. However, as many of our families join our waitlist 2 to 3 years in advance of their start date, we aren’t able to confirm a placement until closer to the time. At such a time as a place becomes available, we will get in touch and send across a formal offer. At this stage, there will be a £200 deposit due. This is part of our terms of acceptance and is held on your account for the duration of care, but returned upon your child leaving us.

Of course! We hold an open evening every term and while spaces are booked first come, first served, we aim to ensure everyone can visit the setting to get a feel for life at Enya’s. If you would like to pop your name down for the next open evening, please let us know your contact details and requirements via our Contact Form: (https://www.enyas.co.uk/contact)

We invoice on an annualised basis, where we calculate the fees for the year based on your booking pattern. We then split this annual total into 12 equal monthly instalments to help our families budget without fluctuating invoice amounts. Amounts will differ depending on your child’s age, how many days they attend, and whether you opt for a Short, Full or Extended Full Day. If your child is in receipt of funded hours, this will also impact the monthly fee. For a more accurate quote of the fees for your specific booking pattern, please get in touch (https://www.enyas.co.uk/contact)

We do accept funded hours if your child is eligible, either for 2 Year Old or 3/4 Year Old Funding. Please note, your funded hours will contribute to but not cover the cost of care. Unfortunately, the ‘free childcare hours’ do not account for consumables or care outside of funded claim periods. To learn more about our Stretched Funding Structure, please request our Funding Information Sheet to be emailed to you.

The consumables charge covers the key elements excluded from the Government funding, all of which enables us to achieve the level of provision we hold as standard. This is part of being an award-winning setting rated Outstanding by Ofsted. Unfortunately, to continue this level of provision, we do charge the consumables at £6.50 per session to cover: All food and drink (breakfast options, morning snack, afternoon snack, fruits and milks) Kitchen and meal costs Responsible waste removal Maintaining and upholding 'Eco School’ credentials Maintenance of our unique enabling environments, community projects and initiatives linked to the children’s learning Highly qualified team of educators with level 3 qualifications as a minimum (collectively exceeding industry standard with over 62% of the team at Level 5 & Level 6) Staff training Consumables Professional cleaning Digital and physical resources Outsourced extra curricular sessions (e.g music & sign, emotional wellbeing program, sports program) Oral health program ‘Famly’ software and iPads for seamless communication and observations Additional administration costs from the implementation and handling of funding A cared for in-house pet for emotional wellbeing

We accept Direct Debit, Workplace Childcare Vouchers and Tax Free Childcare. If you are unfamiliar with Tax Free Childcare, you can learn more about this here.