Policies

Future Stars Childcare was set up in June 2015.  The childcare provides Breakfast and Afterschool club catering for children from four to 11 years of age. Future Stars Childcare is registered with Ofsted and is fully insured.

ADMISSIONS POLICY

The provisions provide high quality, safe, creative play environment for children aged between 4 to 12 years old during out-of-school hours (both before and after school).

The clubs aim to meet the needs of children and their families and such operate admissions for Walk- In, Short Term and Long Term according to the needs of the family.

The club operates within the equal opportunities admission policy and such rectify any imbalances that may occur on a regular basis.

The staff at the club will take appropriate steps to meet such needs one priority such needs when prioritising our waiting list, taking into consideration siblings, special needs and special circumstances.

These places will be prioritised as follows:

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    Places will be offered on a first come first serve basis
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    15 places for children under five
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    15 places for children over 8 to 12 years old.
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    S.E.N
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    Special circumstances

The club caters for children attending Redbridge infant and junior school only.

SETTLING IN POLICY

Children will be introduced to the clubs at their own pace. We encourage parents’ carers to pre-visit the club with their child and stay up to an hour, ensuring a gradual and pleasant introduction to the setting.

DIVERSITY POLICY

The club values diversity and operates within a framework that encourages respect and inclusiveness.

It pledges not to discriminate on the grounds of :

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    Race                                       
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    Disability
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    Religion and belief                
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    Special educational needs.
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    Culture                                   
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    Sexual orientation
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    Gender

We will not tolerate direct or indirect discrimination. All activities are offered to both girls and boys.

In addition, we believe that the children should be:

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    Aware that different races exist
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    Encourage them to be tolerant of people with disabilities and not to discriminate against them.
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    Encouraged to practice in all activities, regardless of their gender.
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    Aware of cultures and religions other than their own.

Our equal opportunities policy will be monitored and evaluated at regular intervals.

DROP OFF AND COLLECTION OF CHILDREN POLICY

4.1 DROP OFF CHILDREN AT THE BREAKFAST CLUB

It is the responsibility of the parents/careers to:

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    Ensure that the child safely arrives inside the club hall,
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    Parents must sign in the arrival time in the daily register
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    Ensure the staff has acknowledged the child.
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    The club will not accept any responsibility for children who are left at the school gate.

4.2 HANDOVER OF CHILDREN TO SCHOOL FROM THE BREAKFAST CLUB.

Children in the junior classes will be escorted to their lines in the classrooms by one member of staff at 8.50 AM (through the school), all the children will be acknowledged by their class teachers before the staff leaves.

At 8.50 AM the Infants (Reception Year 1 and 2) will be escorted to their classes by 2 members of staff. The class teacher will acknowledge all children before the staff leaves.

4.3 COLLECTION OF CHILDREN FOR THE AFTER-SCHOOL CLUB.

Children in Infant School

 All Registered children will be collected from their classroom promptly at 3:30 pm by the club staff and initially be marked in the collection register then escorted to the club hall where the club registration will be taken place.

It is the responsibility of the parents or guardians to ensure that their respective class teacher is aware that the staff will collect their children so that they can transit to the Afterschool club.

Children from junior school

All registered children will make their own way to the meeting point in the playground from 3.30 pm to 3.40 pm.

A member of staff will meet with all the children, each child will be marked in the initial collection register, when all children are escorted to the club hall the club register will take place.

The second meeting point will be near the main office on rainy wet days.

DROP OFF AND COLLECTION OF CHILDREN POLICY

Walk in Children

Parents must inform the club managers of the days and sessions they wish to book by email or call. We require one day or 2 hours (in case of emergency) advance notice to book for the club.

Children will not be accepted without a completed registration form. It is the responsibility of the parents to inform the class teacher of the arrangement.

Children with SEN

Children with SEN will be dropped to the meeting point by the SEN assistant who will wait until the Afterschool staff has arrived at the meeting point and acknowledged the handover.

For safety purposes the children must not use the main school exit which leads to College Gardens, nor should they walk around the school playground to get to the club.

It is the responsibility of the parents to inform the club well in advance if the child is absent or intends to take part in some After-school club activity for example Karate, Book Fair, Dance classes etc.

In such cases, children will be asked to gather meeting point within the school from where they will be escorted back to the club by a member of staff

Children will be strongly discouraged from taking the front exit to the school, which leads to College Gardens. We expect the parents to enforce this rule with their children.

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    Children should be in the club no later than 3:40 pm.
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    If a child is expected to attend and does not arrive by the above time or at the time agreed by the parent; the clubs the staff will check with the school office and if they learned of the child did not attend school the club manager or deputy will immediately contact the parent
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    The club will not be held responsible for children who decide to use the main road or go by ice cream on the way to the club.
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    The club will also not collect children from the main exit of the junior school.

Contacted Fixed day & Non-Fix Day Bookings and Collection Procedure.

Contracted  Fixed days

Parents sign up with selected days per week over a set period of time for their child to attend the afterschool club.

Ad-hoc non-fix days for afterschool club

Parents are expected to book a day in advance, however, parents may book on the day by calling to secure a place, the cut point is at 2.30 pm but in case of emergency, we accept a late collection of children up to 3.30 pm.

Collection procedure

Infants are collected by two members of staff using the internal corridor directly from the classroom, therefore, is easier to speak to the class teacher to update us on the children who have already been collected.

The Junior collection point is outside in the main playground in a corner of the new building.

The playground is extremely busy with parents and other children and is very difficult to spot a child. We, therefore, give the older children the responsibility to meet the staff at the meeting point and then signed in against the collection register. Please note the child is not released by the Class teacher until the teacher has seen the staff.

The staff will remain at the meeting point until the playground is clear of children.

The remaining children with the class teacher are checked against the register and collected if they are attending the afterschool club.

Children on the contracted fixed days have set days and are expected to attend the afterschool club, as the children are aware of their attendance, they arrive at the meeting point, it is easy to monitor these children as the weekly/ monthly pattern is the same if the child is not present than the staff member asks the class teacher or calls the parents for an update.

Non-fix day- New children and children who are not aware of their session at the afterschool club, a staff member will go to the class teacher to release them after the crowd of parents & children have gone and then sign them in the collection register Our Regular Non-fix children are aware of their session and immediately make their way to the meeting point after released by the teacher.

New changes to the Ad- hoc collection

Going forward we will improve our policy to safeguard the ad-hoc non-fix children attending the after-school clubs.

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    Parents must book with Future Stars a day in advance
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    For Last minute collection after 2.30 pm, parents must ring the school to inform the class teacher of the afterschool club arrangement.
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    Parents must inform Future Stars management of cancellation by text, or in person before 3.30 pm.
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    If the child does not come to the meeting point we will enquire with the class teacher
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    Teacher to sign on Future Stars collection form as confirmation of the release of the child ( with the name of the adult who collected the child)
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    Call parents as a secondary measure for collection update

LATE COLLECTION POLICY

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    Parents and carers are reminded of the importance of collecting your children on time.
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    In case of an emergency that may result in late collection, parents must contact the club immediately.
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    Failing to do so will result in your children being handed over to the local police or hour’s social services.
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    The club reserves the right to refuse to hand over a child to a person unknown to its staff or to a person who is unable to provide proof of identity.
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    After 6.15 pm a LATE penalty scheme operates.
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    The late Collection session ends at 6.15 pm.
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    Unarranged- will incur a charge of £1.50 per minute after 6.15. the parent will sign the late register on arrival. fee payable on arrival
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    Arranged-You must call no later than ½ hour before the session finishes at 6.15 pm to arrange a late pickup.  There will be a flat rate late pickup fee of 10.00 which will allow you to collect up to 30 minutes late (6.45 pm), which after will incur £1.50 per min until collection THIS FEE IS PAYABLE ON ARRIVAL.
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    Persistent un-booked late pick-up may lead to a termination of the child’s place. 

Uncollected Children Policy.

Future Stars Childcare endeavours to ensure that a parent or carer collects all children at the end of each session. If a child is not collected, and the parent or carer has not notified us that they will be delayed, we will follow the procedure set out below:

Up to 15 minutes late

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    When the parent or carer arrives they will be reminded that they must call the Club to notify us if they are delayed.
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    The parent or carer will be informed that penalty fees will have to be charged (unless the delay was genuinely unavoidable).

Over 15 minutes late

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    If a parent or carer is more than 15 minutes late in collecting their child, the manager will try to contact them using the contact details on file.
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    If there is no response from the parent or carer, messages will be left requesting that they contact the Club immediately. The manager will then try to contact the emergency contacts listed on the child’s registration form.
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    While waiting to be collected, the child will be supervised by Club staff.
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    When the parent or carer arrives they will be reminded that they must call the Club to notify us if they are delayed and that a penalty fee will have to be charged (except in exceptional circumstances).

Over 30 minutes late

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    If the manager has been unable to contact the child’s parents or carers after 30 minutes, the manager will contact the local Social Care team for advice.
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    The child will remain in the care of the Club’s staff, on the Club’s premises if possible, until collected by the parent or carer, or until placed in the care of the Social Care team.
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    If it is not possible for the child to remain at the Club’s premises, a note will be left on the door of the Club informing the child’s parent or carer where the child has been taken (eg to the home of a staff member or into the care of a safeguarding agency) and leaving a contact number. A further message will be left on the parent or carer’s telephone explaining the events.

Managing persistent lateness

The manager will record incidents of late collection and will discuss them with the child’s parents or carers. Parents and carers will be reminded that if they persistently collect their child late they may lose their place at the Club.

Useful contacts

Redbridge Emergency Duty Team -0208-553 5825

Ilford police station – 020 8478 1123

Iford Police Station, 270-294, High Road IG1

POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR

Club staff will have regard to the children’s act 1989. This act stipulates that children have rights;

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    Have a right to be listened to.
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    A right to have their views taken into account,
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    Right to be respected.
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    To feel and be safe

CODE OF CONDUCT

Our aim is to actively encourage children to be helpful, polite, caring, and show respect for each other.

Golden Rules: (Moral Values)

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    Do be gentle, don’t hurt anybody
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    Do you be kind and help, and don’t hurt others’ feelings.
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    Do be honest, don’t cover up the truth.
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    Do look after the property, and don’t waste or damage things.
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    Do play co-operatively; don’t spoil people’s fun.
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    Do listen to people, and don’t interrupt.

Five Rules for Happy Playtime

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    When the bell rings we stand still.
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    We play together and look after each other.
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    We let other children get on with their own games.
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    We give equipment to the playground friends at the end of each playtime.
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    We tell an adult if we feel sad or lonely.

Safety Rules

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    Walk inside the building.
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    Walk quietly in a line,
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    Keeps hands by your side,
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    Do not pull, push, and hit other children
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    No running out going out in the playground unless companies by a member of staff.
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    Ask permission to go to the toilet
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    Go toilet along with a buddy.
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    Don’t play behind the bushes.
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    Only use soft football.
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    Don’t spit.

BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT

All staff is responsible for managing behavior.

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    Every case where discipline is necessary this is would be judged and dealt with using understanding and insight.
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    Negative behavior will be ignored as far as possible. Intervention only takes place with the safety of others or the child involved is at risk.
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    As a general rule, an immediate rebuke by a member of staff will be sufficient to deter an unacceptable action by a child. The tone of voice is usually sufficient.
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    No form of physical punishment will be allowed and staff will be made aware of the danger of labeling children by means of contact negativity. Staff will instead be encouraged to discuss unwanted behavior with the child and involved in allowing the child to talk through their difficulties.
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    Diversion, distraction, or negotiation rather than confrontation is our first reaction to most everyday forms of unacceptable behavior.
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    If staff is having difficulty managing a particular behavior pattern with a child that causes cause for concern following actions will take place: