We are committed to working with the parents as partners. The healthy relationship with the parents and carers positively impact the child’s learning and development.
Our doors are always open for a formal or informal chat. Your child’s key person or management welcome you to answer any questions. We engage with parents and ensure that they are actively involved in the decision-making aspect of their child’s development.
Parents have the empowerment from the very beginning to make choices and inform us of the decisions. We value and appreciate parents as much as the children attending MTO Nursery.
Our practitioners create meaningful transitions at the beginning and end of the day, we show a level of sensitivity as parents say hello and goodbye.
We consider ourselves lucky that all of our parents are enthusiastic and willing to engage with us. Every room in the nursery has a specially designed board where you can find photographs of our students and their parents.
The importance of the Key Person
When settling in, you will meet your child’s key person. During that time, the practitioner will discuss your child’s routines, their likes and dislikes, and other essential information regarding your child.
We believe that children settle best when they have a key person to relate to, who knows them and their parent well, and when the individual needs are met. Every key person provides healthy relationships in which children thrive, and parents feel secure and confident.
The key person will provide daily feedback and keep a record of your child’s learning journey, and together with the parent or carer, will plan and implement a guide for the child’s learning and development.
When a child is ready to leave the nursery and go to ‘big school’ the key person will be responsible for writing a summary of the child’s development. The summary will focus on the prime learning and development areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage.
Tips for building a stronger parent-teacher relationship
It’s essential to remember that trust is the most crucial component. Consistent and open communication from both parties is beneficial for a robust relationship.
Establish a relationship early
You should spend a few minutes with your child’s key person from the start of the school year. You should get to know about their background and ask as many questions as you wish. Our practitioner’s welcome parents and carers wholeheartedly, and we go the extra mile to make them feel comfortable to speak openly.
Practice healthy communication
You should address any critical issues or concerns as they arise. Don’t let the annoyance to build up. Sometimes, we get angry without knowing all of the facts of the situation. Most importantly, you shouldn’t show your anger or confront the practitioner in front of the child. Instead, you should set up a convenient time for both parties to discuss the issue at hand.
Research shows that children thrive, not only when they’ve made a secure attachment with the key caregiver, but also when the parent and practitioner show a good working relationship based on trust and respect.
Set expectations
As a parent or carer, you have the right to expect updates from the child’s key person and timely notifications. Hence, at pick-up, your child’s teacher will have an informal conversation with you regarding how the day has been, what activities took place, and any other relevant information.
Conclusion
We strongly believe in parent partnership. It’s one of our values. Understandably, not all parents will have time to engage in daily conversations with the child’s key person. Thus, we use a range of tools to support regular two-way communication.
We recognise parents as the most enduring educators of their children, thus, making them a focal source of information. For instance, we share every milestone, details about daily activities, and meal times through the daily communication diaries.