Policy Statement

It is our intention to make our setting accessible to children and families from all sections of the local community. We aim to ensure that all sections of our community have access to the setting through open, fair and clearly communicated procedures.

Procedures

• We ensure that the existence of our setting is advertised in places accessible to all sections of the community.

• We ensure that information about our setting is accessible, using simple plain English, in written and spoken form and, where appropriate, provided in different community languages and in other formats on request.

• We arrange our waiting list in birth order. In addition, our policy may take into account:

• the age of the child, with priority given to children who are eligible for the free entitlement;

• the length of time on the waiting list;

• the vicinity of the home to the setting;

• whether any siblings already attend the setting; and

• the capacity of the setting to meet the individual needs of the child.

• We offer funded places in accordance with the Code of Practice and any local conditions in place at the time.

• We keep a place vacant, if this is financially viable, to accommodate an emergency admission.

• Our setting and its practices are welcoming and make it clear that fathers, mothers, other relations and carers are all welcome.

• Our setting and its practices operate in a way that encourages positive regard for and understanding of difference and ability - whether gender, family structure, class, background, religion, ethnicity or competence in spoken English.

• We support children and/or parents with disabilities to take full part in all activities within our setting.

• We monitor the needs and background of children joining our setting on the Registration Form, to ensure that no accidental or unintentional discrimination is taking place.

• We share and promote our Valuing Diversity and Promoting Equality Policy.

• We advise families about the opening times of our setting to ensure that we accommodate a broad range of families' needs.

• We are flexible about attendance patterns to accommodate the needs of individual children and families, providing these do not disrupt the pattern of continuity in the setting that provides stability for all the children.

• Failure to comply with the terms and conditions may ultimately result in the provision of a place being withdrawn.