Frequently Asked Questions

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Your nursery questions answered

You can get answers to all your nursery questions here. Forest Hall Day Nursery is based in Newcastle upon Tyne and serves the surrounding areas. 
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What happens if my child becomes ill at nursery?

If your child becomes unwell at the setting, then he / she will be made as comfortable as possible and cared for quietly and appropriately with a staff member while a senior member of staff will contact you to inform you. Your child will then be looked after by a member of staff he / she is close to for reassurance until you can arrive to collect him / her.
We ask that all parents / carers keep us informed if their child is unwell or absent due to any infectious illness so that we can advise other parents / carers to be alert for signs and symptoms in their own child. We recognise and appreciate the work demands of parents and carers and would only contact you to collect your child if he / she was not well enough to be at nursery.
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What information will you provide about my child’s day at nursery?

We pride ourselves on our excellent partnerships with parents / carers and every day when you collect your child, a familiar member of staff such as your child’s key person, will pass on all the details you need to know about your child’s day with us. You’ll be told about the food he / she has eaten, any sleeps or rest times, the activities he / she has participated in, how he / she has been that day in general and any little moments that are individual to your child that a parent likes to hear about – even the ones that embarrass you!
What Makes Us Special?

Will my child be safe and secure at nursery?

The safety and security of all children in our care is paramount, especially that of your child and we have very robust policies, procedures and practices in place in our setting which have been inspected and highly approved of by Ofsted. These include detailed risk assessments, accident and medication policies and very robust staff recruitment procedures. As part of this, all of our staff have an enhanced DBS. We carry out regular fire drills and have clear emergency evacuation procedures. There is always a senior member of staff on duty and we do not allow anyone to collect a child who has not been previously authorised to do so. In the event of an emergency, we do have additional security measures such as the use of individual passwords which we will be happy to discuss individually with parents.

No-one is allowed into the nursery if they are not known by staff and visitors are by appointment only. We also have secure door entry systems that are only operated by established staff.

Please feel free to ask as many questions as you need with the manager and staff to reassure you of our commitment to the safety and security of your child.




What kind of meals do you provide?


All our meals and snacks are nutritious, well balanced, planned and prepared fresh on site by a qualified cook who works closely with the manager to ensure the children are provided with a varied, attractive and healthy diet. We cater for many dietary needs including allergies, religious requirements and parental choices. Our menus are displayed in all rooms and parents are always informed of how their child has eaten when they are collected. Fresh drinking water is available at all times and children are gently introduced to and encouraged to try foods which are new or different but never expected to eat anything they dislike. We encourage meal times to be a pleasant, sociable experience for everyone and are often asked by parents if they can stay and enjoy the meals on offer!





How can fees be paid?

All fees are required to be paid by the 1st of every month in advance for the month ahead. We accept payment by standing order, bank transfer, tax free childcare, cash, cheque, visa debit card, credit card or by one of the many voucher companies we are registered for. If your workplace uses a voucher company we are not currently registered to accept, that’s no problem – just bring us the details and we’ll sort this out for you.





Do you provide any discounts?

We currently provide a sibling discount for 2 or more children attending the setting and this is automatically deducted from your monthly invoice for you.




Do you provide any nappies, creams, wipes etc.?

We don’t provide any of the personal care items for your child as we feel that you should be able to have your choice of these items used. Every parent has their own preference over what types of nappies, creams and wipes their child uses and as a young child’s skin is delicate, we prefer you to bring in the items that you are using at home which provides consistency for your child while he / she is with us. 





Will my child be able to play outside every day?

We have a lovely outside play area and every child is able to access this on a daily basis so they get plenty of fresh air and the opportunity to play outside, go for walks and visit the surrounding areas. We ask that all parents provide their child with appropriate clothing for the weather each day such as hats, coats and wellies when it’s cold and wet or, sun hats and sun creams when it’s hot and sunny. This is so that children are able to access outside play every day, whatever the weather!





If my child becomes upset do you
provide cuddles?

We want all children who attend our setting to feel happy and secure so that they can enjoy the varied and fun activities we have on offer. If a child becomes upset for any reason such as from falling over or because they are still settling in, then staff are on hand to offer cuddles, sympathy and reassurance, to dry any tears and to gently help them to resume play, safe in the knowledge that they are looked after with care. All our staff have a full enhanced DBS and have only been selected after undergoing a robust recruitment procedure. We also have a policy of never having any lone staff in the setting, even if there are only 2 or 3 children for example, as its almost home time, there are always a minimum of two staff on duty.





Do you open for bank holidays and holidays?

We are closed for all statutory bank holidays and weekends but are usually open 51 weeks of the year.

We also provide holiday care during school holidays in our out of school and holiday club.





What is free entitlement and how do I access this?

The government currently provide funded hours which are free to access for all 3 and 4 year olds and eligible 2 year olds after the term in which their 2nd or 3rd birthday falls. As a nursery we access this funding and provide the funded 15 hours (or 30 hours for eligible 3 and 4 year olds) on either a term time basis (38 weeks per year) or on a stretched basis, which can cover up to 50 weeks of the year, depending on each families preference and our availability. Options are available to purchase extra hours of care.
All your nursery questions are answered in this page. If you're in Newcastle upon Tyne or the surrounding areas, contact Forest Hall Day Nursery. 
For answers to all your nursery questions, call Forest Hall Day Nursery in Newcastle upon Tyne on:
 0191 266 2545
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