We recognise that each child, parent, and nursery relationship is unique, and we use our experience to support everyone in making that transition into nursery life as smooth as possible.

Settling in sessions

We offer 10 FREE settling-in sessions, each lasting 2 hours per day for two weeks before your child’s full-time schedule begins. These sessions are designed to help your child transition smoothly into nursery life and feel comfortable in their new environment.

Session 1 – Parent Stay & Play

For the first session, parents are invited to bring all necessary paperwork and join their child in the nursery. This session allows parents to:

• Meet their child’s key worker.
• Spend time playing together in the nursery environment.
• Discuss their child’s routine, interests, and any concerns or questions.

Session 2 – Short Separation

For the second session, parents will drop off their child and leave for the duration of the session. This helps the child begin to adjust to being in nursery without a parent present.

Remaining Sessions

Over the next sessions, your child will continue to attend for 2-hour sessions each day, gradually becoming familiar with the nursery routines, staff, and other children. These sessions are flexible and can be tailored to your child’s needs, helping them settle in at their own pace.

Your child’s key worker will keep a settling-in record to track their progress and ensure they receive the best possible support as they transition into nursery life.

Our experience has shown that having a Key Person for your child is the most effective way of ensuring that children develop a strong relationship with a significant adult in the nursery, giving every child the reassurance to feel secure, familiar, and confident in the nursery environment.

At Marleigh your child’s Key person will:

• Be assigned to your child on their first settling-in session, getting to know the child and family well in order to form strong relationships to support emotional needs.
• Be with your child at every settling-in session in order to make the handover as smooth as possible, providing essential consistency for you and your child.
• Ensure they have all of the information about your child and share this with other staff so that your child’s individual needs are cared for throughout each and every day.
• Carry out assessments and plan for your child’s development, ensuring they are always challenged and supported to reach their full potential.
• Prepare a report every 6 weeks to ensure you are kept up to date with all of the information about your child and their development.