Frequently Asked Questions
How often do you have face to face meetings with the parents'?
Parent’s can request a Face to Face meeting whenever they would like one, we have Bi Annual parents meetings and Twilight sessions in the Winter month
How do I know what my child does every day?
You will be updated via our Famly App, under the Activity Button
How do you celebrate special events and occasions?
We celebrate all Special Events and occasions at Mara Nursery, from Christmas, Hannukah, to Diwali, St Patrick’s Day and of course birthdays!
Do you have space to store my buggy?
Yes, we have our own, secure buggy storage with a keypad
Is their parking at the nursery for the day?
There is dedicated parking outside Mara Nursery for drop offs and pick ups and ample parking on Chandos Avenue and Buckingham Road.
How can I book an event or a party in your upstairs space?
Absolutely! We hire our events space on weekends between the hours of 8am to 8pm, all year round at a rate of £50 per hour. Just email info@maranursery for more information.
How do I apply for funded place at nursery?
Your child may be eligible to receive 15 of government funded childcare. Take a look here
If you have a 2, 3 or 4-year-old you can apply for funding from Barnet Local Authority (link below) or ask us for an application pack.
https://www.barnet.gov.uk/children-and-families/childcare/free-childcare-and-early-education-2-year-olds
Your child may be eligible to receive 15 or 30 hours of free government funded childcare.
All children, the term after they turn 3 are entitled to 15 hours funded care, paid for by the government for 38 weeks per year. However, the true cost of care far exceeds this amount and as such the government allow nurseries to place a small cost on top for ‘consumables and additional services’
You can check if you are eligible for 30 hours funding.
Subject to criteria below your child may be entitled to up to 30 hours care the term after they turn 3.
Unlike the 15 hours parents have to check their eligibility online at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/
This must be done before the start of a term and your child’s details, date of birth, your NI number and the eligibility code must be passed to us so that we can verify the eligibility on our portal.
We will ask you to complete a Funding Declaration Form and provide a copy of your child’s passport or birth certificate.
What experience/qualifications do your staff have?
Our staff have either a Level 2 or higher childcare qualification. If they are doing an apprenticeship then they are studying to obtain this qualification
How do you ensure safe recruitment of staff?
All of our Staff are DBS checked and they have two reference checks. They are placed on probation when they first become employed at Mara Nursery and will only receive their contracts once their probation period has been satisfactorily achieved
What are the staff to children ratios?
Chickpeas and Pumpkins – 1 staff member to 3 babies
Wild Yams and Sweetpeas – 1 Staff member to 4 children
Elderberries – 1 staff member to 8 children
Will my child have a key person, and how many other children will they look after?
Yes, your child will be assigned a key person during their settling in week. The number of children a key person has assigned to them depends on whether they are Full Time or Part Members of Staff
How will you ensure the safety of my child in your care?
We make sure that our rooms always stay within ratio and we never overbook our sessions, This may prove frustrating when trying to book an ad hoc session but to us your children’s safety is paramount to us. All of our staff are Paediatric First Aid Training and of course, DBS checked.
What activities do you provide?
From painting, to woodwork, cooking, Forest School sessions and football sessions, we offer a wide range of activities to suit all ages from 6 months to 4 years old.
How will you support my child’s learning?
We believe in the curiosity Approach at Mara Nursery, The Curiosity Approach aims to create ‘thinkers & doers’ by putting the child at the centre of their own development and education. Modern toys and technology are removed from the learning environment and replaced with everyday items to encourage children’s natural curiosity and eagerness to explore and create. The Curiosity Approach draws from various other philosophies of early years education, including the Reggio Emilia approach, Te Whãriki, Montessori, Pikler and Steiner.
How will you keep me informed of my child’s progress?
Your child will have a profile on Famly. It has an Activity section which shows their daily activity and a Journey section where we record Observations, Shared moments, Planning in the Moment, and any Progress reports too.
What types of meals and snacks do you provide?
We provide a variety of healthy, balanced and nutritious meals at Mara Nursery. We value our Parent’s input so we ask for suggestions when we change our Menu depending on the season. Mara Summer Menu
How do you manage children’s behaviour?
Expectation is high and follows the nursery behaviour policy. Persistent poor behaviour by your child will be addressed in accordance with our policy, taking into account any special needs. Repeated unacceptable behaviour, where no special need is identified, may result in notice being given to terminate the agreement.
The nursery staff and management will not tolerate unacceptable behaviour from parents/carers and or adults and expect to be treated with the respect and courtesy shown to them by the staff, otherwise the parent/carer/adult may be excluded from the site. Aggressive behaviour from parents/carers is not acceptable. Persistent anti-social behaviour from parents/carers will result in police involvement and termination of your child’s place. Behaviour Policy
What do your fees include?
Our fees include, nappies, wipes, milk and all meals
How can I pay my fees?
Invoices are sent electronically by email up to 5 days before they are due to be paid. Fees are due on the first day of each calendar month in advance, payable by Direct Debit. Payment by other methods (Tax-Free Childcare transfers, childcare vouchers, electronic bank transfer, standing order, cash, cheque, debit card are welcome.
Fees are calculated by the weekly fee rate times 52 (weeks in the year) divided by 12 (months in the year), giving the monthly payment. Fees are payable during periods of absence from the nursery, including sickness, holiday, during public holidays and during the Christmas closure.
How many weeks per year is the nursery open for?
We are open all year round, 51 weeks a year (except in-between Christmas and New Year)
Can I see the latest Ofsted inspection report?
As we only opened in September 2020 we have not, as yet, been inspected by Ofsted, however we eagerly await them!
Do you offer sibling discounts?
We do! We offer 10% sibling discounts
What happens if I am late to collect my child?
Mara Nursery supports working families and understands the difficulties of balancing work and family commitments. To this end we do not charge parents for occasional late collection of children for up to 15 minutes after the agreed collection time. However persistent late collection does cause significant disruption and increased staff costs. Therefore repeated late collection or collection beyond 15 minutes after the end of the session will be charged at £10 per 15 minutes or part thereof.
Do I pay a deposit when booking my child’s space?
No, at Mara Nursery we do not require a deposit. However, we do need a registration fee of £100 to secure your child’s space. This goes towards their settling period which is generally one week before their official start date.
