FAQ’s
General:
What are your operating hours?
All of our Finkley Nursery and Pre-school settings are open from 8am-6pm Monday to Friday and half-day sessions run from 8am-1pm and 1pm-6pm.
Our optional breakfast club also runs from 7:30am throughout the week.
We are only closed over Christmas and bank holidays.
What sessions do you offer?
We offer full and half-day sessions at all of our Finkley Nursery and Pre-school settings. Children are required to attend a minimum of two full days per week or four half-days. Morning sessions run from 8am-1pm and afternoon sessions run from 1pm-6pm.
We also run an optional breakfast club from 7:30am Monday to Friday, to support any parents who may need to drop off a little earlier in the day.
Do you offer half days?
Yes, at all of our Finkley Nursery and Pre-school settings, we offer half-days from 8 am-1pm and 1pm-6pm. Children are required to attend a minimum of four half-days per week.
Are you open on bank holidays?
All of our Finkley Nursery and Pre-school settings are closed for bank holidays to give staff and children time off to enjoy with their families but we are open 51 weeks of the year.
Do you run an after-school club?
We do not offer an after-school club at any of our Finkley Nursery and Pre-school settings as our days run until 6pm. We prioritise providing high-quality early years education and care during the day.
What is your policy on illness?
To ensure that Finkley Nursery and Pre-school settings maintain the highest health and safety standards, we have a specific sickness policy, which can be found on the parent’s portal.
Do you provide transportation services?
We do not provide transport to and from our nursery but all of our Finkley Nursery and Pre-school sites are located in convenient areas and can be easily reached by public transport. We also have ample parking at each site so drop-offs and collections are as convenient as possible for you.
Can I pick my child up earlier than 6pm?
Yes of course. We operate from 8am-6pm but you are very welcome to drop off and collect your child in-between these hours at a time that is convenient for you.
Please note, however, that full session fees still apply if your child is dropped off late or collected early.
How long are your waiting lists?
The length of our waiting lists vary across our Finkley Nursery and Pre-school settings. For the most up-to-date waitlist information, please contact our staff at your chosen setting.
What qualifications do staff members have?
The majority of our staff in all of our settings have a minimum of a level 3 qualification in childcare.
Food & Dietary Requirements:
Do you provide meals and snacks throughout the day?
At Finkley Nursery and Pre-School we supply all meals, snacks and drinks so no packed lunch is required. Our menu is designed to offer nutritious balanced options to support your child and we can cater to all dietary requirements. We operate a 14-day menu cycle, which changes seasonally to ensure variety.
When you register your child, we will ask you to provide us with any information we should know about their diet.
Do you run a breakfast club?
Yes! At all of our Finkley Nursery and Pre-school settings we run a breakfast club from 7:30am Monday to Friday for an additional cost, which varies on the setting you choose. Just let our staff know if you would like to arrange this.
Will I be able to see a menu for my child?
Yes, your child’s assigned keyworker will be very happy to send a photograph of the menu through the Famly app, upon request. We operate a 14-day menu cycle that changes seasonally. Menus vary across our Finkley Nursery and Pre-school settings.
How will you support my child’s nutrition?
A well-balanced diet is one of our top priorities at Finkley Nursery and Pre-school. All of the meals and snacks we provide throughout the day are healthy, balanced and in manageable portions. To drink, we provide water, cow’s milk or an agreed alternative throughout the day.
We operate a 14-day menu cycle, which changes seasonally to ensure variety and our kitchens cater to any allergies or strong food preferences your child might have.
Do you cater for children who are vegan?
Yes, here at Finkley Nursery and Pre-school we cater to all dietary requirements, including vegan meal and snack options.
All of our meals are carefully planned to ensure that they are balanced and nutritious.
When you complete your application form, there is a section for you to tell us about any dietary requirements your child might have.
Do you cater for children who are dairy-free?
Yes, here at Finkley Nursery and Pre-school we cater for all dietary requirements, including any child following a dairy-free diet. When you complete your application form, there is a section for you to tell us about any dietary requirements your child might have.
We provide coloured wristbands, alternative cutlery and traffic light information cards in our eating areas to correspond with any allergies or intolerances.
Do you cater for children who are gluten-free?
Yes, here at Finkley Nursery and Pre-school we cater for all dietary requirements, including any child who may require gluten-free options. When you complete your application form, there is a section for you to tell us about any dietary requirements your child might have. We provide coloured wristbands, alternative cutlery and traffic light information cards in our eating areas to correspond with any allergies or intolerances.
What happens if my baby is not yet weaned when they start nursery?
When you first enrol your baby at Finkley Nursery, our staff will find out where you are at in your weaning journey and follow your routine and preferences to ensure a smooth transition. We know that this is a significant step in your child’s development and we are here to support you every step of the way.
What is your food hygiene rating?
We have a 5-star food hygiene rating across all of our Finkley Nurseries and our staff members complete up-to-date food hygiene training.
Safety:
Do you have CCTV?
For the safety and security of children, staff and visitors, all of our Finkley Nursery and Pre-school settings have CCTV in and around the property. All footage is securely stored and used for security purposes only.
How will my child be kept safe?
All of our Finkley Nursery sites are covered by CCTV at all times and every staff member is trained in health and safety practices. We have internal minimum security standards that we adhere to and operate on a two-gate principle, meaning that there are two gates to get through to gain access to any part of the nurseries and preschools.
Are all staff DBS checked?
Yes, all staff across our Finkley Nursery and Pre-school settings complete a DBS check before they start working with us. DBS checks are renewed every two years as required.
What is your staff-to-child ratio?
Here at Finkley Nursery and Pre-school, we want every child to have as much interaction and attention as possible so we maintain a low staff-to-child ratio that remains in-line with industry standards.
Facilities:
Do you have a library?
Yes! Each of our Finkley Nursery receptions have their own lending library so that you and your child can explore a whole range of books and swap them out when they are ready for a new reading adventure!
Do you have a sensory room?
Yes! We have a fully equipped sensory room at our Finkley Farm Andover setting. Our sensory room is a dedicated space designed to stimulate and engage children’s senses in a safe and calming environment. Equipped with soft lighting, padded walls, an infinity mirror, a vibrating wall, sensory squares and a bubble tube. It is a wonderful space for all of the children to explore and relax in.
Do you have a baby soft play?
Yes! We have a large built-in baby soft play area, which is a safe, stimulating environment for your baby to explore. The area is full of colour and plenty of cushioned toys for babies to practice their early physical skills. Your baby will be closely monitored by staff at all times.
Do you have a yurt?
Yes! At our Finkley Farm Nursery in Andover we are lucky enough to have an all-natural wooden yurt. The yurt was designed to bring the outdoors indoors and is full of arts and crafts, games, puzzles and stories. Our yurt offers a novel learning environment for the children and we have had fantastic feedback from children, parents and our keyworkers. Take a look through our website page ‘The Yurt’ to see some images!
Will my child have access to the farm?
Every child, regardless of their age, will frequently visit the farm throughout the week as we are lucky enough to have unlimited access. Our Finkley Andover Nursery and Pre-school backs onto the farm and we have special access to the indoor play barn before it is open to the public in the mornings. Children have lots of time to visit the animals and do farm-based activities.
Do you offer any exercise for children?
Yes! We believe that movement and regular exercise is vital for healthy, happy and independent children. We are lucky to have access to lots of outdoor space at all of our Finkley Nursery and Pre-school settings. Our Finkley Andover Nursery and Pre-school backs onto Finkley Down Farm, which offers plenty of opportunity for your child and their keyworker to learn and move around outdoors.
We also have a fantastic fitness teacher who comes weekly to lead fun and interactive fitness sessions, such as: assault courses, dance classes, hula hoops and hurdles!
Do you have outdoor space on site?
At Finkley Nursery and Pre-school, we are lucky to be surrounded by plenty of outdoor space and have unlimited access to Finkley-Down Farm. Both our Pre-School and Nursery have large gardens that include: a sensory area, hard standing, vegetable plots and a mud kitchen to provide a stimulating environment.
What is your outdoor living environment like?
Our large Finkley Nursery and Preschool gardens are designed with children in mind and are equipped with many outdoor activities to encourage the children to move around outside. Our outdoor areas have: sensory sections, vegetable plots and a mud kitchen and we spend a lot of time on the farm. Our Finkley Down Farm Nursery has an impressive natural wood yurt on the premises, which is filled with lots of arts and crafts resources, puzzles and books and offers a real outdoor indoor living space for the children to explore.
Learning & Development:
How will you support my child’s speech and language?
Here at Finkley Nursery and Pre-school, we are dedicated to supporting every child’s speech and language development through a range of fun and engaging activities. Our staff work closely with children to encourage communication skills, whether it’s through songs, storytelling, play-based interactions, one-on-one conversations and the use of picture cards. We create a language-rich environment that helps children build vocabulary, improve listening skills, and express themselves with confidence.
We use makaton day-to-day to support communication between all children who attend our Finkley Nursery and Pre-school.
If needed, we also collaborate with speech and language professionals to ensure every child’s individual needs are met.
Do you use makaton?
Here at Finkley Nursery and Pre-school, we use makaton day-to-day to support all children’s communication and believe it is so important for everyone to be able to communicate with one another whether they are verbal or non-verbal.
How do you support children with Special Educational Needs?
Here at Finkley Nursery and Pre-school, we provide an inclusive environment and will work with you to support you and your child. We have designated Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators who can adapt activities to suit each child’s individual needs. Our Finkley Down Farm setting has a large sensory room, equipped with: soft lighting, padded walls, an infinity mirror, a vibrating wall, sensory squares and a bubble tube. It is a wonderful space for all children to explore and relax in.
We work with the children’s parents/carer and any specialist workers who support them to ensure their needs are best met.
Can you support my child if English is their second language?
Yes, absolutely! All of our staff at Finkley Nursery and Pre-school are trained to use a variety of strategies to help children feel comfortable and confident as they develop their English skills. Through visual aids, interactive activities, Polylino, and one-on-one support, we create a language-rich environment that encourages communication and learning.
Day-to-Day:
How will I know what my child has done in the day?
When you collect your child, their assigned keyworker will talk to you about their day, including the activities they get up to, how they may have slept, what they ate and how they seemed generally. Keyworkers also post on the secure Famly app newsfeed throughout the day to update parents with plenty of photos!
Do you let parents know what the children will be doing each week?
Yes! Every week we send out a Finkley Nursery and Pre-school Planning Weekly, with a round-up of everything the children have been up to with their keyworker that week, including lots of photographs. The newsletter also includes the theme for next week for you to introduce to your child at home and any upcoming family events, such as our sparkler and hot chocolate evening in the winter!
Will my child be able to sleep during the day?
For any children who have a nap throughout the day, we have nap and/or relaxation rooms at all of our Finkley Nursery sites, which have sleep mats, cushions and blankets. The decor in each room is calming and we draw the blinds to help the children relax and recharge. When your child starts with us, we will find out about their sleep routine from you and follow this to support the transition. Your child will be checked on by staff continually whilst they sleep.
Would grandparents have the opportunity to visit their grandchildren?
Yes, absolutely! We hold open hours for grandparents to come and see how their grandchildren are getting on. Grandparents can come on a tour of the nursery and then spend an hour joining in with a whole host of activities with their grandchild. We have had great feedback on our grandparent visits here at Finkley Nursery and Pre-school and find that they are a lovely opportunity to create special memories.
Will my child get to go on trips?
Yes, here at Finkley Nursery and Pre-school, we believe that trips and outings are an important part of children’s learning and development so every child, regardless of age, will get the chance to go on trips. Our Finkley Nursery and Pre-school children regularly go to the farm and out to see venues in the local community, such as: the market, the library, local park and staff hold an annual pass for Milestones museum.
If you have a baby here with us in Finkley Nursery, they too will get to join in by taking a ride out on the buggy bus!
Can I see what my child is doing throughout the day?
Yes! We think it is really important for parents to be able to keep up with all of the varied activities their child gets up to throughout the day. Here at Finkley Nursery and Pre-school we use a secure app called Famly to send photos and updates to the parent newsfeed every day so that you can stay up-to-date.
Do you do any events throughout the year for family to join in on?
Yes absolutely! Here at Finkley Nursery and Pre-school, we run lots of seasonal events for families to join in with throughout the year and we list these in our Planning Weekly newsletter so that you don’t miss any.
Fees & Funding:
Do you offer a discount for siblings?
We strive to maintain a fair and competitive pricing structure here at Finkley Nursery and Pre-school so cannot offer family discounts. We like to ensure that we provide the highest quality care and resources for every child who attends.
Do I pay when my child is on holiday or sick?
Yes, you will still be charged over periods of holiday or sickness as we rota and pay sufficient staff members to ensure a safe child-to-staff ratio for the full year.
Do you accept funding?
Yes, we accept tax-free childcare vouchers and all forms of government funding.
Please note that there is a £2 charge per funded hour for meals/sundries.
What do your fees include?
Our fees include healthy meals, snacks, fresh cow’s milk and water, nappies and wipes, outings to the farm, coyote fitness and theatre lessons.
Do I have to pay a deposit to register my child?
To register your child at Finkley Down Farm Nursery and Preschool, we require a £55 non-refundable administration fee to complete the necessary registration process. Once your child’s sessions have been confirmed, a £100 deposit is payable to hold the sessions, which will be refunded once your final invoice has been cleared in full. If you would like to discuss fees further, please do get in contact with us.
Starting At Nursery:
How do you support children who find it difficult to make the transition to nursery?
We are very aware that transitioning from regular time at home to being in a new environment can be difficult, which is why at Finkley Nursery and Pre-school we aim to support your child as much as we possibly can. We offer settling-in days to help children get to know their new space and these can be increased if you feel this would support their transition. Your child will be assigned a keyworker who they will be supported by daily and get to know really well. When you collect your child, their keyworker will talk to you about their day and after the first 4 weeks of your child joining us, we will meet with you to have a chat about how you feel things are going.
Does my child have to wear a uniform?
Due to children spending a lot of time outside, we offer Finkley Nursery and pre-school uniforms, which can be purchased through our online uniform shop. The uniform is totally optional but we find that lots of parents opt for it to avoid children’s clothes from home getting wet and muddy whilst they are learning and exploring outside! A lot of our parents say that our polo shirts and jumpers are a really nice way for their child to prepare for wearing a full uniform ahead of school.
Do you offer settling-in days?
Yes, here at Finkley Nursery and Pre-school we want to ensure that you and your child feel as comfortable as possible on their first day so we offer settling-in days for them and you to get to know our space and team. Children typically come for two settling-in days where they will meet their keyworker for a shorter session. We can, of course, adjust the number of settling-in days if you believe that more would be of benefit and ensure a smoother transition for you and your child.
What happens if my child has separation anxiety?
If you are at all concerned about your child struggling with separation anxiety, we offer settling-in days and can adjust the amount to suit you and your child. Each child will have a keyworker who will take care of them throughout the day and will be well-trained to support any child who may be struggling with the adjustment. We will work together with you to support your child through this transition period.
How do I book a visit?
Amazing! You’re ready to come and have a look around. Just follow the ‘Book a nursery visit’ link and complete the short ‘request a visit form’. We will get back to you shortly and look forward to showing you around.