School Policies
Accidents and Incidents Policy
All accidents and incidents no matter how minor will be recorded in the incident/accident book in the correct manner by all staff concerned. Should the need arise, an Incident Investigator will look into the matter further and a report shall be written. If a child arrives with an injury (which occurred at home), this will be reported to the office immediately.
Admission Policy
On admission to Little Shepherds Educare & After-Care, you are required to fill in a registration/application form. This asks for details regarding any special health needs, doctors details, medical history of the child:
- You must complete and sign the Application Form for admission of a learner.
- An enrolment agreement must be completed for each individual child.
- The Application Form together with the additional documents described below must be delivered to Little Shepherds Educare on or before the day the child is to start.
- Copy of child’s birth certificate
- Copy of each parent’s ID document
- Copy of child’s clinic card
- Copy of medical aid card showing child’s name
- A non refundable once off registration fee of R700.00 is payable when handing in the Application form before your child starts.
After-care Policy
Please advise us when your child is absent from Primary School. Children will be provided with a cooked lunch when they arrive at Little Shepherds Educare and a snack at 15h00. Homework is supervised by us from Monday to Thursday. However we do still ask that you check your child’s homework so that you are aware of what work is being done.
CAPS Policy
Little Shepherds Educare’s Grade R class is committed to the CAPS policy. (Ages 2 – 5 ECD Curriculum)
Children’s Birthdays
Birthdays can be celebrated with cupcakes and/or a party. Party packs to go home are optional. Any of these options are to be supplied by you as parent.
Sanitising / Cleanliness of Equipment and Toys
Tables and chairs are wiped down before and after meal times with an appropriate disinfectant. Suitable cleaning equipment is made available to staff for such purpose. Toys are washed and cleaned on a regular basis. Cleaner to sanitize all gates, door handles etc. on regular basis.
Arrival and Collection of Children Policy
Our Covid protocol are followed strict – only staff and children are currently allowed into our building. You need to daily sign our COVID symptoms / screening forms. Every childs fever to be checked. No child will be allowed with any of the symptoms.
Collection – If someone other than yourself is to collect your child, please notify the school.
Children to be accompanied by you as parent or transport to the security gate and handed to the staff member on duty. No child to be dropped in the parking area or in the road.
Late collection of your child/ren inconveniences staff and overtime payments will be due to them (R100.00 for every 30 minutes or part thereof).
Disability Policy
Little Shepherds Educare & After-Care is currently not equipped to admit children with disabilities but we are open to admissions.
Discipline Policy for children
Here at Little Shepherds Safety to all children and staff comes first
We urge our children to have respect & kindness to all people & things.
These simple, logical and positively stated rules are learned by all children. Having a clear understanding of the school rules helps children understand acceptable social behaviour. Providing engaging and developmentally appropriate choices for children also minimizes discipline issues.
Our goal is to help children learn to be caring, sharing, safe and respectful. If a situation arises when we feel that a child is not behaving in that manner, rather than ‘punish’ a child, we use the situation to teach them important life skills. Our first response is to stop the undesirable behaviour. We then talk individually with the children involved and why the interaction was not appropriate. It is important for children to learn to work things out and communicate with each other. Our role as teachers is to guide them and keep them safe. Learning to work out a disagreement with another person is a skill for life.
Time-outs are used only when a child needs to be removed in order to ensure the safety of all children. At no time will any child be subjected to shaming or corporal punishment. If there are discipline issues that require more attention, it is our goal to communicate with you immediately and help work out ways to improve the situation.
Emergency Situations
An emergency action plan is in place and is practiced regularly with all children. This plan includes threats of fire, bomb and other safety related aspects. Nothing is to be placed under any fire safety equipment such as fire extinguisher (this includes but is not limited to children). Children will be evacuated from the building with the supervision of staff and meet at the assembly point where all children will be accounted for.
Environmental Policy
All chemicals are stored in the storeroom which is kept locked at all times. Access is restricted to staff only. A suitable fire extinguisher is placed within 10 meters of this area.
First Aid Policy
Please see Health, Medication and Illnesses Policy
Food Preparation Policy
We serve a cooked breakfast, cooked nutritious lunch and afternoon snack each day. You are required to supply a healthy snack for 09h30 (sandwiches, fruit, veggie sticks, rice cakes, cheese, yoghurt, muffins are suggested). Sweets and cold drinks are discouraged in favour of teaching our children healthy eating habits. Cooking ingredients are stored in a suitable, access controlled cupboard. Products are inspected by the cook before use. Expired substances are discarded immediately. Foods are prepared in a clean environment and are prepared properly in alignment with age group requirements.
Health, Medication and Illnesses Policy
Please call if your child will not be attending school that day. If a child has contracted a contagious illness please keep him/her at home.
Medicine
Medicine can be administered if you indicated it in the child’s notebook – You must indicate the time and amount that must be given.
Illness
We reserve the right to refuse entry to a child who is displaying signs of illness as stated in National Health Act, 2003 (Act No. 61 of 2003). Children who are ill must stay at home until they have recovered. In the event of a child with a high temperature (above 38°C), you will be contacted to collect the child as soon as possible.
Little Shepherds Educare & After-Care have a minimum of four employees trained in Level One First Aid.
First Aid equipment is kept in the office.
In the event of a serious injury, you will be contacted and the child will be taken for medical treatment. If the school is unable to reach you, the school has the right to make a decision. You will be liable for all medical and ambulance costs. An incident/accident report will be filled in.
All staff are aware of the normal precautions for avoiding infection and follow basic hygiene procedures. Any spilt blood or other body fluids will be cleaned up promptly using disposable gloves and the area will be cleansed with a suitable antiseptic solution.
First Aiders are trained in the correct first aid procedures for a choking child or infant.
General Hygiene Policy
Cleaning staff have been appointed for the management of hygiene. A cleaning schedule has been created for the facility and bathrooms. There are sufficient toilets and wash hand basins for the number of children as per by-law requirements. All bathroom and toilet equipment is inspected on a monthly basis and repairs are made as required. Management conduct regular spot checks to confirm conformance. Toilet paper, hand soap and hand drying facilities are available at all times. The premises are visited on a regular basis by the Health Inspector Mr Blaine De Lilie.
Kitchen Policy
Access to the kitchen is restricted to staff only. Children are physically restricted access to the kitchen by means of locked gates on the 2 entrances. The main electrical plug point for the stove is switched off when not in use to prevent it from being switched on accidentally. Only competent staff shall operate the stove and other hot equipment. Equipment shall be stored in closed cupboards or drawers within the access controlled kitchen.
Language Policy
Little Shepherds Educare & After-Care is multilingual in English, Afrikaans and some teachers with the understanding and communication in Xhosa and Sotho.
Parent Information
It is your responsibility to see that updates are given of change of address and telephone numbers.
Paths of Communication
Little Shepherds Educare & After-Care have an open door policy. However for speedy resolution it is recommended that if you need to discuss anything to do with your child’s progress or a concern, you should make an appointment to address the Principal first. All our classes have different whats-app groups – for you to communicate with the school/principal. There will be weekly news / videos / photo’s so that you can be updated to what we are doing.
Playground Policy
This playground equipment’s are checked daily by staff and monthly by the Health and Safety Officer. Playground equipment that is seriously damaged is taken out of the playground areas to prevent children from gaining access. Each class / age group will be allocated different times which they may play on the playground. The sand is regularly treated with coarse salt to keep it clean.
Progress reports
Progress reports for your child are sent out in June and December (Termly for Grade R).
School Bags and Clothing Policy
A school bag must be brought to school daily with a clean set of clothing (nursery school children). Please mark all clothing. We are not responsible for any loss or damage. Please dress your child in suitable old clothes. New and expensive clothes only get damaged. Learning through play is our aim and play is dirty. Please ensure that your child do not have any strings on clothing that can be caught on slides, trees or fences causing strangulation. Children are prohibited from bringing toys, sweets, cellphones, weapons and chewing gum to school. If a cellphone or similar electronic device is brought on to the property of Little Shepherds Educare & After-Care by children, no employee will be held responsible for any loss or damage.
School Closures Policy
The school has the right to close for any length of time (e.g. political riots etc.). The school will be closed on all public holidays and for a short period during December/January school holidays. We may incorporate 4-5 weekdays during the year, along with the public holidays to make an extra long weekend or two. You will be advised in the first newsletter of the year (January) of such possible closures.
Little Shepherds Educare & After-Care reserves the right to close for any number of days should there be a reported communicable disease.
School Fees Policy
Fees are payable in advance on or before the 5th of each month. Fees are payable even if your child is ill or on holiday or for any other reason. If the fees are not paid by the 5th of each month, the child will not be allowed until fees are paid in full.
Should your child be taken out before the expiry of the month, no refund will be made. One full calendar month notice in writing on the first day of the month is required for termination of enrolment.
School hours
Monday – Friday: 06:00 to 18:00
Saturday, Sundays and Public holidays: Closed
Sleep time Policy
Children are provided with mattresses to be used during sleep time. The mattresses are inspected daily by the teacher and monthly by the Health and Safety Officer for damages. Please supply a blanket for your child to use during sleep time, all blankets will be send home every second Friday to be washed by you.
Staff Cellphone Policy
To ensure the effectiveness of teaching, care and supervision of the children, no staff member will be allowed to use cellphones – only in tea and lunch break times. Our landline number must be given to family for emergencies.
Supervision
Children will be supervised at all times (this includes but is not limited to meal times and sleep times). CCTV cameras are on in all classes and are monitored by the principal from the office. Cameras records between 06:00 to 18:00 to view any incidents that may occurred. There are also a 2 way radio’s in each class to immediately communicate with the principal if needed.
Training of Staff Policy
Only competent persons are permitted to conduct work on Little Shepherds Educare & After-Care premises. Any unskilled staff members are supervised by a competent person at all times as required by the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
Little Shepherds Educare & After-Care staff are encourage to do the necessary training / learning to constantly improve their knowledge and skills.
The principal to provide extra resource info to help, improve and provide the correct learning for each child.
Weather Policy
Should the weather not be appropriate for outside play, the children will be brought inside to watch movies, play with blocks or any inside activities. Fresh water is available to all children and staff at all times. Staff and children are encouraged to drink regularly during very hot conditions.