Emotional, Social and Personal Development Policy

Statement
At Bonnington Nursery we will ensure that in time, all our children become confident, secure and independent youngsters.

We aim to develop in each child:
self esteem and a sense of security
Independence and perseverance
The ability to express themselves and respect the needs and feelings of others
An awareness of the environment and the people in it

The importance of emotional personal and social development cannot be over- emphasised, particularly for the youngest children. For them, arrival in new and strange places can be an anxious and unsettling experience. Providing a clear settling in period with familiar routines and lots of support for the children and their parents will ensure a safe secure environment.
We will set about building genuine relationships with the parents and carers of the children and work together with them to ensure that we develop well balanced and happy youngsters by ensuring good communication with parents, even before they commence nursery by
An invitation to visit
A good informative nursery booklet
Finding out about the child's interests and abilities
Ensuring a welcoming and inclusive environment

Developing confidence, self esteem and a sense of security
Once the child starts in the nursery, a warm welcome everyday along with an informal chat with parents when they bring/ collect their child. This also gives the Nursery staff and the parents an opportunity to pass on any important information or answer any queries.
Parents also need to see and hear what is happening in the nursery. This we will do through:
Open evenings
Displays, including photographs in and around the nursery
Newsletters
Notice boards
Encouraging parents to come in and be involved in the everyday life of the nursery, Taking responsibility for story sack club and helping with outings as well.
By doing all of the above and ensuring praise is given where appropriate and a sense of humour is encouraged will ensure that the children feel safe and secure, as well as confident. This is also necessary if children are to learn effectively.

Care for themselves and their personal safety
It is essential to establish rules and routines that the children understand and can follow:
Basic hygiene- washing hands, cleaning teeth
Regular opportunities to be energetic and active throughout the course of the day- inside and out.
Staff will make sure that the children use these opportunities for safe and effective play, thus allowing the children to make decisions for themselves and also which affect others. They will also know where help can be found in times of worry and upset
Through regular discussion in their play and planned opportunities they will learn to keep themselves safe when:
Using particular equipment
Out in the street
On outings/ visits
Moving in and around the school.

Developing independence
The children will be encouraged to be independent in their play :
Choosing
Tidying up during play
Dressing
Personal hygiene
Serving themselves with snack and at lunch time
Perseverance in tasks is also very important and the children should be encouraged to try again where they did not at first succeed. However, they should also know when and where to go for help and support.

Express appropriate feelings
As the children become more confident in themselves and others they will learn to express their needs and feelings. It will be developed through role-play, story telling and circletime.
In circletime, rules can be established which will encourage the children to express, listen to others and become aware of and respect the needs and feelings of others:
Only the person holding the teddy/ cushion can speak just now
The teacher/ nursery nurse will invite you to talk or express an opinion
Sessions that last very short periods of time (5 minutes, building up to 10 or 15 minutes)
Sessions might include:
"Special person"
"My name is??.. and I like to??"
"I am happy when?."
"I am sad when?."
"?.is my friend because
As they form friendships with other children, this kind of exercise will encourage children to take turns whilst playing and also share resources. Their social skills will become more co-operative and they will develop in their communication to work in small groups, learning to give and take. Their friendships will become more positive and they will also learn to give and take. The nursery staff have a vital role to play in knowing when to intervene in order to further encourage, suggest and demonstrate in the children's play, interactions and behaviour. Through this, they will learn to consider others needs and also realise the need for rules.
Making and expressing choices, plans and decisions
Growing in confidence, forming relationships and playing with others will ensure that as they develop, the children will be able to express, plan and make decisions. Again, careful and sensitive intervention by nursery staff will support the children in making their decisions.
Positive attitudes towards others and care for the environment and other people in the community also plays a part in the children's personal development. Our young children have a natural curiosity and sense of wonder that is so important. This can be fostered in simple ways and is a vital part of children's development in forming opinions and attitudes towards others culture, language and gender. It is the staff's responsibility to ensure that events in the children's lives, events in nursery and in the wider community are addressed and that the children see, understand and appreciate that there are differences in others all around them. Careful planning, inviting others into the nursery to show and talk to the children will help them to understand the diversity of the world around them and the need to accept that we all have feelings and deserve respect for what we believe in. Again circle time can be of help here. Learning about religious festivals and other cultures, helps the children again, to understand themselves, form attitudes and understand the role they play in their friend's and family's beliefs and traditions in the multicultural society we live in today. Also observation of aspects of nature such as:
Rainbows and the weather
Sunlight
Night and day
New born animals
Through role-play, children also learn about other people in the community, especially those who help them:
Fire fighter
Police officer
Doctor
Nurse
Dentist
It is vitally important that staff make use of every available opportunity and resource to ensure the balanced development of our young children.
Staff will also use the experience and knowledge of older children in this process for:
Visits to the nursery to show/ demonstrate something e.g., musical instrument, football cup, play, song, dance
Paired reading
Buddies for events in school
Buddies in the computer suite
Helping at parties, picnics
This also helps our older pupils to develop their awareness of the needs of others, how they can help, be tolerant of others and also develop their own self-esteem.
Bonnington staff also view the inclusion of our nursery children in events and happenings in school as a vital part of having a sense of belonging and
feeling secure. Every opportunity will be taken by the management and staff to ensure their inclusion through:
Assembly- including participation
Wonderworkers
Scots morning
End of term performances
Visits to teachers, management and support staff to show their work, deliver messages and just to say hello!

It goes without saying that Bonnington school and nursery is a unique community in its own right and as such we need to show all our pupils that having a sense of security within that community will help every child in the school, not just the nursery. Careful planning, sensitive intervention and a positive, all inclusive approach is the key to this
We all play a vital role and hope by taking this positive attitude we will produce happy, well balanced youngsters who will develop informed attitudes and will be able to express their needs, feelings and opinions confidently and securely, not just within the school environment but in the wider community as well. Back to top