Admissions

At The Lindens we aim to create a warm atmosphere where all children feel welcome. We are happy to take any child within our registered numbers and do not discriminate against any child or their family for reasons such as race, religion, sex or ability. When taking on additional children we take into consideration the needs of the new child and the children already in our care who are happy and settled.

We accept children from the term they turn 3 who are toilet trained and ready to spend time away from their parents/carers. Following a child’s fifth birthday, we are able to offer kindergarten provision as part of an elective home education plan, subject to statutory regulations. Children can attend for up to 18 hours a week from the term after they turn 5, with a limited number of children attending longer hours.

Please note that due to government legislation, The Lindens cannot admit a child of compulsory school-age with an EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plan) who receives SEN funding or looked after children.

Parents/Carers wishing to join our setting are invited to take the following steps:

A preliminary telephone/online meeting to find out more about The Lindens. During this conversation we will familiarise parents/carers with our ethos. Parents can fill in an application form at this time.
The parents/carers and their child attend an initial meeting with kindergarten staff.
We also invite parents/carers to become familiar with our approach by reading our Policies and Procedures on the website, and we may make reading suggestions.
We then contact the parent/carer within a week to confirm whether we can offer a place and suggest a start date.
To make a definite application for a place, parents/carers must fill in an admissions form and sign the consent forms.
We arrange to discuss any remaining questions, to check that the parents/carers have understood our policies and procedures and to discuss settling the child.
We operate a waiting list with priority given to
1. Siblings
2. Families attending the Little Lindens Parent and Child Groups.

We look forward to hearing from you. Please visit our contact page to get in touch.

Parents/carers wishing to withdraw their child from The Lindens are required to give a half- terms notice in writing.

Safeguarding Statement

The Lindens is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We take our responsibility to safeguard the children that attend our setting seriously and we ensure that consistent and effective safeguarding procedures are in place to support our families, children and staff.

If we are concerned about your child we will talk to you first. If we need to record information, or to share with other relevant professionals, this will be discussed with you and stored confidentially in line with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). The only exception to this would be if we had reason to believe that discussing our concerns with you would put your child at immediate risk of harm. In this case we would contact the MASH on 01452 426565 or the police.

If you are concerned about a child’s welfare then you can contact the Children and Families Services Helpdesk on 01452 426565.

If you are concerned about a member of staff’s behaviour towards a child then you can call the Gloucestershire LADO (Local Authority Designated Officer), Nigel Hatten, Tel: 01452 426994.