Safeguarding, Health & Wellbeing
Keeping children safe, happy and well cared for is at the heart of everything we do in Early Years.
We want every child to feel that they belong, are known and valued by the adults around them, and feel safe and secure enough to explore, learn and become increasingly independent.
Our safeguarding, health and wellbeing practices are carefully considered and regularly reviewed to ensure that children’s individual needs are understood and that they receive consistently high-quality care.
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. All members of our Early Years team understand their responsibility to protect children from harm, recognise concerns and act promptly when something does not feel right.
Staff receive regular safeguarding training and follow our school’s safeguarding procedures. Any concerns about a child’s safety or welfare are recorded, reported and responded to appropriately.
We work closely with families and, where necessary, other professionals to ensure that children receive the help and protection they need. Our practice follows the statutory requirements of the EYFS and Keeping Children Safe in Education.
Feeling Safe, Secure and Valued
Children learn best when they feel safe, secure and understood.
Our practitioners take time to build warm, positive relationships with children and get to know their individual personalities, routines, interests and needs. For our youngest children, the key person approach provides an important source of consistency and security as children build relationships beyond their family.
We support children to recognise and express their emotions, develop positive relationships and gradually become more confident and independent.
Through everyday interactions, routines and our curriculum, children also begin to learn how to keep themselves safe, make healthy choices and understand appropriate boundaries.
Healthy and Safe Eating
Mealtimes and snack times should be safe, positive and enjoyable experiences.
We carefully consider children’s age and developmental stage when preparing and providing food. Staff are aware of children’s individual dietary requirements, allergies and medical needs, and agreed care or allergy plans are followed consistently. This reflects the current expectation that food is prepared and provided in line with children’s individual needs and developmental stage.
Children are seated facing an adult while eating, enabling practitioners to supervise closely, interact with children and respond quickly if support is needed.
Food is prepared and served with consideration of potential choking hazards, and staff follow current safer-eating guidance when preparing food for young children.
Mealtimes are also valuable opportunities for children to develop independence, communication and positive attitudes towards food and healthy choices.
Safe and Restful Sleep
Some of our youngest children may occasionally need to sleep or rest during their time with us. Where this is needed, children’s individual routines and needs are carefully considered and we work closely with families.
We follow the safer-sleep requirements within the current EYFS statutory framework, and sleeping children are appropriately supervised and checked to ensure that safe sleeping arrangements are implemented consistently. The September 2026 framework brought explicit safer-sleep requirements into the main statutory framework.
Medical Needs and Allergies
We work closely with families to ensure that we have the information we need about children’s medical conditions, allergies, dietary requirements and medication.
Where a child has an identified medical need or allergy, appropriate plans and arrangements are put in place and shared with the staff who care for them.
Our Early Years team includes staff with appropriate paediatric first-aid training, and our procedures ensure that accidents, injuries, medication and medical needs are managed safely and consistently.
Personal Care and Toileting
We recognise that children develop independence in personal care at different stages.
Children are supported sensitively with toileting, changing and personal hygiene, with their dignity, privacy and individual needs always respected.
We work in partnership with families to understand children’s routines and support them towards increasing independence when they are developmentally ready.
Risk Assessments
We take a proactive and ongoing approach to identifying and managing risk across our Early Years provision, helping us to maintain safe environments while ensuring children continue to benefit from rich opportunities to explore, play and learn.
Our Early Years provision has a comprehensive annual risk assessment, which considers the potential hazards within our indoor and outdoor environments, routines and everyday practice. This is reviewed annually and updated sooner where circumstances or identified risks change.
At the beginning of every day, practitioners also complete a daily risk assessment. Staff check each identified area and tick it off each morning, ensuring that the environment and equipment are safe and ready for children before the day begins. Any hazards identified are addressed promptly.
Risk assessment does not stop once children arrive. Practitioners continually assess risk throughout the day, remaining alert to changes in the environment, children’s activities and any new or emerging hazards. Where a risk is identified, staff take appropriate action to keep children safe.
This combination of annual, daily and ongoing risk assessment enables us to respond quickly to potential hazards while maintaining an environment where children can safely develop their confidence, independence and ability to manage appropriate risks.