Key Person Approach
Assigning a Key Person
Children attending either of our two Federated Nursery Schools will be assigned a Key Person for the duration of their time at nursery. Your child's Key Person will play a vital role in supporting your child to settle in to nursery and will work hard to establish a warm, nurturing relationship with them. They will act as your first point of contact and will plan for, track and monitor your child's progress, meeting with you throughout the year to share information and celebrate their achievements.
What does a Key Person do?
A Key Person supports your child’s developing identity and responds sensitively to his/her communications, feelings and behaviour. They are aware of your child’s preferences and needs (for example, likes and dislikes in relation to food, sleep, comfort items, activities) and ensures that these are respected and promoted.
The role of a Key Person includes:
- being a familiar point of contact for you as a parent, when your child starts in the nursery, and at daily arrival and departure times
- getting to know your child’s interests, preferences, temperament, ways of communicating (verbal and non-verbal), emotional and physical needs, and responding to these sensitively
- being aware of your child’s language, background and culture, ensuring that these are understood, respected and reflected in the setting
- being a secure base for your child from which they can explore and interact with others
- observing, assessing and recording your child’s learning and development, and helping to plan new experiences that build on their interests, helping them to learn and develop in a holistic way
- sharing important information with you as a parent, for example, when your child does or says something new or when he/she particularly enjoys something or makes a new friend
- easing transitions for your child by helping to introduce new experiences and people. Helping them to cope with change, for example, at the settling-in stage, when moving through activities during the day (such as going from story time to lunch time)
