Dedicated Care: Your Child's Key Person

At The Mulberry Bush Mersea, we believe that strong, positive relationships are the foundation for happy, confident learners. Central to our approach is the Key Person system, ensuring every child receives personalised care and attention from a dedicated practitioner who truly gets to know them.

What is a Key Person?

When your child joins us, they will be assigned a special member of staff who takes primary responsibility for them and a small group of other children. This 'Key Person' acts as a secure base for your child within the nursery and is the main point of contact for you, their family.

How Your Key Person Supports Your Child:

Your child's Key Person plays a vital role in their daily nursery experience, helping them to:

• Settle In: They provide comfort, reassurance, and familiarity, helping your child feel safe and secure as they adjust to the nursery environment.
• Build Emotional Security: By forming a warm, trusting bond, the Key Person helps your child feel known, valued, and emotionally supported throughout their day.
• Understand Their Needs: They take the time to understand your child's individual personality, interests, likes, dislikes, routines, and motivators. This deep understanding allows them to respond sensitively to your child's needs.
• Plan for Their Learning & Development: The Key Person carefully observes your child during all aspects of their nursery experience – whether engaged in Montessori activities indoors or exploring during Forest/Coastal School sessions. They use these observations to assess progress, plan meaningful next steps, and provide tailored activities and support to extend their learning across all EYFS areas.
• Track Their Journey: They monitor your child's holistic development and document their progress and achievements in their individual learning journey (shared with you via the Blossom app).

How Your Key Person Supports You (The Parent):

Your child's Key Person is your main link to the nursery, fostering a strong home-nursery partnership:

• Primary Point of Contact: They are the person you will primarily liaise with regarding your child's day-to-day care and development.
• Sharing Information: They provide regular feedback (daily verbal updates, observations on the app) about your child's activities, wellbeing, and milestones.
• Working in Partnership: They work collaboratively with you, sharing insights, discussing progress, setting shared goals, and addressing any concerns together.
• Supporting Transitions: They play a crucial role in supporting your child through transitions, such as settling in or preparing for the move to school.

Continuity and Teamwork:

We understand that Key Persons may sometimes be unavailable (e.g., due to holiday or training). To ensure consistency:

• Second Key Person: Each child also has a designated 'second' Key Person who knows them well and can step in seamlessly to provide familiar care and support.
• Whole Team Approach: While the Key Person has special responsibility, all our dedicated staff strive to build positive relationships with every child in our care. They work closely together, sharing information and supporting each other to ensure every child feels happy, safe, and included throughout the day.

Our Key Person system ensures that even within our bustling, vibrant nursery community, your child receives the individual attention and nurturing care they need to thrive.