Health & Wellbeing

At Hyde n Seek nursery we value the importance of following a healthy lifestyle, that is why we have adopted a healthy living policy which includes providing healthy, nutritious meals to the children in our care.

Menus are created in accordance with the nutritional guidance set out by the Scottish executive, however parents and children do also have the opportunity to give their feedback and ideas. The Nutritional Guidance for children aged 1-5 is a guide for establishments like ourselves on what type of meals children should be having at different ages and how the meals should be balanced over the week. This document also comes with Adventures in Foodland which is full of great recipes and fun activities to do with the children and help them develop healthy attitudes to food. Each nursery has a cook on the premises who prepares meals fresh everyday using healthy fresh ingredients.   We try and follow the governments ‘five a day’ initiative and children will be given fruit and vegetables throughout the day with every meal. Meals included are breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack.

Being active is a big part of healthy living. Hyde n Seek nurseries values children’s needs for exercise and recognises the benefits it has on a child’s overall development. Children at Hyde n Seek nurseries get opportunities for outdoor and indoor physical play everyday, at least twice per day. Regular physical play encourages children to live healthier lifestyles, builds on abilities, greater understanding of games and rules, builds confidence, self awareness, determination and helps children learn about their environment. Our garden has separate areas for each age group with various resources appropriate for different age groups. In the baby room staff use different techniques and strategies o promote mobility and physical development. The company has a dance teacher who goes between each nursery for the 3-5s and the 2-3 children.

In the nursery also the standard of hygiene is very good. Staff are all trained in infection control procedures. The toys are washed regularly and thoroughly in line with our procedures and general housekeeping is of a high standard. Children are supported and encouraged to wash hands regularly even from a young age. A cleaner ensures communal areas of the nursery are also to a high standard and staff ensure the rooms are kept clean and tidy. Children and staff use general hand wash however when bugs or colds are going round we would then bring out the anti bacterial wash. This is so because if we used anti bacterial wash all the time then the germs would become immune.

Children in the nursery also take part in the Smile Too! Programme established by the NHS oral health action team. Children brush their teeth twice daily using their nursery toothbrushes for two minutes. The brushes are kept in ’brush buses’ for infection control purposes with the child’s name on it and a picture to help them recognise it. Children participate in regular activities about oral hygiene and are all very aware of what they do and why.   An allocated member of the oral health action team visit’s the nursery regularly to monitor the programme and ensure staff are following procedures which they are annually trained on as well. In the annual training event staff also learn about children’s oral hygiene and what they can do to improve it, giving us useful information to pass on to parents as well, such as the sugar content of certain foods and drinks, when to start brushing etc.