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Head Office
1B Lyndwood Parade
St Lukes Road
Old Windsor
Berkshire
SL4 2QX
Policies and Procedures
At The Gap Club we regard the health, safety, safeguarding and protection of anyone that comes to our settings – children, parents, staff, visitors and other stakeholders – at the highest level of importance. To support us with this we have a number of policies and procedures in place across all of our settings.
A summary statement for each of our key policies can be found below alongside a link to the full policy. Copies of all of our policies are also available on site at each of our settings. Please do ask a member of staff or if you would like a paper copy of any of our policies or have any questions do not hesitate to contact our Head Office.
Safeguarding Policy
The Gap Club Ltd believes that children have the right to be completely secure from both the fear and reality of abuse, and we are committed to protecting all the children in our care from harm. The welfare and protection of all our children is our first priority.
This policy details the procedure to follow when there is concern about a child’s welfare. It also provides information to ensure that members of staff do not put children at risk. It is designed to protect both those in a position of trust and those for whom they have responsibility. For the purposes of this document, a member of staff may be an employee, student or volunteer.
Concerns, Complaints and Compliments Policy
The Gap Club Ltd is committed to providing a safe, stimulating, consistent and accessible service to children and their parents/carers. We will always aim to provide high quality services for all concerned but accept that sometimes things do not always go to plan. In such circumstances, we want to know about these things so that we can put them right and learn from them.
The Gap Club Ltd believes that children and parents are entitled to expect courtesy and prompt, careful attention to their needs and wishes. We welcome suggestions on how to improve and will give prompt and serious attention to any concerns about the running of our settings and/or our staff. We anticipate that most concerns will be resolved quickly by an informal approach to the appropriate member of staff. If this does not achieve the desired result, we have a set of procedures for dealing with concerns.
EYFS and Play Policy
The Gap Club is committed to meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Statutory Framework (2021, 2024, 2025), which applies to all children from birth up to the end of their reception year.
The 2025 EYFS framework is the current statutory guidance, and all procedures, observations, and practices in the club follow these updated requirements According to the EYFS, ‘Play is essential for children’s development’ building their confidence as they learn to explore, to think about problems, and relate to others. Children learn by leading their own play and by taking part in play which is guided by adults’.
Online Safety Policy
The Gap Club Ltd protects children, young people, and vulnerable adults from the unacceptable use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) equipment or exposure to inappropriate materials in the setting.
We believe that staff should be completely attentive during their hours of work to ensure that the children attending our childcare provision receive the highest standard of care.
Nutrition Policy
The Gap Club Limited is committed to providing food and drink that promotes children’s health, wellbeing and development. We recognise that good nutrition and positive mealtime experiences are fundamental to children’s learning, concentration, and long-term habits.
This policy sets out the standards, procedures and responsibilities that all staff must follow to ensure meals, snacks and drinks provided across all sites are healthy, safe, and in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory requirements and the Early Years Nutrition Guidance (May 2025).
Intimate Care Policy
The Gap Club believes that all children have the right to be safe, to be treated with courtesy, dignity, respect and to be able to access all aspects of our childcare setting.
Intimate care is associated with bodily functions and personal hygiene including toileting, washing, dressing and menstrual care. It is a sensitive issue and requires staff to be respectful of a child’s individual needs. In most cases such care will involve cleaning for hygiene purposes as part of a member of staff’s duty of care. There is a high awareness amongst our staff of safeguarding issues relating to intimate care. Members of staff who provide intimate care will do so in a professional manner and will have the relevant training such as health and safety, safeguarding, manual handling and risk assessment. No child should suffer distress or pain as a result of receiving intimate care.
The Gap Club works in partnership with parents/carers to provide continuity of care and to meet the appropriate needs of the individual child. In doing this an appropriate and relevant care plan can be created.
Missing Child Policy
The Gap Club Ltd has the highest regard for the safety of the children in our care. Staff will always be extremely aware of the potential for children to go missing during sessions or outings. Even when all precautions are properly observed, emergencies can still arise.
Safer Recruitment Policy
The Gap Club Ltd is committed to placing the best interests of children’s welfare, care, and development at the centre of all staffing matters. We provide a staffing ratio in line with the relevant requirements for our childcare setting’s to ensure that children have sufficient individual attention and to guarantee care and learning of a high quality. Our staff are appropriately qualified, and we conduct checks for criminal and other records through the Disclosure and Barring Service in accordance with statutory requirements.
Supporting Children with SEN and Inclusion Policy
The Gap Club Ltd believes that all children have the right to the same opportunities, therefore, we strive to integrate children with disabilities/additional (SEND) needs into our childcare setting. Thus, allowing them to develop their full potential alongside other children. It is a positive experience to be able to share the same opportunities and overcome difficulties together.
We provide an environment in which all children with disabilities/additional needs are supported to reach their full potential.
• We have regard for the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice (2014).
• We have in place a clear approach for identifying, responding to, and meeting children’s SEND.
• We support and involve parents (and where relevant children), actively listening to, and acting on their wishes and concerns.
• We work in partnership with the local authority and other external agencies to ensure the best outcomes for children with SEND and their families.
• We regularly monitor and review our policy practice and provision and, if necessary, make adjustments.
Whistleblowing Policy
The Gap Club Ltd is committed to the highest possible standards of openness, probity, and accountability. In line with this commitment, we encourage employees and others with genuine concerns about the organisation’s actions or practices to come forward and voice their concerns. This includes any person linked with the setting and/or others e.g, parents/carers. It is intended to cover genuine concerns that fall outside the scope of other company policies and procedures.
Promoting Positive Behaviour Policy
At The Gap Club we believe that children and adults flourish best when their personal, social and emotional needs are understood, supported and met in an ordered environment in which everyone knows what is expected of them and children are free to develop their play and learning without fear of being hurt or hindered by anyone else. We aim to work towards a situation in which children can develop self discipline and self-esteem in an atmosphere of mutual respect and encouragement.
As children develop, they learn about boundaries, the difference between right and wrong, and to consider the views and feelings, and needs and rights, of others and the impact that their behaviour has on people, places and objects. The development of these skills requires adult guidance to help encourage and model appropriate behaviours and to offer intervention and support when children struggle with conflict and emotional situations. In these types of situations key staff can help identify and address triggers for the behaviour and help children reflect, regulate and manage their actions. We appoint a member of staff as behaviour coordinator to oversee and advise on the team’s responses to challenging behaviour.
The Gap Club is committed to high standards of behaviour with an emphasis on building strong, healthy relationships with children that flourish through encouraging, acknowledging and reinforcing positive behaviour.
Valuing Diversity and Promoting Inclusion and Equality Policy
We are committed to ensuring that our service is fully inclusive in meeting the needs of all children.
We recognise that children and their families come from a wide range of backgrounds with individual needs, beliefs and values. They may grow up in family structures that include one or two parents of the same or different sex. Children may have close links or live with extended families of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins; while other children may be more removed from close kin, or may live with other relatives or foster carers. Some children come from families who experience social exclusion, severe hardship; discrimination and prejudice because of their ethnicity, disability and/or ability, the languages they speak, their religious or personal beliefs, their sexual orientation and marital status. Some individuals face discrimination linked to their gender and some women are discriminated against because of their pregnancy and maternity status. We understand that all these factors can affect the well-being of children within these families and may adversely impact on children’s learning, attainment and life outcomes.
Valuing Diversity and Promoting Inclusion and Equality Policy
Health and Safety Policy
The Gap Club Ltd views the maintenance of health and safety extremely seriously as a matter of both legal and moral importance. We ensure our setting is a safe and healthy place for children, parents, staff and volunteers. All staff will be familiarised with the provisions contained within this policy as part of their induction and be expected to act in accordance with them at all times. The aim is to ensure all stakeholders are aware of health and safety issues and to minimise hazards and risks to enable children to thrive in a healthy and safe environment.