Key Person System

The role of a key person is much more than just a title. It is a requirement of the Early Years Foundation Stage that a key person must be assigned to your child when they start. You should be told who this key person is and have their role explained to you. The key person will help your child to settle and will then be responsible for ensuring that the care your little one receives meets all of their needs

The key person will be your first point of contact at the preschool, and is also responsible for exchanging information with you. You will get verbal updates most days, and regular learning journey updates about how well your child is progressing in their learning and development

It will be the key person who observes your child regularly as they are playing and learning, they will pay attention to how your child learns, what they enjoy playing with and what they need more support with. They will also keep a record of the observations they have made, in Tapestry; an Online Learning Journal that documents your child’s progress through the Early Years Foundation Stage

The key person will use their observations to plan further learning opportunities that are based on your child’s individual interests and needs. This is because they know that children learn best when the experiences they have are challenging and enjoyable, allowing them to play and explore, to concentrate and to develop their own ideas

A key person’s responsibilities stretch beyond meeting the basic needs of your child and exchanging information with you. From the moment that you are introduced the key person should make you feel that Paddocks Pre-school is a safe place that you can trust, they are your insight into your child’s world whilst they are away from you, whilst establishing the professional boundaries and expectations upon which your on-going relationship is based. Please also refer to our setting policy under Policies & Procedures

Your feedback is valued and will be listened to as part of the partnership between you, your child and the key person

Be prepared to share information about what your child enjoys doing at home and any new skills they have mastered. The information that you share is really important to the key person as they need to understand your child’s interests and abilities

If you have a concern about your child’s overall development the key person will work closely with you, using their observations and records to see if your child is developing as expected. If they are also concerned they will seek support to make sure that your child receives extra help if they need it

If your concern is about the quality of care, then you must speak to the key person in the first instance, if they cannot reassure you, they will refer you to our managers and explain how you can make a formal complaint

The most important aspect of the key person’s relationship with parents is that you can work together as a team to ensure the very best care and education for your child whilst they are away from home