We would like to welcome all our families to our annual Christmas Light Switch On, Friday 6th December from 5-6.60pm. We look forward to seeing you all.

WELCOME TO OUR NEW COMMITTEE!

7 November 2019

Following our AGM, we are delighted to welcome Matt, Daisy and Rachel to our committee for 2020. A huge thank you to Veryan and Jai who are stepping down, for all your hard work in helping make Busy Otters amazing, your contribution has been much appreciated.

OTTERY ST. MARY FOOD AND FAMILIES FESTIVAL GRANT AWARD!

30 October 2019

We recently submitted an application for a grant from the Ottery St. Mary Food and Families Festival to help develop a SEN area in our setting.  I am delighted to inform you that we were chosen by the Festival committee to receive a donation of £325.00 of the £2,000 distributed to local organisations. This will go a long way into making a really special SEN place.

Photo of Vicki our SEN coordinator, and Sam one of our Practitioners, receiving the funding from the Festival Committee.

Visit the festival at www.facebook.com/OtteryStMaryFoodFamiliesFestival

MY NAMETAGS DONATE 20% OF ORDER VALUES TO BUSY OTTERS!

September 1, 2019

Be prepared for school…and preschool!  School and Preschool life is a lot easier when things don’t go missing. My Nametags are extremely hardwearing and can save a great deal of effort and potential lost property. For every order of personalised labels for children’s clothing and equipment, My Nametags will contribute 20% to the school. The more orders My Nametags receives, the more it will donate!

You simply need to make sure you quote our School ID 16511 (its in the delivery section when you're checking out) when you order at www.mynametags.com

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Please help with the safe return of lost clothing and support our school’s fundraising efforts!

PS: Don’t forget – you could order for older and younger siblings too!!!

OFSTED VISIT BUSY OTTERS

24 April 2018

We are on cloud nine! We are delighted to let you know that our latest Ofsted report has been published and can be found here . Ofsted visited the setting on 28 March 2018, and concluded "This provision is good". Ofsted provided a summary of the key findings for parents from the report, as follows:

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• The ambitious and committed manager takes into account the views of staff, children and parents when reflecting on the quality of provision. She makes plans for improvement that are well targeted and achievable. For example, staff have recently developed the outdoor area to provide better opportunities for children to be active and build on their physical skills.

• Staff have high expectations for children's learning. They observe children as they play, and accurately assess their learning. Staff plan challenging and exciting activities that build on what children already know. Children make good progress.

• Staff develop warm, nurturing relationships with the children and effectively support their well-being. Children behave well and show consideration for others. For example, they happily make room at the play-dough table so that others can join in.

• Staff form strong partnerships with external agencies, the local school and other settings that children attend, which ensures continuity in children's learning and development.

These words from our regulator are just brilliant, we are so proud of all the staff and committee have done to achieve this great result! You are all stars! 

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The report does outline that methods to share information with parents, so that they can continue their children's learning and development at home, are not fully effective to engage all parents. We would respond as follows:

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• Parents are kept up to date with their child's learning journey progress via the online system Tapestry. 

• We currently have this website, our Facebook page, email newsletters and a parent noticeboard. 

• Children have their own trays to bring messages to and from home

• Staff are always available at the beginning and end of each day if you have any queries. 

Please let staff know if you don't have access to any of these methods, and we will try and help. Also please let us know if you have any ideas as to how we would better engage everyone!