Thinking About Joining the Banana Moon Family?

Frequently Asked Questions for Prospective Parents

Choosing the right nursery for your child is one of the most important decisions you'll make as a parent. At Banana Moon Tunbridge Wells, we understand that you may have lots of questions about our nursery, our team, and the care we provide.

To help, we've put together some of the questions we are most frequently asked by prospective families. If you can't find the answer you're looking for, our friendly management team would be delighted to help.

Q: At what age can my child start nursery?

A: We welcome children from 3 months to 4 years old. Our nursery is carefully designed to support children at every stage of their early years journey, providing a safe, nurturing, and stimulating environment where they can learn, grow, and thrive.

We have three wonderful rooms;

Baby Moons (3-15 months) – A warm and nurturing environment for our youngest children, complete with a dedicated sleep room and milk preparation area within the room to support babies' individual routines and care needs.

Teenie Moons (15/24 months) – This room is for those confident “pre toddlers” Once your little one is actively up and about with confidence and ready to move on, joining our Teenie Moons would be their next step. Your child will be participating in a wide range of educational and fun activities, all of which will be planned by our wonderful practitioners

Mini Moons – Designed for children as they become more independent and curious learners, including dedicated toileting, handwashing, and nappy changing facilities to support their developing self-care skills.

Full Moons – Preparing children for their next steps through exciting learning opportunities and school readiness experiences. The room has its own toileting and handwashing facilities, encouraging independence and helping children develop confidence in managing their personal care.

Each room provides age-appropriate care, learning opportunities, and support, ensuring children receive the best possible start throughout every stage of their development.

 

Q: How do I arrange a nursery visit?

A: We would love to meet you and show you around our nursery.

Arranging a visit is simple – just contact us to book a tour at a time that suits you and your family. During your visit, you'll have the opportunity to explore our nursery, meet our friendly team, ask any questions you may have, and see our children engaged in play and learning throughout the day.

To book a viewing, please call us on 0116 296 0822 or email us at info@bananamoon-hamilton.co.uk. We look forward to welcoming you to Banana Moon and showing you everything our nursery has to offer.

 

Q: What are your opening hours?

A: We are open Monday to Friday from 7:30am until 6:30pm, offering flexible childcare to support busy family life.

 

Q: Are you open all year round?

A: Yes. We are open 51 weeks of the year, closing only on statutory bank holidays and for one week during the Christmas period. We also offer a limited number of term-time-only places, please speak with our management team for availability.

 

Q: Is there a minimum attendance requirement?

A: Yes. Our minimum booking requirement is 2 sessions per week. Through experience, we feel that this allows children to settle more easily and benefit from the learning opportunities we offer.

 

Q: Is there a registration fee and deposit to secure a place?

A: To secure your child’s place, we require:

 

Q: Do you offer funded childcare places?

A: Yes, we offer funded childcare places for eligible children.

Our management team will be happy to discuss the funding options available and help you understand what support your family may be entitled to.

We do have set-funded sessions available, and we will explain these in more detail during your nursery visit.

 

Q: Do you accept childcare vouchers and Tax-Free Childcare?

A: Yes. We accept Tax-Free Childcare and are registered with the scheme.

If you use a childcare voucher scheme, please provide your scheme details to our Nursery Manager so we can support you with the registration.

 

Q: How do I secure a place for my child?

A: Once you've visited the nursery and decided we're the right fit for your family, we'll provide you with a Secure My Place Form. Once this has been completed and returned along with the registration fee, your child's place will be secured.

 

Q: Do you offer settling-in sessions?

A: Yes, we do. Our ‘settling-in’ policy is flexible – this enables us to treat each child and family individual and support us in meeting your child’s unique needs. Communication between yourselves and the nursery team will take place to promote a smooth settling-in process. We generally offer 3 settling in sessions. 1^st- one hour with parents, 2^nd two hours alone and the 3^rd is three hours over a meal time. 

Q: What are your staff-to-child ratios?

A: Our ratios follow the Early Years Foundation Stage requirements:

Q: Do you provide meals and snacks?

A: Yes. We provide nutritious meals and snacks throughout the day.

Our daily food schedule includes Breakfast, Morning snack, Lunch, Afternoon snack and Dinner. These are prepared fresh daily by our experienced nursery cook. We offer two home-cooked hot meals per day, as well as healthy snacks available at certain times during the morning and afternoon sessions. Younger babies have a separate weaning menu and we will work closely with you to ensure that the individual needs of your child are met.

Our wide choice of menus reflects the cultural diversity of our little diners and of course we cater for all allergies and other dietary requirements. 

All food is included in our daily fees. Please note that government-funded childcare does not cover consumables such as food, activities, and other items.

 

Q: Where will my child sleep and how do you ensure they are safe?

A: Our Baby Moon room has a dedicated sleep room designed to provide a calm, peaceful, and comfortable environment for babies to rest. The room features soft lighting and natural wooden cots, creating a soothing space where babies can enjoy uninterrupted sleep away from the activity of the main nursery room. Each child has their own bed linen, which is regularly laundered in-house. In our Teenie and Mini moons we have designated cosy areas and we have sleep mats for the children. We play classical music playing to ease them into a peaceful sleep. 

The safety and wellbeing of sleeping babies is extremely important to us here at Banana Moon. In line with the latest safer sleep guidance and statutory requirements, all staff receive safer sleep training and follow recognised best practice to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). We work closely with families to understand each baby's individual sleep routines and preferences while ensuring these are carried out safely within nursery. Babies are always placed to sleep in accordance with safer sleep guidance, and sleep checks are completed and recorded at regular intervals throughout their rest period. Our sleep room is also monitored by CCTV, and staff carry out frequent visual checks to ensure every child remains safe and comfortable while sleeping.

We understand that every child is unique, and we endeavour to follow your child's established sleep routine as closely as possible, providing reassurance and consistency between home and nursery.

 

Q: How will I know what my child has been doing during the day?

A: Giving parents peace of mind is important to us, which is why we use the Banana Moon Parent App to keep you connected to your child's day.

Our easy-to-use Parent App is available to download from the App Store and Google Play. Your child will have their own personal daily diary, where you can view updates throughout the day, including photographs of activities and special moments, nappy changes, sleep information, meals and snacks enjoyed, and general updates about their experiences and wellbeing.

The app also includes a convenient messaging feature, allowing you to communicate directly with the nursery team whenever needed.

Alongside the updates shared through the app, you will receive verbal feedback from the dedicated members of staff caring for your child at collection time, ensuring you are fully informed about your child's day and any important information. This combination of digital updates and face-to-face communication helps us build strong partnerships with families and keeps you involved in your child's nursery journey every step of the way.

 

Q: What are the parking facilities like?

A: We have a communal car park located at the front of the nursery, making drop-off and collection easier and more convenient for families. Please note you have a maximum of 90 minutes to park there for free. 

 

Q: Do you offer extra-curricular activities?

A: Yes. We currently offer additional activities including “Heartbeeps” a sensory music class, SuperstarSports sessions, these are delivered by experienced external professionals who are fully DBS checked.

 

Q: How do you ensure the safety of children?

A: The safety and wellbeing of every child is our highest priority at Banana Moon.

To help keep our nursery secure, we operate a biometric fingerprint access system. Access to the building is restricted to registered parents, carers, and nursery practitioners who have been enrolled on the system. We operate an "open house" policy, meaning registered parents can access the nursery at any time during the day. Any visitors or unregistered individuals must ring the doorbell and be admitted by a member of our team.

For additional security and peace of mind, CCTV operates throughout the nursery. All areas regularly occupied by children are covered by CCTV monitoring, helping us maintain a safe and secure environment for children, families, and staff.

All members of our team undergo thorough safer recruitment checks, including enhanced DBS checks, to ensure they are suitable to work with children. Staff also receive regular safeguarding training and are committed to promoting children's welfare at all times.

We have robust safeguarding policies and procedures in place to protect every child in our care. Copies of these policies are available to view at any time, and a member of our management team will be happy to discuss them with you during your visit.

Our aim is to provide a warm, welcoming environment where children feel safe, secure, and confident to learn, play, and thrive.

 

Q: What happens if my child becomes ill at nursery?

A: At Banana Moon Day Nursery, we have a clear Sickness and Illness Policy, which is available for parents to view at any time.

All of our staff are trained in Paediatric First Aid and are experienced in recognising and responding to signs of illness. If your child becomes unwell whilst at nursery, they will be closely monitored and cared for by our team, and we will contact you to discuss their symptoms and any support they may need.

If your child develops a high temperature, we may administer a dose of liquid paracetamol, where appropriate, following discussion and agreement with a parent or carer.

We understand that managing childhood illnesses can sometimes be challenging, and every situation is unique. To help protect the health and wellbeing of all children, families, and staff, we follow the latest guidance from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) regarding illness management and recommended exclusion periods.

Our priority is always to ensure children are comfortable, well cared for, and able to return to nursery safely when they are feeling better.

 

Q: What happens if my child has an accident at nursery?

A: Children are naturally active and adventurous, and occasionally minor accidents can happen as they learn and explore. If your child is involved in an accident or incident whilst at nursery, they will be cared for by a qualified Paediatric First Aid trained member of staff.

Details of the accident will be recorded on our online system, including the nature of the injury, any treatment provided, and the actions taken by staff.

If your child sustains a head injury, a Head Injury Notification Form will be completed, and a member of the team will contact you as soon as possible to inform you of the incident and discuss any symptoms to monitor once your child returns home.

For minor injuries that do not require immediate parental contact, you will be informed by a member of staff when you collect your child. All accident records are shared through our online platform and require parental acknowledgement to confirm that you have been informed.

Our priority is always to ensure your child receives prompt, appropriate care and that parents are kept fully informed of any accidents or incidents that occur during the nursery day.

 

Q: Why should I choose Banana Moon?

A: At Banana Moon, we pride ourselves on creating a warm, welcoming, and nurturing environment where children feel safe, valued, and excited to learn.

Our dedicated team works closely with families to provide children with the very best start in life.

We would love the opportunity to welcome your family into our Banana Moon family.

 

Still Have Questions?

We are always happy to help.

Please get in touch to arrange a visit or speak with a member of our friendly team. We look forward to welcoming you and your family to Banana Moon!