Acrewood has been established for 17 years and is a purpose built children’s complex. It has been designed to help meet many of your child’s needs from 3 months to 12 years, whilst allowing you to maintain your own career or further education. It features a Private Day Nursery, Woody’s Youth Club, Woody’s holiday Club (which incorporates after school and holiday care) and a Soft Play Centre, Bearheart Castle with party area.

Acrewood is a partnership nursery with Stirling Council and other cross border councils. This means that a child aged 3-5 years is entitled to 2.5 hours per day or 12.5 hours per week for 33 weeks, free at nursery rates.

Opening Times

The nursery is open 51 weeks from 7.40am to 6.00pm Monday to Friday.

Each age group is as follows:

Holly    (0-2 years)
Rowan    (2-3 years)
Beech    (3-4 years)
Maple    (4-5 years)
Woody’s (5-12 years)

Staff ratios are as follows:

0-2 years        1:3
2-3 years        1:5
3-5 years        1:8

Emergencies

In case of an emergency the nursery staff reserve the right to remove a child to hospital or call a doctor to examine the child.

General Information

A security door entry system is in place, monitored by a CCTV camera system. We also have our own mini-bus and nursery vehicles, used for school pick ups and also excursions with the children. The nursery is inspected annually by the Care Commission. In our 17 years to date, we have demonstrated that we can deliver a wide range of activities which help your child to learn the social skills of mixing freely and happily with others whilst building up a firm foundation for the more formal years to come.

Settling in Procedure

To give your child the best possible start at Acrewood, we advise to settle your child into the nursery for a short stay two weeks before your agreed start date. This will enable you, your child and the staff to get to know one anther a bit better (there is no charge for  this). Please speak to the supervisor in charge of your child’s age group to organise this.

Meals

Morning and afternoon drinks and snacks are provided by the nursery. They are healthy and as far as possible, free from artificial colourings and G.M. products. Parents are asked to provide lunches (with the exception of raw eggs, fresh meat or frozen foods) if their child is staying at lunch.

Meals can be provided by Bearheart Castle on request. Menus are available from each age group.

Clothes and Equipment

• Parents should ensure their child is dressed appropriately for nursery.
• A change of clothes that can be kept here is also advisable.
• Parents should provide nappies, creams and wipes for babies and toddlers.
• Sun hats and sunblock should be provided during hot weather.

Illness

Please do not bring your child to the nursery if they are unwell. Please inform the nursery staff when your child is unable to attend and also when he/she is well enough to return. The exclusion period for diarrhoea is 48 hours from the last occurrence. For further information regarding exclusion due to illness, please contact the nursery.

Fees

Fees are payable in advance on the 15th of each month e.g. weekly fee x 51 weeks divided by 12 months (a direct debit system is in operation). No rebates can be given for non-attendance.
Due to high overheads, we cannot reduce the first two weeks of a child’s holiday. 3-6 weeks, 50% of normal payment is required, 7-10 weeks 75% is required in order to guarantee a place on return.

These charges apply to consecutive weeks of holiday.

If a child is off sick or absent for any reason, there will be no refund given. The first two full weeks of sickness/absence, full payment is required, 3rd-6th week, 50% is required, 7th-10th week, 75% is required. After 10 weeks absence, the place is not guaranteed to be kept open unless payment is made in full. These charges apply to consecutive weeks of sickness/absence.

There is a minimum attendance level of 2 sessions per week.

Parents with more than one child at nursery will receive a 10% discount on the older child (applicable on 25 hours or more per week).

Only one discount per family will be permitted.

Withdrawals

Parents are asked to give one months notice or the equivalent in fees before withdrawing a child from the nursery.

These are in accordance with the regulating body, the Care Commission.