•Small backpack (35cm) NO wheelie bags
•Babies in the nursery (birth – 1 year) may have a “sling bag”
•A blanket - which will remain at school and sent home on a Friday
•A sun hat (in summer) which will remain at school
•A change of clothing
•Small snack box / juice bottle
•Babies will require readymade bottles for the day and nappies. (we have storage should you wish to send nappies for the week / month) All bum creams, gels, powders etc. are provided.
•When fees are paid every month, parents to send a toilet roll or a box of tissues and a packet of wet wipes

•Enrolment form (1 per child)
•A copy of your child’s clinic card
•A copy of both parents ID / Passport
•A copy of child’s last progress report (where applicable)
•Applications by a guardian – legal proof of guardianship

An application form must be completed and returned along with the registration fee prior to the child attending.
A non - refundable registration fee of R750.00 is required upon registration.
The fee is R3350.00 per month
Fees are payable over the full twelve (12) month period.
If you pay the full annual fee in advance, you will receive an 8% discount.
Fees are paid in advance and on the 1st of every month.
EFT payments are preferable but please be reminded that should you not bank with Standard Bank – fees are to be paid earlier (3 days) allowing time for payment to clear and reflect in the ECD’s account by the 1st of the month.
Two months written notice is required when you wish to withdraw your child from the ECD centre. If you wish to remove your child from the ECD in the last term, you may do so on or before the 1st October (haven given notice 1st August). If you choose to take your child out of the ECD centre after the 1st October, you will be liable for November and December full fees.
If your child is absent or sick or you are taking a family vacation during the year you will still be liable for the full fees for the month.

Banking Details

Name: Smart Start Daycare
Bank: Standard Bank
Branch: Pinelands
Account No: 271184973

This is always an emotional time both for the child and the parent and our staff will do everything they can to make the transition easier. It has been our experience that the easiest way to handle the first couple of days is “to drop and go”. The longer the parent stays, the harder it is for the child to let go. Experience also shows us that although the child may be upset after the parents leave, they quickly settle down and begin to explore their new environment and interact with the other children.  On average we find that it takes at least 3-4 days for the child to truly settle and to no longer cry when they arrive at school.

The ECD Centre is open throughout the year and operates Monday to Friday 7 am to 5:15 p.m.
The ECD centre closes public holidays and if the holiday falls on a Tuesday / Thursday we are closed the Monday / Friday. The ECD closes year end over Christmas / New Year to accommodate staff leave and this is for approximately 17 days depending on the holidays.

As part of the enrolment process, all children must be up to date with their required immunizations prior to starting. Updates must be given to the principle as immunizations are completed and yearly as required. Children showing signs of a communicable disease such as pink eye, vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, undiagnosed rash/skin disease, must be kept at home and return to school only once cleared by a doctor. Should a child become ill during the day he/she will be removed from the classroom and isolated until such time that he/she can be collected.

Please notify the ECD Centre if your child has been exposed to any communicable disease whether or not they are showing any symptoms. A sign will be posted to report any communicable disease to the parents.

Accidents and young children seem to go together. Children often fall and always seem to have bumps and scrapes. If your child gets hurt at the ECD Centre, a message will be in the message book as to what happened. If there is a serious accident that results in the need for medical attention, the ECD Centre will contact you and arrangements will be made for you to pick up your child or we will meet you at the Vincent Pallotti emergency facility. If you cannot be reached, we will contact your emergency contact.

The school has CCTV cameras in all classrooms and outside play areas and we are also connected to Pinewatch / Zonewatch, Pinelands Neighbourhood Watch and SAPS by way of a two-way radio. The child will not be handed over to any individual other than the parents unless stipulated by the parent by means of a message in the message book or a phone call. Should there be no written message / telephonic instructions given, the parent will then be contacted first before the child is handed over to the person in question. In the case where there is a custody dispute, legal documentation will be required in order to carry out necessary instructions.

Please note that no medication will be administered without written instructions from the parent in the message book. The name of the medication, dosage & times to be administered is to be written each day and not once off for the next few days / week etc.


No verbal instructions to be given.
Should the child have a temperature whilst at school, the parents will be contacted first before Panado is administered.

Any allergies that your child may have should be discussed prior to enrolment. If the child has been prescribed an EPIPEN the ECD is to have one which will be marked with the child’s name and will be kept in the first Aid cupboard located in the office. It is the parent’s responsibility to ensure that the EPIPENS are within expiry date. Should the staff at the ECD have to administer the EPIPEN the parents will be notified immediately and if needed the child will be taken to the emergency unit at the Vincent Palotti Hospital. 

The ECD provides a cooked breakfast and lunch as well as freshly cooked vegetables daily for the babies in the nursery. A snack is served late afternoon. Parents would send a snack for mid-morning.

• Breakfast:            8am – 8.30am (Children arriving after 8.30am MUST have had breakfast before they arrive)

• Snack:                   10am

• Lunch:                   11.30am

• Snack:                   4pm

The ECD promotes healthy eating and therefore ask that parents do not send sweets, gum and junk food for snack times. PLEASE DO NOT SEND FOOD ITEMS THAT CONTAIN NUTS OR MAY CONTAIN TRACES OF NUTS

It’s vitally important that we communicate with parents regarding our discipline methods. We have a message book that the teacher will communicate each day with the parent regarding what type of day the child had and it is important that parents also use the message book to communicate important information i.e.:  problems at home, death in the family, death of a beloved pet etc. All these reasons can contribute to the child’s behaviour at school and it is important that the teacher be aware so that she can handle the situation appropriately.

We have an open door policy and parents are more than welcome to come in at any time to discuss any concerns / issues that they may have.  Similarly, if there is an ongoing behavioural issue, we will discuss this with the parents, not only so they can help us work on the issue, but also so you can determine whether additional outside help is needed. If a child is really acting out, very physical and not responding to positive reinforcement, we might recommend the parent check with the paediatrician.

These evaluations can check for any kind of delay and educational issue that may be impacting the child’s behaviour. For example, a child who cannot hear or see properly may act out. A child who doesn’t understand language or has communication issues may become very frustrated and that may appear as inappropriate behaviour. These children need support and resources to help them in the classroom and at home.

No matter what kinds of problems arise at day care, we are willing to work with the parents to solve the problem. We believe that parents should be partners in working on behavioural issues. If it is happening in the classroom, it is very likely also happening at home. A united approach can help the child find consistency and realize that the behaviour is not acceptable anywhere.

With small children, babies and toddlers don’t need to be “punished” but need to be redirected or have support in safely dealing with their normal emotions and impulses. This requires the teacher / Care giver to step in if there is any chance of a child being hit, scratched or otherwise injured. The teacher would say ‘No we do not hit” Naturally, small children of 2 or 3 often fall on the floor with tantrums and grab each other's toys, but this is not a ‘discipline’ issue. This is a question of helping small children through their ordinary difficulties and facilitating their maturity.” For older kids, we use the “time out” method. When a child is displaying bad behaviour the teacher will explain to the child why this is not acceptable and explain that should he / she continue to do what they are doing, they will be put in “time out”. When this occurs, the child is removed from the rest of the class for a short time. The time out period depends on the child’s age – 3 years old 3 minutes, 4 years old 4 minutes etc.

Kids thrive when they have stable routine and clear boundaries. We have certain rules in place when it comes to bullying, throwing / damaging toys etc which the children are made aware of and also know what to expect should any of these rules be broken.

Maintaining discipline with a group of small children is primarily managed through cheerful adult leadership. Spanking or hitting, harsh language, shame and degradation, withholding or forcing food and punishment for lapses in toilet training are NEVER used. Teachers focus on noticing and praising good behaviour rather than the bad behaviour. We achieve this by having positive behaviour charts, praise, high-fives and handing out stars for good behaviour. The more positive attention a child can get, the higher the chance that the child will want to continue that behaviour.”