Clear, well written policies help early years settings create a healthy, supportive environment for children. They set shared expectations, guide day to day practice and provide a clear way to communicate your approach with parents and carers. When families understand what your setting promotes around physical activity, food and drink, and packed lunches, it supports consistency between home and the setting and helps children develop positive habits early on.

The policies on this page are templates designed to support early years settings taking part in Startwell. They are not intended to be used exactly as written. Each policy should be reviewed and adapted to reflect your individual setting, children, families and local circumstances, as well as your existing procedures and values.