Safety & policies
You are handing over your child on a Friday evening, so here is everything we do to keep them safe at Hornbill Huddle — written plainly, because trust should not need small print.
Two adults, six children, never more
ECDA-certified lead, both adults first-aid trained
Only the adults you name can pick up
Who is in the room
Every Friday is run by an ECDA-certified early childhood educator with a degree in early childhood and centre leadership experience, together with a trained assistant. Two adults are present for the whole evening, for a maximum of six children. Nobody else is involved in caring for your child.
First aid and emergencies
Both adults are paediatric first-aid trained and a stocked first-aid kit is on hand. For anything beyond a plaster, you are called immediately. In a medical emergency we call 995 first and you second, and your child's medical notes travel with them — that is one of the reasons we ask for them at booking.
The home
The flat is set up for children before every session: floor space cleared for play, breakables and cleaning products out of reach, and the quiet corner made up for the little ones. Children stay inside the home for the whole evening — there are no outings.
Drop-off and collection
Drop-off is from 6pm and pick-up runs 9.30 to 10pm. Only the adults you name at booking can collect your child. If someone else needs to pick up, message us on WhatsApp beforehand — we will not release a child to anyone we have not been told to expect.
During the evening
If your child is unsettled at drop-off, we message you within fifteen minutes to say how it went. You can WhatsApp us at any point in the evening and get an answer — the phone is always with one of the two adults. At pick-up you get a short note on how the evening went.
Food and allergies
Dinner is cooked fresh each Friday and everyone sits down together. You tell us allergies and dietary needs at booking, we cook around them, and we check the details again at drop-off. Please flag anything new, however small it seems.
Illness
Children with a fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, hand foot and mouth disease, or anything else contagious stay home — and so do we if it is on our side. Sessions moved for illness are rebooked at no cost. It is how six families protect each other. Details are on the terms page.
Behaviour
If a child is not settling or their behaviour is not safe for the other five, we call you to collect them and refund the evening pro rata. We talk to you first, always — a hard evening does not mean your child is not welcome back.
Your family's information
Care and medical notes are seen only by the two adults on duty, kept securely, and never shared — except with paramedics or a hospital in an emergency. The full detail is in our privacy notice.
Last updated: September 2026. Anything we have not covered? Ask us on WhatsApp — no question about your child's safety is too small.