UV-C radiation is a known disinfectant for air, water and surfaces that can help mitigate the risk of acquiring an infection and has been used extensively for more than 40 years. We have installed Swedish-made state of the art UV-C light fittings that can purify the air at night.
Throughout the day all spaces and surfaces will be regularly cleaned. We will have older children involved in storing and tidying. Spaces and surfaces will be deep cleaned every single evening, as well.
We have organised for an additional cleaner to be present at the nursery to help with door handles, toys, toilets and other cleaning during the day. This is on top of the normal cleaning team, which will perform the daily deep clean.
Toys will not mix. Children will be placed in a “bubble” that will keep their own toys. These will be disinfected daily.
We have removed unnecessary items from classrooms and other learning environments where there is space to store it elsewhere.
We have removed soft furnishings, soft toys and toys that are hard to clean (such as those with intricate parts). We have stopped using materials such as sand.
Creation of separated groups “Bubbles”
One of the protective measures we have taken to reduce transmission is to keep the children in small consistent groups that do not mix with other groups (a “bubble”). We know that, unlike older children and adults, very young children cannot be expected to remain 2 metres apart from each other and staff. Therefore children and staff of the same bubble will not have to social distance during the day. We have sized bubbles according to official guidelines, which reflect the national Covid alert levels. Each classroom is now treated as a single bubble meaning children and teachers do not mix with different classrooms.Note government guidance and the reality of early years premises mean that transient contact is allowed (e.g. passing through the same corridors) but it should be minimised as much as possible.
Parents’ help and support
We would like to ask parents for their help and support regarding arrival and departure times. Parents waiting at arrival and collection times are to wait at a safe social distance from one another – please respect marks on the pavements to help keep a safe distance.
Social distancing outside the nursery
Each bubble is being treated as a large family. In line with social distancing, we strongly discourage children from attending any other nursery and refrain from interacting with children other than their siblings or friends from the bubble, other adults other than their parents (or single adults being part of a support bubble).If your child does attend a second setting, please let us know immediately so that we can put in place safety precautions.
We ask all parents to practice safe social distancing outside of the nursery.
We are encouraging our staff to avoid public transport, and also providing staff with facemasks to use if they need to take public transport. We are rolling-out training on the safe usage of face masks to all our staff so they can get to work safely, and all our staff are taking additional training on infection control.Outside play
We take the children out in separate bubble groups. We take them outside as much as possible, as the outside air is great for them and reduces the chance of infection.
Visitors – extra curriculum activities
We have reduced access to our premises to minimise contact and preserve our bubbles. Parents drop-off children at the entrance and make sure they follow the social distancing rules outside. They are not allowed to enter the nursery.We have reduced the number of visits by prospective parents. Those visits that do occur follow safety guidelines whereby a prospective parent wears a face covering, gloves (if hands cannot be sanitised) and take place after hours when the children are not present.
For new children starting at the nursery, only one parent is permitted to come inside (wearing protective equipment) to help the settling in.
Snack, Lunch and Tea
At lunch time children in each bubble will be served food and water by an adult at their table.Our cooking staff are qualified in food hygiene and as before they will carry on applying safe procedures when serving the children. They will be in charge of preparing and serving all snacks throughout the day.
Birthday cake from home won’t be accepted.
Should a child have temperature or any symptoms of Covid 19, we will isolate him/her at the entrance in the corner where we have a sofa. The manager or when possible a member of staff from that group will stay with the child until parents/carers can arrive. The member of staff will wear PPE whilst waiting for the parents.
Parents are requested to arrive as quickly as possible to help reduce the risk of contamination.
Any child or member of staff who displays any symptoms will be asked to isolate for 10 days from the nursery, and in line with government advice, any person in the same household will have to isolate for 14 days. Government guidance on testing should be followed. If any child or member of staff tests positive for the virus, the entire bubble will self-isolate at home for 14 days.
Public Health England (PHE) is clear that if early years settings, and crucially if they are also applying regular hand cleaning, hygiene and cleaning measures and handling potential cases of the virus as per the advice, then the risk of transmission will be lowered.
We will ensure regular hand washing. Each bubble will wash their hands together on arrival. The toilet area will then be disinfected and cleaned before the children from the next bubble arrive. The children and staff will wash their hands regularly throughout the day.
We are looking at ways to maximise natural ventilation.
We have put in place various other measures to keep the nursery safe.
Buggies cannot be left at or outside the nursery
Handover information will be limited and staff will use the online app Blossom to share sleep and food information
Signing in and out is done via the online app Blossom by staff on behalf of parents
Staff and children are asked to wear indoor shoes or slippers for children.
Face shields: our staff will be wearing transparent face shields
We ask parents to continue to inform us of anyone that is clinically vulnerable.
We currently require our staff to be tested at least twice a week