Coronavirus
March 2022
All Coronavirus restrictions have now been lifted in England. We are still implementing some of the measures across the nursery to help prevent the spread of illnesses such as Coronavirus. These include:
- Regular hand washing
- Good respiratory hygiene
- Well ventilated spaces
You may still want to know how we responded to the coronavirus pandemic, so please read the information below to find out more. These measures are no longer in place, but we are ready to respond in the event of a further outbreak.
Our response to the Coronavirus pandemic
We have been working extremely hard to ensure all areas of our nursery are COIVD-19 secure. We regularly update our risk assessment and ensure our team are working together to provide a safe environment for children in our care. The main changes which have taken place are:
- Separate entrances for each room – We now greet children and parents outdoors wearing full PPE. Children are brought into the nursery by a member of staff and are supported in using hand sanitiser or washing hands upon arrival.
- Separate staff teams – Each room has an individual staff team and child to staff ratios have been increased to allow for break cover and increased cleaning schedules. Each room “bubble” has a separate break out area for staff to use.
- Social distancing – We do not expect children to social distance whilst at nursery. We still provide cuddles and close reassurance when needed, as this helps children to feel safe and secure. Staff do ensure they remain socially distant from each other throughout the day and the layout of the rooms have been developed to ensure this is possible.
- Cleaning, cleaning and more cleaning – We have limited the number of resources we have available on a daily basis in line with Government guidance. All resources are cleaned at the end of each session and those which cannot be cleaned are quarantined for the recommended period. Frequent touch areas are cleaned regularly throughout the day and the whole nursery gets a thorough clean each evening.
- Hand hygiene – We ensure hand washing is part of our daily routine and both children and staff are encouraged to wash their hands regularly throughout the day.
- Outdoor play and ventilation – Children are encouraged to play outdoors for a large part of their day at nursery. We provide waterproof clothing for rainy days and have covered outdoor play areas for children to access. Windows are kept open throughout the day to ensure adequate ventilation.
You can find the most recent updates from the Government regarding the measures in place for Early Years settings here.
You can read our most recent Coronavirus risk assessment here: COVID 19 – Risk assessment form – V3 – updated guidance