We believe it is in children’s interests to attend preschool for the purposes of socialisation, learning and development and their mental well being. We want them to have as full an experience as possible while they are with us. As always their safety is our priority.
The purpose of this document is to mitigate risk of COVID19 transmission. It has been assumed that the likelihood of transmission is possible and that the severity of risk is medium for the majority of families. It also assumed that social distancing will not be possible for the children once they are in preschool and staff will not be withholding physical contact from children if cuddles are needed. For the children’s version of the plan please ask a member of the team.
Attendance at preschool will be taken as tacit agreement of preschool COVID19 procedures.
Child
- Hand washing for 20 seconds on sanitisation on arrival and frequently through day
- Touching of face, eyes, nose and mouth to be discouraged
- Catch it, bin it, kill it approach reinforced for coughs and sneezes
Symptoms
- Anyone with symptoms, or who has tested positive within ten days, cannot attend preschool and should isolate in accordance with current Government or Public Health England (PHE) guidelines
- Children having been given paracetamol or ibuprofen in the morning cannot attend for 24 hours
- A child exhibiting symptoms during the course of a session must wait away from others in swallow’s nest on mat accompanied by adult in PPE, area cleaned afterwards and hands washed for 20 seconds
- Parents to collect children if staff member exhibiting symptoms and ratios affected
- Anyone subsequently developing symptoms must isolate in accordance with Government or Public Health England (PHE) guidelines
- A child can return to preschool if a test is negative and symptoms have ceased
- Fees will still be payable if a child or family are required to self isolate in line with our charging policy
- If five children, pupils, students and staff, who are likely to have mixed closely, test positive within a 10 day period advice is to be sought from PHE in accordance with contingency framework
Local lockdown (Tier 4)
- Attendance will be limited to the children who have key worker parents or who are vulnerable and staffing reduced
- The preschool week may be shortened according to need
- Fees will not be payable if preschool closed but a contribution towards unavoidable costs may be requested
Curriculum
- Sending home of weekly reading books to continue
- Group singing to take place as high ceilings considered to mitigate droplet and aerosol risks
Family
- One setting to be attended wherever possible
- Social distancing as much as possible in and outside of preschool and avoidance of non essential transport
Stay and play sessions for settling to resume, adults coming inside to preferably wear a face covering
Up to date contact details to be provided
Children to be collected promptly
Staff
- Maintain social distancing where possible
- Observe safer travelling guidance
- Infection control training
Twice weekly lateral flow testing (see addendum to Health and Safety Policy) this may be increased in case of contingency plans
Environment
- Increased regular cleaning of high traffic and frequently touched areas
- Class bins emptied at lunchtime and end of the day
- Resources eg sand, books, dressing up and dough for to be regularly rotated / washed / disposed of / sanitised
- Reduction of available resources
- Windows and doors kept open where weather permits to increase ventilation
- Change mats and sleep mats to be cleaned after every use as usual
- No parents or non essential visitors in classroom unless settling
- Potentially contaminated waste to be double bagged and stored for 72 hours or negative test result received if sooner
- Fabrics to be sprayed daily
PPE
- Masks are not to be generally worn in preschool by staff or children
- Fluid resistant masks, face shields, gloves and aprons are available for staff to wear if supervising a child with symptoms
- Parents will be asked to take masks or gloves home with them if children are wearing for travel eg on the bus
