Policy statement
Happy Hands Montessori Nursery will work with children, parents, and the community to ensure we keep our children and the families safe by following the procedures set out by the Public Health England and the department of education.
As a registered childcare provider it is our duty to ensure the welfare and wellbeing of all children within the setting is safeguarded and will carry out all necessary risk assessments to keep the children and families safe.
Entering The Nursery Premises
- Parents, children and visitors will not be permitted to enter the nursery premises if their showing any symptoms of the corona virus
- Only one parent is allowed to drop off and pick their child to nursery
- Parents are not allowed to enter the nursery premises at drop off. A teacher will meet the child at the front entrance to greet them and to take their body temperature and their parent’s body temperature upon arrival
- If the body temperature reads above 37.5C they will be asked to return home and self-isolate for 7 days before returning to nursery.
- Parents and visitors are not allowed to gather outside the nursery premises and must remain 2meters apar .
- Before children arrive into the main class room their hands will be cleaned with hand sanitizer.
Infection control during sessions
- We will use all available rooms and the garden at all times to keep the children spread out.
- The nursery windows will be open at all times for good circulation of air and ventilation.
- The children will be in small groups with their allocated key person throughout all the sessions and will not be allowed to mix with other groups
- We will also limit the amount of sharing resources.
- The children will use the outdoors at different times. Each key group will have an allocated time to use the outdoor space.
- Meal times will be staggered into two or three groups according to the amount of children we have on the day
- We will encourage children and members of staff to wash hands regularly, especially before meal times and after toileting.
- Children will have special group times with their key teacher to talk about the importance of handwashing and other hygiene routines.
- The Key teachers will demonstrate and show video clips regularly to children on how to catch their sneeze and coughs with a tissue and bin them safely. We will catch it , kill it and bin it.
- Parents will be encouraged and reminded to wash their children and their clothes on a daily basis before bringing them to nursery to avoid spread of germs and infection.
Keeping the premises and equipment clean
The nursery will have trained cleaners cleaning the nursery premises and equipment on a daily basis with the appropriate detergents that would kill the germs and keep the children safe.
The children’s toys and equipment will be cleaned and sterilised after every use.
When a child or a member of staff show symptoms
If a Member of staff show signs of symptoms they will immediately be sent home and will asked to self- isolate themselves for 7 days.
They will have to be clear of all symptoms before they return back to nursery.
The resources and the area that the staff member who showed symptoms was at would be cleaned and disinfected thoroughly before using the area or the equipment.
If a child starts to show symptoms at nursery the child needs to be isolated immediately.
The parents should be informed to collect the child immediately from nursery and the child should be isolated at home for 7 days and not return to nursery unless clear from all symptoms.
If the child needs taking care of and nurturing while waiting for the parents only one member of staff should care for the child in isolation but will require to wear PPE such as disposable aprons, gloves facemask and visors to protect themselves from contracting the virus.
When the child has left the premises the area the child was isolated should be thoroughly disinfected.
The staff member who took care of the child should safely dispose of the PPE and wash their hands thoroughly before resuming to work.
Please see government guidance
What happens if there is a confirmed case of coronavirus in a setting?
When a child, young person or staff member develops symptoms compatible with coronavirus, they should be sent home and advised to self-isolate for 7 days. Their fellow household members should self-isolate for 14 days. All staff and students who are attending an education or childcare setting will have access to a test if they display symptoms of coronavirus, and are encouraged to get tested in this scenario.
Where the child, young person or staff member tests negative, they can return to their setting and the fellow household members can end their self-isolation.
Where the child, young person or staff member tests positive, the rest of their class or group within their childcare or education setting should be sent home and advised to self-isolate for 14 days. The other household members of that wider class or group do not need to self-isolate unless the child, young person or staff member they live with in that group subsequently develops symptoms.
