COVID-19 ACTION PLAN

PLEASE DO NOT VISIT THE PRESCHOOL IF YOU OR A FAMILY MEMBER HAS A COUGH OR A HIGH TEMPERATURE

We are currently OPEN AS USUAL until the Easter

holidays and following official advice. 

After the Easter holidays we will only be open for children of key people and front line staff. If you are in this group and need childcare contact us as soon as possible,

we may be able to help.   Tel:07507058922

Email: admin@riversidenurserysch.co.uk

Riverside Nursery School - Coronavirus (COVID-19) Action Plan

I would like to reassure parents that we are following all current official guidelines regarding precautions to prevent the spread of the virus. We are asking for your co-operation to ensure these guidelines are followed in order to protect staff, children, and their families from contracting the virus and passing it on to vulnerable people. We have adults and children who are in the ‘High Risk’ category at the preschool, and will therefore be following the advice closely.

The below plan applies from now until we receive further official advice.

As of 20th April, after the Easter holidays, we will only be open to children of key people and front line staff, any children specified by Herts County Council, and any vulnerable children in our care.

Check the .gov website to check who is a key worker:  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision

We will remain open unless:

• We are told to close by the Government, Public Health England, or Herts County Council.
• More than three staff members are unable to work.
• Both the manager and deputy manager are unable to work (it is a legal requirement that at least one of us is on site).

Daily Routine

• Arrival at Preschool

In order to limit the number of people coming into the preschool, we will be asking that parents drop off at the main door and do not come inside the building. Staff will bring children in, help them with their coats and bags, and ensure they wash their hands before coming into the main hall. We will taking every child’s temperature on entry to preschool and at lunch time.

• Regular Handwashing

We will continue to wash the children’s hands regularly. We already do this before they eat, if they have cleaned/touched snotty noses, or after playing in the garden. We will add washing hands if they have been holding hands with others and at arrival at the preschool.

• Collection from Preschool

As with arrival, we will be asking parents not to come into the building. We will get your child ready and bring them to the main door for you to collect.

Child Illness

In addition to our current policies, we will be following the below guidelines until further notice:

• If your child, or a family member, has a high temperature (37.8 degrees Celsius or higher), your child must not come to preschool as per government advice

• If your child develops a temperature while at preschool we will call you to collect immediately and will ask you to keep them away from preschool as per government advice

• Children with a new or persistent cough must be cared for at home

Please follow the link to the NHS website at the bottom of this letter for up to date advice

Staff Illness

We must adhere to legal minimum child to adult ratios. If staff members are unable to come in to work our plan is as follows

1. Firstly we will try to find suitable temporary staff to cover
2. If none can be found, we will ask a parent to stay and help out

If we cannot find an adult to stay and help, we will have to reduce the number of children attending to ensure we remain within the legal ratios.

1. Firstly we will ask if any parent will volunteer to keep their child off and swap their session to another suitable time
2. If none volunteer, as a last resort, we will draw names out of a hat to pick which children will not be able to attend and will be asked to swap to another session so that we can remain within legal adult to child ratios.

If more than three staff members are off at the same time, we will have no choice but to close the preschool temporarily.

Please be assured that we know how important childcare is for parents, particularly working parents, and will do all we can to remain open. We are all working parents too.

If you have any questions please do get in touch.

Kind Regards,

All the staff at Riverside.

Useful Links

Government:  https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-government-response

NHS:  https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

Guidelines for Educational Settings:  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-educational-settings-about-covid-19/guidance-to-educational-settings-about-covid-19

Last Updated: 19/03/2020 - 14:30