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Poppies Covid Attendance Policy UPDATED 13/09/2021


Following the update 09/09/21, we have sought further discussions with Central Bedfordshire Council and the Public Health Senior Practitioner for Children and Young People to determine how we can further support children who are attending both school and out of school provision. As we work in such close partnership with our lower schools, with many siblings attending both environments, this has been factored into the decision-making, therefore the following amendments have needed to be made to ensure site cohesion and unity.

Safeguarding your children, family and our staff remains our first priority. We want to continue to support you by staying open and maintaining the highest quality care and education for your children, therefore we have measures in place to keep everyone as safe as we can and reduce the risks. Support and appreciation of these measures are key to their success.

Face coverings are now optional at the gate, however all visitors into our setting will be asked to wear a face covering and hygienically clean their hands. They must also produce a negative lateral flow test prior to admission into our grounds.

Staff are vigilant and thorough in their cleaning whilst planning activities predominantly outdoors, ensuring children continue to engage in a stimulating and healthy environment.

Lateral flow testing for staff is in operation. *Lateral flow tests are for non-symptomatic testing and PCR testing needs to be carried out at a test centre when a person displays symptoms.*

Our policy at this time:

  • Prior to admitting any child into our setting: if they live in the same household as a sibling/parent/carer who has had a positive Covid test (PCR) and are in the period of isolation at home, a PCR test is recommended, showing they are negative. This is to minimise the risk of infection within Poppies as much as possible. We request your child to have a PCR test if any household member tests positive please. If this is negative, they are then able to attend our setting. If positive, they will need to isolate for 10 days. Please consider the best place for your child to be, to reduce the spread of Covid-19. If they are living in a household where a member of the family is positive but where they are not able to follow the government self-isolation guidance within the home, please carefully consider if they will be potentially carrying the virus. Due to the age of children attending, their play is very social which increases the risk of transmission to peers which may then be taken into other family homes. Also, the close contact necessary between children and staff increases the risk of infection which then may result in our closure due to staff absence. We are trying to avoid this at all costs as closure will affect many families.
  • Parents/staff need to ensure that they follow the government guidance ‘How to self-isolate at home’ to protect other household members.
  • No child/staff member is to come to our setting if they are unwell or have any Covid symptoms (High temperature/new persistent cough/loss of taste or smell.)
  • If children/staff develop symptoms of Covid; (High temperature, new persistent cough, loss of taste/smell), they will be sent home immediately and the parent/carer/staff member asked to have a PCR COVID-19 test. If positive, they must self-isolate for 10 days. We need to be informed of the test outcome as soon as possible please so we can safeguard others if needed.
  • Parent/child visits for’ settling in’ new children will continue to be held outdoors.

We thank you for your support, consideration and understanding which we are relying on to enable us to keep everyone as safe as possible and to remain open.

Signed Joanne Rowland, Karen Finneran, Nikki Watson, Brad Croft and Nicky Sparkhall

Date 13th September 2021

IMPORTANT COVID-19 UPDATED

1/11/21

Following notification from Central Bedfordshire Council, concerns have been raised regarding the increase in cases of Covid-19. Our nursery group will be adhering to their advice.

This will take the following format:-

  • The school site is to revert back to a ‘mask wearing’ area please. Our staff will continue to wear masks on the gate and have the option of wearing them indoors/ on our site. This comes into effect from tomorrow please.
  • Our heightened sanitising procedures will remain at the highest level. We will also continue to spend as much of the day as possible outdoors so please ensure your child is suitably dressed. Lots of thin layers are good for insulating little bodies as the weather turns colder. We also have windows and doors open daily so indoors remains well ventilated.
  • Our parent/carer consultations will be taking place outdoors, again observing a two meter distance. Please dress for the weather and wear a mask. At our Poppies site, please do not enter the school site but wait at the main gates where a staff member will come and accompany you to our setting as no visitors are permitted on the school site unless accompanied. If a family would prefer a telephone consultation rather than face-to-face at this time please email the accounts team and we will be pleased to arrange this.
  • Our policy for children sharing a household with someone who has tested positive remains the same. Prior to admitting any child into our setting: if they live in the same household as a sibling/parent/carer who has had a positive Covid test (PCR) and are in the period of isolation at home, a PCR test is requested, showing they are negative. It is also recommended to do daily Lat flow tests for the 10 day period. This is to minimise the risk of infection within Poppies as much as possible. We request your child to have a PCR test if any household member tests positive please. If this is negative, they are then able to attend our setting. If positive, they will need to isolate for 10 days.
  • Parents/staff need to ensure that they follow the government guidance ‘How to self-isolate at home’ to protect other household members.
  • No child/staff member is to come to our setting if they are unwell or have any Covid symptoms (High temperature/new persistent cough/loss of taste or smell.)
  • If children/staff develop symptoms of Covid; (High temperature, new persistent cough, loss of taste/smell), they will be sent home immediately and the child/staff member asked to have a PCR COVID-19 test. If positive, they must self-isolate for 10 days. We need to be informed of the test outcome as soon as possible please so we can safeguard others if needed.

**Please consider the best place for your child to be, to reduce the spread of Covid-19. If they are living in a household where a member of the family is positive but where they are not able to follow the government self-isolation guidance within the home, please carefully consider if they will be potentially carrying the virus. Due to the age of children attending, their play is very social which increases the risk of transmission to peers which may then be taken into other family homes. Also, the close contact necessary between children and staff increases the risk of infection which then may result in our closure due to staff absence. We are trying to avoid this at all costs as closure will affect many families.**

  • Parent/child induction visits for’ settling in’ new children will continue, with a two meter distance observed at all times. We require the parent/carer to have a lateral flow test on the morning of the induction. These will be held, where possible outdoors.

We will continue to support all guidance and remain committed to keeping our environment as safe as we possibly can. Our procedures remain subject to change, depending on the latest recommendations. We are very appreciative of your understanding and support during these uncertain and volatile times. Please let me know if you have any worries or concerns and I will be pleased to support you.

Kind regards,

Joanne Rowland

Owner/ Manager

Covid-19 Procedures Updated 14/11/21

In light of the recent rise in figures in our local schools, with immediate effect, we are updating our own Covid-19 procedures. If a child is living in a household where a member has tested positive, we advise that the child does not attend our setting for ten days. We would then request they do a Lateral Flow Test on the day they are due to return to us to ensure they do not have Covid-19 as an infected person can show no symptoms. Please confirm your child’s negative result on the morning of their return via email to our Accounts Team. We are aware some local schools have adopted this policy to keep transmission rates low.

Research shows that when a person tests positive for Covid-19, any subsequent Lateral Flow Tests may show a positive result for 90 days. Therefore, if your child tests positive for Covid-19, they must self-isolate for the ten day period, but will not need to show a negative lateral flow on their return. (If a person develops new symptoms within this 90 day period, they are required by NHS to undertake a new PCR test.)

We have always strived to do our very best to keep children, families and staff as safe as we can. These additional measures will support this. We appreciate how hard times are but be assured we are doing all we can to keep our setting open. Should staff become affected, or cases rise we may have no option other than to close and this is why we are adding these additional measures to prevent this.

As always, your support and understanding is very much appreciated.

Kindest regards,

Joanne and The Team