Stargrower
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Everything posted by Stargrower
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We're open 8 - 5 instead of 8 - 6 at the moment to give us cleaning time at the end of the day. I was really hoping we'd be able to go back to 6pm finish in September but it doesn't look like anything is going to change cleaning-wise...
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Couldn't agree more finleysmaid. I feel as well that we've been guinea pigs for the "opening of schools to all children" in September but we never get a mention. Take 40% furlough instead of 80%, don't complain, put our heads down and get on with it.
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We use "normal" soap and water for children. I think making sure they wash their hands thoroughly is more important than antibac soap.
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Glad it's helpful. Meant to add We are using our big outdoor sandpit. We rake it over at the end of the day but don't disinfect or spray Milton or the like We're using water with antibac soap in it for play. If I think of anything else, I'll add it, but so much is "setting dependent" I think there are a few threads going on with the same subject, but hopefully we all read everything!
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Just wanted to offer what we're doing in case it's any help to anyone. We stopped having "bubbles" and splitting rooms on 20th July when this requirement ended We are using dressing up clothes (as such, we don't have costumes but use hats, fabric etc) We take these out of circulation for 72 hours or wash it and rotate what's on offer We do the same with books, out for 72 hours We use playdough but throw away at the end of the day We aren't using soft furnishings. Children's bedding is used as normal and washed at the end of the week. We are closing to children at 5pm instead of 6pm so that we can clean and disinfect resources, furniture, equipment etc. For some reason I thought there was more guidance coming on 20th July for enhanced cleaning but it didn't appear so I think I made it up! We are spending 95% of our time outside and are set up to spend the entire day outside which we are doing a lot of the time. We have settled new children in outside with parents staying when needed. We are tired! 😴😆
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Our LA is only funding us for what we claim in the autumn term, so just as it has always been. If we find the amount of funding we claim is more than 10% lower than the same time last year, there is a discretionary grant available, but it is up to the LA to give it.
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We don't have anyone doing this. I think since it's been an option, we've had one child who had additional needs and deferred until January.
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I agree. It sounds perfect...but too late! We can't keep our 28 leavers! I think it would be good for some children but would create a massive logistical muddle. Edited to add: And what about the children waiting to start at an early years setting? They then lose a term!
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Quite significant changes for us with the requirement for "bubbles" being eased! I'm not absolutely sure, but I think this guidance has come hand-in-hand with the guidance for schools having all children back in September. If that is right, I can't see them making any big changes again before September. I haven't read it cover to cover but there are a few places where is says there will be reviews, e.g. on enhanced cleaning by 20th July, so the end of term.
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The latest guidance is finally published https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures
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Managing settling ins
Stargrower replied to Fantail's topic in All Early Years settings & Childminders: General Issues
We are a day nursery with children starting throughout the year. We have started settling in new children who have been waiting for us to open again. We are doing this all outside, with parents staying and adults social distancing as much as possible (as well as the other measures we have in place such as using sanitiser etc) We are very thankful for the good weather which has enabled us to do this. Of course, it isn't the same, but children and parents are getting to know their key person in just the same way and this, for us, is the fundamental part of settling in. -
nursery food delivery service
Stargrower replied to Tinytowners's topic in Early Years Setting Management
We have been in the same predicament in the past (not exactly the same, no foreign objects!!). We used The Nursery Catering Company for a while and this might be a useful stop gap for you. They deliver frozen meals which you then reheat in the oven. They are nutritionally good and catered for all types of diet. The quality wasn't the best, but is served a purpose for a while for us. I then advertised locally for someone to cook and deliver meals for us and this is what we do now. A lady who owns a farm shop cooks for us and delivers. We are in rural Suffolk though, so a very different area. -
term time holiday and pay calculation
Stargrower replied to TORO's topic in Early Years Setting Management
Yes it would be pro rata, so 5.6 x 3 day week. -
I would be absolutely furious and think it would be grounds for disciplinary. I understand that everyone has a different take on this and some are much more anxious than others, but to find out that a member of staff had been that deceitful while others are working hard, trying to make this situation work for everyone would be hard to come back from. Back to PPE, we're only using PPE for personal care and have a small stock of "full" PPE in case someone is showing symptoms
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I have to say I had a bit of a wobble on Friday, thinking about September. We had been outside for the majority of the week until Friday and it was a big reality hit when the weather turned cold and wet and we were indoors more. The bubbles really came into play. In our Pre-school Room we had two bubbles with six in one and seven in the other with a member of staff for each bubble. It was really exhausting - the endless handwashing, cleaning, toileting then handwashing again. It seemed like there was little time to play with the children and we weren't even attempting EYFS/observations etc. I started to wonder how on earth we would do this on full numbers. We really needed an extra adult, but obviously you can't have one adult floating between two bubbles, so it would need two which just isn't viable. By 2.30pm we only had one child left in one bubble. Luckily, she went home at 3pm but if she had been staying until 6pm when we close, what would we have done? I can't see the guidance changing by September but am keeping everything crossed that the rates of infection continue to drop and some of the measures can be lifted.
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Yes, we have lots of children back. So we have a little boy settling in on Monday. He is a year old and has been on our waiting list for a baby room space for a few months. His place is there, he was due to start in April but we were closed. He isn't taking anyone else's place. We haven't turned any existing children away to fit him in. We have six baby room places, he has one of them. There will be three others there on Monday, plus him, plus two who haven't yet returned. I hope that makes sense. 🙂
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The children we have starting were already on the waiting list and had been allocated a place. They haven't taken a place from anyone else.
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I think the temperature vagueness is because the NHS guidance says you don't need to measure your temperature, you just go on how hot your chest or back is to touch.
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I've just seen a GP on BBC Breakfast this morning called Dr Nighat Arif. She was taking part in a Q & A session with parents of children returning to school on Monday. She was asked about Coronavirus symptoms in children and answered that the symptoms to look out for are: Stomach ache Vomiting and diarrhoea A low temperature She also said to look out for signs of septicaemia. Nobody questioned this at all. I looked on the NHS website and several other sites and found no mention of these symptoms at all. Only the three usual symptoms were mentioned for children. This has been in all the advice and information we have given to parents. Has anyone heard of this before??
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We have planned for new children to start settling in once we've been open for a week. If we don't, they will go elsewhere and we just won't be sustainable. It is going to be a challenge as they are all under two. We are planning for one parent to come in with the child for very short sessions and we will do all the settling in outside with adults social distancing. Thank goodness the good weather is meant to hold!
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Yes I agree, you can only get a test if you have symptoms and no point in testing if you're not symptomatic.
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I did very similar to Mouseketeer and sent an email with all the details of what we are doing and what we expect parents to do. I asked parents to reply with AGREED at the start of the email and then to give us contact phone numbers of parents and emergency contacts so we can check and update our records without giving paperwork out. I said that we wouldn't admit children if we hadn't had this back from parents.
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Sloppy Slogan?
Stargrower replied to enuffsenuf's topic in All Early Years settings & Childminders: General Issues
Can I ask what everyone is doing about staff lunch breaks, if you're in a setting who does this? We usually have lunch cover staff who come in 12 - 3 while full time staff take their breaks, 12 - 1, 1 - 2, 2 - 3. This happens in all three of our rooms. But now we're not supposed to move staff from one bubble to another. So in our Pre-school Room we will open with children split into two groups and I need both staff to have a break, but the staff covering can't cover one group, then the other. I am going slowly but surely round the bend! Sorry I just realised I posted this in the wrong thread. Told you I was going round the bend! -
Sloppy Slogan?
Stargrower replied to enuffsenuf's topic in All Early Years settings & Childminders: General Issues
There was me trying not to overthink things. Now I need to put swimming pool net on the shopping list. Perfect solution! -
I've been really surprised by staff reaction. Out of 18 staff I have four who have said they will come back as soon as we open. I knew there would be some with childcare issues as they have children in the years that aren't going back yet. Plus one is 'shielded' so won't be back before July. The rest are saying they don't feel it's the right time. I think I'm going to have to speak to LawCall tomorrow as I don't know where I stand. I know I can keep them furloughed but can they just choose not to come back? One has asked to see risk assessments and the government guidance so I'll send that tomorrow. I'm still waiting to see how many children we will have though, so maybe four staff will be enough!
