We are
The Old School House
Nursery
@ Sancton
An Outstanding Rated Nursery in the East Riding of Yorkshire
Welcome to Our Nursery
The Old School House Nursery opened in August 2000 in the old village school in Sancton after its owner and Director Sally had searched endlessly for a place to set down roots for her Business when she returned from working in London for 12 years.
We are the first private day nursery to start providing childcare in the Market Weighton area back in August 2000 and so our journey began......
We are a family-run business that reacts quickly to local childcare needs, but more importantly, can respond personally to the families that we serve whatever their requirements are.
Sally, our owner and manager, has over 34 years childcare experience and leads and supports her team so they can be the very best they can be .
Many of our team have worked with us since the very early days which allows us to offer Outstanding continuity to the care we give.
We genuinely want our nursery to be the very best start in life for the children we care for and we want nursery experiences to be memorable and fun.
Over many years here at The Old School House, managers and practitioners have been working together to embed an inspiring approach to supporting young children’s learning and development.
We are continue to lead the way in both education and employment and are so proud of all we have achieved over the years. We have cared and educated hundred's of children, many of which still pop back to visit years later and have made many special friendships with the families who join us.
We are part of a delightful community and have developed an excellent local reputation, gaining two consecutive Outstanding ratings with Ofsted in 2010 and 2016.
We are inspired by a number of educational approaches that enable us to enrich our daily experiences with the children in our nursery. The team strive towards these same principles, connecting with their philosophy in planning and the organising the environment. We encourage the development of their confidence and independence alongside care and respect for others.
With up to 80% of the day spent outdoors and through a diverse range of activities, children that attend our nursery have the opportunity to become well-rounded individuals.
The Outdoor Learning ethos within a nursery setting is proven to:
* build self-esteem
* encourage independence
* grow knowledge of the “world around us”
* promote and instil the benefits of team work
* ensure children have fun whilst meeting the essential requirements of the EYFS Framework
Along with the combination of our unique setting and a high adult to child ratio, children are both inspired and engaged to develop their own characters and self-confidence. We see every day at the The Old School House Nursery as an opportunity to grow, challenge and build expectations within our children.
How do we do this?
Through a broad variety of child-led activities including arts, crafts, tool work, planting, tending and harvesting fruit and vegetables. Our staff are qualified and experienced and will always ensure the children have their undivided care, support and encouragement.
Here at The Old School House Nursery we recognise that a professional and committed team of parents and staff are the essential for happy children; therefore we value the skills and ideas that each person brings to us. Together we can nurture happy and confident children who enjoy living in a culture that values the importance of a happy childhood and gives children the opportunity to maximise their full potential.
So take a browse around our website and then call us to arrange a tour - We are waiting to show your around!
Sally X
OSHN Response to Covid 19
Introduction
It is important that everyone complies with the latest Government guidance on Coronavirus.
We have developed these Safe Operating Procedures based on guidance from the Department of Education and the National Institute for Health Protection specifically for Early Years.
It is important that we adapt our everyday practices to ensure that we continue to offer the staff and children a safe environment. Hygiene and social distancing remain the two key elements of infection prevention and control. If any symptoms are displayed, families must be alert and self-isolate for the safety of everyone.
Covid-19 appears to affect young children less often and with less severity. Children’s role in its transmission is unclear but it seems that it is not significant.
Compassionate leadership is at the heart of this reopening and we will do everything we can to be honest, open and to communicate with you. There will be a lot of anxieties and we acknowledge that it is OK to feel worried and that COVID-19 and the lockdown has had an impact on everyone.
Everyone involved in the day to day running of the nursery will receive appropriate instruction and training on how to operate under the terms of the Safe Operating Procedures.
We aim to work in partnership with parents and trust that everyone understands and follows these Safe Operating Procedures.
The key principles of these procedures are:
Any pupil, staff member, parent or visitor with coronavirus symptoms must not attend nursery and must isolate at home
Increased cleaning processes are in place, throughout and at the end of the day
Children and team members will be social distancing as far as possible
Children will each day stay in key family groups (a bubble) with a buddy group working alongside to ensure continuity of staffing and children
Key family groups will be in place inside and outside
Arrival and departure will be staggered and children will be dropped off at separate entrances, where this is possible.
Parents will not come on site or visit the nursery rooms unless this is explicitly arranged with the Nursery Manager e.g. in the event of a child being distressed
The process for settling in sessions will be managed away from the other children.
2 Attendance
Children and employees are welcome to attend nursery but must not be displaying any coronavirus symptoms, the most common being a new continuous cough, a high temperature or a loss of taste and smell. There is some suggestion that a rash or sickness and diarrhea can also be a symptom.
It is important that you seek medical advice if you are unsure.
It is important that children do not attend nursery if unwell for their own wellbeing and for the safety of others. Calpol or other medication that can mask fever symptoms should also not be given after 4am on the day children are due to come to nursery.
If anyone is experiencing any symptoms they cannot return to nursery until they have completed the required isolation period and be symptom free or have achieved a negative test result (proof will be required). Prompt exclusion is essential to preventing the spread of infection. Children and employees who are classed as clinically vulnerable should follow their medical advice before attending nursery.
It is preferable that your child only attends one setting to avoid mixing with different groups of children. Please speak with Sally if this is going to be a problem or to make them aware that this is the case.
2.1 Drop off and collection of children
Parents are asked to drop off and collect their children at the gate and not to enter the nursery unless it is bad weather. Whilst parents are waiting, it is important to maintain social distancing by keeping a distance of two metres apart. It is preferable if only one parent carries out drop off and collection.
Parents may be allocated a suggested time for arrival and drop off to ease pressure in the car park or waiting outside. Please approach the nursery slowly when driving as there will be parents and children waiting to enter.
Children will be assigned to a key family group based on the room they are in and a team member from that group will be responsible for collecting and delivering that child back to the parents. We will give you a limited handover, unless there is an important issue to discuss, as other parents may be waiting.
2.2 Temperature and symptom monitoring
Routine temperature testing is not recommended as a reliable method for identifying coronavirus. Parents and employees should follow the NHS guidelines and, in particular, evidence of a high temperature and/or new continuous cough.
2.3 Travel outside of local area
If you travel internationally or to an area of the UK under local COVID restrictions, then you must be tested and have a negative result before returning to nursery. This is not limited to countries listed on the current government quarantine list, high risk areas are being amended so frequently we are asking that testing occurs after any overseas travel. This is to ensure every possible protection factor is in place for the staff and the children in our care. While we understand the practicality of this may seem difficult for some we will continue to put the safety of everyone first and this is a precautionary measure that we have chosen to have in place. The only exception to this is if you have already quarantined for 14 days after your arrival back into the UK.
3 Implementing social distancing
It is very difficult to avoid a level of physical interaction with young children and it is important to have their wellbeing at the centre of everything we do. If a child is in need of a hug, then it would not be fair to deny them this. To help with social distancing the children will be grouped in small groups (a bubble) with a practitioner and this group will work alongside a buddy group to ensure that an adult is always available. Social distancing will also apply to coat pegs, seating arrangements and sleeping.
3.1 Playrooms and groups
We aim to keep children in their groups which will be identified by their usual room name e.g. The Nest. We would only merge groups if there was no other choice.
The practitioners will organise designated areas, indoors and outdoors, for the children in their groups. Children will have access to the full range of activities that are considered safe at this time.
3.2 Mealtimes
As always, children will eat in their rooms or outdoors.
The practitioners will serve the children.
No food will be eaten out of shared platters or containers.
The children will need to bring in their own, named, drinking cup and take it home each day to be washed.
Drinks will be offered at 30 minute intervals instead of cups being at the children’s level to avoid accidental sharing of cups.
3.3 Employees
All employees will undergo a return-to-work induction and training on the new Safe Operating Procedures, with emphasis on good hygiene practices and maintaining social distancing.
3.4 Fire drills and lockdown practice
If we have to respond to a fire or emergency lockdown, we will continue to manage social distancing, as far as possible. The safety of the children and employees will always come first.
4 Wellbeing
We know that this is a very unusual and worrying time for everyone. It is very important that at the forefront of this heightened awareness of safe operating procedures, we do not forget that care and consideration must be taken of the need to ensure that everyone within the nursery community feels safe and secure. We will try our best to create a normal nursery environment and hope that you will bear with us.
We will concentrate on building secure attachments and we will continue observing and assessing the children, regularly updating our community facebook page. We will not be able to carry out lengthy handovers. We want our team to spend time with the children, playing and building their relationships.
We would always speak with you immediately if we had any concerns. If your child is expressing any concerns or worries, it is important that you inform the key person/Nursery Manager.
Visitors
5.1 Settling in sessions/transitions
Parents may enter the nursery for the purpose of settling-in sessions, if not doing so would cause a child distress. The Manager will give further guidance on the day. It is important that social distancing continues to be maintained. The parents will not be able to spend time in the children’s rooms in order to minimise any risk of infection.
We will aim to organise groups of children who are due to transition so they can transition together. However, some children who were due to transition might need the reassurance of the family group they were part of in order to feel safe and secure and parents might prefer them to stay within a particular age group. The Nursery Manager will assist with this.
5.2 Visitors
Visitors to the nursery will not be encouraged unless it involves a safeguarding issue that cannot be resolved by telephone. Interviews or meetings will be conducted via video conference. There will be no parents’ evenings for the time being, nor any other mass events such as pre-school graduations.
5.3 Nursery show-rounds
These will now take place on a Saturday.
5.4 Contractors
Any contractors to the nursery will be reminded of National Institute for Health Protection guidance prior to entering the building.
6 Health, Hygiene and Safety
6.1 Reducing the spread of the virus
It is recognised that good hygiene and cleaning practices will significantly reduce the spread and transmission of the virus as well as everyone being alert to the symptoms. Doors and windows will be opened as much as possible.
6.2 Cleaning
An enhanced cleaning schedule will be implemented throughout and at the end of the day. Communal areas, door handles and shared facilities e.g. iPads, must be regularly cleaned. The Room Manager will be responsible for recording these cleaning schedules.
The rate of hand washing must be significantly increased. Everyone, including children, must wash their hands on arrival at nursery. If no wash basins are available, sanitiser will be available. There will be regular opportunities for hand washing throughout the day.
6.3 Use of Tissues
The children will be supported in age-appropriate ways to understand the steps they can take to keep themselves and others safe and this includes sneezing into a tissue (or their arm if immediate) and then to dispose of the tissue.
6.4 Toileting
The children will be taken to the toilets and supervised. Hand washing signs will be displayed to ensure hand washing is thorough and the practitioners will talk to the children about why we are washing our hands.
6.5 Clothing
All employees and children should wear clean clothing every day. If you have travelled on public transport, it is advised that you change your clothing on arrival at nursery. Children should bring one bag with changes of clothing to last their weekly booking pattern and take it home with them at the end of the week.
6.6 Risk assessments
All risk assessments will reflect the risk of transmission of COVID-19. Certain activities will be adapted or removed to reflect this risk e.g. going on trips using coaches.
6.7 Items from home
If your child requires a comforter e.g. soft toy or blanket, please bring it in a bag and then take home at the end of the day and wash it. We would prefer no toys or comforters to be brought into nursery but do understand that this could cause distress.
6.8 Resources at Nursery
Toys and resources that are difficult to clean will be removed, including cushions and soft toys. The children will only share toys and activities within their groups. We will aim to sanitise items at the end of each day.
7 Responding to a person displaying symptoms of COVID-19
7.1 A child
If a child is suspected of displaying coronavirus symptoms whilst attending the nursery, they should be collected as soon as possible and isolate at home in line with NHS guidance. The child must be tested before they return.
Whilst waiting to be collected, they will be isolated from others in a designated area. An employee will stay with them and will wear PPE.
If the child becomes very unwell, we will follow our normal emergency procedures and call 999.
The isolation area will be cleaned once the child has been collected.
7.2 An employee who displays symptoms
In the event of an employee developing coronavirus symptoms whilst at work, they will leave work as soon as possible and isolate at home in line with NHS guidance. They will be required to have a test before they return.
7.3 PPE Equipment
Government guidance is that PPE is not required for general use in nurseries to protect against COVID-19 transmission. Hand washing, effective cleaning and social distancing are the most effective measures. Gloves and aprons will be used for nappy changing and first aid. Aprons will be worn at mealtimes
7.4 Reporting, testing and tracing
Everyone is now eligible for a COVID-19 test, should they display coronavirus symptoms.
Any suspected or confirmed case must be reported to the Nursery Manager as soon as possible. If a positive result is confirmed, the practitioners and children associated with that group/bubble must self-isolate for 14 days before returning to nursery. Positive tests will be reported to the National Institute for Health Protection and Ofsted by the Nursery Manager.
The Nursery Manager is responsible for contacting the National Institute for Health Protection if a case is confirmed or if a symptomatic person is admitted to hospital, a possible case refuses testing, there are a cluster of possible cases/unexpected increase in absenteeism or a suspected case has a definite link to a confirmed case.
If there is reasonable evidence that a positive diagnosis was caused by exposure at work, this will be reported to RIDDOR.
If someone in your household, or someone you have close contact with, is contacted by track and trace and told they have been in contact with someone who has tested positive, you need to be tested. If they test positive, then you will also need to self-isolate for 14 days even if you do not test positive yourself.
The Government’s tracing app is a way of helping to protect everyone.
8 Further guidance
www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-edcatiional-settings-about-covid-19
www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/check-if-you-have-coronavirus-smptoms
Get in Touch
OUR ACHIEVEMENTS
OFSTED OUTSTANDING
Food Hygiene Rating
Celebrating 20 years of Childcare - September 2020
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01430 828154
