Early Years settings play an essential role in society and we must make adaptations to the way we work to keep our children, parents, and team safe during this time, whilst keeping routines as familiar as possible for the children we care for.

Here at Stepping Stones Nursery and Woodland Adventures, we have been following the government guidance throughout the pandemic - please find the current information guidelines at - 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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Outside areas

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We are very lucky at Stepping Stones Nursery and Woodland Adventures to be able to have access to a five-acre wood as well as having our own play area and baby garden on site - this means that we are able to be outside for long periods of time maintaining the health and safety of all children, parents and staff. We have provided sanitizing stations at each of the outdoors areas and ensure that all gates are handled with gloves. 

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Drop offs/collection times

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A sanitizer station is now set up at the entrance of the nursery at all times for parents to use, as well as staff and children when they enter the nursery. This also includes signage to remind staff and parents to keep 2m social distance at these times. Unfortunately in this current lockdown, we are unable to invite children inside the nursery, therefore we are now completing all handovers at the front of the nursery, with parents and staff wearing face masks at all times.

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Hygiene procedures

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It is hugely important that everyone washes their hands frequently, therefore at Stepping Stones Nursery and Woodland Adventures we encourage hand washing to be completed throughout the day as well as on arrival to the nursery and returning from an outside area. Hand sanitizer is provided for use in each room in which the staff will use frequently. 

We have also ensured that the cleaning in the nursery is completed frequently by sanitizing the toys after each use as well as ensuring the general cleaning throughout the day is completed of gates, handles and communal areas.

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Temperature and symptom monitoring

Parents and staff members should follow the national advice on the symptoms to look out for that might be due to coronavirus.  The symptoms are: a high temperature/fever; a new, continuous cough; or loss off/change to sense of smell or taste.  Any one of these symptoms on its own may be an indicator of the virus, they do not all have to be present to indicate infection. Please be aware that if your child develops these symptoms at nursery, then we would ask for you to collect your child and either seek a test or isolate for 10 days.