COVID-19 Coronavirus Information | Broad Town Pre School
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COVID-19 Coronavirus Information

Government Guidance to Schools

Friday 20th March 2020

The government has asked parents to keep their children at home, wherever possible, and asked schools and Pre School provisions to remain open only for those children who absolutely need to attend.

 

It is important to underline that schools, colleges and other educational establishments remain safe places for children. But the fewer children making the journey to school, and the fewer children in educational settings, the lower the risk that the virus can spread and infect vulnerable individuals in wider society.

 

We are, therefore, being asked to continue to provide care for a limited number of children – children who are vulnerable and children whose parents are critical to the Covid-19 response and cannot be safely cared for at home.

 

Parents whose work is critical to the COVID-19 response include those who work in health and social care and in other key sectors outlined below. Many parents working in these sectors may be able to ensure their child is kept at home. And every child who can be safely cared for at home should be.

 

Please, therefore, follow these key principles:

 

1. If it is at all possible for children to be at home, then they should be.

2. If a child needs specialist support, is vulnerable or has a parent who is a critical worker, then educational provision will be available for them.

3. Parents should not rely for childcare upon those who are advised to be in the stringent social distancing category such as grandparents, friends, or family members with underlying conditions.

4. Parents should also do everything they can to ensure children are not mixing socially in a way which can continue to spread the virus. They should observe the same social distancing principles as adults.

 

If your work is critical to the COVID-19 response, or you work in one of the critical sectors, and you cannot keep your child safe at home then your children will be prioritised for education provision. Please inform Kerry by emailing admin@broadtownpreschool.co.uk. if this applies to you.

List of Key Workers

Health and social care

 

This includes but is not limited to doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers, care workers, and other frontline health and social care staff including volunteers; the support and specialist staff required to maintain the UK’s health and social care sector; those working as part of the health and social care supply chain, including producers and distributers of medicines and medical and personal protective equipment.

 

Education and childcare

 

This includes nursery and teaching staff, social workers and those specialist education professionals who must remain active during the COVID-19 response to deliver this approach.

 

Key public services

 

This includes those essential to the running of the justice system, religious staff, charities and workers delivering key frontline services, those responsible for the management of the deceased, and journalists and broadcasters who are providing public service broadcasting.

 

Local and national government

 

This only includes those administrative occupations essential to the effective delivery of the COVID-19 response or delivering essential public services such as the payment of benefits, including in government agencies and arms length bodies.

 

Food and other necessary goods

 

This includes those involved in food production, processing, distribution, sale and delivery as well as those essential to the provision of other key goods (for example hygienic and veterinary medicines).

 

Public safety and national security

 

This includes police and support staff, Ministry of Defence civilians, contractor and armed forces personnel (those critical to the delivery of key defence and national security outputs and essential to the response to the COVID-19 pandemic), fire and rescue service employees (including support staff), National Crime Agency staff, those maintaining border security, prison and probation staff and other national security roles, including those overseas.

 

Transport

 

This includes those who will keep the air, water, road and rail passenger and freight transport modes operating during the COVID-19 response, including those working on transport systems through which supply chains pass.

 

Utilities, communication and financial services

 

This includes staff needed for essential financial services provision (including but not limited to workers in banks, building societies and financial market infrastructure), the oil, gas, electricity and water sectors (including sewerage), information technology and data infrastructure sector and primary industry supplies to continue during the COVID-19 response, as well as key staff working in the civil nuclear, chemicals, telecommunications (including but not limited to network operations, field engineering, call centre staff, IT and data infrastructure, 999 and 111 critical services), postal services and delivery, payments providers and waste disposal sectors.

 

If workers think they fall within the critical categories above they should confirm with their employer that, based on their business continuity arrangements, their specific role is necessary for the continuation of this essential public service.

Ideas for Parents

Keeping your little ones entertained

 

Struggling for ideas to keep your children entertained during the enforced closures of schools / pre-schools? Here are a few ideas you may like to try…

 

1. Make playdough

 

A great idea to keep the kids entertained!

 

You Need:

 

You can use any size cup · 2 cups plain flour · 2 tablespoons vegetable oil · 1/2 cup salt · 2 tablespoons cream of tartar

 

1 to 1.5 cups boiling water (adding in small amounts until it feels just right) · gel food colouring (optional)

 

Method:

 

Mix the flour, salt, cream of tartar and oil in a large mixing bowl

 

Add food colouring TO the boiling water then into the dry ingredients

 

Stir continuously until it becomes a sticky, combined dough

 

Allow it to cool down then take it out of the bowl and knead it vigorously for a couple of minutes until all of the stickiness has gone. * This is the most important part of the process, so keep at it until it’s the perfect consistency!*

 

If it remains a little sticky then add a touch more flour until just right

 

Store in an airtight container and it will be good for months!

 

2. Simple cooking

 

Scones, cakes, bread and other yummy treats

 

3. Go on a nature walk

 

Take a bag see what you can collect!

 

4. Treasure hunt

 

Hide items in garden/home for the children to find

 

5. Scavenger hunt

 

Find something of a certain shape, colour or texture

 

6. Read books

 

Audible books are free on google audible.

 

7. Exercise

 

Put on music and dance

 

8. Sing nursery rhymes together

 

Find the words to popular / classic versions online (if you don’t still know them off by heart!)

 

9. Get ideas from various websites

 

Why not try some of the ideas on www.hungrylittleminds.campaign.gov.uk

Further Links & Ideas

Online games, tools and resources

 

Phonics Play:

 

www.phonicsplay.co.uk

Interactive resources and games for children and information for parents to support learning.

 

Mr Thorne Does Phonics:

 

https://www.youtube.com/user/breakthruchris

Videos to support the teaching of phonics as well as support on grammar teaching.

 

www.nationalliteracytrust.org.uk

Small talk – is a new project which helps parents turn the activities they are already doing with their child every day into new opportunities to build their child’s language skills

 

www.purplemash.com

 

Number Blocks:

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/group/b08bzfnh

Learning about numbers and counting for EYFS.

 

First4maths:

 

http://www.first4maths.co.uk/product/year-eyfs-creative-at-home-free/

Link to creative ideas for Maths at home for EYFS age children.

 

NRich:

 

https://nrich.maths.org/early-years

Early Years Home page for maths activities.

 

CBeebies:

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/tv/cbeebies

Links to a whole host of educational programs

 

CBeebies Stories:

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/stories

Watch and interact with fun stories for young children from your favourite CBeebies shows.

 

Alpha Blocks:

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b01cz0p1/alphablocks

Play along with the fun and friendly letters of the alphabet as they work together to make words and tell stories using phonics.

 

BBC Nursery Rhymes and Songs:

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/school-radio/nursery-rhymes-songs-index/zhwdgwx

Animations of some of the best-known traditional nursery rhymes, many sung by BBC Children’s TV presenters, with music that your children will love! They’re an ideal resource to support a range of Early Years objectives, whether used in a nursery, reception class, or at home.

 

BBC Literacy:

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5lLPPGClCvFQZ41WVC9rxjm/english
School Radio offers a number of teaching resources to support the primary English curriculum.

 

Zog Home Learning Activity:

 

https://resource-bank.scholastic.co.uk/resources/417184

 

Nature Detectives:

 

https://naturedetectives.woodlandtrust.org.uk/naturedetectives/activities/

Fun, simple activities to help kids of all ages learn about nature. Get creative with crafts, identify trees and animals, and discover practical ways to help wildlife.

 

Outdoor Classroom Day:

 

https://outdoorclassroomday.com/resources/

www.muddyfaces.org

Full of fun activities to do in garden and outdoor places to visit

www.hungrylittlemindscampaign.gov.uk

Games and activities parents can do at home with their children

www.NCTEM.org.uk

Range of hands on, fun maths activities -click on EYFS tab

www.booktrust.org.uk

Range of fun activities that promotes early literacy skills

https://www.booktrust.org.uk/booklists/1/100-best-0-5/

100 key story books for under-fives ordered by age

www.ican.org.uk

Range of activities to support early communication skills by age/stage

www.imaginationtree.org

Full of creative ideas and activities (including variations based on traditional playdough recipe)

www.ABCDoes.org

50 fantastic ideas to try at home!

http://www.crickweb.co.uk/Early-Years.html

Range of free educational games to download

http://www.poissonrouge.com/

Fun ways of learning French with under fives

https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/shows/numberblocks

online games and puzzles to promote mathematical development

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/numbertime/index.shtml

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/websites/eyfs/

Range of cross curricular games and activities

www.cosmickids.com

Range of short story-based yoga sessions to promote well-being and relaxation for under fives

www.familygonoodle.com

Range of fun physical dance-based activities for families with children in Reception/KS1

www.tts-group.co.uk/home+learning+activities.html

A good booklet for EY’s from TTS – There is also a KS1 and KS2 version.