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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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…
A great idea to keep the kids entertained!
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)
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!
Scones, cakes, bread and other yummy treats
Take a bag see what you can collect!
Hide items in garden/home for the children to find
Find something of a certain shape, colour or texture
Audible books are free on google audible.
Put on music and dance
Find the words to popular / classic versions online (if you don’t still know them off by heart!)
Why not try some of the ideas on www.hungrylittleminds.campaign.gov.uk
Interactive resources and games for children and information for parents to support learning.
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
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/group/b08bzfnh
Learning about numbers and counting for EYFS.
http://www.first4maths.co.uk/product/year-eyfs-creative-at-home-free/
Link to creative ideas for Maths at home for EYFS age children.
https://nrich.maths.org/early-years
Early Years Home page for maths activities.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/tv/cbeebies
Links to a whole host of educational programs
https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/stories
Watch and interact with fun stories for young children from your favourite CBeebies shows.
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.
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.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5lLPPGClCvFQZ41WVC9rxjm/english
School Radio offers a number of teaching resources to support the primary English curriculum.
https://resource-bank.scholastic.co.uk/resources/417184
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.
https://outdoorclassroomday.com/resources/
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
Range of hands on, fun maths activities -click on EYFS tab
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
Range of activities to support early communication skills by age/stage
Full of creative ideas and activities (including variations based on traditional playdough recipe)
50 fantastic ideas to try at home!
http://www.crickweb.co.uk/Early-Years.html
Range of free educational games to download
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
Range of short story-based yoga sessions to promote well-being and relaxation for under fives
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.