Thank you for your interest in this story

To continue reading this article, subscribe to the Stray Ferret for as little as £1 a week

    Already a subscriber? Log in here.

    02

    Jun 2020

    Last Updated: 02/06/2020

    Nurseries in Harrogate district reopen after lockdown

    by Tim Flanagan

    | 02 Jun, 2020
    Comment

    0

    Nurseries across the Harrogate district are endeavouring to keep life as normal as possible for young children, while ensuring their safety and that of parents and staff.

    harrogate-ripon-2nd-june-2020-busy-bees-nursery

    Children's nurseries across the Harrogate district reopened on Monday, with new arrangements in place to ensure the safety of children, parents and staff.

    Busy Bees, which has four nurseries in Harrogate and one in Ripon, confirmed that all five opened yesterday, with health and safety plans in place that address the issues raised by Covid-19.

    While there was no playdough, sandpits, or water games, staff were on hand to provide outdoor play in smaller groups, with no floor markings for children’s play areas or timed toilet breaks.



    A spokesperson for Busy Bees, said children were not required to play in hoops, as some schools suggested may be required and pointed out that instead:

    "The focus was on dividing children into close friendship groups, limiting the number of people children come into contact with, reducing the space that they can explore and increasing the time spent outdoors."


    The safety arrangements involve temperature checks for all children and staff on arrival and throughout the day; two metres social distancing for family members at drop off and pickup times, frequent hand-washing and disinfecting of communal areas.

    At all times, the aim of the nursery's staff is to keep life as close to normal as possible for children; give cuddles if they become upset during the day and to only wear face masks for temperature checks.




    Related stories:







    The nursery, which has kept more than 100 of its centres open throughout the  coronavirus crisis to support key worker families and vulnerable children, has looked to its colleagues in Australia, North America and in particular south-east Asia for learning, and is confident its measures protect families in its care.

    Emily Brimson-Keight, head of safety at Busy Bees, said:

    “We are constantly sharing ideas and looking at best practice to ensure the personal and emotional wellbeing for children and team members."