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COVID-19 hit the world by storm towards the end of March and has quite literally changed the world as we know it.

With the government opening schools back up and trying to enforce normality as much as possible, there are still a few changes that need to happen in schools and nurseries to keep all children and staff safe.

Handwashing – Can you make it fun?

Teaching children how to wash their hands properly with soap and water doesn’t have to be hard and it is the main way that we can do to keep all within schools and nurseries safe.

Especially with younger children making the cleaning hands procedure fun is vital as it’s going to be the way of life for a while to come. Here are a few ways of making cleaning hands fun;

  1. Encourage them to sing a song when cleaning their hands, like a nursery rhyme for the younger ones and for the older ones their current favourite song
  2. Alternatively, you can make up a song in the classroom and get them to sing this instead
  3. Tell them something like if you clean your hands regularly you’ll become a superhero and give you the powers to bit the bad guys

Here’s a song released by the NHS to help with the cleaning of hands – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9VjeIWLnEg

School reopening: pupil hygiene and wellbeing posters

Adults – Lead by example

Making sure as an adult you are cleaning your hands as regularly as the children and joining in with the sing-a-long is vitally important, because children learn from adults around them.

So, making a habit of washing your hands, disposing of paper towels correctly etc, your children will be more likely to copy this behaviour and continue to do so.

Always make sure you’re socially distancing with colleagues and children where possible as this will help stop the spread

Keep your eyes, ears and noses out for symptoms

Making sure you’re keeping your eyes and ears out for symptoms including, a high temperature and a new, continuous cough is important for the health of your entire school or nursery. Other symptoms can include a loss of smell or taste, so it may be a good idea to potentially check the children’s sense of smell every so often.

You can also tell the children to let you know if any other child mentions any of these symptoms so that the correct measures can be followed.

Make sure to follow NHS guidance with every potential COVID-19 case.

Always outdoor play where possible

As schools have started to open new ‘social bubbles’ have been formed in order to allow children to once again play with each other outside. Most schools have adopted a class or year group bubble which includes all of the teachers associated with that class or year group as well.

Social interaction is important for the emotional wellbeing of children, therefore outside playing being prioritised in the key decisions to open up schools.

Always make sure the children are washing their hands by following the correct procedures after every break time.

Listening is important

The children in schools and nurseries are bound to be worried or concerned because of changes to their daily routines and because of certain things they may have heard or read in regards to the coronavirus.

As a teacher, or caregiver it’s important to reassure them that you are there to listen if they’re feeling scared, unsure about something they may have heard and being there for them in these different times.

If you’re unaware of what to tell the children then there are a few different websites you can head to that will help with this;

Talking to children about coronavirus (Young Minds)

Talking to children about the coronavirus pandemic (Mental Health Foundation)

Regular cleaning is vital

Regular cleaning in schools and nurseries is vital to ensure the health and safety of the children and staff on the premises.

That is why all schools must have a new daily cleaning schedule put in place, and that is where we can help, find your nearest ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services for more information today.