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Summer Holiday Club 2020 Further Information and FAQs

Our summer holiday club is running!! 
Monday 17 August to Wednesday 2 September 2020!!
8.30am to 3.30pm

Dear parents and carers,
 
We are so happy and proud to be running our holiday club this summer!  It will be absolutely wonderful to see the children running around, having fun and playing.  I have seen some children out and about and in the parks and they have all grown so much!  As you know, we are a play club and our focus is on free play.  We will be predominantly outdoors enjoying the fresh air, running around, climbing trees and having FUN! We aim for you to collect happy, relaxed and tired children at the end of the day.

We are really looking forward to seeing happy children engaging in free and spontaneous play with their peers and facilitating their play where they would like us to. 
 
We have limited spaces available and we ask parents to choose:
 

  1. WEEK ONE (Monday 17 to Friday 21 August),
  2. WEEK TWO (Monday 24 to Friday 28 August)
  3. BOTH INSET DAYS (Tuesday 1 and Wednesday 2 September)
 
You can choose a) b) c) or a combination, including all three if you wish. Unfortunately we are unable to accommodate selected days this year; this is to maintain our bubbles and reduce the number of people that each individual comes into contact with.

Please complete the booking form here http://www.thehollytreeclub.com/holiday-club/ and we will be in touch shortly.  You may have already emailed to make a booking but it is essential to complete this form!  It is a more comprehensive form than normal as we need to collect information to comply with Government guidelines.  Thank you.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
 
We understand that parents will have lots of questions about how our summer holiday club will run this year.  We would like to assure parents that we have looked very closely at the Government guidelines for out of school clubs and will operate fully in line with these guidelines. 

We have produced this list of Frequently Asked Questions but if you have further questions that we have not addressed, please feel free to contact Holly on 07971 215411 or at thehollytreeclub@hotmail.com.  We will regularly update this document.
 
How will the summer holiday club run this year?
Usually we go on a day trip to local areas using public transport between 9.30am and 3pm returning to either The Bridge or The Bell House, Halstow School for afternoon activities until we close at 6.30pm.  This year we will spend the majority of our day on site with smaller groups of up to 15 children leaving to walk (NOT using public transport) to local areas for play such as the Pleasaunce, Mycenae Gardens, the play area at the Peninsula or Greenwich Park.  These outings will be rotated amongst the bubbles and we are planning for each bubble to go out each day.
  
I’m anxious about sending my child to holiday club.  
We fully understand the fears and anxieties that parents and children will have about returning to school, holiday clubs and other organised events after such a long period of time at home without seeing friends and peers.  We know there may be a period of transition during which children may feel worried about leaving their parents and we will aim to make this period of transition as simple, and as warm and caring as we can.  
Parents will be given staggered drop off and pick up times, at 5 minute intervals before and after 8.30am and 3.30pm.  We will aim to welcome all children in the same bubble at the same time.  It will help us to organise the bubbles if you write on the booking form in the ADDITIONAL INFORMATION section which children you would like your child to share a bubble with (siblings can be in the same bubble or in a different bubble to suit you).  This will greatly aid the transition between home and club.  Please ensure you keep to these times and please try to ensure that just one parent/carer drops off and picks up so that we can maintain social distancing as much as possible.  Please don’t worry if your child doesn’t know anyone in their bubble.  Our job is to ensure all children feel happy, safe and welcomed and we are highly experienced at doing just that!
We regularly call parents soon after they have dropped off their child to give them an update on how their child is settling and we are more than happy to do this for you if you wish.  Generally we find that children settle quickly and easily once their parents have gone.
 
We will be safe, we will be sensible and above all, we will be kind!
 
How will you maintain strict hygiene measures?
We will adhere to the Government guidelines as follows:
  • all children will be assigned to a bubble of no more than 15 children and two members of staff which will not change throughout the week
  • the bubbles will not mix throughout the week; each bubble will have their allocated space indoors and outdoors
  • regular hand-washing will take place on arrival and just before leaving for the day, before and after eating, using the toilet, changing activities and at other times
  • we will ensure good respiratory hygiene by promoting the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ approach
  • we will clean frequently touched surfaces more often than usual using standard products, such as detergent or bleach 
  • we will clean toilets regularly throughout the day
We will talk to the children about the importance of hygiene and frequent hand-washing whilst ensuring no children become anxious or worried. 
 
We will ask all parents to sign a COVID-19 Agreement before their child attends club.

 
What are the prices for holiday club this summer?
The core day, running from 8.30am to 3.30pm, will be £40 per child per day.  There will be an additional charge for early drop off and late pickup to be confirmed in the next couple of weeks.  There will be no discount for siblings or multiple days booked as we will have additional costs related to the current situation.
 
Will you run a breakfast club?
The core day this year will run from 8.30am to 3.30pm.  We will aim to provide a breakfast club from 8am for parents who need it and we’ll confirm this in the next couple of weeks.  There will be an additional charge for this.

Can I collect my child later than 3.30pm?
We will aim to provide a late pickup at 5pm for parents who need it and we’ll confirm this in the next couple of weeks.  There will be an additional charge for this.

What is the cancellation policy?
Cancellations made prior to Monday 3 August can receive credit or a refund.  Full payment is required if a booking is cancelled after Monday 3 August or for no-shows on the day.

What is your COVID-19 cancellation policy?
This is to be confirmed shortly.
 
When do I need to make payment?
Payment is required in full by Monday 3 August (two weeks prior to the start date of holiday club Monday 17 August).  Invoices will be sent out shortly.  If we have spaces it will be possible to book after Monday 3 August.
 
Can I pay with childcare vouchers?
Yes, we are Ofsted- registered (EY493627 and EY492456) so it is possible to pay using childcare vouchers.
 
Will you provide food and drink for my child?
No.  In order to maintain strict hygiene standards, please provide a packed lunch and drink for your child.  Water bottles can be refilled.
 
Are visitors allowed on site?
No visitors will be permitted to visit the club while it is in operation and parents will be asked to drop off and pick up at the gate.
 
What if my child needs changing?
We ask that only children who are fully toilet trained and able to change themselves attend the setting.  Please provide a change of clothes if you think this is necessary.  We are happy to provide encouragement and guidance as always.  
 
What happens if my child shows signs of COVID-19 symptoms?
If your child shows any sign of COVID-19 symptoms please do not bring them to club.  If your child becomes unwell with a new, continuous cough or a high temperature, or has a loss of, or change in, their normal sense of taste of smell (anosmia), they must stay at home and you should follow  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance.

If a child shows any signs of COVID-19 symptoms whilst at club, we will follow Government guidance: a staff member will remain with the child in an area away from other children and staff.  Parents will be called and asked to come and collect their child as soon as possible.  When you collect your child you should take them straight home; do not visit the GP, pharmacy, urgent care centre or a hospital. In an emergency, call 999 if they are seriously ill or injured or their life is at risk. Your child should then self-isolate for 7 days and you should arrange a test for them as soon as possible to see if they have coronavirus (COVID-19). You can do this by visiting NHS.UK or contact NHS 119 via telephone if you do not have internet access. You and other fellow household members should self-isolate for 14 days. If your child tests negative, they can usually return to the setting and the fellow household members can end their self-isolation subject to confirmation from local health protection professionals. If your child tests negative but is unwell, they should not return to the setting until they are recovered. If your child tests positive, NHS Test and Trace will speak directly to those that have been in contact with your child to offer advice. This advice may be that the rest of their bubble should be sent home and advised to self-isolate for 14 days.


Finally, please be aware that this is provisional and subject to amendment.  Fortunately our holiday club is running at the end of the summer holidays so we can watch closely and see what works well with other clubs and amend our offering accordingly!
 
Our club will be, as always, focused on play, fun, socialising with peers and being outdoors as much as possible.  As a team, we are so much looking forward to it!
 
Please get in touch with any queries you may have, we are here for you!
 
The Holly Tree Club Team
www.thehollytreeclub.com
07971 215411

Summer holiday club 2020

Dear parents 

We are very happy to announce that we will be running our summer holiday club in August! 

We received confirmation from the Government last Tuesday that holiday clubs will be permitted to operate (following all appropriate hygiene and safety measures) and we are waiting on further guidance to be published this week as to how holiday clubs will look.  We imagine we will be looking at a number of bubbles of up to 15/16 children in each (based on friendship and sibling groups) with the same staff members dedicated to each group as much as possible.  Our day trips will be shorter and will involve a walk (not public transport) to local parks and playgrounds. 

We ask that parents choose week one (Monday 17 to Friday 21 August) and/or week two (Monday 24 to Friday 28 August) and/or BOTH INSET days (Tuesday 1 and Wednesday 2 September) or all three options.   

The day will run from 8.30am to 3.30pm with possibly a breakfast club and later pick up to be confirmed next week.  The cost will be £40 per day with a 10% discount for siblings. 

If you would like to book please respond to this email with your choices as above.  Please also indicate whether or not you would like a breakfast club or later pick up and we will do our best to accommodate this. 

Please be aware that this is provisional and subject to amendment.  Fortunately our holiday club is running at the end of the summer holidays so we can watch closely and see what works well with other clubs and amend our offering accordingly! 

Our club will be, as always, focused on play, fun, socialising with peers and being outdoors as much as possible.  As a team, we are so much looking forward to it! 

Please get in touch with any queries you may have, 

The Holly Tree Club Team

www.thehollytreeclub.com

07971 215411