Covid-19 Policy and Procedures
After the advice and government regulations regarding coronavirus, TA Sport Stars have decided to run sports camp and open safely every half term and summer with strict protocol in place. The Covid-19 policy will be clear and concise to therefore ensure the safety and well-being of children/staff. The policy will be updated if the UK government decide to release new information which will alter how camp will operate but for the time being below will state policy and procedures in place. It is also important that your child understands the procedures, so TA Sport Stars strongly recommend discussing the Covid-19 policy in detail with them before your time of booking.
Example of daily schedule:
Sport Camp procedure at All Camp Venues:
7AM – 8AM: TA Sport Stars Risk Assessments
8AM-9AM: Arrival on Camp (Courtyard area in bubble groups with Lead Coach)
9AM: Hand Wash per bubble group, Registration and Camp Briefing on school field in bubble groups under Gazebo zones or designated inside areas
9:15AM: Bubble group activities take place
10:15AM – 11:00AM: Staggered snack time, drinks break in bubble groups and hand washing
11:00AM: Bubble group activities take place
12:00PM – 13:30PM: Staggered lunch time (children not on lunch will continue activities) and hand washing plus Half Day children departure from camp
13:30PM: Bubble group activities take place
14:30PM-14:45PM: Staggered hand washing
14:45PM: Bubble group activities take place
15:45PM: Hand washing before Camp Departure in bubble groups
16:00PM: Departure from camp for Full Day children
16:15PM: Extended Day children participate in activities
17:15PM: Hand washing before Camp Departure
17:30PM: Departure from camp for Extended Day children
17:30PM: Camp clean – Millbrook Designated Cleaner (Mr and Mrs Ayres) following a Covid-19 Weekly Cleaning Checklist for Educational Establishments – this can be emailed to parents/carers if required
Risk Assessment and Daily Setup
A thorough assessment of all venues and sporting activities will be carried out before camp starts by camp manager Tom Austin. The risk assessments will be carried out every day for the whole duration of camp. Hand washing and hand gel stations set up; bubble group areas set up on field colour coded with clean bibs ready for the day.
Camp Arrival
To keep numbers to a minimum we strongly advise that only one parent/adult responsible is present for camp arrival. Clearly marked tape will be set up by camp entrance following the 2m government guidance rule. Signing in will be electronic with a password on sign up being used to prove identity, this will keep registration prompt and there will be no need to handle any equipment.
Millbrook Primary School Camp – registration will take place at the front blue gate. The parent/guardian responsible for dropping off is to line up on the public footpath using the 2m guidelines tape. Once you have given TA Sport Stars your password for sign in one of our coaches will walk your child to the field or inside area where they will wait in their designated bubble zone.
The Ridgeway School Camp – registration will take place by the school entrance clearly indicated on arrival and again we ask that the parent/guardian responsible for dropping off are to line up by each cone 2m apart. Once registration is complete and we receive your password we then ask you to follow the exit line back to your vehicle.
Charlton Primary School Camp – registration will take place at the main reception. Cones will be on view to designate where parents/carers or whoever is dropping off and collecting need to be. Once you have given TA Sport Stars your password for sign in one of our coaches will walk your child to the field or inside area where they will wait in their designated bubble zone.
Registration and Camp Briefing on school field in bubble groups
Once all children have made their way to the field and bubble zone, a camp briefing will take place to ensure attendees on camp understand how all will operate. The children will then be introduced to their bubble group coaches and small group minimum of 14 and maximum of 20 per group who they will participate with for the whole day. This can therefore help with the Government track and trace system indicating who may need to isolate and be informed in the event of Covid present at camp.
Activities
Coaches will take control of their team and deliver fun and exciting games with their bubble group. Once any activity has finished, all equipment will be thoroughly cleaned ready for the next group of children. All equipment has been risk assessed and will have regular/ thorough cleaning every day.
Snack and Lunch time
Snack time will be a staggered routine in which each bubble group will take turns to wash hands and have their 15-minute break. Lunch time will shadow the same format but with a 30-minute timescale.
Departure and Camp Collection
On departure we ask that parents follow the same procedure as arrival waiting outside the school following the 2m government guidance. We will then ask for the password again and electronically sign your child out from camp for the day. If your child is walking home this will be made clear on your sign up form and changes to this will require an email to Tom Austin camp manager at headoffice@tasportstars.co.uk. If someone other than yourself are collecting your child, this must be clear on the sign up form otherwise an email to Tom Austin is required for confirmation and they must be aware of the password.
Camp Clean (COSH)
We are working closely with the Millbrook and Charlton Primary School caretaker and have agreed that thorough cleaning will take place before, during and after camp by professional cleaners. This includes emptying bins each day, sterilising all equipment, cleaning the sports hall, toilet anti-bacterial clean which will be ticked off by a Covid-19 weekly cleaning checklist for Educational establishments. Discussions with The Ridgeway School have taken place in which members of TA Sport Stars will clean areas used each day, qualifications have been undertaken to ensure a clean and safe environment.
Hand washing
Camp will have hand washing stations around each venue which will include hand sanitiser and soap stations. Hand sanitiser will be available in each bubble group area. If your child is allergic to any form of cleaning product this should have been noted upon signup when registering your child for camp. If you forgot to mention this, please email Tom Austin: Managing Director at headoffice@tasportstars.co.uk.
Personal items and belongings
We ask that children do not bring any personal belongings to camp apart from the following:
- Medical requirements such as an inhaler
- Camp bag with spare kit and footwear
- Lunch box and water/drinks bottle
- Hats and sun cream
Anything else needs to be checked with Tom Austin Managing Director before attending camp.
Before attending camp information
Please can you ensure your child understands that close contact with others is something that we have to take seriously on camp. We ask that your child understands that this is not acceptable with the current Covid-19 situation, so we ask that personal space is always implemented. With certain games children may come into close contact with others but this is the only time we can accept this.
Refund Policy
TA Sport Stars will not be able to process refunds less than 10 days before camp is due to start. We organise camps within coach to child ratios so therefore plan accordingly with numbers provided. You can cancel a booking up to 10 days before the first day of your booking and we will refund you 100% of camp booking or you can pass over to our next camp. Any changes to bookings must be sent to Tom Austin at headoffice@tasportstars.co.uk at least 5 working days in advance. If your child or any family member is diagnosed with coronavirus your booking will be refunded with immediate effect and your child will be unable to attend the current camp. If your child is unable to attend camp on a date booked, we would happily transfer your booking free of charge to an alternative date or next half term camp. If we find ourselves in another lockdown situation then your child’s place will be refunded, or dates can be moved to a future camp.
Child briefing
It is important that before camp takes place, please brief your children about the procedures in place. All children are unable to be in close contact with other children (unless siblings), this involves touching and celebrating (hugging). It is important your child knows the camp expectations, so they do not feel uneasy when attending. The aim is for us all to work together to stop the spread of germs and therefore it is important to remind your child the correct hygiene procedures. We also ask that your child wears a clean pair of clothes every day and they wash regularly before attending camp each day.
TA Sport Stars Coaches
TA Sport Stars coaches and volunteers attending all camps have been trained with the protocol and procedures that take place on camp. There have also been excessive training and “Prevent Covid-19” courses and “spread of germs” courses that have been completed. Any external visitors will liaise with Managing Director Mr Tom Austin and therefore be in regular contact to ensure the safety and well-being of children. After each session has taken place, the equipment will be cleaned ready for the next bubble group. Unfortunately, our “Star Days” are limited due to Covid-19 but we hope to add as much as we can to camps as time goes on.
Camp attendance
We have made the decision to limit camp numbers for both camps whilst we undergo Covid-19. There is nothing more we would love than to see exceptional numbers on camp but unfortunately due to the current pandemic we need to keep numbers sensible and manageable. Any children who live with anyone classed as vulnerable and have been asked to shield should not attend camp unless government guidelines are updated before Camp is due to begin. We also feel children with severe asthma or weak immune systems stay at home unless there are updates with government guidelines.
PHE Cascade Diagram
TA Sport Stars will be using this protocol for camp and implementing the system in place. We will also have a copy of the diagram for South East of England on show. With the experience of working in a school environment as a Sports Coordinator and Teaching Assistant Mr Tom Austin understands the procedure and how things need to operate, which has been passed on to all TA Sport Stars staff.
Medical Space
A designated first aid gazebo will be on the field which will act as the medical space or a classroom in the school. In this will be available first aid kits and an area for children to be if developing symptoms and need to be collected immediately. If the area is in use the second area will be another designated classroom (highly unlikely). The child who has developed symptoms parents/carers will be notified immediately and collected from camp to therefore self-isolate. The children in the child’s bubble group’s parents and carers will then be notified straight away following correct PHE protocol.
TA Sport Stars Clubs
All clubs have been tweaked to adhere to Government guidelines within the Covid-19 times we see ourselves in. Discussions have continually taken place between the Schools and TA Sport Stars to ensure everyone is on the same page in terms of club management. The aim is to still allow children the opportunity to enjoy sport at a time when it is very much needed. By forming bubble groups, we can help with track and trace systems and determine which children/staff may need to isolate in the event of a Covid-19 outbreak. All clubs will operate on a smaller scale with year groups joining for example years 1 and 2, 3 and 4 and 5 and 6. This will therefore from one bubble after school Monday-Friday for an hour. Lunchtime clubs will operate as per year group and soccer schools will be a mixed group. Procedures will be firmly in place regarding hand washing, sanitising and temperature checks at every class, plus a mask and gloves to be worn when in the event of a first aid incident. One thing is for sure we wish to allow children the opportunity to continue playing the sport they love whilst at the same time maintaining a safe and secure environment.
TA Sport Stars Final Statement
The decision to attend sports camp is solely your responsibility and if you feel attending will be too much of a risk for your child then please do not book. Although safety measures and procedures will be in place to do everything, we cannot prevent or stop any chance of Coronavirus spreading. Over the last few months, we have put together strategies that we feel can work to run a fun and exciting camp for children given the current circumstances. This was shown by being able to run a successful Summer camp for six weeks and October camp in two venues and high praise from educational workers (Headteachers, Deputy Headteachers and school staff members) plus parents/carers who felt their child/ren was in safe hands.
As a company we are Ofsted Registered which means we can continue to operate as wraparound childcare.
If you wish to contact Tom Austin about the policy, please contact me on any of the following;