Exclusion
Rainbow operate a strict exclusion policy in relation to all staff, volunteers and children who have encountered an infectious disease. Both staff and children must stay away from nursery for the minimum periods set out in the table below for each infectious disease.
The reason for these is exclusion is to help to isolate the infection and prevent others from contracting it and risking an outbreak throughout the nursery, it is also appropriate that people who have been sick take adequate amounts of time to recuperate and regain their strength and bring their immune system back to a strong level.
If children are unwell and have visited a doctor who has prescribed or given medication for an illness, sickness, infection or other reason, then children must stay off of nursery for a minimum of 24 hours after beginning or taking the medication, this includes antibiotics. However, children may need to stay off for longer, depending on the specific condition. The table below sets out these minimum periods.
| Infectious Disease | Exclusion rules |
| Athletes Foot | Do not exclude – recommend visit to pharmacy for treatment |
| Chicken pox | For 5 days from onset of rash. |
| COVID | For 5 days of positive test |
| Diarrhoea and/or vomiting | For 48 hours from last episode of diarrhoea or vomiting (ie the 48 hour rule applies). |
| E.coli O157 | Exclusion is important for some children. Consult the HPU. |
| Flu. | Until recovered |
| Food poisoning
|
Until free of symptoms (diarrhoea and/or vomiting) for 48 hours. |
| Hand, Foot and Mouth | 7 – 10 days, after fever has past and child feels well |
| Hepatitis A, | For 5 days from onset of jaundice for children under five |
| Herpes Simplex (Cold sores) | Do not exclude. Avoid contact with the sore/s |
| Impetigo | Until lesions are crusted or healed. |
| Measles. | For 5 days from onset of rash |
| Molluscum Contagiousum | Do not exclude (a self-limiting condition) |
| Mumps | For 5 days from onset of swollen glands. |
| Ringworm | Do not exclude but ensure treatment is commenced as prescribed by a GP. |
| Roseola (infantum) | Do not exclude |
| Rubella | For 6 days from onset of rash. |
| Scabies | Child can return after first treatment has commenced. |
| Scarlet Fever | For children who do NOT start antibiotics – exclusion for 3 full weeks from onset
For children who take antibiotics (recommended) 48 hours after starting antibiotics (from 1st dose) |
| Shigella (dysentery) | Exclusion may be necessary. Consult the HPU. |
| Shingles | Exclude only if rash is weeping, and exclude until weeping has ceased |
| Tuberculosis | For two weeks after treatment has started. HPU will advise on action. |
| Typhoid (and paratyphoid) | Exclusion is important for some children. Always consult with HPU. |
| Warts and verruca | Do not exclude. Must be covered if shoes off. |
| Whooping Cough | For 5 days from commencing antibiotic treatment. (Longer if antibiotics not started early). |
| Cryptosporidiosis | Exclude for 48 hours after the last episode of diarrhoea |
| Conjunctivitis | Until eyes have stopped discharging |
| Diphyheria | Exclude immediately and all members of family – contact HPU and undertake contact trace |
| Glandular fever | Until recovered |
| Head lice | Exclude until there are no live lice, treatment is required only where live headlice have been found |
| Meningitutis | Until recovered |
| MRSA | Do not exclude |
| Threadworm | Treatment required for affected child and family members. Exclude for 24 hours after first treatment is given |
These exclusion guidelines have come from the Health Protection Agency document; Guidance on infection control in schools and other childcare settings
Any staff or parents who do not abide by the exclusion rules stated above or comply with exclusion requests from the management team, may be subject to disciplinary action or risk loosing their place at the nursery.
Please note, that no doctor’s letter or statements from other websites, agencies or authorities will override our Rainbow Policies. The regulations set out in this policy provide the minimum exclusion periods we require when a child is sick or has an infection, or has started medication. This is our standard. No individual staff at Rainbow are authorised to override this policy.
Children with a high temperature
Children who experience a raised temperature (eg – over 37.4) must be excluded from nursery for a minimum of 48 hours AFTER the temperature has returned to normal. This may mean your child stays off of nursery after they appear ‘well enough’ to attend.
Clarification on exclusion periods
Whilst the exclusion periods are usually expressed as hours (eg – 24 hours, 48 hours etc)… to clarify children cannot return to nursery part-way through a nursery day. If for example their exclusion period expires at 12 lunchtime, they may not attend nursery for they afternoon, they need to wait until the next nursery day to attend.
After beginning antibiotics or any other medication given by a doctor, children must stay off gan for a full gan day (over 24 hours after starting the medication).
Children who have been given medication at home
Parents who have given children medication at home must always inform staff. This could be for any reason, or any type of medication. This includes antibiotics, prescribed and non-prescribed medication. In addition, any children who have been given medication designed to mask pain or temperature, such as Acamol, Neurofen, Novimol cannot attend nursery at all that day. This is regardless of the reason for giving such medication.