Nursery World - Survey highlights impact of Covid self-isolation policy on nursery closures

A quarter of nurseries (25 per cent) in England, Wales and Scotland had to partially close between March and May, according to a survey by the National Day Nurseries Association and the Education Policy Institute.

The survey found that between March and May, 25 per cent of settings had to close due to children or staff isolating, or lack of demand PHOTO Adobe Stock

A further 12 per cent were forced to fully close.

Combined, this means that nearly four in ten settings (37 per cent) faced closures over the three month period.

The findings are taken from the NDNA and EPI's fourth and final survey of their year-long research project examining the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the sector. A total of 344 settings took part in the survey.

When asked why they had to close, the majority of settings (53 per cent) said it was due to staff members or children having to isolate after coming into contact with a positive coronavirus case. A further 15 per cent cited insufficient demand for places.

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