Bubbles – Best practice guidance for grouping staff and children during COVID-19 in

setting based provision

Organising small groups or ‘bubbles’ of children and staff are a central part of the governments reopening
guidance. Bubbles work as a protective measure to help reduce potential transmission of COVID-19 by
keeping the same children and the same staff together. Bubbles should ideally have up to 8 children and no
more than 16 children in each group.

Spotlight on… operating bubbles to reduce transmission

Reducing the spread is essential so decisions should be made with this at the forefront. It is vital that the
safety of staff and children are prioritised. It is best practice to limit the size of the bubbles as much as
possible. The larger the bubble becomes the more risky it becomes. Establishing small bubbles will help in
the management of any cases of a positive COVID-19 result within your provision and may prevent a whole
setting having to isolate and close.

Consider the following points to ensure the safest possible return for children and staff:
 Look at children’s attendance and group bubbles accordingly - this may mean having to change
children’s days or limit their intake by capping numbers. Think about how you prioritise returning
children to manage numbers and parent expectations should you need to, for example, Priority
group 1 is vulnerable children and children of critical workers, Priority group 2 is school leavers,
Priority group 3 is siblings of school leavers who have parents returning to work, Priority group 4 is
all other funded children, Priority group 5 is all other younger children.
 Give consideration to existing floor space requirements when planning your areas and group sizes.
The groupings of 8-16 do not override EYFS statutory guidance for use of space. Plan to set up
spaces so that children do not have to share resources. In cases where resources have to be shared,
such as within outdoor areas, they must be cleaned between uses.
 Think about how best to use your staff team based on their qualification levels and skill set.
 Consider mixed age groups known as ‘vertical groupings’ to allow siblings or staff and their own
child attending the setting to be in the same bubble. This would support their wellbeing and also
acts as another protective measure for reducing the spread.
 For bubbles that have to operate within a shared space, for example, two groups of eight children
within a hall, try to use furniture to create a divide or barriers with a gap in between where possible
to stop children reaching over and touching shared surfaces. Toilets and sinks may have to be
visually split e.g. for bubbles A and B. By splitting the maximum of 16 in to two bubbles you reduce
the potential for further transmission.
 Maximise the use of outdoor spaces as much as possible keeping groups of staff and children away
from other groups. This is easiest in settings where outdoor areas can be designated for use by
specific bubbles. Staff can take small groups of children to public outdoor spaces, provided that a
risk assessment demonstrates that social distancing can and will be adhered to. This must be in line
with wider government guidelines on the number of people that can meet in outdoor spaces.
 Factor in staff ratios adhering to the guidance on child to adult ratio as set out in the Early Years
Foundation Stage statutory framework and the subsequent disapplication guidance for the period
of coronavirus.
  Find ways to minimise crossover of staff working part time hours. There may need to be a change
to normal shift patterns to reduce commutes and changing staff throughout the day. Bubbles
should contain the same members of staff where possible. Think carefully about how many other
people staff and children are exposed to throughout the course of a week and minimise this as
much as possible.
 Organise mealtimes so that bubbles do not mix. Mealtimes could be held in rooms/outdoors or
staggered to keep bubbles together.
 Seek to reduce any staff mixing with more than one bubble. Careful consideration should be given
to lunch times to facilitate staff breaks without potential transmission across groups.
 Ensure children’s needs are met and additional daily cleaning schedules can be implemented to
keep the bubble as safe as possible.
 Plan for bubbles to use the same area of a setting throughout the day as much as possible.
 Ensure that the sharing of resources and toys are reduced between bubbles.
 Organise space so that any necessary transitory contact is significantly reduced and as brief as
possible. Shared corridors could be marked with flow of travel or one way systems introduced.
 Identify children who access more than one provision and advise the parent they will need to
attend one early years setting at this moment in time to minimise exposure.
 Organise areas for staff breaks that promote social distancing. Seating could be positioned
outdoors and staff given access to a sheltered area as a permanent or temporary structure.
 Minimise as much as possible any changes to bubbles over the course of the day, however, if
needed, additional children can be added to the afternoon for sessional care.
 Consider children that would usually be due to ‘move up’ to the next group. Ideally children should
remain in their allocated bubbles during COVID-19 and as always you should provide sufficient
stimulation and challenge. It may mean adapting your provision to meet the child’s emerging needs
rather than moving them up. Speak to parents to find out their wishes ensuring you explain the
risks of moving up to a wider grouping so they understand the child would be with more children.
Balance the risk of moving the child alongside their wellbeing. If agreed that the best option is for
the child to transfer to an older age group, plan to do this immediately on their return to the
setting. Only if absolutely necessary should children move bubbles once they have started. If
deemed essential to move the child plan to do this on a new week allowing the weekend to act as a
time lapse. This may mean planning to move children earlier or later than scheduled or in some
cases not at all.
 Create daily registers for each bubble of all staff and children so that information is readily available
should you need to respond to a scenario in which one person in the group develops symptoms.

Want to know more?

Guidance on infection prevention and control
 Implementing protective measures in education and childcare settings
 Safe working in education, childcare and children’s social care settings
 Planning guide for early years and childcare settings

Other relevant guidance

 Actions for education and childcare settings to prepare for wider opening from 1 June 2020
 Actions for early years and childcare providers during the coronavirus outbreak
 Supporting vulnerable children and young people
 Guidance on the Early years foundation stage (EYFS) disapplications
 Ofsted’s response to coronavirus (COVID-19)
 National Children’s Bureau Question and answers - Implementing protective measures in early
years settings