Part of the over-reaching principles of the Early Years Foundation Stage is that it is important that we expect our children to learn to be resilient, capable, confident, and self-assured.  To achieve this, we endeavour to provide a challenging environment where children are encouraged to take risks and explore.  It is important this is carried out in a safe, meaningful, and measured way to minimise the risk of accidents.  
 
As part of our commitment to ensuring the children are kept as safe as possible all our staff are first aid trained, specialising in paediatric first aid.  The staff refresh their training every three years, which complies with Ofsted requirements.
 
Our first aid boxes are readily accessible, regularly checked, and the findings recorded.  We check the contents of the boxes are within the ‘best before’ date, ensuring our supplies are sterile.  We replenish used supplies with stock suitable for use on children.
 
Broken toys and equipment are removed immediately on discovery and repaired or thrown away.  We encourage all our children, parents, carers, and visitors to inform us if they see any potential hazards.
 
Risk assessments, for all areas of pre-school, are carried out daily.  This helps us to avoid accidents, injury, or harm, caused by damage, faulty facilities and/or equipment, any items left by other hall users, or in the case of the garden, animals.
 
Running is not allowed in the hall, except in exceptional circumstances when we cordon off a specific area to prevent the children colliding with each other, and to avoid tripping.
 
At St. Paulinus Pre-School we endeavour to provide a safe environment for children to develop and grow.  This can mean allowing children to challenge themselves and they may experience measured risks.  Whilst we do everything we can to minimise these risks accident can, and do, happen.  All our staff are paediatric first aid trained and will follow the training they have given in the event of a child being injured.  All staff are required to attend, and pass, a first aid course relevant for work with children, every 3 years
 
MINOR ACCIDENTS

• Calm the child/staff member, assess the injury, and ensure any hazard that caused the accident no longer presents a risk

• Treat the chid/staff member appropriately, protective clothing MUST be worn in cases involving body fluids.

• Seek advice if the condition or injury does not improve or worsen.

• Contact the parents/carers in all cases of head injury.

• When the child/staff member is treated and settled, monitor their condition.

• Complete an accident report form, copy, give the parents/carers a copy, and ask them to sign the original form to confirm they have a copy.

• Forms for incidents involving staff members should, where possible, be completed by the injured staff member.Accident f

 
MAJOR ACCIDENTS
The staff member witnessing the accident will immediately call for assistance, they will treat the child/staff member/visitor and ask a member of staff to call an ambulance.  The staff member must report back to the first aider when this is done and inform them what was said.  The manager should then be informed.
 
The other adults present will ensure the safety and well-being of the other children.
 
The child’s/staff member’s file will be accessed and the parent/carer, or emergency contact, will be contacted, and the situation explained, including any information supplied by the emergency services.  The manager will be informed when this is done.
 
Should the child/staff member/visitor be taken to hospital they will be accompanied by a senior member of staff, who will stay with them until their parent/carer/emergency contact is present and all the relevant information conveyed.

• A report will be written at the earliest opportunity, including statements from all witnesses.

• Ofsted will be informed as soon as possible and not less than 14 days of the accident occurring.

• Bexley Local Safeguarding Partnership, SHIELD, will be informed and any advice they offer will be followed.

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Last Review:- September 2025

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