POPPIES Day Nursery in Knutsford is looking forward to welcoming children back tomorrow (Tuesday).

The nursery in Sugar Pit Lane opened today (Monday), and is expecting six children to return this week, with the numbers increasing over the next few weeks.

Poppies Day Nursery is part of the Elmscot Group, and Rachael Lyons, group operations manager, said a plan had been sent to parents explaining how the nursery would reopen.

She said: “The feedback we are getting from parents is that the children are missing their friends and want to see them, so they will be so pleased when they come back.

“There are a few parents who are understandably nervous, but the majority are positive about their children coming back.

“Everyone is doing what’s right for their family and what suits them; some are waiting to see what happens with the R number, and by July most will be back.

“We have done a risk assessment and have followed all the guidelines and put everything in place.”

No-one can attend if they have coronavirus symptoms, and parents will drop their children off at the front door, instead of coming into the building.

She said children would be able to play with each other as the government guidelines were not expecting children to be able to social distance, and there would a lot of access to outside play.

Rachael added: “We have sanitiser so when the children come in they can sanitise their hands, and have access to sinks so they are washing their hands regularly.

“We are also cleaning and sanitising all the surfaces more than we would normally do and have removed the soft furnishings.”

The Elmscot Group offers eight day nurseries, and nursery owner Dee McKenzie said: “Its’s been 10 weeks since lockdown, and it’s been an absolute rollercoaster of the most rewarding and the most testing of times.

“We have missed you all, and are looking forward to seeing you all returning over the next few weeks.”