Updates to our working practices due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
First and foremost we hope you are safe and well.
We want to let all our customers know what we will be doing in the coming months now that it has been advised that ‘some’ children will be returning to school and nursery settings. We have been eagerly awaiting an announcement from the government about when schools will re-open and to what extent, and on Sunday we all got that information. Reception, Year 1 and year 6 to start with, and an eagerness to get children back in nurseries.
We have to be mindful that our presence is not necessarily something that all/many schools and nurseries will welcome, especially when there has so much turmoil for the students already.
With this is mind we have put together a list of options available to your school and nursery as listed below for the coming summer months.
Information for our School customers
1. Year 6 leavers A4
The A4 Fold which contains images of each child in year 6 with a panel in the middle to write messages and notes to each other. There would also normally be a group photograph, but this will not be possible under the current social distancing measures this year. This can be done using the images from Autumn 2019 or some schools have said it may be fun for the student to take the images to be sent over to us, which we think would make a great leavers gift! We have created a fun video tutorial to help kids take their own photos here
2. Leavers Autograph books
We have been producing these for many years and they are much loved by all our schools and the students that receive them. This year we will be able to produce a small number of them which will be charged at £5 + VAT to the school. We can only produce these as a full class or year set.
3. Leavers Hoodies from £17.50+VAT
Leavers Polos from £10+VAT
Leavers Mugs from £5+VAT
Information for our Nursery customers
We expect to be able to shoot in nurseries and pre-schools in the summer term and into August. As numbers in nurseries may be quite varied from the norm we will require a minimum of 25 children to attend. We will also need to put certain specific safety measures in place.
These small measures will help our photographers keep a good social distance and ensure that the only contact is with the key worker. Keeping everyone safe.
Our working practices will be updated for the autumn shooting season based on guidance received and our continued progress out of the pandemic.
Health and Safety for our staff, your staff and the children.
This is clearly front and centre for us all and as I am sure you will agree, we do not feel we can be too careful at this time. These are just a few of the measures we are adopting for the safety of everyone we come into contact with.
- We are able to maintain social distancing at our head offices in all areas.
- All staff will be temperature checked on entering the premises each day.
- Hand washing will be required as entering the building, as will cleaning workstations on arrival and when leaving.
- Photographers will be required to keep 2m from each student.
- Photographers must wear face masks if travelling in the same vehicle, but this should be avoided where possible.
- Washing hands on arrival at a setting.
- Cleaning of all equipment on arrival and departure from a setting.
- No physical contact with student.
Some questions you may have, please contact us if you have more.
Qu. We really would like you to come to school and take the images in summer term of all the year groups that are in?
A. OK that’s not a problem, we will not be taking groups, however we will take outdoor portraits and create a panel of all the students in that class or year with a special rainbow themed background. We will also create the same panels for the absent year groups and request that the access code be passed to all parents via text message or email.
Qu. Can you produce panels from 2019 of each year group?
A. Yes this is not a problem at all, we will again use a rainbow themed background as an expression of the extraordinary time we are living in at present.
Qu. If people wish to place orders how will they do that?
A. We have seen a sizable change in the way people are spending money, and the negative aspects to cash handling have been thrown into the spotlight. As such we will be taking orders online and over the phone from here on.
The stats. Prior to the C-19 pandemic we saw only 14% of orders coming in cash and cheque which saw us travel an additional 7000 miles per year to make collections from school offices.
Qu. What about delivery?
A. We believe this should be done as home delivery only, but happy to deliver any orders to school should you wish
Qu. How do we send images securely to you for the leavers products or panels?
A. We recommend a system called wetransfer.com which is secure
Qu. School wants to buy a leavers gift to remember their time at the school, what suggestions have you got for us?
A. We can supply, leavers autograph books, Leavers hoodies or sweatshirts, leavers polo shirts, 18×8 leavers panels, mugs and more. Please contact Kevin kevin@jssp.co.uk to discuss your requirements
We have clearly had to cancel many shoots over the last few months and no doubt we will there will be many more. Either myself or a member of my friendly team will be in touch in the coming weeks to ask if there is anything we can help you with regarding anything mentioned here.
Thank you taking the time to read and I look forward to speaking to you soon.
Kind Regards
Steven Deverill
JS Photography
