Anne Marie McConway on Fresh Air, Fresh Start: Health in EY Settings

‘We don’t let children drink dirty water, so why are we letting them breathe dirty air?’

Anne Marie McConway spent 9 years working in primary schools as a class teacher. After completing her Masters in Education, she moved into Higher Education teaching, where, since 2017, she has taught the Early Childhood Development and Learning Undergraduate degree at CU Coventry.

Anne Marie has also worked with Coventry University ITT trainees, authored online PGCE Primary course content for the Future Learn platform, spoken at the NITE annual conference and she also works for The Skills Network, delivering their Early Childhood online courses.

Anne Marie works with the Long Covid Kids charity, advocating for improving indoor air quality and raising awareness of the ongoing impact of Covid on children.

In this enlightening session, Anne Marie reveals the importance of indoor air quality for children’s health and development. She shares practical advice on how to monitor and improve air quality in your setting, explaining the significant benefits this can have for both children and staff, particularly in preventing airborne diseases and supporting those with long Covid symptoms.

In this episode you’ll:

• Discover why indoor air quality matters and how poor air quality affects children’s health, learning and development
• Learn how to use CO2 monitors to assess your setting’s air quality and practical steps to improve ventilation
• Understand the link between indoor air quality and children’s attendance, cognitive function and respiratory health
• Find out about the historical perspective on fresh air from pioneers like the Macmillan sisters and Florence Nightingale
• Gain insight into long Covid in children, its symptoms and how to create more inclusive environments for clinically vulnerable children

Watch this essential episode to learn simple, practical steps you can take today to create healthier environments where both children and staff can thrive.

Episode Links:

https://linktr.ee/annemariemcconway

https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-mcconway-30665b161

The Green Party Clean Air/Covid/Long Covid policy flatpack:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jUO-FvcPUM0FsDj2aS7AKb537JZ7OtoX/edit

Long Covid Kids website with educational resources:
https://www.longcovidkids.org/

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-protection-in-schools-and-other-childcare-facilities/preventing-and-controlling-infections

A totally brilliant video from Prof Cath Noakes: https://youtu.be/Cgo17M6bBdU?si=gq0LmmqQzPzV9rsK

Air Filter websites

Clean Air Stars https://cleanairstars.com/

House Fresh https://housefresh.com/

SAMHE website advice https://samhe.org.uk/resources/air-cleaning-devices#hepa-filter