Dear Parents and Carers

Ripley Nursery School – Response to plan to reopen schools from June 1^st 2020 following government guidance.

We are currently working with government guidance to extend our provision and implement safe learning environments for increased numbers of children and staff onsite. We have been contacting  you to determine if you would like or need a place in school should we reopen from 1^st June 2020.

There is no expectation that you must accept a place. Due to the continued necessity to put enhanced cleaning and social distancing measures in place we will not be able to open for all children following their normal attendance patterns.  We understand that not all families will wish to return to school this term.

We plan to restrict social contact to a small number of children in order to protect them and the staff they work with. Please appreciate we cannot enforce social distancing with 0 – 4 year olds and therefore if you or a member of your household requires shielding or falls into the clinically extremely vulnerable category then your child must not come to school.

Organisation of school and learning

We plan to offer four class bubbles with up to ten children with two members of staff in each; these classes will not be able to mix with other groups of children and staff cannot work across classes.

The school will be divided into four distinct learning bubbles; children will only have access to their learning bubble during the summer term. We will ensure that within that learning bubble children will have access to both indoor and outdoor provision. If children are not able to work within their class bubble then we are currently unable to safely provide onsite education for them.

We will continue to provide online learning activities through our facebook page and school website for children remaining at home.

We will offer full day places only and these will be shared out according to demand however we have been directed to prioritise key groups in school, including the children of critical workers.

School meals

Children will have cooked lunches within their learning bubbles with a designated lunch supervisor, please telephone school to check your eligibility for free school meals. School lunches cost £2.10 per day. Annabel Martin will update your parentpay accounts.

Access to school.

Unfortunately parents will not be allowed to come into school. All the measures we are putting in place are concerned with keeping our school population of staff and children as safe as possible.

We will stagger opening and closing times for classes to support social distancing guidance and have three entry points into school.  

Greeting staff will take children in at these three points; helping children to change shoes into slippers and clean their hands.

We ask parents to keep to these simple rules on drop off and collection;

1. Please be prompt and keep to your allocated times to arrive and pick up your child/children.
2. Ensure children have been to the toilet before they leave home.
3. Only one parent to accompany and pick up.
4. Keep yourself and your child 2 metres away from your neighbour as you queue.
5. Take any prams or buggys home with you as all available storage is reserved for our youngest children within childcare.
6. Ensure your child has a pair of slippers to wear in school.
7. Please leave the site promptly as there will be other parents waiting to safely drop off or pick up.
8. After leaving school please bathe your child and change their clothes.  Children will need to arrive at school in a fresh set of clothes each day.
9. We cannot accept bags into school but can store them on trolleys outside each base.
10. If you have questions or queries for staff please call 01773 745014 or email kerry.hartwell@ripley-nur.derbyshire.sch.uk  and she will answer your query. Apologies as we will be busy supporting children and will not have time to talk to you in person.

We have extremely limited before and afterschool club space only for children of our critical workers as we are unable to mix staff and children from different classes. We cannot guarantee that your child will be with their friends if you need to access this limited service.

Please ensure you have informed Kerry Hartwell, Annabel Martin or myself via telephone or email if your child requires any new medication.

Updated Administering Medicines Policy; if a child has been prescribed a new medication they must initially take it at home with you for the first 48 hours and if there are no side effects then we agree to administer the medication in school.

What happens if a child or member of staff is ill?

You must not come to school if you, your child or anyone in your household  presents with covid 19 symptoms; cough, temperature or is feeling generally unwell.  

If anyone becomes ill with symptoms of the virus and tests positive for covid 19 at school then the whole class bubble of children, including the teaching staff will have to self-isolate for 14 days. Staff, children and their families will have access to covid 19 testing if they present with symptoms.

Staff and pupil safety

We need parents to continue to follow the social distancing guidelines and do everything they can to ensure that children are not mixing socially outside school. This includes not mixing as you arrive and leave school.

If parents flout the social distance rules we will initially suspend the school place, if further instances occur we reserve the right to remove the school place. Our primary purpose is to keep our children and staff safe during this difficult time.

Good hygiene rules

Thorough handwashing is one of the easiest and most practical way to limit transmission of this virus so please help by reinforcing good hygiene rules at home; ensuring children wash their hands before and after eating, after using the toilet and after blowing or wiping their nose.

Please apply factor 50 sunscreen each morning before your child attends school. If your child needs their own sunscreen please label with child’s name and hand into greeting staff.

All of these measures may seem extreme to some, however for the past 8 weeks the majority of the staff have been working on a rota basis with key children in school and have adjusted to these systems of working to keep themselves, children and families safe. We have had no known cases of children or staff with covid 19 and we want to continue to stay safe as we move into this next phrase of lockdown.

Care and Nurture

Many of you will be anxious and worried about your child returning to school and I hope that our preparation and new ways of working will help allievate some of that anxiety. Whilst we need to do everything to remain practically safe, including increasing cleaning schedules throughout the school day, we have not lost sight of the age and stage of your children and their need for warm and positive relationships with friendly and welcoming staff.

We miss all of you very much and no one expected that we would end the summer term at Ripley Nursery School in this way. We are pleased that so many of you have shared your learning lockdown experiences either on our Facebook page or through sending emails and photographs to your keyworkers. Through our discussions with you regarding your child’s next steps in their learning we know how much wonderful support you have given your children during this difficult time. Our role is to continue to work with you all, either as you return to school under this new system or remotely at home, as educators together in your child’s learning journey.

Kind regards,

C.L.Bednal

Cathy Bednal, Head Teacher and all the staff of Ripley Nursery School.

Melissa Eggleston

Melissa Eggleston, Chair of Governors of Ripley Nursery School