Home and School Agreement during the Current

Covid19 Pandemic

As a school we will:

• Ensure that all staff are fully aware of the School Risk Assessment and are adhering to the requirements stated within the document.
• Ensure that surfaces and resources are regularly sanitized.
• Ensure that staff regularly wash and sanitize their own hands during time in school
• Ensure that children regularly wash and sanitize their hands during their time in school
• Ensure children and staff are only exposed to the same children, adults and environments during their time in school (small bubbles), thus limiting potential cross contamination of the virus.
• Always adhere to the ethos of care and compassion which underpins our values and practice.
• Ensure that children spend as much time outside as is possible during all sessions.
• Maintain a social distance from each other whilst in school, ensuring that no cross contamination between working teams can occur.
• Wear PPE when changing children in school and when working in one to one situations.
• Support children with any signs of anxiety and concern concerned with the present situation, or any other issue.
• Support parents and family members with the regulations and offer emotional support as appropriate
• Ensure that parents are aware of the fact that children displaying any symptoms of COVID 19 should be kept off school and that if symptoms manifest during a session, we will adhere to Public Health England advice.
• Ensure that all staff and child illnesses are reported to the Headteacher and Senior staff.

As Parents/Carers we will:

• Only have one adult from the family to enter the school grounds for pick up and drop off of your child.
• Keep a 2m distance from any other person/s at all times.
• Keep to the one way drop off and pick up system in place.
• Ensure my child is wearing sun cream – please supply named sun cream if it will need re-applying during the course of the session.
• Ring nursery to inform them if my child is not attending a designated session.
• Not send my child to school if they are feeling unwell in any form and/or have a temperature.
• Inform school if any members of the family have suspected or confirmed Covid19 symptoms.
• Work with the school and follow their guidance if there is an outbreak of Covid 19 within the school community.
• Maintain current social distance guidance at all times to keep yourselves and all of us safe.

Signed: C. L.Bednal  Headteacher of Ripley Nursery School and Ripley Nursery School childcare

Signed __________________________________

Parent/Carer of ____________________________

Dear Parents and Carers,

This morning we introduced the new system of coming into school using two separate entrances and staggered start and end times of the day. We also opened our school up to a few more families in line with the current government guidance. The children, with staff support and encouragement, have all adapted brilliantly to a different working arrangement within school as they work within their class bubbles.

We have allocated spaces for other children to come back into school during this term and you and your children may begin to see some old friends as the weeks go by. As a remainder for children coming back into school; we are asking you to socially distance on arrival, to use allocated entrances and arrive on site promptly, to only attend school if you are well and to stay at home and seek medical advice if you or anyone within your household present with any symptoms of Covid 19. We will ask permission to take your temperature each day on arrival.

These are the new entrances, start times and greeters to help you and your child access our school;

Breakfast club and after school club children will all join Squirrels base for the next 7 weeks

If you require any further information please call school on 01773 745014 or email kerry.hartwell@ripley-nur.derbyshire.sch.uk.

We have produced a Home-School agreement to use at this time to ensure school remains a safe place for staff and children. Please read through the before you attend school as we will ask you to sign a copy on arrival.

Many thanks,

Cathy Bednal

Dear Parents and Carers

Update on planning to reopen schools from June 1st 2020 in Derbyshire.

We have recently received noification from Derbyshire County Council (DCC) to say that whilst DCC supports the government in its ambition to open up school safely the guidance received from the Department of Education, “has not always been consistent or clear on key aspects and this has created some issues for schools and the council”.

The Department of Education has always stipulated that children of keyworkers and those who are vulnerable are key priority and this remains the case. From 1st June 2020 we have been directed to increase provision for those two groups of children.

So, what does this mean for us at Ripley Nursery School? We have already spoken to many parents about their need or wish for a school place from 1st June, however if you and your family do not fall into the keyworker or vulnerable categories then we are unable to offer you a place at this current time. We await further guidance from the Department of Education and DCC and will keep you up to date with any further changes ASAP.

Please see statement from Councillor Alex Dale below.

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

Statement from Councillor Alex Dale, Cabinet Member for Young people at Derbyshire County Council – 22 May 2020

“We support the Government in its ambition to see schools opened up to more pupils as soon as it is sufficiently safe to do. To do this we’ve been working flat out to support schools in interpreting the guidance and planning to admit the target year groups announced by the Prime Minister on 10 May.

“This is an incredibly complicated issue to work through. Unfortunately, the guidance so far issued by the Department for Education has not always been entirely consistent or clear on some key aspects and this has created some issues for schools and the council.

“Due to the challenges that we’re having to work through with schools, it is clear now that many primary schools in Derbyshire will not be able to admit the additional year groups (reception, year one and year six) that the Government had envisaged by 1 June. This is because the latest advice from the Government is that children need to be 2m apart in classrooms, and that it is not safe to rota children through the week and more time is needed to work through these issues.

“The Department for Education have been absolutely clear with us that the priority remains the children of key workers and those who are vulnerable. In turn we’ve made clear to all schools that from 1 June their first priority should be aiming to increase the number of children from these groups.

“Then we have advised that they should also continue to plan for how they might accommodate children from the other key year groups (reception, year one, year six, year 10 and year 12).

“Every school in Derbyshire is different and their approaches to offering more places back in classrooms for our children and young people will vary.

“If schools do admit children on 1 June from the key year groups they will need to make sure they have the room to do this safely.

“We hope that secondary schools will be able to offer some face to face learning for year 10 and year 12 students, due to the greater flexibility they have in terms of space.

“We will continue working with schools to identify when they will be able to admit whole-year groups in the coming weeks, although for many of our schools this will still be challenging.

“I want to thank headteachers, school employees and governors who have worked extremely hard over recent weeks as they plan for 1 June. I’d also like to thank parents and carers in advance for bearing with us and their local schools while we continue to work very hard to get more children back to school as soon as possible".

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

Dear Parents and Carers,

We are currently waiting for more information from the government following the announcement on Sunday 10th May 2020 regarding the possible reopening of schools from 1st June 2020.

We do not yet know what this will mean for our school.

We do know that every decision we make will be based on maintaining the safety of our children and our staff.

We will continue to stay in touch with all our families through the School App,email, telephone calls and our Facebook page. 

We continue to be open in a limited capacity for the children of critical workers.

Thank you all for your lovely comments, wonderful photographs of home learning and for following the social distancing and good hygiene rules to keep our community safe. 

Cathy Bednal, Head Teacher of Ripley Nursery School & Childcare.

Dear Parents and Carers,

Due to the unprecedented current circumstances all schools and early years providers in England will close from today for the foreseeable future.

We will miss each and every one of our families but understand the first priority of our country is to keep the most vulnerable within our population safe from COVID-19.

We will endeavour to stay in touch with you through email, telephone and social media until we can resume service as usual. We are hopeful that we will see you all again during in the summer term and we will have a party to say goodbye to all our leavers of 2020.

The second priority is to keep our country running including all health and emergency services and all logistics including food and utility services. Ripley Nursery School and the Childcare provision will provide a reduced facility to support as long as it is safe for staff and children to do so.

The Government have released a list of those classed as Key Workers. However if your role within the sectors listed is NOT directly related to the COVID-19 response it does not apply. If you are unsure you will need to check with your employer. Please also be aware that the government has stated that wherever possible children should be kept at home and that,

“Schools are being asked to continue to provide care for a limited number of children - children who are vulnerable and children whose parents are critical to the Covid-19 response and cannot be safely cared for at home.”

Schools are also being asked to limit their emergency places to 20% of the school population.

Key workers:

Health and social care - to include doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers, care workers, and other frontline health and social care staff including volunteers; the support and specialist staff required to maintain the UK’s health and social care sector; those working as part of the health and social care supply chain, including producers and distributers of medicines and medical and personal protective equipment.

Education and childcare - to include nursery and teaching staff, social workers and specialist education professionals.

Key public services - to include those essential to the running of the justice system, religious staff, charities and workers delivering key frontline services, those responsible for the management of the deceased, and journalists and broadcasters who are providing public service broadcasting.

Local and national government - to only includee those administrative occupations essential to the effective delivery of the COVID-19 response or delivering essential public services such as the payment of benefits, including in government agencies and arms length bodies.

Food and other necessary goods - includes those involved in food production, processing, distribution, sale and delivery as well as those essential to the provision of other key goods (for example hygienic and veterinary medicines).

Public safety and national security - includes police and support staff, Ministry of Defence civilians, contractor and armed forces personnel, fire and rescue service employees (including support staff), National Crime Agency staff, those maintaining border security, prison and probation staff and other national security roles, including those overseas.

Transport - includes those who will keep the air, water, road and rail passenger and freight transport modes operating, including those working on transport systems through which supply chains pass.

Utilities, communication and financial services - includes staff needed for essential financial services provision ie workers in banks, building societies and financial market infrastructure, the oil, gas, electricity and water sectors (including sewerage), information technology and data infrastructure sector and primary industry supplies, as well as key staff working in the civil nuclear, chemicals, telecommunications (including network operations, field engineering, call centre staff, IT and data infrastructure, 999 and 111 critical services), postal services and delivery, payments providers and waste disposal sectors.

Even if you have one of these roles but can safely care for your child at home please do so.  I am operating a skeleton staff from Monday due to staff unable to come to work for their own health needs. Please, also only send your child to school on your working days.

Next steps:

If you require an emergency place at school:

•             Email kerry.hartwell@derbyshire.sch.uk with proof of your role (ID badge)

•             Include in your email the days that you require

Please do this immediately.  School will then collate a final list and parents will be notified by close of play today. We will priotise places in accordance with Government guidelines.

To ensure we are able to support you please continue to adhere to the safety guidance to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Do not bring your child to school with a persistent cough and/or a high temperature for 7 days. Do not bring your child to school if you or a member of your immediate family are self isolating due to symptoms of COVID-19 for 14 days.

I understand that this is an anxious time for you and your family; we have never before been subjected to a health scare on this scale in our life times and with this comes real fear of loss and of financial insecurity.

We all need to continue to support each other, to stay connected, to be kind and courteous and to carry on being part of our friendly and caring school community.

Kind regards,    

Cathy Bednal, 

Headteacher of Ripley Nursery School and Ripley School Childcare.

Dear Parents / Carers,

As you are aware we have worked closely with you over the past few weeks to keep our school and childcare facility a safe space for children, parents and staff.

Following the latest government update from the Secretary of State for Education, Gavin Williamson, schools, colleges and early years settings will be closed to everyone except children of keyworkers and vulnerable children from Monday 23^rd March, as part of the country’s ongoing response to coronavirus.

Schools and setting are now being asked to play a very different but vital role in the national effort in tackling the coronavirus.

We are waiting for further clarity of the title keyworker and examples given so far include NHS staff, police and delivery drivers who need to be able to go to work. Vulnerable children include those who have a social worker and those with Education, Health and Care Plans. A full list of keyworker categories will be published today and we will send this out promptly.

Children who do not fall into these groups should remain at home with appropriate care.

Ripley Nursery School and Ripley Nursery School Childcare will be working together to provide a service to support children and families which fall into the identified categories, this will include some level of provision over the forthcoming Easter holidays. However whatever service we are able to provide will always be based on the safety and the welfare of our pupils and staff.

Please discuss your childcare needs with myself or your base staff by end of day on Thursday 19^th March 2020.

We are in the process of preparing learning packs for every child and putting together a series of online learning materials for you to access and enable you and your children to keep in touch with your keyworkers during the difficult time ahead. We will always be available via the telephone, email or face book if we are unable to meet and talk face to face.

We understand that this is a difficult and scary time for all of us and the best way for us to help each other is to stay positive and keep connected to each other.

Kind regards,

Cathy Bednal

Headteacher

You can help to slow the spread of Coronavirus!

• Make sure you and your children follow these general principles to prevent spreading any respiratory virus:
• Wash your hands often – with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or an alcohol-based sanitiser if soap and water aren’t available.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in a bin.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces in the home.

• If you’re worried about your symptoms, please call NHS 111 – don’t go directly to your GP or other healthcare environment.

We are currently open and operating as normal during this period. The usual rules apply; if your child is unwell and unfit to be in school then please keep them at home to recuperate. If you have a new cough and / or a temperature of over 37.8* you should stay at home for 7 days.

Department for Education Coronavirus helpline - this helpline has been set up to answer questions about the virus related to education. Staff, parents and young people can contact the helpline.

• Phone: 0800 046 8687
• Email: DfE.coronavirushelpline@education.gov.uk
• Opening hours: 8am to 6pm (Monday to Friday)

Dear Parents / Carers

We are writing to you to tell you about what we know and what our plans are regarding updated guidance given by both The Department for Health and The Department for Education about the increasing number of confirmed Coronavirus virus cases nationally.

Since our return to school, after the half term break, we have continued to teach our children about the importance of personal hygiene and hand washing. We have also implemented, with our Caretaker and cleaning team, a new cleaning regime that further concentrates on cleaning and treating touchable surfaces in classrooms, on doors and in the toilets.

In light of the new guidance sent by The Department of Health, please DO NOT send a child to school who has a NEW cough and / or a temperature of over 37.8*C.

We will be asking parents to collect children from school immediately if a child presents in this way.

Parents and carers who believe that their child is particularly vulnerable in the context of the Covid-19 virus should contact school to speak to a member of staff so that additions to individual medical record can be made.

Further information about educational settings can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-educational-settings-about-covid-19/guidance-to-educational-settings-about-covid-19

Please also feel assured, that whilst we are still not unduly concerned in our setting, that we continuously are looking at guidance for any updates, following it rigorously and will seek the correct support should we need it.

We will all work together to make sure that we keep our school community as safe and as well as possible. Please do not hesitate to ask questions or keep in touch about worries or concerns on the email or phone number at the top of the letter.

Keep in touch with developments and advice issued by Public Health England at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-government-response

Many thanks in advance for your support,

Cathy Bednal

Cathy Bednal

Headteacher

Government Coronavirus action plan

Yesterday, the Coronavirus action plan was launched. This document sets out what the UK as a whole has done to tackle the Coronavirus (COVID-19), and what it plans to do next.

The action plan can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-action-plan

The document includes:

Current advice remains in place: No school should close in response to a suspected (or confirmed) COVID-19 case unless advised to do so by Public Health England.

The importance of hygiene

Personal hygiene is the most important way we can tackle COVID-19, especially washing hands more; and the catch it, bin it, kill it strategy for those with coughs and sneezes.

Please help us in sharing simple and effective hand hygiene messages.

https://twitter.com/NHSuk/status/1235112744917049346

Public Health England has a dedicated webpage with a range of posters and digital materials at:

https://campaignresources.phe.gov.uk/resources/campaigns/101-coronavirus-/resources

Sign up is quick, free and means you will be alerted as more resources are made available.

Department for Education Coronavirus helpline

On Monday we launched a new helpline to answer questions about COVID-19 related to education. Staff, parents and young people can contact the helpline as follows:

Phone: 0800 046 8687
Email: DfE.coronavirushelpline@education.gov.uk
Opening hours: 8am to 6pm (Monday to Friday)

Where to find the latest information

Updates on COVID-19:

Guidance for educational settings:

Travel advice for those travelling and living overseas: