Nursery News 21.9.2020

NURSERY NEWS

21st September 2020 – Edition 200

Find out About:

A: Electronic Newsletters
B: School Term Dates
C: Nursery Organisation
D: Labelling belongings
E: A Good Start
F. Covid-19 Update
G. Willow Vulnerability
H. Contacting Us/ Contacting You.

A: Electronic Newsletters
We write a weekly Newsletter to parents to help keep parents up to date with
everything going on in Nursery. Up until now, we have always sent home paper
copies. Due to the Covid 19 situation, the government recommends that schools and
nurseries should communicate with parents by electronic means wherever possible.
This weekly newsletter will be emailed to all families on Mondays.
Copies of this newsletter will also be placed on our website willownursery.co.uk in
our ‘Latest News’ section.
Please do read the weekly newsletter as we share important dates, including parent
consultations, school photographer etc

B: School Term Dates
The Local Authority, Central Bedfordshire, publishes details of term dates and school
holidays on their website: Centralbedfordshire.gov.uk
Type: ‘School term and holiday dates in Central Bedfordshire’ into your search
engine to find the correct page.
Be aware that sometimes the Local Authority adjusts school holiday dates. I would
recommend you check the holiday dates on their website before booking a holiday.

C: Nursery Organisation
Please look at our website, at the ‘Latest News’ section at the update dated 13th July
2020. There is a lot of information here regarding dropping off and collecting
children, and includes information on the ‘System of Controls to reduce the
transmission of Coronavirus’. All parents should read this information.

D: Labelling belongings
Label all lunchboxes clearly with your childs name, on the top, so staff can see the
name when the box is on the trolley. Label all drinks bottles and containers.
Label all coats and shoes, and any other items that children can take offcardigans/jumpers/ fleeces. It is much easier to return items to owners when things
are labelled.

E: A Good Start!
I would like to thank all parents for your patience and co-operation as we refine our
drop off and collection routines. We have to find a balance between:
1) working swiftly to admit all children as quickly as possible and
2) allowing keyworkers to have the opportunity to pass on/ or receive, verbal
information with parents.
The line will move quickly if parents are ready to put water bottles and lunch boxes
on trolleys, and are ready to send children in with their change of clothes bag.
In the last few days, all children have been admitted by 8:55am. This is good going!

F. Covid-19 Update
Central Bedfordshire Authority, our Local Authority has been publishing data since
the beginning of August on their website regarding the number of Covid-19 cases in
Central Bedfordshire. I have been monitoring this information. Up until now ,
Dunstable has not had any cases of Covid-19 reported on the website. The data only
shows the number of cases when a council ward has had two or more confirmed
cases of Covid-19. In the most recent week (week ending up to 16th September,
2020) there have been 7 confirmed cases in Dunstable:
Dunstable Watling council ward had 4 cases
Dunstable Northfields council ward had 3 cases.
This means that it is very likely that Covid-19 will begin to spread through our local
community.
The staff have been coaching parents and children through our drop off and pick up
procedures. I will now ask classroom staff to stay inside the nursery grounds to
maintain a social distance from parents wherever possible. Office staff may still
approach you to sign paperwork, as the government requires us to gain signatures
on some items.
Staff may choose to wear visors or face masks when outside with parents.

G. Willow Vulnerability
As an organisation, we are very vulnerable to temporary closure during the covid-19
pandemic.
In most schools teachers stand at the front of the class and maintain a 2m distance
from their pupils.
In Nurseries and other childcare settings we have no social distancing from our
pupils. All staff in school, including myself, the headteacher, and the office staff have
direct contact with children throughout the working day. If one of our pupils or staff
members had a confirmed Covid-19 case, test track and trace would likely close the
yeargroup. If that yeargroup was Main Nursery, it would likely close the school as the
Senior Leaders, Mrs Davies and Miss Howe both teach these children, so would be
isolating for 14 days, and the school would be unable to open.
One of our pupils has been asked to isolate by the track and trace system as
they have had contact with a confirmed covid-19 case.
This child is at home. They are not showing symptoms. This child will only access a
test should they show symptoms. If the child takes a test and is found to be positive
we contact a Department for Education Helpline and they advise us regarding who
should self- isolate.
My concern is that if this scenario was to happen in our school, rules about isolation
and/or school closure would be enforced rapidly.

H. Contacting Us/ Contacting You.
Contacting Us.
Staff will be trying to socially distance from parents. We would like communication
between staff and parents to continue. Should you wish to communicate to your
child’s keyworker in school please send an email to office@willownursery.co.uk and
we will pass on the message to the staff member. Staff are very busy all day when
the children are here, but we may email back if necessary, or the staff member may
be able to call you at the end of the day.
Please telephone the office if you have a query, and the office staff will do their best
to help you, but again it is unlikely you will be able to talk to a class teacher as they
are busy in the classrooms.
Contacting You.
We will send a weekly newsletter to you by email.
We have a system called ‘Groupcall’ which allows us to send a text message to all
families of our pupils. We tend to use this in an emergency. Sometimes we will send
you a text alert telling you to look on our website. willownursery.co.uk
We can post information on our website, in the ‘Latest news’ section. We used the
website to update parents during the spring lockdown. If there is a further lockdown
we will use our website to communicate to parents. Please familiarise yourself with
our website.
Please ensure all our contact details for you are up to date, otherwise we will send
out messages and you will not receive them.