Dear Parents and Carers,
Thank you for your understanding over the last few days as we have worked hard to establish our ‘bubbles’ of provision for vulnerable children and children of critical key workers.
We are proceeding with being open next week for those we have contacted, but as you know, offering a reduced nursery provision.
All families remaining home will be contacted by our staff for a ‘check-in’, as we will continue to hold you all in mind.
You will also all be able to access lots of learning ideas and connections to nursery, which will be uploaded onto YouTube or our Website.
Our provision will be under review each week, and we are hoping that as soon as there is a consistent decrease in the number of cases of COVID-19 in Bristol, we will feel it is safe enough to fully open again to our whole nursery community.
For your information, all our staff have written to evoke section 44, stating they would feel unsafe to come to work without our model of provision being significantly reduced. If this were the case, we would not be able to open at all.
Can I stress that we are here for you, as is our Central Bristol Childrens Centre team.
If something changes in your personal circumstances over the next few days or weeks, or you have a sudden need for an urgent nursery place please do contact us on 9030337.
Our Bubbles:
For now, we have two nursery bubbles remaining, making up about 40% of our usual capacity (which, when fully open, can some days include up to 55+ nursery staff and 250+ children accessing this building over the course of a week).
Our bubbles are: Early Years 1 and 2, and our Nursery School Bubble for 3-4 yr olds.
We have a very reduced staff team supporting these bubbles – but they will both include staff that your children are familiar with.
Member of the leadership team will always be on site, fulfilling our full safeguarding and SEND responsibilities.
As you know the purpose of this reduced offer is to limit the number of people and opportunities to transmit the virus on our site, whilst we all adhere to the STAY HOME, SAVE LIVES, PROTECT the NHS.
Nursery School Bubble:
- Children from across the Nursery School will be in a small ‘Bubble’ in Nursery 1, our Nurture Room, the Studio and outside in our large Garden
- All Nursery children can be dropped off and collected from the Garden Gate at the side of the Nursery, a member of staff will be there to greet you – please follow the one way system as you exit
- Children attending until 5pm can be collected from our ‘Candlelit Corner’ at Nursery 3 Gate
- Dilly, Fatima, Hannah (student), Jemma, Louise, Nasrin, Paula, Raho, Robin, Rosa (student ) and Jess ( for the first week) will be playing in the Nursery School Bubble
Babies and EYs2 Bubble:
- Children from both babies and EYs2 will be in this bubble together, in the large and airy EYs2 room and sleep room, and outside in our lovely garden
- All children can be dropped off and collected from the Nursery Front door please, where there will be a familiar adult there to greet them
- Sarah, Maya, Nadiya, Abi, Billie, and Tiff and Rachel from the baby room will all be playing in this bubble
Both bubbles will be focusing on: being and feeling safe and emotionally connected, and thinking about things that make us think!
Please wrap your children up warm – we will be outside a lot and in well ventilated rooms!
Health and safety:
Our updated Risk Assessment will be made available on our website next week, once it have Governor Approval.
Please ensure you always wear a mask for every drop off and collection times, you will see our staff teams are now wearing them in communal places at nursery.
Please also ensure you wash you child’s hands before they come to nursery and talk to them about regular handwashing whilst they are here.
If your child, or any family members have Covid symptoms please do not bring them into nursery, as a positive case could result in the bubble closing for 10 days as both children and staff self-isolate.
Please notify us by phone if you have a suspected or confirmed case of Covid 19 in your home.
Please have confidence in the knowledge that we are constantly reflecting on this difficult situation.
I am present at all public health briefings for schools and engage with national union conversations and government updates. I have also been interviewed about our position on the local radio – links will be available later on the website.
Update guidance from the DfE is shared with the leadership team and school Governors, who remain fully informed and supportive of the situation at St Pauls.
Like you we are all hoping that this lockdown brings the virus back under control again, and as quickly as possible.
When it does, our brilliant team can all get back to doing what we LOVE doing at St Pauls Nursery School and Childrens Centre…. Learning alongside your exceptional children!
Take care and stay safe,
Kind Regards
Lucy Driver
Headteacher and National Leader of Education
