Dear Parents and Carers,
Wow, we are nearly at the end of 2022!
As ever it has been an eventful year for us here at nursery, as we have had new children leaving for school, and starting nursery. The children are our joy!
This year we have been working hard on developing a new St Pauls curriculum, and embedding changes to the way in which we assess children’s progress, whilst making sure our children all experience the children’s kitchen and get ‘out and about’ in, and beyond our community.
We have celebrated our Ofsted Outstanding judgement for the work we do with our 0-2 year olds and we have also been successfully designated as a DfE funding regional Early Years Stronger Practice Hub – which will be hitting the news as some point soon.
Despite the current national recruitment and retention crisis in Early Years and Daycare, the shortage of supply staff, and lots of staff absences due to illness, our staff team here continue to develop and learn.
We have staff training with us to be Early Years Practitioners, Caretakers and Teachers and everyone joins in with our new learning at inset days or on other external training.
They do this because they love their job and are committed to doing their best, and being their best for our children and families.
Please join me in thanking them for all their hard work this year.
Now onto some termly updates for you:
Strep A and Scarlett Fever
We have posted latest information and guidance about this on our website and you will also have received it by email.
We have had 1 baby here in our baby room that has contracted strep A and they are absolutely fine.
We have also been reviewing our policy for the administration of medicine and sickness, with particular reference to Calpol – that once agreed it will be up on our website for your information in January.
Primary School Places
Have you all applied?! Applications need to be in by 15th January 2023.
If you need help or information please get in touch with us.
Family Support
Being a parent is HARD! And we all have times when we wonder if we are doing it right!
Sammy, one of the Central Bristol Childrens Centre Family Support Practitioners, is now here at Nursery every TUESDAY MORNING (8.30am – 11.30am). If you want a listening ear, some support or advise just pop into our Community Room when you can.
Sammy will also be offering sessions on Potty and Toilet training in January – so look out for more information.
Please remember that the Childrens Centre hold weekly sessions with Health Visitors over in the Family Hub too every Thursday afternoon (1-2.30pm).
Food Poverty
Life is pretty tricky for most of us at the moment with the increased cost of living and soaring bills, but I know it is getting incredibly hard for some of you.
Our Childrens Centre runs a fantastic Food Club – where you pay a small contribution each week and can take away a huge bag of healthy food and goodies for your family.
If this would help with your situation give us a ring to find out more or 0117 9030337 and ask for the Family Support Team – or follow this link https://centralbristolcc.co.uk/support-for-families/food-club/
Old Vic Visit
It was great to hear that so many children and families managed to make use of our free tickets to the Old Vic a few weekends ago.
We are very fortunate to have a strong creative partnership with the Bristol Old Vic, and a special THANKYOU to Robin for making this happen!
Nursery School Routine and Start Times
Now most of you have settled your child into Nursery School its great to see so many of you trying hard to get your child here for 8.30am.
Can I please ask again that you are ALL punctual!
Our nursery school routine kicks off everyday with a ‘Welcome Time’ and an adult directed ‘Small Group Time’, with experiences that are planned to support the development of key concepts, skills and understanding. When you child misses this – they are missing out on a valuable learning experience.
Help Needed
Just the continuous call out for help here!
As we face reduced funding and staff recruitment problems, it means that our ‘extra-curricular’ bits are the things that drop off the end of what we do when we are stretched.
We know the extra experiences like: gardening, woodwork, magical music, going out on trips and visits, or walkabouts ALL contribute to children’s growing ‘cultural capital’, and they are amazing provocations to develop talk between, and with, children.
But we need help to make these happen!
If you have a skill to share, or time to give, please get in touch with your child’s key person, or email robin.taylor@bristol-schools.uk.
We are particularly looking for gardeners, musicians, artists and MINI BUS DRIVERS! (don’t worry we will train you!)
Fireside Winter Celebrations
Thanks to all of you who joined our ‘fireside breakfast winter celebration’ on Monday morning – it was lovely to see you there, despite it being so very cold!
This is the first time we have done this, and some lessons have been learnt! We are repeating it on Friday Morning at 8.30am again – so we look forward to welcoming the rest of you.
Please note, Friday 17th December is our last day of term for Nursery School. Baby room and 2-3’s last day is 23rd December. We reopen at 8.30am on 3rd January 2023.
That’s all for now folks!
Please look out for the ‘News from the Rooms’ on the website to find out what your child has been up to this term.
For those of you celebrating Christmas, I wish you a Happy Christmas.
And to all of you, I wish you a safe, healthy and joyful NEW YEAR.
Thanks for choosing St Pauls.
Kind Regards
Lucy Driver
Headteacher and National Leader of Education
Photo by Chris Benson on Unsplash
