Update for parents using childcare at Crossdale from Monday

This information is for the Critical Workers, and parents of vulnerable children, whose children require childcare from Monday. This does not affect the families whose children will not be attending school from Monday.

From Monday, the childcare provision for Crossdale and Keyworth Primary and Nursery School will be based at the Crossdale Primary site. The Keyworth Primary site will be closed to children.

We have taken this decision as it gives us the best chance of staying open in a safe and clean building for as long as possible. We are already seeing the impact of Covid-19 on our ability to keep our schools operating smoothly. As one example, Notts County Council can no longer provide cover when a cleaner is absent due to sickness – last week this meant teachers arrived at 7am to clean parts of the school at Crossdale. It seems inevitable that staff availability will reduce further in the coming weeks. Pre-existing medical conditions and illness means our staffing complement in both schools has already been reduced.  Having 2 site managers, 2 cleaners, 2 cooks, 2 sets of admin staff, more teachers, more first aiders, more safeguarding leads and more specialist TAs will ensure the children can continue to come to school and have a safe and positive experience.

In making this decision, our one priority was to ensure we can stay open safely for as long as possible.

Many other local schools are already making similar contingency plans to work together in hubs based at one school. Our close partnership between KPNS and Crossdale means we have been able to implement this more quickly than others.

Mr Cresswell and Mrs Westie will be on the gate as normal to greet the children when they arrive on Monday morning and Crossdale staff members will be ready to welcome the children into the school. There will be a Crossdale staff member in every classroom working with a KPNS staff member on Monday, and we plan to continue this for the rest of the week.

Staff from both schools have been working incredibly hard to plan engaging activities for all the children - we are hoping that they will all return home on Monday evening talking about their new friends and the positive day they have had.

All children should NOT come to school in uniform on Monday. Children should wear clothes that will allow them to join in with the sporting challenges Miss Robinson and Mr Sanders has planned for them. Outdoor activities and sport will be a feature of every day, so uniform will not be required at all from Monday.