Pembrokeshire County Council Childcare arrangements

 

Pembrokeshire County Council is introducing a Childcare hub-based model for critical workers and the families of vulnerable learners.

 

The move follows the UK Government’s restrictions placed on movement this week and the need for greater social distancing measures.

 

From 30 March 2020, Childcare will only be available to eligible critical workers and at specific locations within the county.

 

Places must be booked online – and children from vulnerable families will be contacted by a key worker and offered places.

 

Each setting will be open from 8:00am to 4:00pm until 20 April, after which time all settings will be open from 7:00am – 6:00pm. The online Childcare booking applications will be processed centrally on a weekly basis.

 

There will be no option to turn up without a confirmed booking as most critical workers will know their shifts in advance.

 

The advice remains to stay at home wherever possible in order to maintain social distancing.

 

Each setting will have a maximum number of places.

 

Children 3 -11 can attend the primary settings below:

Pembroke Dock:

Templeton:

Monkton:

Tenby VC:

Prendergast:

Milford Haven Community Primary meads site:

Gelliswick:

Glannau Gwaun:

Y Frenni:

 

Special Settings for pupils who currently attend those settings:

Portfield for Special Pupils

PLC

 

The demand for secondary places has been low and learners aged 11-14 can attend the settings below:

 

Secondaries:

HHVCS:

Greenhill:

 

For children 0-3 childcare is payable and operates from the following settings:

Happy Days Milford

Playdays Fishguard

Tiny Treasures at Tenby VC.

Golden Manor Pembroke

Jolly Jumpers Haverfordwest

ABC Haverfordwest

Withybush Hospital Day Nursery Haverfordwest.

 

Following the announcement tonight of further big changes aimed at slowing the spread of coronavirus, the Minister for Education has issued the following statement saying that schools and childcare are still open for the children of critical workers, and thanking teaching and childcare professionals for their dedication in this hour of national need.

 

Statement by Kirsty Williams, Minister for Education

 

I’d like to thank parents for listening to the advice and keeping most children at home. I’d be grateful if tomorrow morning you only use schools or childcare as a last resort.

 

The advice has not changed as a result of tonight’s decision to further restrict movement, which our First Minister, along with other UK leaders took with the sole aim of slowing the spread of coronavirus.

 

Children should be at home wherever possible, critical workers will still need to have safe care arrangements for their children.  Our schools and childcare settings are providing a vital service to support critical workers and our most vulnerable children.

 

Those involved in the current arrangements looking after children should continue. Many thanks to our amazing teaching and childcare professionals for their commitment in this time of national need.

 

This situation will continue for the immediate term but we will be reviewing with healthcare professionals, local authorities and our teaching unions.

 

Datganiad gan Kirsty Williams, Gweinidog dros Addysg

 

Hoffwn ddiolch i rhieni am wrando ar y cyngor a chadw’r rhan fwyaf o blant gartref. Byddwn yn ddiolchgar bore fory os fyddech ond yn defnyddio ysgolion neu ofal plant fel dewis olaf.

 

Nid yw’r cyngor wedi newid o ganlyniad i’r penderfyniad heno i gyfyngu ymhellach ar symud, penderfyniad a gymrwyd gan ein Prif Weinidog, ynghyd ag arweinwyr eraill y DU, gyda’r nod o arafu lledaeniad coronafeirws.

 

Dylai plant fod gartref lle bynnag y bo’n bosibl. Bydd angen o hyd i weithwyr critigol gael trefniadau gofal diogel ar gyfer eu plant. Mae ein hysgolion a’n lleoliadau gofal plant yn darparu gwasanaeth hanfodol i gefnogi gweithwyr critigol a’r plant sydd fwyaf agored i niwed.

 

Dylai’r rhai sy’n ymwneud â’r trefniadau presennol barhau i ofalu am blant. Diolch yn fawr i’n gweithwyr addysgu a gofal plant anhygoel am eu hymrwymiad yn y cyfnod hwn o angen cenedlaethol.

 

Bydd y sefyllfa hon yn parhau am y tymor byr ond byddwn yn adolygu gyda gweithwyr gofal iechyd proffesiynol, awdurdodau lleol a’n hundebau athrawon.

 

 

The purpose of closing schools is to reduce the risk of being infected by the coronavirus.

We ask where possible that children are kept at home.

 

SCHOOLS TO OPEN FOR CHILDREN OF KEYWORKERS

Pembrokeshire schools will remain open next week but only to provide childcare for essential workers, the County Council has confirmed.

Welsh Education Minister Kirsty Williams announced on Wednesday (March 18) that all school would close for normal education provision today (Friday), to help slow the spread of coronavirus in communities but that they would be used to support key workers.

Therefore, all Pembrokeshire schools will re-open on Monday to the children of parents/guardians who are defined as keyworkers in the guidance issued by the UK Government.

That is, children of parents/guardians employed in:

• Health and social care sectors
• Education and childcare
• Key public services
• Local and national government: The occupations essential to the effective delivery of the Covid-19 response or delivering essential public services
• Food and other necessary goods: Those involved in food production, processing, distribution, sale and delivery
• Public safety and national security: Including police and support staff, fire and rescue service employees, including support staff and prison and probation staff
• Transport: Includes those keeping the road and rail passenger and freight transport modes operating and transport systems through which supply chains operate.

Parents/guardians employed in the keyworker occupations will not need to register for this provision.

Children can be brought to school as normal and school transport will continue to operate next week.

Catering will be delivered as normal in every school and meals will be free to all children attending and all staff who are working for the next week at least.

Normal school opening and closing times, Monday-Friday will operate.

The Leader of Pembrokeshire County Council, Cllr David Simpson, said: “To fight coronavirus effectively it is essential that keyworkers can continue to carry out their roles.

“We are making provision to ensure that those staff can go about their work without worrying about childcare.

“I’m sure everyone would agree that we are living in unprecedented times and things are moving extremely quickly so these measures will be monitored carefully and, if any changes are required, we will communicate them as soon as possible.

“For now it is important to underline that if you are a keyworker you can bring your child or children to their school on Monday and they will be looked after.

“I’d also like to add my thanks to all Authority staff, including headteachers and teaching staff who have worked extremely hard to organise this provision so quickly.”

If you are entitled to free school meals and would like to pick up a free school meal for your child/children during the school closure period , please contact the Catering Service on the details below.

 

You will be provided with a breakfast, lunch and snack for you child/children on a daily basis (Mon – Fri)

 

We will need to know the name of your child/ children, school they attend, dietary information (i.e vegetarian/allergies), contact details.

 

You will also need to let us know which school you would like to collect the meal from as we appreciate you may have children attending two different schools or you may live closer to a school that you child doesn’t currently attend.

 

If you also become eligible for free school meals over the next coming weeks, please contact the details below.

 

This option will also be available over the Easter Holidays.

 

The Catering Service will then contact you with a pick up time by 4pm Friday 20^th of March.

 

Catering Service Contact Details

 

Contact details – cashless.catering@pembrokeshire.gov.uk

 

Or

 

Telephone any of the following numbers:

 

01437 775943

01437 775922

01437 775912

01437 775949

01437 775250

 

Dear Parents, Carers and School Colleagues,

RE: COVID-19

I am writing directly to you to provide reassurance at the current time in relation to the coronavirus outbreak of COVID-19. Schools provide education and care to all pupils in our communities. School leaders and their staff are professionals who continue where possible to come into work and prioritise our children and young people because they deserve and thrive on the experiences that schools provide. I applaud their continued support for education in Pembrokeshire at this difficult time.

I have also become aware that a number of our school leaders and staff have been subjected to verbal abuse and online abuse for following the advice provided directly by the government. This is unacceptable. Where parents and families have genuine and legitimate concerns they should raise them through the school’s complaints policy.

All our schools are following the guidance provided by Public Health Wales and the Welsh Government in relation to school opening. The latest guidance is here. https://gov.wales/coronavirus-covid-19-educational-settings-guidance  Closing our schools when we are currently able to provide sufficient staff would have a significant impact on our communities. This includes key workers particularly in our health service. If schools were closed at the current time many key workers would have no option but to stay at home and this would disrupt our health service. In due course we may have to change our position and that will be communicated via the council’s website and schools

 

Yours faithfully,

 

Steven Richards-Downes

Acting Director for Children and Schools

 

Annwyl rieni, gofalwyr a chydweithwyr yn yr ysgol,
RE: COVID-19
Ysgrifennaf atoch yn uniongyrchol i roi sicrwydd ar hyn o bryd mewn perthynas ag achosion coronafeirws COVID-19. Mae ysgolion yn darparu addysg a gofal i bob disgybl yn ein cymunedau. Mae arweinwyr ysgolion a’u staff yn weithwyr proffesiynol sy’n parhau lle bo’n bosibl i ddod i’r gwaith ac yn blaenoriaethu ein plant a’n pobl ifanc oherwydd eu bod yn haeddu ac yn ffynnu ar y profiadau y mae ysgolion yn eu darparu. Yr wyf yn cymeradwyo eu cefnogaeth barhaus i addysg yn Sir Benfro ar yr adeg anodd hon.
Yr wyf hefyd wedi dod yn ymwybodol bod nifer o’n harweinwyr ysgol a’n staff wedi cael eu cam-drin yn eiriol a chamdrin ar-lein am ddilyn y cyngor a roddwyd yn uniongyrchol gan y Llywodraeth. Mae hyn yn annerbyniol. Os oes gan rieni a theuluoedd bryderon gwirioneddol a dilys, dylent eu codi drwy bolisi cwynion yr ysgol.
Mae pob un o’n hysgolion yn dilyn y canllawiau a ddarparwyd gan iechyd cyhoeddus Cymru a Llywodraeth Cymru mewn perthynas ag agor ysgolion. Mae’r canllawiau diweddaraf yma. https://gov.wales/coronavirus-covid-19-educational-settings-guidance byddai cau ein hysgolion pan fyddwn yn gallu darparu digon o staff ar hyn o bryd yn cael effaith sylweddol ar ein cymunedau. Mae hyn yn cynnwys gweithwyr allweddol, yn enwedig yn ein gwasanaeth iechyd. Pe bai ysgolion ar gau ar hyn o bryd, ni fyddai gan lawer o weithwyr allweddol unrhyw ddewis ond aros gartref a byddai hyn yn amharu ar ein gwasanaeth iechyd. Maes o law Mae’n bosibl y bydd yn rhaid i ni newid ein safbwynt a chaiff hynny ei gyfleu drwy wefan y Cyngor ac ysgolion

Yn gywir

Steven Richards-Downes
Cyfarwyddwr dros dro plant ac ysgolion

Da iawn Blwyddyn 1!

 

Pupils in Year 1 have been working with Road Safety Officers to achieve their Kerbcraft awards.

 

Kerbcraft is a national scheme, funded by the Welsh Assembly Government.  It aims to teach pupils  vital pedestrian skills, to aid the reduction of Child Pedestrian accidents.

Kerbcraft was developed by a team of Psychologists at StrathclydeUniversity who designed the programme to teach 5-7 year olds three vital skills: Choosing safe places and routes; crossing safely at parked cars and crossing safely at junctions.  Parents however are reminded that an adult should always accompany children of this age when walking near or crossing roads.

1)    Choosing safe places and routes to cross the road – Children are helped to recognize the dangers and hazards and identify alternative crossing places.

2)    Crossing safely at parked cars – Children are taught how to use a safe strategy for crossing near parked cars- when avoiding them is impossible.

3)    Crossing safely at Junctions – Children are introduced to the problems of simple and complex junctions, and are taught a strategy for looking in all directions.

 

Llongyfarchiadau! Congratulations to our group of footballers who got through to the second round of the Urdd football tournament in Bridge Meadow on Wednesday.