Latest News

June 24, 2020
September 2020 Bookings

We are now taking pre-school bookings for September. Please email manager@upwoodsmalltotall.co.uk if you would like a place.

The Government is still advising that breakfast and after school clubs are not yet safe to open but we hope that this will change before September. Thank you for your continued support, we really miss you all and hope to return soon.

June 4, 2020
UPDATE

Update - Closure

Upwood Small to Tall will remain closed this term with a view to re-opening in September.

We are working closely with Upwood Primary to organise a transition for those pre-schoolers who are starting school in September. We will let you know more about this soon but very much want to be involved in September to help those children settle into school.

We will now be sending out booking forms for September so please complete and return these as soon as possible. Eligible pre-school children will also receive a funding form to complete and return to us.

With reference to breakfast and after school club, we are following Government guidelines carefully and they state, ‘While we have set out that schools should be preparing to welcome back some of their pupils on a phased basis from the week commencing 1 June, this is not the case for out of school settings’. We will let you know when the Government allows us to re-open and under what conditions we will be permitted to operate. In the meantime please do still fill in your booking form.

Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee places at this time because we have no idea when we will be permitted to re-open or how many children we will be allowed to accommodate. We understand that this makes planning very difficult for you, but we will communicate our plans to you as soon as we can. Thank you so much for your patience and support during this very difficult time.

Further information for parents about closures can be found using the link below.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers

May 21, 2020
PHASED RETURN UPDATE

20^th May 2020

Dear Parents

In response to the Government guidelines relating to children’s phased return to schools and early years settings, staff and Committee have examined carefully how we can accommodate children’s return in a way that is safe for children, families, and staff. There have been many factors that have influenced our decisions and we want to be clear that our building and the way that we run are very different to school and this explains the fact that our decisions are different to those made in schools.

The government has confirmed that it is “asking” providers to open on 1 June (assuming scientific advice confirms it is safe to do so), but it is not a requirement.

The government has said their decision will be confirmed on 28 May, based on scientific evidence on the spread of Covid-19 at the time. We want to advise you of our plans now so that you can start to plan your childcare.

Breakfast and after school clubs will re-open in September providing it is safe to do so. We will need to explore new ways of working in September as we cannot currently offer an environment that guarantees the safety of children or adults as specified in the guidelines.
Pre-school will re-open on 1^st July only for children who are transitioning to Foundation class in September providing there is demand and it is safe to do so. Currently, an overwhelming majority of our families tell us that they will not be sending children back until September at the earliest. We will require a minimum of four children to take up a place to enable opening of pre-school on this date. Children’s key persons, hours and days may have to change in accordance with staff available for work and space available for safe working practice within the building. We will not be accepting children who attend more than one setting to reduce the risk of infection. We will be contacting parents of transitioning children in a few weeks’ time to see if there is demand for this service and will make a decision on the basis of parental wants/needs.
There will be no new admissions until September.
Bookings for breakfast and after school club will carry over to September rather than using our usual procedure of resetting the system and re-booking on a first come, first served basis. This is because there is no fair way of ensuring booking forms can be collected and returned to us.

It may be that we have to introduce a cap on numbers in September as part of the phased return so that safety is prioritised. We will follow any updated Government guidance carefully to assist in our decision-making processes.

Please let us know if you will no longer need a space in September as this will help with our planning.
The 25% retainer fee that many families paid for the summer term will be returned or credited on next invoice (as we qualified for the furlough scheme).

We would like to take the opportunity to say farewell to our Y6 children. We are so sorry that we will not be a part of your last few weeks at Upwood Primary and we send our very best wishes to you as you prepare to move on to secondary school.

We would also like to thank you, our parents, for your wonderful support. We miss you and the children and hope that we will soon return to a time when we can continue to provide a safe and reliable service.

Yours Sincerely

The Staff and Committee of Upwood Small to Tall

April 8, 2020
Stay in touch

Please stay in touch through our page on Facebook, I shall be posting activity ideas, stories, etc. each day. If you need to speak to a member of staff or need help in any way please get in touch using our email address. Stay home, stay safe.

April 8, 2020
Update from the Local Authority

Message from Cambs County Council:

A number of our schools and early years settings across the County remain open, and are working hard to look after those children deemed vulnerable, and those of critical workers.

It also means a number of schools and settings are temporarily closed, with the picture across the county changing on a daily basis. It can be difficult to keep track of what provision is available at any time, but thankfully the Council have a dedicated team on hand to signpost you to available options, including different types of childcare including nurseries and childminders. If you are a key worker and in need of childcare support, please contact the Family Information Service directly on 0345 045 1360. The service will also be available over Easter and Bank Holidays.

March 23, 2020
CLOSURE

Dear Parents/Carers

Upwood Small to Tall is now closed until further notice. We will be thinking of you, we will certainly miss you and we look forward to seeing you again in happier times. Please take care.

March 19, 2020
CLOSURE

As previously informed, we will be closed from Monday 23^rd March 2020 until further notice. This means that for the majority of our children, Friday will be their last day at Upwood Small to Tall for what could be a considerable period of time.

The Government has confirmed that for the foreseeable future, all schools and childcare settings have been asked to provide care for children with Education Health Care Plans, children who have a contact social worker, e.g., ‘Children in Need’ or those on the child protection Register and any Children in Care.

All other children will need to stay at home, so we ask that you do not bring your child to Upwood Small to Tall from Monday onwards.

In order to enable key workers to remain at work during this period of need their children may be catered for in schools and childcare settings.

This is only the case where BOTH parents are key workers.

Key workers include:

NHS staff
Teachers and school support
Police and community support officers
Frontline civilian police staff
Prison officers and staff
Probation officers and trainee probation officers
LA officers and LA/NHS social workers
Uniformed staff in fire and rescue services
Armed forces personnel and some civilian MOD personnel (ie clinical staff, MOD police, uniformed fire and defence) and some discharged personnel
Highway agency traffic staff
LA environmental health officers/practitioners
Food/supermarket drivers and other workers.

Please call in to Upwood Small to Tall to collect and fill in a pro-forma should you fall into the Key Worker category.

If children do not fall into one of the categories above, they will not be attending Upwood Small to Tall. We know this will be a difficult time for everyone, and we wish you all the best until we return.

February 5, 2020
CORONAVIRUS

Advice for parents/guardians

You should not be unduly worried about the possibility of your children catching the Coronavirus.

There is no reason why your children should not continue to attend their early years, school or further education setting as normal.

We recognise that some families or children may be planning to travel to China during the forthcoming half term period. If so, please refer to the FCO's latest travel advice via the link above.

Latest information and advice can also be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus

January 13, 2020
HUNGRY LITTLE MINDS

Simple, fun activities for kids, from newborn to five

Many little things light up hungry little minds. Kids take everything in, and even the smallest things you do with them can make a big difference.

They love it when you chat, play and read with them, even when they’re too young to understand everything. Whatever the time and wherever you are, you can turn almost anything into a game.

And every little thing you do together will help set them up nicely for the day they start school.

Find out more at https://hungrylittleminds.campaign.gov.uk/

December 10, 2019
Merry Christmas

We wish all our families a very happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year!

If Christmas is a difficult time for you financially, please cut and paste this link to find out how you can access the Ramsey food bank.

https://ramsey.foodbank.org.uk/about/

Ramsey Foodbank

“The foodbank was there when we really needed it, it was an absolute lifeline.”

We don’t think anyone in our community should have to face going hungry. That’s why we provide three days’ nutritionally balanced emergency food and support to local people who are referred to us in crisis. We are part of a nationwide network of foodbanks, supported by The Trussell Trust, working to combat poverty and hunger across the UK.

December 10, 2019
Childcare payments

Employers For Childcare Christmas closing dates

Our office will be closed for the Christmas and New Year holidays on 24, 25 and 26 December 2019 and 1 January 2020 - please be aware that no payments will be sent on these dates and payments may be delayed due to bank closures.

While we have made parents aware of this it may be worth reminding the parents who use your service to ensure they have made the necessary arrangements to ensure payments are transferred before the holiday period.

We hope you have a lovely Christmas break!

November 18, 2019
Positive Behaviour - Positive Children A Unique Session for Parents

This entertaining and thought-provoking course looks at behaviour from a child’s perspective and highlights a series of simple methods to support and enable positive behaviour. The course also looks at some of the latest science of behaviour and shows how we can directly apply this to our children to have the most profound effect on their behaviour and emotional well-being.

Delivered by Ben Kingston-Hughes from Inspired Children

Ben Kingston-Hughes is a national award-winning trainer with over 30 years’ experience working with children. He has twice appeared on Channel 4 working with children and his training has been mentioned by Ofsted as an example of outstanding development.

Book now to avoid disappointment - this is a free event for parents of children attending USTT

Time: 6.30pm – 8.30pm

Date: Wednesday 27th November 2019

Venue: Upwood Small to Tall Building

November 18, 2019
Spring Term Bookings

We are now taking bookings for the Spring Term 2020.

If you are an existing user and you ticked the box on the Autumn Term Booking Form at the start of this academic year then you DO NOT need to complete a new booking as your places are confirmed for the whole of this school year.

I you are an existing user and did not tick the box, or a new user wishing to book places for the Spring Term, please collect, complete and return a booking form at your earliest opportunity. Please be aware that places are confirmed on a first come first served basis.

If you have any questions, please do contact us.

Thank you.

October 8, 2019
Every Mind Matters

We all have times when life gets on top of us. But there are simple things you can do to look after yourself. To find your way to better mental health, visit Every Mind Matters at https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/.

Every Mind Matters can help you deal with stress and anxiety, boost your mood, improve your sleep and feel more in control. Start taking care of your mental health with Every Mind Matters and create your action plan at https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/.

We all have times when we feel stressed, low or anxious, or having trouble sleeping. For practical tips and expert advice to improve your mental health, visit Every Mind Matters https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/.

You take care of your body, what about your mind? Taking simple steps to look after your mental health can help you relax, achieve more and live life to the full. Find out more and get started with Every Mind Matters https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/.

September 18, 2019
Term Dates - Important

Due to last minute changes to training days in school, we have now been made aware that the last day of this term is Wednesday 18th December and NOT Thursday 19th December as previously advertised.

Thank you.

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