A series of hubs have been set up in schools and nurseries across North Yorkshire to make sure critical workers have childcare throughout bank holidays, weekends and other times where there is no other local provision.
North Yorkshire County Council has worked with schools and settings to set up small hubs, located close to hospitals across the county, which will care for pre-school and school-aged children of key workers from Good Friday. They will operate from 7.45am to 5.45pm and will continue to operate as long as they are needed throughout the pandemic.
The majority of schools in North Yorkshire are already remaining open over the Easter holidays for children of keyworkers, but the hubs will fill in gaps in childcare in the county.
The early years hubs for children 0 to 4 will begin from Good Friday and will operate seven days a week. There will be a maximum of ten places available for pre-school children in each hub and there will be qualified early years professionals on site.
The school hubs will run on weekends and bank holidays only, as there is expected to be sufficient cover provided by North Yorkshire schools being open during the working week. The hubs will open on Friday, April 10 for the Easter weekend and there will be a maximum of 20 places available for the 4 to 12 age range. They will be staffed by people from the existing school workforce.
Parents and carers are asked to transport their children to and from the hubs and to provide them with packed lunches.
To book a place for a child in one of the hubs, a link to the booking site can be found on North Yorkshire County Council’s website, along with a list of the locations; https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/schools-and-childrens-services-during-coronavirus-covid-19
Parents are being asked to pre-book places, which will also help the Children and Young People’s Services establish if there is a larger demand than anticipated, so it can adjust its arrangements accordingly.
Corporate Director of Children and Young People’s Service, Stuart Carlton, said:
We are working with schools and early years providers to put childcare in place for those critical workers who need it.
The early years hubs will operate seven days a week and will try to fill a gap in childcare provision which has emerged for critical workers and the schools hubs will operate during weekends and bank holidays.
It has been a huge task to organise hubs across the county at such short notice and we would like to thank our partners in schools and the wider schools community for their work. Together we have worked to make sure the hubs will provide safe, welcoming environments for children.
We are hugely grateful for the hard work, dedication and flexibility of all the school staff involved in making sure this happens and would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to them.
The hubs will be located at;
Craven area
Settle College (children attending school aged 4 to 12)
Greatwood, Skipton (children attending school aged 4 to 12)
Sutton-in-Craven CE Primary School (children attending school aged 4 to 12)
Brougham Street Nursery, Skipton (pre-school children aged 0 to 4)
Hambleton area
Mill Hill Community Primary School, Northallerton (all children aged 0 to 12)
Hutton Rudby Primary School (children attending school aged 4 to 12)
Harrogate area
Harrogate, Grove Road (all children aged 0 to 12)
Ripon, Moorside Primary School (children attending school aged 4 to 12
Richmond and Catterick area
Richmond Methodist Primary School (children attending school aged 4 to 12)
Risedale Community College, Catterick (all children aged 0 to 12)
Ryedale area
Malton Community Primary School (all children aged 0 to 12)
Scarborough and Whitby area
Whitby, Airy Hill Community Primary School (all children aged 0 to 12)
Barrowcliff School, Scarborough (children attending school aged 4 to 12)
Childhaven Day Nursery, Scarborough (pre-school children aged 0 to 4)
Kinder Place, Scarborough (pre-school children aged 0 to 4)
Selby Area
Barlby Community Primary School (all children aged 0 – 12)
For children continuing to attend their existing school throughout the Easter holidays, home to school transport providers have been liaising with schools to find out whether there is a need to operate during the rest of the Easter holidays. Where transport operators have been unable to continue to transport pupils to school, alternative arrangements have been put in place between the schools and North Yorkshire County Council.
Schools in North Yorkshire are using different approaches to continue to provide free school meals, according to the resources they have. But all families who are in receipt of free school meals will continue to receive these and should contact their school for details.
North Yorkshire County Council has also agreed to fund early years provision over the Easter holiday for the children of key workers, which will be based on their normal entitlement to funded childcare provision.
Key workers should check with their early years provider as to whether they are offering funded provision for key worker children during the Easter holiday period.
For any key workers who still have problems accessing school or early years provision, please email North Yorkshire County Council on; cyps.covid19@northyorks.gov.uk and provide full details, including your usual educational setting, the days needed for child care, any other issues and contact details.
