SCHOOLS NEWS
LOCKDOWN memories of Bacup Nursery School have been captured for ever in a time capsule to be buried in the school grounds.
In March, with just a day’s notice, the Cowtoot Lane school, which is usually home to 115 children, had to close its doors to all but key worker and vulnerable pupils
Headteacher Andrea Cooper said: “We locked down on March 20 and from then we had just three or four children attending.
“Staff needed to talk to the children to explain why they were the only ones still in school and where everyone else was. It must have been so difficult for the few children who remained in school to understand what was happening.
“We decided that we were going to make a time capsule to capture this unusual period of time in our school’s 66-year history.”
Just before lockdown the last photograph taken in school showed a whole class and pupils still
●● Bacup Nursery School headteacher Andrea Cooper with Lucy Thompson, four, Charlie Britland-Nicholson, four, and Wilfie Seymour, three, and the time capsule. These children are all in a ‘social bubble’ so are taught together. attending made pictures of rainbows; both are now in the capsule.
There is also a 2m piece of ribbon to show how everyone had to keep their distance, a toilet roll to highlight the shortage of items in the supermarkets and a full list of staff and governors at the time of lockdown along with the nursery uniform.
On June 22, the school opened up for other children, but Mrs Cooper said lots of measures have been put in place and currently just 22 children are attending the morning or afternoon sessions.
She said: “We have the children in bubbles with one teacher and they stay within that bubble at all times. It is a different school at the moment, but it is nice for the staff to have more children back in school.”
Mrs Cooper said at first she was struggling to find a time capsule, but then Derek Nightingale, managing director of Park Mill Engineering at Toll Bar, Stacksteads, came to the rescue.
He had done work for the nursery and adapted a drainage pipe to make a bespoke capsule that is completely watertight. Staff and pupils have signed the outside for whoever finds it in the future.
Plans to develop a new community room at the nursery school are still going ahead, but work was delayed due to Covid-19.
Mrs Cooper and teacher Fran Bayley visited the school’s pupils at home to deliver learning resources including games, felt tip pens, puzzle books and a special ‘The Don’t Worry Book’.
The children did not know they were coming and the items were left on the doorstep and social distancing was observed throughout the visit, but Mrs Cooper said it was lovely to be able to see the children again. Although school closes on Friday July 17, staff will be returning on the Saturday.
The 55 children who are leaving Bacup Nursery School to start reception classes have been invited to attend in twos and threes to say goodbye to staff and to receive their learning journal, which catalogues their time at nursery.
Mrs Cooper added: “This will become one of those times we talk about for many years to come, like, ‘What did you do during the War?’ It is a time we will never forget.”
●● Haslingden High School student Sam Hodgkinson, from Year 7, who won a medal after participating in the virtual mile challenge
STAFF and students at Haslingden High School are celebrating winning two sporting awards - including one for participation during lockdown.
The school has been awarded the National School Games Mark award for the school’s active involvement in PE and school games competitions between September and March.
While the school was only open to the students whose parents were key workers, those students learning at home were encouraged to also participate in various sporting challenges.
Nathan Bibby, School Games Organiser in Rossendale, contacted the school to inform them of the national award.
He said: “Your school has also been recognised as one of our schools that have fully embraced the virtual PE and Sports challenges that we have set, both in Lancashire and Rossendale.
“You have therefore received our Virtual School Games Mark Award. Thank you for encouraging your pupils to stay active, we received over 50 entries for the virtual mile from your school alone.”
Headteacher Mark Jackson said: “It is fantastic news. I am proud of the PE faculty at Haslingden High School and really appreciate all the hard work that goes into giving our students such fantastic opportunities in such a wide range of sportrelated activities.”