Bristol-based Charlton Nursery has confirmed it will keep its Charlton Imperial branch, based in Winterstoke Road, open for any key worker children throughout the current Coronavirus crisis. A dedicated team will be running the nursery and they have capacity for up to 78 children.

The setting is open from 7.30am to 6pm every week day, for breakfast, lunch and tea, and the team are welcoming children who have key worker parents or carers, both new and those who normally attend either the Imperial or Flax Bourton branch, which is based in North Somerset.

“We’ve had a lot of enquiries recently and we are keen to support in any way we can,” commented Helen Nott, CEO and co-founder. “These are unprecedented times and having childcare in place can make the difference between being able to perform a critical role or not. We hope by committing to staying open we will be able to make a difference.”

The emphasis is on running day-to-day nursery life as normally as possible for all children, with in the moment planning and observations continuing, as well as plenty of outdoor activities.

There are currently 12 staff working at Charlton Imperial, including a cook to provide fresh hot meals, and Early Years leads. The team will ensure workers are in place depending on the level of demand. They are rotating where possible and management staff are working from home where it’s practical to do so.

Meanwhile, children of non-key worker parents or carers who cannot attend are receiving regular updates from staff on the Famly app, such as videos of staff reading stories and leading activities, ideas for things to do, links to other activities and learning resources.

All voucher schemes are accepted and Charlton Nursery is open to children from six weeks to five years old, 51 weeks a year.