Nurseries struggle through the floods

Pocklington Montessori Nursery near York, which has 300 children agedtwo-and-a-half to eight years old, was among the few nurseries orschools able to remain open in one of the worst-hit regions, thanks toits location on high ground.

Principal Rosie Pressland told Nursery World, 'At 1pm on Monday the 25thwe realised the extent of the flooding when we heard that Pocklingtontown centre was up to waist height in water. Then we found out all thesurrounding and connecting roads were blocked up.'

'One of our staff was just ten minutes' drive from home and had to stayovernight at Leconfield barracks. We managed to get everyone home,although we didn't leave the nursery until 11pm. We called grandmas,grandpas, and some parents took home other children too.'

Ms Pressland added, 'A great many of the children are seeing this as ahuge adventure. Some have even been out in boats.'

One father of a child at the nursery went to pick up his wife from thehospital where she works and ended up helping doctors use heart pumps totry remove water from the hospital operating theatres. 'He ended updoing a 24-hour volunteer shift,' said Ms Pressland.

A spokesperson from Rotherham Metropolitan Council, in one of the areasnear Sheffield that were the worst affected, said, 'The biggest problemsfor schools and nurseries is staff not being able to get into work. Asignificant amount of schools have had to shut.'

As Nursery World went to press most services were reported to bereturning to normal.