Lucy and Ella Hornby are undertaking childcare apprenticeships at the farm-based High Bank Day Nursery in Stapleton, Richmondshire.
The sisters, who began working at the Ofsted rated outstanding early years setting in December 2020, had originally started studying childcare at Darlington College but when they were offered an apprenticeship, they jumped at the opportunity to undertake work-based learning.
Young learners at High Bank received a special send-off as they prepare to start a new life at ‘big school’.
Seventeen children recently took part in a special graduation ceremony.
Whilst Covid-19 restrictions unfortunately meant parents were not able to be present this year, the whole ceremony was recorded and put on the nursery’s Facebook page immediately after, so mums, dads, siblings, and grandparents could share in the special moment.
Children at High Bank paid their own special tribute to NHS staff and other keyworkers who have worked on the front-line throughout the whole of the Covid-19 pandemic.
To mark one year since the re-opening of the nursery following the initial lifting of the first Covid-19 restrictions in June 2020, the children and staff came into the nursery wearing rainbow colours.
The seven-stripe rainbow, which has been used as a symbol of hope and gratitude for key workers during the coronavirus crisis, was also used in a banner painted especially for the ‘Rainbow Day’ by pre-school children.