Secondary Schools – A new beginning?

Year 10 and 12 students have returned to a very different school environment.

New safety measures have been put in place. All schools will be following the social distancing regulations set by the government whilst trying to provide pupils with an effective education.

How will students get to school?

Students can currently travel by walking, cycling, taking the school bus or public transport. Some may be dropped off by their parents.

If they opt for public transport, the current ruling states that all users must wear masks and ensure they are following the social distancing guidelines.

When will pupils receive face to face teaching?

The Prime Minister’s recent announcement that secondary schools should offer some face to face contact for pupils in year 10 and year 12, to help them prepare for exams scheduled next year, opened the way for an exodus. Currently, schools only allow around 10 children per classroom under the social distancing guidelines. Students can end up doing half-days meaning they will only be in school for 2-3 hours.

How will social distancing take place?

When other year groups return to school in September, either for half or full days, there will be smaller classes to ensure they are able to sit apart and one way systems will be in operation.

Mrs Hutchinson at the Ivybridge Community College in Devon said, “There will be staff in September wearing high-vis jackets that will monitor every entrance as well as there being hand-sanitising stations and plenty of posters and banners to remind children not to crowd one another.”

With reduced numbers, the social distancing regulations is manageable, however more students will push things to the limit.

How will students cope with being back in the classroom?

In many schools, such as Ivybridge Community College, teachers have contacted their cohort via their school email. Pupils have also been sent online work using an app called ‘Show my homework.’

Sadly some pupils may have fallen behind with work so teachers will need to create a recovery programme. Restoring a positive work ethic will be challenging.

Is it safe for students to go back to school?

The government has mentioned they have worked closely with Public Health England (PBE) in order to develop guidance on the protective measures which schools should have in place.

The guidance sets out a hierarchy of controls which school management teams should work through and which, when implemented, create an inherently safer system where the risk of transmission of the virus is significantly reduced.

Some measures include:

·     avoiding contact with anyone with symptoms

·     frequent hand washing and good hygiene practices

·     regular cleaning of settings

·     minimising physical contact and the mixing of year groups

All staff, children and their families will have access to testing if they display symptoms of coronavirus.

What are your concerns about the return to school? Are you ready to send your children back to school?