Home schooling has become the new normal for millions of children across the UK. And while there is evidence of broad disparities in the quality of education these pupils are receiving, the majority are unlikely to return to school before September. For certain age groups though, the school gates opened again earlier this month, meaning that students at pivotal points in their learning could have face-to-face access to their teachers for the first time since March.
Before reopening the doors of Bonneville primary school to reception, year 1 and year 6 pupils on 3 June, headteacher Andrea Parker spent weeks preparing pupils, staff and the school building itself for a safe and productive end to the summer term.
From installing hand sanitisers and distance markers to dividing children into “bubbles” with their own classrooms, equipment and playtimes, Parker took pains to keep staff, pupils and teachers safe.
Before her doors were opened to the children, she communicated the changes to everyone involved, including in weekly newsletters and a video hosted by teachers showing pupils what to expect on their return.
The rewards were evident from day one, when 96 pupils returned to classes, rising to 126 within three weeks – 80% of all children who were eligible to attend.
“To see everyone sticking to the timetable – to see parents coming in and lining up on the 2-metre lines as you planned them to do, bubbles of children moving at the right times, and everything running smoothly, makes me exceedingly proud,” says Parker.
“It’s been a community effort, and has taken a lot of hard work from education professionals who’ve spent hours perfecting what we need to do in order to get children back to school – we’ve been living and breathing it.
“But the result was that there was no reluctance on the children’s part when they came back – they’re thrilled to see their friends and be able to play with each other. The parents have been very grateful too, and our teachers are really happy to be back.”
The safety measures put in place at Bonneville have run as planned, with the addition of Friday afternoon “induction days” for any staff who are returning to school for the first time the following week.
“Any teachers who were anxious before coming back were reassured as soon as they saw how everything worked,” Parker says. “So we introduced the induction days to give them the opportunity to walk through and see the school in action for themselves before returning.”
Since they were allowed to welcome back younger pupils on 1 June, it’s estimated that 65% of eligible schools are now open to them. Although some parents had initial reservations, at Bonneville most of these fears have so far been addressed, and the transition here has been smooth.
“We were apprehensive, obviously, but I was desperate for my daughter to go back to Bonneville because she was getting a bit down at home,” says Miriam Paridjanian, whose 10-year-old daughter Rosa was one of those returning. Paridjanian, who is a qualified teacher, found home schooling “very challenging”, and jumped at the chance for her daughter to be able to work alongside her friends again.
“Rosa is normally very bright and bubbly, but she just wasn’t feeling happy,” says Paridjanian. “I had a really hard time motivating her – she was getting a bit despondent and unmotivated, and she didn’t want to do the work.
“The school seemed to have prepared for reopening very well – there was lots of communication, and I knew if I had any queries they’d be answered – so when
the offer came to send her back, I took it.
“Psychologically, I think children need that routine of getting ready and leaving the house in the morning, and since we sent Rosa back after half term she’s perked up so much – she’s like a different child. It’s made a difference to the whole family.”
Despite some initial misgivings, Rosa is equally happy to be back at Bonneville.
“I was excited when Mum told me I’d be going back to school but nervous too, in case it didn’t work and we’d have to go back to being home schooled,” she says. “Some parts aren’t great – we have to eat lunch in our classrooms, then go out to play, whereas we’d usually just all eat together in the dinner hall, which is better.
“But I’ve made some new friends, because we all play together in our bubble in the playground now, and lessons are easier to do in school because we’ve got help from our teachers. I also like seeing my friends – everything’s more fun with friends.”
With primary schools such as Bonneville reopening, the next stage of the UK government’s plans to bring children gradually back into formal education began on 15 June. Years 10 and 12 are encouraged to receive some “contact time” in advance of the summer break, and exams taking place in 2021.
Hinchingbrooke school in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, is one of the secondary schools that has reopened its doors to years 10 and 12.
“I’m extremely proud of our teachers and the whole army of support staff who’ve worked really hard to make the school safe,” says Andrew Goulding, chief executive of a four-school academy trust that incorporates Hinchingbrooke school.
“Teaching is a lot more than just imparting knowledge and giving pupils the opportunity to develop their skills. It’s about supporting individuals and their complex emotions.
“Although Hinchingbrooke and many others have done a great job with online learning, there’s no real substitute for being face-to-face with a teacher, because a good teacher motivates students in ways online learning can’t. Fundamentally, teaching is about human interaction.”
To prepare for its new arrivals, the school has split its year 12 pupils into two groups, who attend one day a week on Monday and Tuesday. Similarly, the larger year 10 has been divided into three groups, each attending on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday.
Between the year groups, some children will attend school every day of the week, and the system allows the school to manage a large number of students across each week during what are key educational years.
“It’s really clear from the feedback we’ve had from parents that they’re desperate for their children to get back to school,” says Hinchingbrooke’s school principal, Mark Patterson. “They need that safety net and routine.
“Quite a lot of the students, particularly the younger ones, are struggling with self-discipline. But while it’s important for everyone to be back at school, you have to prioritise those students who are nearer to their national exams, because they’re the first ones who’ll be tested externally next year. Giving them some time in person before the summer, so we can direct their learning, is crucial.”
Like Parker, Patterson has prioritised communication to reassure students and ease them back into lessons, via weekly virtual assemblies and video call sessions for each tutor group.
“We’re one community, and have had to rise to the challenge of keeping that sense of identity through the crisis,” he says. “But when students come back, it’s a dramatically changed picture from the one they left before lockdown. Familiarising them with school again shouldn’t be underestimated.”
Returning children have received a set of safety guidelines, and both students and parents have been asked to sign a contract agreeing to abide by them.
Safety measures put in place at the time include red circles marked on the ground 2 metres apart to help with queueing, reorganised classrooms with distanced desks and chairs, and one-way systems to ensure students don’t have to pass each other in close proximity. There’s also signage around the school reminding everyone of the importance of hygiene, frequent hand-washing and keeping their distance.
Year 12 Hinchingbrooke student Rheeya Makwana, 17, had to learn how to adapt when she returned to school on 15 June – and so far, she’s pleased to be back.
“I can study quite well independently anyway, but it’s better to be back at school,” she says. “We’ve been having online lessons and voiceover PowerPoints, but it’s not really the same as being in a classroom – and although it was obviously quite different being 2 metres away from the teacher, they still tried to teach as normal.
“Seeing my friends again was so great, too. During lockdown, I FaceTimed them every day, but it’s different seeing them at school.”
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