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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Jamie Hawkins

Parents' fury at school's 'crazy' reopening measures - including standing in hoops

A primary school has been criticised after it said pupils would have to remain inside a hoop on the playground when they go outside.

Holywell Village First School (HVFS), in Northumberland, revealed measures students will take when they reopen on June 1.

Other rules state that pupils will have to clean their own cuts if they fall over, and toys and books will be removed from classrooms.

The school posted a list of measures on Facebook, although it has since been deleted, the Metro reports.

Pictures from the post showed 'play bubbles' where children will have to stay inside the hoop when playing outside.

Other measures state that soft furnishings will also be removed because there are not enough employees to clean them.

Children would be sat at desks two metres apart at the school (Holywell Village First School/Facebook)

And children will be given specific times that they can go to the toilet at the school, and pupils will not be allowed to leave the classroom "outside of their allocated toilet times".

The deleted post read: "If they fall over or have a toileting accident they will be encouraged to change themselves and clean their scrape or cut.

"We have sourced PPE (following the COVID 19 guidance for Educational Settings) which is for use only for staff protection should a child vomit, not for trips, falls or scrapes.

"If it is not possible for the child to clean themselves in the event of an accident, the parent will be called to collect them so they can do that at home."

The post was deleted after it was shared thousands of times, and parents have slammed the "crazy" new measures.

Holywell Village First School was criticised after revealing new measures for when it reopens on June 1 (Holywell Village First School/Facebook)

Mum-of-three Kristina Richards, 29, told the Metro: "How on earth can children in reception and year one have an allocated toilet time? They are young kids and if they need to go to the toilet then they need to.

"No child aged 4/5 should have to clean up their own cuts. And if they can’t do it then a parent will be called. What if that parent is now back to work?

"Does that mean this child has to wait maybe an hour until a parent arrives to change their child’s soiled clothes or clean their bleeding legs? It’s ludicrous."

Others raised concerns that parents would not be allowed to enter the school, there would be no hot meals, and that their children would have to wear a clean coat everyday, something that not everyone will be able to afford to do.

The school said the "drastic" changes were enforced to "keep staff and children as safe as possible".

How a classroom at the school would look (Holywell Village First School/Facebook)

Another parent slammed the changes.

They said: "What level of psychological damage will this do to kids? No toys in the classrooms, no soft furnishings, no unnecessary furniture!!!

"They might as well put these babies is solitary confinement.

"This is no way to school children and it’s no way for teachers to have to try and teach.

"This is totally unacceptable."

Schools in England are set to reopen on June 1 despite concerns over the safety of pupils and staff.

Michael Gove said he could "guarantee" teachers will be safe (Sky News)

Earlier on Sunday top Tory  Michael Gove  claimed he could "guarantee" teachers will be safe - but then immediately admitted they might catch  coronavirus.

Asked if he could "guarantee" teachers will be safe when classrooms reopen, Mr Gove told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: "Yes.

"I talked to the chief scientific advisor yesterday for the government, Patrick Vallance, and running through the figures - the R number, the rate of infection in the community overall - we’re confident that children and teachers will be safe.”

Yet grilled over his claim, Mr Gove then admitted he could not guarantee all teachers would be safe.

He said "you can never eliminate risk" and added: "There is always, always, always, in any loosening of these restrictions, a risk of people catching the coronavirus."

Less than an hour before his comments, Mr Gove had himself said the government's plan was "balanced" between keeping people safe and ensuring kids get an education.

He had told Sky News: “The only way in which you can ensure that you don’t get Covid-19 is by remaining at home throughout and having no social contact with anyone.

"We want to proceed in a balanced way in order to ensure children.. have the opportunity to be back in school, benefit from learning and as a result ensure their future can be more secure."

His comments will fuel a row between unions and the government over plans to reopen schools to Years R, 1 and 6 in England from June 1.

Leading unions say they cannot yet support plans to bring back schools that early - until there is more scientific evidence it will be safe.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have all refused to back England's plans - while Liverpool and Hartlepool have told schools to stay shut.

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