Back to school ... but not as we all know it
THE HEAD, A TEACHER AND PUPIL AT ONE SCHOOL HAVE ALL SPOKEN ABOUT THE ‘NEW NORMAL’
THE summer holidays are now over and many children from across North Wales headed back into the classroom this past week after the annual break drew to a close.
But for most returning pupils, everything is now much more different from what they remember.
The lives of everyone – teachers and pupils included – were thrown into turmoil when the UK went into lockdown back into March.
Education bosses across the region were forced to react quickly to a rapidly developing situation, with many launching online classes and home schooling programmes to ensure that children did not slip behind.
But pupils returning to school in the past few days have had to get to grips with a different challenge – adapting to a ‘new normal’ after nearly six months worth of disruption.
Our sister paper, the Daily Post spoke to three different figures – the headmaster, a teacher and a pupil – at Bangor secondary school Ysgol Tryfan in Gwynedd. Each shared their thoughts and experiences about the first week from their perspective.
This is what they had to say.
THE HEAD:
Mr Arwyn Williams said that his top priority during the first week back was ensuring a safe and comfortable environment for all pupils.
Although a few of the younger pupils were a bit apprehensive at first, the headmaster revealed that the first week of school had been a positive experience overall.
“It felt like we needed to go back and a lot of the children wanted to return to school so they could have some sort of routine in their lives again,” he said.
“At the beginning, I was worried about their safety and the fact that they couldn’t mix, I was especially concerned about those that were considered vulnerable.
“At first, a lot of our children were a bit worried, and you could tell because most of them were fairly quiet.
“But I’m glad to say we have adapted really well to these changes.”
Mr Williams has taken extensive steps to ensure restrictions and regulations are put in place in the school, and although stressful at times, the headmaster revealed that they had been necessary.
He said: “We’ve had several everal risk assessments and looked ked into our needs as a school. l. We’ve communicated clearly with parents about Covid and what is expected of their children.
“The pupils arrive at staggered times of the morning, on the buses they y have to wear masks, year ear seven and year eight are taught aught in their bubbles – so the teachers come to them. The older years ears however, such as the sixth form students students, all attend different classes but social distancing restrictions are put in place.
“Different years have been returning on different days. By Wednesday, everyone will have returned to the school. It has been a very busy summer of preparing all of this, but the council and different schools have worked well together and I think we’ve adapted efficiently to a very difficult situation.”
With plans put in place to protect the school, the headmaster is now looking to the future.
“We need to be thinking about what we are going to do if there is a second wave,” he added. “We can’t have pupils, who are completing their GCSEs or A-Levels, going through the same thing that happened this year.
“They absolutely didn’t deserve that, and we must make sure that we avoid it. Naturally, I hope the situation will improve and we come to a stable situation soon.”
THE TEACHER
Despite feeling happy about being back in the classroom, geography teacher Bleddyn Williams said that lockdown had proven the importance of technology in education.
A teacher of 20 years, Mr Williams said: “Just by chance, the school was already using Google Classroom before lockdown.
“That became really handy when we were teaching our pupils when the school closed in March. We would have meetings with them, would set up an assignment, and I would send over work that needed to be completed within a week.
“Most of the children were really conscientious and completed the work as asked, only a small minority wouldn’t and that’s when communication with the parents came in.
“In the first five to eight weeks, it worked well, but you miss that human interaction that comes with teaching.
“I’ve really enjoyed the first week back, the kids seem really happy to be back and everything has worked out well considering we are living during strange and difficult times. I think this period has proven the importance of technology, especially in education, and how important it is that we invest in that.”
THE PUPIL
Meanwhile, 16-year-old Ela Vaughan has just started sixth form.
Having returned back to school after a six-month delay, the Bangor pupil described the experience as ‘strange but positive at the same time’.
“It’s been nice going back into a routine and seeing my friends again,” she said.
“I consider myself to be a sociable person, so the last six months has been difficult.
“For me, school is more than just a place to learn, this is a place to be with my friends and socialise with them, and I think that’s what I’ve missed the most. Unfortunately, it does feel like we are not having that full sixth form experience, but it’s all about adapting to a new way of living and working.”