Schools test the temperature as 2m pupils return

MORE than two million pupils were allowed back into their classrooms yesterday. Youngsters in Reception, Year One and Year Six in England were able to return for the first time in 10 weeks.

Early estimates of attendance suggested the majority of the country’s 16,800 primary schools had opened and around 1.5 million youngsters had resumed their education. The Association of School and College Leaders said that of the facilities which reopened, attendance yesterday was “highly variable”, ranging between 40 and 70 per cent. But the union’s general secretary Geoff Barton said this figure is likely to increase as “parents become confident about sending their children to school”. But huge numbers were forced to stay at home after 54 councils sided with teaching unions to oppose Boris Johnson’s plans. Schools in Brighton and Hove, Calderdale, East Yorkshire, and the Wirral have been told to stay closed, while some councils in London left it up to headteachers. Schools have remained open throughout the coronavirus restrictions – but only for the children of key workers and vulnerable children. Penny Sheppard, head teacher of Queen’s Hill Primary and Nursery School near Norwich, had 46 youngsters attending out of a total of 75 in reception after reopening “in a child-friendly way”.

She said: “Just looking at the pupils’ faces, they’re so excited to be in school.”

Class sizes are halved and outdoor areas have been zoned so pupils have their own outdoor space.

External doors are being kept open to let more air in. And there are staggered dropoff and pick-up times.

Confident

Jo Frost, 37, dropped off her five-year-old son, Max. She said: “I’m more than happy for him to come in.

“You’ve got to weigh up everything.

“I feel confident the school is doing everything right.”

Emma Corps, 39, was in a socially distanced queue of parents as she dropped off her five-year-old daughter, Isla.

She said: “I think they need to go back to school as there needs to be some sort of normality back in their lives.”

Last night Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said: “I cannot thank our teachers and staff enough for everything that they are doing.”