School halls ready for tests of a different kind
Students back in class but now face regular swabbing
Left, Maidstone Grammar School for Girls pupil Lauren Lewis is tested for Covid. Top right, Sarah Akinfaye, 15, was impressed with the set-up, which has transformed the hall, bottom right
It was back to school this week for hundreds of pupils after two months of being taught at home. But the return to the classroom has brought with it new challenges, with requirements for youngsters to be tested three times for Covid-19 in the first two weeks.
Maidstone Grammar School for Girls has hired 10 employees to assist staff in the mammoth task to swab up to 500 pupils a day from Monday.
At the Buckland Road grammar, the assembly hall has been transformed with eight booths for the operation, which is being co-ordinated by senior science technician Hayley Crabb.
She said: “With a science background you know how viruses work and how to clean down and sterilise your work area. “At the start we were a bit apprehensive, but now we have
got into it. It’s better than sitting at home in four walls and it gives us purpose and it means we are doing something to help our school.
“I’m very proud of what we have accomplished. It’s nice to be able to use our scientific knowledge for something like this.”
Sarah Akinfaye, 15, who was having a test taken in advance of the return to school, last Friday, was keen to get back in the classroom to prepare for her GCSEs. When asked how learning at home has been, she said: “Stressful, difficult, it does take kind of a toll on your mental capacity to concentrate.”
Speaking about the school’s testing site, she said: “I looked in and thought wow, everyone’s really prepared for this.”
After the first three Covid tests, carried out in school, pupils will be issued with kits to swab themselves twice a week at home. These will continue until at least June 21.
The chairman of the Kent Association of Headteachers, Alan Brookes, said schools were excited to have students back, but were nervous at the prospect of rising Covid rates.
He said: “We remember all too well what happened in November and December, and the difficulties as the virus spread very quickly in schools.”
This is the second time during the Covid-19 pandemic schools have re-opened. They did so in
‘It’s nice to use our scientific knowledge for something like this’
September 2020 but were forced to shut again in January after a last-minute U-turn by the government following rising rates. Mr Brookes said schools were finding testing “challenging” and that is would be a strain on staff and distracting to pupils. Jeremy Farrell, deputy headmaster of Sutton Valence School, agreed. He said: “Testing, inevitably, is going to disrupt the learning that has been quite successful online.
“So actually, this is very much a case of bringing the children back into school, reconnecting with their friends and enjoying all those social aspects that they have missed.”
A Second World War veteran has taken inspiration from Captain Sir Tom Moore to raise cash for charity to mark his 100th birthday.
Charlie Pallett, from Shepway, will be celebrating the milestone on Tuesday, April 6, and is trying to raise as much as he can before then by singing his favourite song in aid of Help for Heroes.
The retired guillotine operator does not want cards or presents for his birthday. Instead, he would like to raise money for war veterans like himself.
The great-great-grandfather has recorded one of his favourite wartime tunes, Keep Right on to the End of the Road, and is asking people to listen and then donate to Help for Heroes. Charlie was born in Derbyshire and his family moved to Burnley when he was a baby. After leaving school, he worked in the coal mines but after being sacked, he became a driver.
In 1939, on his 18th birthday, Charlie was drafted into the army and stationed in Maidstone, where he met his wifeto-be, Madge.
After eight years in the army he was discharged in 1946 then worked as a driver, labourer, bus driver, postman, and ended up as a guillotine operator in a local printers.
Madge and Charlie were married for 76 years, but Madge passed away in June 2019 at the ageof95.
Charlie has been inspired by Captain Sir Tom Moore’s fundraising campaign for the NHS but wanted to raise money for a cause close to his own heart. Help for Heroes is a British charity which provides lifelong recovery support to service personnel who have been wounded or injured in the line of duty, and to their families.
The dad-of-three isn’t a professional singer but has always enjoyed picking out a tune, and chose “Keep Right on to the End of the Road” as it was popular during his time in service.
The 99-year-old said: “I chose this song as I’m also getting to the end of my own road. “I want to raise money for all the wounded soldiers in the wars. I wanted to do something to help the wounded veterans.” He aimed to raise £1,000 before his 100th birthday, but has already beaten the target. If you would like to help, you can donate at justgiving. com/fundraising/charliepallett100-helpforheroes.