Marquees to help all pupils return to school
Outdoor learning spaces
ENTERPRISING staff at a primary school have erected two large marquees on its playing fields for use as temporary classrooms so that it can welcome back all of its pupils before the end of the summer term.
Staff at Orchard Community Primary School wanted to give all of its 295 pupils the opportunity to return and put out a plea to the local community for the use of marquees that could be transformed into outdoor learning spaces.
The Castle Donington school, which has remained open throughout the coronavirus pandemic for children of key workers, was delighted to initially welcome back reception and years one and six children at the start of June.
However, as soon as guidance allowed for wider reopening to other year groups, school staff began the careful process of seeking a solution that would give all of their five to 11-year-old children the opportunity to return to lessons should they wish to do so.
Fiona Shields, head of the Grange Drive school, said that the school had the teaching capacity to bring everyone back but had been limited by accommodation issues.
Senior leaders therefore needed to think outside of the box and go the extra mile to accommodate the needs of the children safely whilst allowing social distancing rules to be observed.
A plea was circulated to local businesses for the use of marquees and Castle Donington Football Club answered the call, enabling the school to create two 10m x 5m temporary learning spaces for year six pupils.
This has meant that pupils from the remaining years two, three, four and five will be in school for the next few weeks until the end of term.
Mrs Shields said: “We have a fantastically dedicated and committed staff of education professionals who are extremely excited to be in a position to welcome all of the children back.
“Our pupils have shown remarkable character and resilience over the last few months and have adapted to home learning brilliantly, but nothing beats having them back in school for vital social interactions as well as learning.
“I am extremely proud of how our whole school community has pulled together to support one another during this challenging time.”
Mrs Shields added that she’s hoping the children learn another valuable lesson about the importance of perseverance, determination, teamwork and problem-solving. She added: “No matter how tough times get, we hope that the children learn that for every problem there is a solution, especially if we all work together.
“We’ve made provision for another 30 pupils which equates to two more bubbles. Moving year six into the marquees has enabled year two pupils to be accommodated in the vacated spaces.”