THE HIDDEN COSTS FACED BY SCHOOLS
THE head of a secondary school that reopened this week has revealed the soaring cost of Covid-19 alterations.
Clare Darby has had to install a new £10,000 corridor to ensure social distancing, as well as buy new computers, spend thousands on expanding the canteen and thousands more on hand sanitiser.
Clare, who runs Rawlins Academy in Leicester, said: “There is a big cost. Schools have been able to claim certain aspects but on the proviso that your accounts haven’t gone into the red. We’ve just had to find the money.”
The 1,600 pupils aged 11 to 19 at Rawlins Academy went back a week early, along with most other schools in the area.
Pupils in Scotland returned to the classroom earlier this month, onth, while most schools in England and Wales will reopen tomorrow.
Clare said: “It has been remarkably calm so far, I’m really pleased.
“We have planned to the nth degree – many staff only took a week off over the summer so we could plan, alter and make the e changes changes.
“What’s been so lovely is to see the children’s faces. They’ve been so animated, so happy to see their friends and staff. It’s right and important that they’re back.” Clare says a return to primary-style teaching and abolishing ability-led sets so that bubbles can stay together has helped teachers control the difficult circumstances.
She said: “The regimentation has been useful – pupils lining up before they go in to calm things down.
“Years seven, eight and nine are in tutor group bubbles of 30.
“They’re also in one classroom – they have returned to primary school teaching where they stay in their classroom all day. And we no longer have sets in most subjects, so the pupils don’t have to mix too much.
She added: “Stuff you usually do automatically in a school – like when a child asks for a pen, we can’t do that any y more.
“Exerci “Exercise books have to be quara quarantined before you can ma mark them, then t they they’re have handed to be back. quarantined before
“And library books h have to be sprayed and q quarantined before we ca can lend them.
““The students would normally m move around the school but now the teachers do, so they have bought trollies and suitcases to move their stuff around.
“They’ve gone to Wilko to get what they need.”
The children are happy to see their friends and staff again