The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
‘Superhuman’ schools return
Education chief praises pupils, staff and workers as Peterborough schools start returning to full capacity this week
Peterborough education chief praised ‘superhuman’ pupils and staff as schools begin to return
Peterborough’s education chief has praised the ‘superhuman’effortsofstaffandpupils as schools begin to return to full capacity this week.
Local schools welcome backpupils afteralongerwait than ever before. Children and young people across the region have sharpened their pencils, polished their shoes and dug out their schoolbags, as many prepare to return to school over the next two weeks.
While most schools i n Cambridgeshire and Peterborough have remained open throughout for vulnerable children and those of key workers, the majority of school-agedchildren havenot set foot in a classroom since schools went into lockdown in March.
Schools, muchliketherest of us, hadneverfacedthesituation before, but were quick to react with many focusing their attentiononhomelearning through virtual teaching sessions and online materials – ensuring children could continue to learn anddevelop even if not in a formal classroom setting.
In the months that followed we saw our schools and parents stepping up to the challenges faced across the country by the spread of the coronavirus – with many of our schools providing meals for vulnerable members of their communities, or using their materials and expertise to produce thousands of pieces of PPE for frontline workers.
Parents, too, stepped into the role of educators, providing home-learning for their children and making it part of their daily lives.
As the virus spread, school l eaders had to go back to square one to reassess how their buildings operated and even how they taught, before planning how to adapt to ensure children could return one day to a safe and welcoming space.
Having worked through detailed risk assessments and closely monitored the local situation throughout the lockdown period, schools are able to open their gates and welcome back the pupils they have ‘missed dearly’ from today (September 2).
JonathanLewis, directorof education at Cambridgeshire CountyandPeterboroughCity Council, said:“Thestartofevery school year is a milestone for every child, every parent and every teacher involved, but there is no doubt this year
in particular is of great significance.
“This start of term is one that will be remembered for a very long time. I have said it many times before but am not afraid to say it again– I am proudandhumbledbythesuperhumaneffortsofeveryone
involved in our education system over the last five months.
“The way everyone has stuck by one another, shared ideas and resources, and just helped keep the energy levels and effort up has been incredible. I also want to thank our parents andyoungpeople again for their professionalism, support and dedication to keeping learning alive, in some particularly difficult circumstances. This will have paid off and it will make the transition back to formal education a lot easier than it could have been.”
Councillor Simon Bywater, chairman of the children and young people committee for Cambridgeshire County Council, said: “It has been said many times that this is a year like noother, andthishas certainly been the case when we consider the world of education.
“I’m i mmensely proud of the way our young people have adapted. When they return to school, they will find that things look a little different andtheir school day won’t quite be the same as they are used to, but I know they will approach this with maturity and resilience.”