HEAD, ST GEORGE’S SCHOOL FOR GIRLS, EDINBURGH

MARITAL STATUS Married CHILDREN Two girls, aged 13 and 14 MAIN SUBJECTS English and Latin

In our nursery, we have very strict bubbles, with separate toilets and an emphasis on materials and equipment which we can keep clean. We are also making good use of our fantastic outdoor space.

Our junior school is using separate entrances for the different year groups, staggered start times, and different zones in the playground.

The upper school has two- metre marked- off “teacher zones” in the classrooms, a one- way system and we have a two- week timetable which allows for double periods and therefore much less movement around the building – it’s been unexpectedly beneficial in terms of learning.

We are trying to keep our pupils from P7 to S2 in the same classroom where possible and have the teachers move to them.

We can’t do some activities in class, for instance we can’t do singing in music, but we are able to offer music technology, listening, some practical music making,

aural perception and general theory. Individual music tuition was delivered live online during lockdown and lessons are continuing with a pupil in a music room at school and the teacher online from home.

In PE, equipment is sterilised and girls are enjoying sports they missed out on during the summer, such as tennis and athletics. Extra- curricular activities such as our Model United Nations and Amnesty groups are returning, but in single- year groups. Our after- school clubs and wraparound care are being phased back in.

A huge amount of staff training in technology has taken place before and during lockdown and we are hanging on to the best of that – for instance, marking work is problematic but Class Notebook allows the teacher to monitor a pupil’s progress, share work and give feedback.

We also have a school counsellor, and we are carrying out regular anonymous wellbeing surveys, so we can take the “emotional temperature” of the school.