‘It’s as safe as we can possibly make it...’
How schools will look when they open next week:
Long before the developing controversy over the policy on face masks, school staff across Wales have been hard at work preparing for a new school year unlike any other. Education editor Abbie Wightwick examines how schools will look when they reopen from next week, as she caught up with headteachers...
NO MOVING between classrooms, reduced practical and art work, and no mixing between year groups at lunch and break times – some of the key things that make secondary so different to primary school will be missing when students return from next week.
Usually busy corridors will be one way, without the usual hustle and bustle. Some schools will shut as early as 1.40pm.
Perspex screens have been installed to protect staff and some teachers will use screens or visors to help reduce the risk of infection.
Secondary school headteachers have been working hard to welcome young people back after the height of the coronavirus pandemic and said they are looking forward to seeing them again.
Although some pupils returned when schools were allowed to reopen for the last few weeks of the summer term, others have not been into their classrooms since March 20 when schools were ordered to close because of the coronavirus pandemic.
A third group will be coming up from primary to start secondary as new Year Sevens without the usual transition visits.
Heads have had to dip into their budgets to install screens, outdoor covered areas and upgrade toilet blocks.
Hand-washing facilities have been increased and hand-sanitising stations installed.
On top of this, schools will have to alter the exam curriculum and take into account the very real emotional fallout from the pandemic.
Although the Welsh Government has said schools can open from September 1, they are allowed to stagger the first two weeks before opening to all pupils as usual from September 14.
Neil Foley, headteacher at Prestatyn High, said: “We’ve been given until September 14 but will be back to full capacity by September 10 after a staggered start.
“Year Sevens and Year 12s will start full-time on September 3 because Year Sevens missed out on transition and Year 12s have also missed out. Year 13s will come back full-time from September 4.
“Then we have Year 10s in from September 7 and Year Nines from September 8.
“We talked to other local heads at
Rhyl High and Christ the Word Catholic High in Rhyl so all our pupils return at the same time. It’s a regional approach.
“The main reason for a transitional start is that it’s a ‘stress test’ for the things we’ve put in place to see what works and what doesn’t.
“Where possible, teachers, not pupils, will move classrooms. There are social-distancing markers in corridors.
“There will be less practical work and we will reduce use of equipment in subjects like product design.
“Pupils will stay at the same desk and won’t go to different classrooms except for options like product design.
“Only the upper school will go to science labs.
“Years Seven, Eight and Nine will have science lessons in their classrooms. Practicals will be mainly demonstrations.
“My design technology teachers have built 100 thin and light perspex screens to put in front of desks.
“Every member of staff can use those and every member of staff has their own keyboard and mouse.
“Year groups won’t mix at break or lunch. Bubbles will be one year group of 250 pupils.
“We have 1,500 pupils and year groups won’t mix.
“We have employed two extra day cleaners and three cleaners will now clean throughout the day
“I think it is absolutely better for pupils to be in school for their mental health and education and the social side.
“We have not had many parents saying they won’t be sending their children back, but it is a case-by-case basis and every child’s situation is different.
“Our approach is softly, softly at the start. Within the first term, obviously, school should go back to being complusory.”
Some 130 miles south, David Blackwell, headteacher at St Richard Gwyn in Barry, echoed the comments.
He said: “We can reassure everyone it’s as safe as we can possibly make it to come back to school.
“Year groups have been put into bubbles and allocated areas of the school. Staff will move, not pupils, and there is a one-way system.
“Year groups also have allocated space outside and we have spent £20,000 on extra fencing and screems there and in the reception and canteen.
“We have also refurbished a toilet block so more toilets can be used.
“Our biggest concern is Key Stage 4 GCSE years having access to specialist rooms like design technology so we can run options.
“Younger pupils will have options but will stay in the same classroom for those. We will bring forward practical work to later in the year.
“Everyone is keen to get back to school, staff and children need routine and normality, but it is going to be a challenge.
“We have made visors for every member of staff and they are optional. In the three weeks we were back last term, about five or six staff wore them.
“We have two areas for lunch, the canteen and ‘the street.’ Lunchtimes will be staggered. We will serve hot food but it will be a reduced menu and not the usual plated dinners.
“I agree that schools need to be a priority. Pupils have missed a huge amount of time and there will have to be a lot of support and guidance.
“Secondary schools will look a bit different. it’s going to be tough for children and staff. But I’m hopeful these plans will be until October – I would like to say this is until halfterm, but we don’t quite know.”
Meanwhile, primary schools will also see major changes in the way they operate.
Staff will wear visors, pupils will stay in “bubbles” of their year groups and they won’t be allowed to share some toys and activities like they used to.
It will look very different for everyone.
Children will have to be dropped off at the school gate, rather than coming into the yard with their parents, and pupils at some schools will
have their temperatures taken on arrival.
Start and finish times will change and there will be no breakfast or after-school clubs to begin with.
One-way systems will operate around schools, children will eat their lunch in the classroom in some schools and there will be extra handwashing facilities.
Cleaning will be carried out throughout the day and plastic toys and equipment will be sterilised between uses.
Headteachers said they are looking forward to welcoming children back, but said school won’t be the same as it was before the pandemic, although they will try to keep it as normal as possible.
As social distancing isn’t possible in classes of 30 children, staff in some primary schools will wear visors.
Although some schools operated as hubs for the children of key workers throughout and all reopened to more children on June 29, some pupils and staff have not been to school since they were ordered to shut on March 20.
For that reason they will also be concentrating on children’s wellbeing as well as learning.
The Welsh Government issued guidance for school reopening in July.
As with secondary schools, although schools can reopen from September 1, they are allowed to stagger the first two weeks before they must reopen to all pupils, fulltime from September 14.
In Cardiff, all 460 children at Moorland Primary in Splott will have their temperatures taken by contactless thermometer when they arrive each day and the 75 staff will wear visors.
Headteacher Jane Jenkins said she is looking forward to welcoming children back from September 3 and wants to keep the school as normal as possible, while minimising the risk of coronavirus infection.
“We have done a full risk assessment and open to all children from Years One to Six on September 3,” she said.
“Nursery and reception pupils will have a staggered entry over the next two weeks, as usual.
“We are just opening until lunchtime for two days in the first week to assess how it works with all pupils in.
“We will have staggered start times from 8.40am and a staggered finish at 12.10pm. When we go to the full day we will finish half an hour earlier at 2.30pm to give teachers time to plan. The learning time won’t be shorter.
“We have bought visors for all staff. The advice is you don’t need them if you can keep a two-metre distance, but you can’t socially distance with a class of 30 children.
“Masks are very difficult in terms of communication and adults can’t really wear masks and teach.
“Adults wearing visors will be strange for children, but I think it’s important to give staff a level of protection. If visors are appropriate for shop workers and bar staff, why not teachers?
“I am going to expect people to wear them and I will wear one. That’s what staff wanted. I expect all our 75 staff will wear them.
“Our canteen will be closed until September 11. Children will bring in packed lunches until then.
“Staff won’t be able to use communal facilities in the staff areas. They will eat lunch with the children in their ‘bubbles.’
“There will be at least two staff for every 30 children and they will have 20 minutes for lunch.
“For equipment like play dough, pupils will have their own named pot.
“For construction kits, groups will all have to wash their hands before and after using them. If someone sneezes on equipment, it goes back into the disinfecting solution.
“With water play, we will change the water throughout the day.
“We have put new shelters up outside and hope Foundation Phase children will be outside more.
“Parents will have an allocated place to go to in the yard to pick their children up, but will have to drop them off at the gates at the start of the day.
“There will be temperature checks on arrival for staff and children with a contactless thermometer.”
Ms Jenkins added: “I am looking forward to the children coming back. It will be really nice.
We had around 60% back in July and I’m hoping people will feel confident sending their children back.
“Children need routine and their education. School is also a good environment to teach them about social distancing and hand-washing. Schools have a role to play in that.”
Elsewhere in the capital, the breakfast club at Millbank Primary in Ely was very popular, with around 100 of its 250 pupils attending.
The club won’t be able to run for the first few weeks of term, so the school will provide toast in the classroom for all children until then.
“It is a nice, social way to start the day,” said headteacher Karen Brown.
She stressed it was vital to keep the children and her 30 staff as safe as possible.
“We’ll open on September 3 for Years One to Six and to Reception and Nursery the following week.
“I am so glad they are coming back and totally agree with the government that schools have to be the last thing that closes. It is important for children socially, academically and emotionally.
“We have been discussing masks with staff, several have been shielding.
“I think we should all wear visors or masks as and when needed.
“Masks and visors are optional but I suspect most staff will wear them. I will be wearing a visor.
“Our start times will be staggered from 8.45am until 9.15am and we will finish school from 2.45pm to 3.15pm. There will be less breaks so there will still be the same amount of schooling.
“There are 30 children in each class and they will stay in that one class bubble inside, but when they go outside there will be two classes in a bubble of 60.”
Mrs Brown added: “We have taken out all the equipment we can’t clean and children will have their own boxes of things like Lego. These will be cleaned every night.
“The bigger shared toys used for role play, like the kitchen area, will be disinfected regularly.
“There will be packed lunches only for the first two weeks.
“The breakfast club won’t be open but there will be toast every morning for every child in the classroom. We did that when we reopened in June and it is nice and nurturing and social.
“The youngest children in Reception will come in to the classroom door in the morning but others will be met at the gate by staff to be brought in.”
We have done a full risk assessment and open to all children from Years One to Six on September 3
HEADTEACHER JANE JENKINS