Waverley hopes to return to class

A FINCHAMPSTEAD-based school is hoping that it can reopen to all pupils from Monday.

Waverley Preparatory has, like most schools, already welcomed back reception, Year 1 and 6 pupils, as well as its nursery children.

Now it is seeking permission to see as many children as possible return for lessons.

Headteacher Guy Shore said: “At Waverley, we passionately believe that children are best educated at school.

“While homeschooling can be a good backstop, it can rarely deliver as reliable and robust an education as a well-run school.

“We have made extensive preparations for the return of all our remaining pupils to school that mirror the procedures already in place for those pupils who have returned.

“These measures include smaller class sizes, social distancing, one-way systems, staggered drop-off and pick-up times, and social bubbles for classrooms and break times.”

The school said that for the year groups that have already returned, more than 80% – four in five – of its pupils are back in the classroom.

It also says that there is strong support from parents for the plan to reopen for remaining year groups from Monday, June 22.

“The teaching professionals and support staff here at Waverley have spent their working lives helping young minds reach their full potential,” continued Mr Shore.

“We are an extremely dedicated teamwith our pupils’ best interests and education at the forefront of everything we do.

“By the time they leave Waverley, our pupils are significantly ahead of their state school counterparts and our goal is to maintain this level of excellence.

“This is perhaps why the School has maintained its Best in Berkshire status over the last nine years.”

And Mr Shore’s plans have support from Waverley’s chair of governors, Blair Jenkins.

“On Monday last week, the UK Government abandoned its plans to open state schools before the end of term,” he said.

“The Government again on Wednesday last week confirmed that state schools will remain closed to the other year groups.

“We are strongly of the opinion that children are best educated at school.

“Waverley firmly believes that it has implemented robust procedures over and above Covidguidelines.

“The school is currently awaiting permission from the Department for Education to re-open as planned.”