Praise for resilience of pupils and teachers

Students across Windsor and Maidenhead have been adapting to more coronavirus measures at the start of the spring term.

Government guidance has been strengthened around mask-wearing with pupils now asked to wear face coverings in classrooms as well as communal areas.

All secondary schools have also been required to provide one on-site coronavirus test for returning students after the festive season.

Pupils will also continue to take two lateral flow tests per week at home to try and curb the spread of infections.

Cox Green School returned to teaching on January 4 thanks to a school-wide testing regime organised by business manager, Gill Newman.

Headteacher Danny Edwards was full of praise for the response of his students and staff to the everchanging situation.

He said: “We had the whole school tested in the morning and the students were brilliant and took it on board and did what was asked of them.

“It’s something we’re going to have to live with for some time still but the students have got used to it and are very good at dealing with it.

“It’s important that our students are in school both for their own wellbeing and giving them the chance to mix with friends again.”

Mr Edwards said the school had faced challenges with staff absences due to self-isolation in December but it was now in a much improved position.

He added: “At the moment we’re in a really good position where we haven’t been impacted at all.

“My experience from the first year of the pandemic is it certainly works in cycles.

“You have a period where it’s really tough and challenging and you get a period where you think you might get through it and you get surprised again.

“At the moment we’re in a good place and long may it continue.”