Schools Open: Two weeks in Review
We are now well into the new phase for schools. All of our planning, risk assessing, signing and deep cleaning has been achieved and schools are starting to look much more ‘open for business’.
Prior to this, teachers have been busy providing remote working for their students with support staff working behind the scenes to enable schools to continue to operate and carrying out admin functions.
Many admin and site staff have continued to attend due to the responsibilities that need addressing even with school closed. Some teachers and classroom support will have also been in to work with the key worker children and vulnerable students. Even these feel a level of apprehension at the larger numbers of students and staff on site. Somehow, having fewer people around has made it seem safer.
A huge amount of planning has gone into enabling this to happen. Senior staff across the sector have been spending time sharing details of what has been achieved with their staff along with providing training on expectations and new protocols that are now in place. Social distancing has now become a ‘school behaviour’ the same way that queuing at lunchtimes or sitting quietly on the story mat is. Areas are mapped out to enable this new norm and ‘bubble groups’ have appeared in classrooms to help prevent any spread of infection.
School is now deemed to be as safe as it can be and there are a plethora of posters telling everyone to follow the one-way system, catch it bin it kill it and various other messages around social distancing and hygiene. Entrances, exits, classrooms, staff rooms and toilets have a selection of sanitising products, tissues, wipes and PPE but does all of this careful planning and sharing of procedures and information actually make staff feel safe and happy to be back in school?
At Snodland CEP Holley Hunt, Headteacher is happy that things are working well.
“Our precise planning in advance of opening has paid off and other than a few minor tweaks, everything is as expected. Numbers are increasing daily as other families are hearing about how positive things are in school. Children are happy and they're learning.”
Holley went on to say that, although some staff were a little apprehensive about changes in school and new ways of working, staff are happy to be back for their own wellbeing and that of the children and all staff have returned to school.
At both The Malling and Holmesdale Schools staff are reassured that the transition back into school has been managed as carefully as possible. Staff have received training, hygiene is maintained at a high level and they are supported by SLT presence and a process of live reporting for any issues that may arise. Only the staff that are not at high risk and are needed to support the students are in, thus enabling the continuation of remote learning for the remainder of the school cohort. The staff I spoke to are happy to be in school and to be with their students again, back to doing what they do best.
And as Winston Churchill famously quoted “Difficulties mastered are opportunities won”, the ultimate goal is the outcomes for our students.