“Welcome back! We’ve missed you!” is the message from Warwickshire County Council, schools and educators to all pupils returning to schools from next Monday, March 8.
All schools and settings have been open since the beginning of lockdown in January to vulnerable children and children of key workers.
Now, with schools and colleges in Warwickshire reopening for all year groups from March 8 as the first stage in the easing of the national lockdown restrictions, Warwickshire County Council is extending a warm welcome to returning learners and reminding pupils and parents of a few of the things that might be a bit different in their education setting.
The main changes that pupils can expect upon their return mainly affect secondary school pupils and college students. These are:
- Secondary school pupils and college students will be tested three times before returning, using rapid-result lateral flow tests. These tests will happen in education settings but, after that, they will be done by pupils at home.
- All secondary school pupils and college students must wear a face-covering indoors, and that will include in classrooms, where 2m social distancing is not possible.
For early years setting and primary schools, all staff and visitors to the education setting, including parents fetching children, are strongly advised to wear a face covering, particularly where 2m social distancing cannot be maintained.
Parents can be reassured that the safety of every one of Warwickshire’s learners is paramount to Warwickshire County Council and all its education settings and all staff in schools will, themselves, be tested twice weekly for COVID-19.
Parents and carers are also asked to continue to play their part by wearing face-coverings at the school gates and when entering education settings and by social distancing, wherever it is possible to do so.
Cllr Colin Hayfield, Warwickshire County Council Portfolio Holder for Education and Learning, said: “One of the hardest things about the pandemic is that it has deprived so many children of their opportunity to attend school for their education. Although there has been a wealth of innovative remote learning that Warwickshire schools have made available to pupils, this cannot replace the face-to-face learning that is so enriching.
“It is fantastic that pupils can return to schools and meet, once more, with friends and teachers that many will not have seen for over two months of lockdown. But now is the time for vigilance so that we can keep schools open, stop the spread of the virus into our communities and then start to get back to doing more of the things that we have missed. Following the rules in and around our education settings will play a massive part in doing that.
“But, for now, on behalf of the county council and all Warwickshire schools, teachers and support staff the message to our returning children and young people is this: Welcome back! We’ve Missed You!”
For more information about education and learning in Warwickshire, visit: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/schools