Coronavirus: Portsmouth and Hampshire headteachers and council bosses urge parents to send children back to school

Social bubbles, hand sanitising stations and antiviral fogging machines will be the new normal for schools across Portsmouth and Hampshire as staff and pupils head back for the new term over the next couple of weeks and school leaders and education councillors are keen to ensure all pupils go back to school despite some concerns being raised about their ability to reopen safely.

Education boss at Portsmouth City Council, Councillor Suzy Horton said: ‘We have been working with schools since day one to make sure everything adheres to the highest infection safety measures and the message from the council is that we want kids and staff to be back in school safely.

‘We aim to get schools back to as much normality as possible. We have had regular video and phone calls with headteachers and, although feelings have waxed and waned as the government gave out different instructions, all schools are ready to have all pupils back.’

One-way systems, staggered school days to reduce crowding and rigorous hand washing regimes are some of the measures that have been implemented in schools but after a u-turn by the government last week on compulsory mask wearing, headteachers have been able to make final decisions for their own schools.

For pupils going back to Henry Cort Community College in Fareham on Monday, masks are required to be worn while moving around but will not need to be worn during lessons.

Advice for parents also states that ‘students are required to bring their own ‘Covid kit’ containing a plain face mask and sealable plastic bag for storage, tissues, hand sanitiser and all equipment that they require for the day together with a full water bottle.’

Councillor Roz Chadd, Hampshire County Council’s executive member for education and skills said she was ‘deeply relieved’ that the government said children can return to school for the new term.

Parents across the county have raised concerns about sending their children back to school and The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) is pushing for the Government to temporarily scrap fines for parents who do not send their children back to class due to fears around coronavirus.

SEE ALSO: University of Portsmouth announces plans to test 10 per cent of staff and students every two weeks to prevent spread of Covid-19

The Department for Education (DfE) said fines for parents who refuse to send their children to England’s schools will only be used as a ‘last resort’.

Parents of pupils at Ark Charter Academy in Southsea have been kept informed of reopening plans, including students wearing masks in corridors, through school visits, video chats and newsletters.

Executive principal Fiona Chapman previously said: ‘Parents feel empowered and they feel ownership of their children coming back and I think a lot of the problems in other areas are because they haven’t been informed.’

Ms Chapman added: ‘We are very keen to make sure that we mitigate as much risk as possible. We also want to embed it so it’s part of the everyday new normal.

‘If government guidance does change or we become a local lockdown area, the pupils will be used to putting on their face mask.’

Across the city, pupils and staff at Miltoncross Academy, which had a confirmed Covid-19 case in its school community back in March, will not have to wear masks when students start to return at the end of the week and the school has also announced tests in reading and mathematics for pupils to identify knowledge gaps with catch up sessions during school time to get students back on track.

In a letter to parents, executive headteacher Fiona Calderbank said: ‘We understand that some of you and your children will be anxious about returning in September, after some months out of school.

‘Please be reassured that we are taking exceptional measures to make our schools as safe as can be. We will be providing additional emotional and wellbeing support for any pupils that need it, and will also be providing additional opportunities to support learning where this is required.

Although very many of our pupils have worked hard using our remote learning resources provided by our dedicated teachers, we are fully aware that learning has been lost.

‘We are all determined that your sons and daughters will absolutely not be ‘a lost generation’, and are adapting our curriculum to make sure they get the learning and knowledge that they need to achieve success in the future.’

Are you sending your children back to school? Are you happy with the measures your child’s school has in place? Are you keeping your child at home? Let us know via Facebook message or email us at [email protected]

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