Portsmouth parents respond to measures to keep children safe as they return to school

Described by Priory School headteacher Stewart Vaughan as the ‘biggest logistical reorganisation of a school’ he has ever experienced, measures to mitigate the risk of the virus included the wearing of masks in communal areas, increasing outside space, relocating entire departments and segregating pupils into year group zones.

While parents across the region were generally appreciative of the measures put in place by schools a number questioned the logic behind some of the government guidelines children were having to adhere to – particularly the concept of year bubbles.

Posting on Facebook, Maz Gee commented: ‘Totally get their battle but when my two daughters meet at their bikes after school to be told they can't mingle with each other for safety reasons is silly. They go to and from school together and live in the same house, so of course they can mingle.’

However, replying to the post, Sammy Elliott commented: ‘Me and my partner work at the same place. We live together yet we still have to enter the port two metres apart – so it’s not just at school.’

While schools may be doing their best to follow safety guidelines a number of posters felt the biggest issue was parents failing to socially distance when collecting their children.

Grandparent, John Knight, posted: ‘I picked my grandson up from Court Lane. The school may be Covid-secure but the collection of children isn’t. Parents and grandparents were all milling around the exit gate with no social distancing and very few wearing masks while being so close to one another.’

A number of pupils interviewed questioned the logic as to why the government deemed it safe to be in a year group bubble of more than 100 students yet it was viewed to no longer be safe to meet in groups larger than six outside of school.

Park Community School pupil, Max Wallis, 15, said: ‘The virus doesn’t just stop at the school gates’.

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It’s a sentiment shared by a number of parents.

Louise Mj Costello posted: ‘I get their point. They’re allowed to socialise in school with 200 children in their bubble but yet are not allowed to socialise with the exact same people outside of school. How that make sense?’

However, Clare Maybour replied: ‘What’s confusing? The children need to be in school for their educational and mental needs. The schools have put enough Covid measures in place to protect, as per government guidelines. It’s easy really - go to school and don’t socialise in groups larger than six outside of school.’

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