Portsmouth's Ark Charter Academy head decides children will wear face masks to create the ‘safest possible environment’

Fiona Chapman, executive principal of Ark Charter Academy and Ark Dickens Primary Academy schools in Portsmouth, ensured both schools remained open to eligible children throughout the pandemic.

Ms Chapman confirmed that despite the government stipulating that face masks currently only need to be worn by pupils in areas under local lockdown, she has taken the decision that all secondary children and staff will wear masks in corridors but not in classrooms.

Ms Chapman said: ‘We are very lucky, to date we have had no Covid-19 incidents on site and we are keen to keep it that way.

‘What you need to do in any setting like this is provide the safest possible environment. Our job is to stay open and provide a school and an education for our pupils and it seems to us only a minor step to ask our pupils to wear masks when transiting.

‘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.’

Ark Charter Academy secondary school students are being taught in year bubbles and will spend their days learning in ‘home’ rooms. Hand sanitising stations have been set up around both schools while antiviral fogging machines will be used to disinfectant classrooms.

While the teaching unions have expressed reservations about the government’s plans for a ‘safe’ return, after being fully involved in the risk assessment process, Ms Chapman said her staff are ‘excited’ to get back in the classroom.

She said: ‘We are expecting 100 per cent of staff back. They’re excited to be back and they’re looking forward to being back on site collectively. There’s a level of excitement about that.‘There is the knowledge that things are different. Social distancing of staff is important but it’s important to provide as much normality for the children as we can and to get them back into the classes and back into learning as this is potentially going to be long term.’

SEE ALSO: Government shifts stance on wearing face masks in secondary schools

With anxiety levels still running high for some parents, Ms Chapman believes communication is the key to reassurance. Parents have been kept informed of reopening plans through school visits, video chats and newsletters.

Ms Chapman 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.’

With 900 pupils due to return to Ark Charter Academy, Ms Chapman added: ‘Having children on site throughout lockdown was great. Going up to full capacity is going to be very exciting and bring that energy back to school and for children to some extent life can return to normal.

‘They need that because the longer they stay out of school the more opportunity they miss.’

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