Portsmouth school staff deserve a well-earned summer rest | Emma Kay

Without doubt, the loss of learning over these past few months has been difficult. Families have had to adapt like never before. They have experienced the ups and downs of teaching first-hand.
Teaching Assistant Jess Whitfield (L) and teacher Roisin Barker rearrange the desks in a classroom ahead of the return of more students from Reception and Year Six (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)Teaching Assistant Jess Whitfield (L) and teacher Roisin Barker rearrange the desks in a classroom ahead of the return of more students from Reception and Year Six (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
Teaching Assistant Jess Whitfield (L) and teacher Roisin Barker rearrange the desks in a classroom ahead of the return of more students from Reception and Year Six (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

They have recognised the careful negotiation needed to encourage young people to do their best. Essentially, they have realised that the toughest parts of teaching are not what it says on the tin. They aren’t even in the job description.

Working in a school takes a lot of courage, dedication and patience. I’m not just talking about teachers here. I’m talking about every adult in the building and beyond.

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That includes teachers, teaching assistants, supply teachers, special educational needs co-ordinators (SENCO), receptionists, caretakers, governors, behaviour teams, ICT staff, librarians, emotional literacy support assistants (ELSA), catering staff, cleaners, outside agencies and those who volunteer their precious time inside and outside the building.

School is a plethora of different staff, not just teachers. People have been asking when schools are reopening, but they never closed. Key worker and SEN schools have been taking in pupils even at the height of the pandemic, when most people were afraid to even set foot outside. School staff have scarcely taken a breath since all this started.

The number of pupils returning to the classroom is growing every day.

Meticulous measures have been put in place to ensure everyone is safe.

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Vigilant cleaners are sanitising every door handle and emptying every bin, every hour. Reception staff are routinely printing thousands of resource packs to be sent home.

Staff stand to attention outside each classroom ready to accompany pupils to the toilet to keep everyone distanced.

Praise, of course, should go to parents for all of their hard work at home. But let’s not forget all of the school staff.

The summer holidays will be a chance to finally spend time with their families.

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They have been working their socks off in this strange and stressful situation.

They deserve their well-earned holiday as much as everyone else does.

Are the risks still too high to jet off on foreign holidays?

Summer is in the air and it begs the question of whether or not we should bring our suitcases down from the loft in anticipation of a holiday abroad.

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For the past few months we have strayed no further than our daily woodland walks making dens out of twigs and sticks, and decorating our houses with painted pebbles and rainbows. So we all need a change of scenery, right?

We are starting to see a relaxation on foreign travel where the risk is not ‘too high’. The holiday industry is probably ready and willing but the light is not green to go at this point. It is more of a hazy amber. With some countries seeing second waves, maybe it is time to wave goodbye to any foreign jaunts this summer.

Tattoo parlours are more than ready to safely reopen

One of the more confusing government decisions is forcing tattoo parlours to stay shut when they already have strict measures in place to stop cross contamination.

Disposable gloves and aprons were a common sight long before Covid. If it is safe for pubs to open where numerous people can enter a single space, why is it still considered unsafe for a one-on-one experience in a tattoo parlour, where protective measures are routine?

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Small local businesses were feeling the pinch long before lockdown. Tattoos are one of the few things you cannot simply get from a supermarket or Amazon. They know their PPE to a T.

Why punish them further?

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