SCHOOLS in Northwich are preparing to re-open their doors for the new term, with plenty of changes in store for both staff and students.
With government guidelines on social distancing bringing in a new normal, schools are having to adapt in order to make their buildings safe for all.
The Grange School has been preparing for the return of students in a number of ways. Some of the new procedures include:
Classrooms have been redesigned to ensure as much social distancing as possible. Teachers will be teaching from the front of the classroom (appropriately socially distanced from the students) and all student seating will be face forwards to minimise the transmission rates.
Wherever possible, the school will be operating on the basis of year group ‘bubbles’ to minimise transmission. To adjust to this, student form rooms have been moved together to create year group ‘bubbles’ on the school site, and this is designed to try to limit the amount of contact between different year group ‘bubbles’.
There will be staggered lunch times and finishing times, meaning different year groups will eat or finish school at different times to help avoid breaking ‘bubbles’ and ensuring social distancing.
Hand washing facilities and hand sanitisers will be available throughout the school with students to regularly use these to ensure good hygiene and the school have also invested in mobile sinks.
As a first port of call, Years 7, 8 and 9 will be timetabled into their form room to limit their movement around school.
However, some subjects require specialist facilities (Art, Food & Nutrition) and students will move classrooms to study these subjects. This is also designed to try and limit the amount of movement around the school site.
The nature of the GCSE curriculum means that Year 10 and 11 may require unique classrooms for all their subjects due to options, setting and specialist equipment, so will move around the site as normal.
Headmaster Debbie Leonard said: "We are looking forward to welcoming all year groups back to the school site from the start of the academic year, albeit with some changes to our usual practice due to Covid-19 restrictions.
"Our priority has to be on ensuring the health and safety of our young people, as well as staff, and ensuring these measures are successfully introduced."
Over at The County High School, Leftwich, Principal Matthew Snelson said the school was asking both students and staff to wear a face covering for the small number of times during the day when they leave their year group zone.
He said: "These points of the day will include, for example, the start and end of the day, whilst moving to their break and lunchtime zone, when going to the toilets and for students in Year 10 and 11, when moving to specialist rooms.
"It is not recommended that students wear face coverings during lessons.
"Our approach is consistent with other local secondary schools and Sir John Deane’s College."
Mr Snelson went on to say that those that decide to wear a face covering during these points of the day must follow the guidance, in terms of putting the covering on, wearing it, taking it off and storing it appropriately.
He added: "All students will have an induction on the safe wearing of face coverings and will receive regular reminders of this.
"We are not recommending that students who are exempt from wearing a face covering should wear one.
"An appropriate face covering includes a mask or shield. Masks should only cover the mouth and nose.
"No balaclava type masks will be permitted and masks must not have any inappropriate content on them."
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