Back to school! A look into how a UK secondary school is safely re-opening

 

For a school that teaches ‘anything is possible’, the Victory Academy in Chatham, Kent, has risen to the challenge of safely and successfully reopening after the pandemic.

One week after welcoming back Years 10 and 12, feedback from the parents has been very positive – but it’s the students who are most excited to be back.

“I am really happy to be in school again,” says Year 10 pupil Elstella, 15.

“At first, I was nervous about coming in, but as soon as I saw my friends, I relaxed a bit. I was so pleased they were OK, because I have worried about them every day while I’ve been at home, even though we text a lot.”

Lockdown has been a tougher time for some than others. With higher than the national average levels of deprivation reflected within the Victory Academy community, it sometimes means that IT access is limited.

For performing arts student Elstella, mum Stella was pleased that classes could resume before summer to improve her daughter’s access to learning.

Says Elstella: “At home, it’s more difficult to work because I share my laptop with my older sister, who is studying for A-levels next year. At school, I have my own desk, which I love. Also, the teachers can explain the work I need to do before my GSCEs next year.”

Just as with the 68 Sixth Formers who returned last week, Elstella’s year group of 138 has been split into cohorts of no more than 15, hand-picked according to student needs.

Last week, Elstella’s cohort was the first with full attendance – a triumph for the newly reopened Victory Academy.

“We’ve been delighted with the numbers,” says principal Mandy Gage.

“We hope it will steadily increase as we reassure parents that it is safe to come back.

“Cheering the first Year 10 student on to site was a fantastic moment for the staff. Just to see children back in the building – their appreciation of being back, being with friends and having face-to-face teaching – has made all our hard work worthwhile.”

Gage, 48, who is also director of education for the Thinking Schools Academy Trust, has implemented a ‘robust’ system of risk assessments for the return, which has involved constant communication with parents and students via telephone, newsletters and even doorstep visits where necessary.

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Following the successful re-openings of 12 primary schools under the trust’s umbrella, many of the same safeguarding strategies were used to reopen its secondary schools, as CEO Stuart Gardner explains.

“National data suggest that students from deprived backgrounds have been hardest hit in terms of mental health and wellbeing.

“Now that our students are safely back on site, our priority is to re-establish a positive climate for learning, which includes overcoming any barriers, like anxiety or mental health challenges caused by the coronavirus crisis.

“As such, we call our small learning cohorts ‘family bubbles’ because they help students feel safe and supported in order to learn effectively.”

Instead of diving straight back into traditional lessons, bubble leads will guide students through the same work they would have been given at home to promote independent learning.

“We want to be sure that what we do in the classroom follows on at home, especially as we approach summer,” says Mandy Gage.

“In school, we can provide bespoke intervention that supports this learning.”

Since speaking with families after students’ first day back, the feedback has been that children felt ‘safe and well supported’. But the challenge of overcoming all parents’ objections is not over yet.

“Naturally, we have parents who still feel unsure,” says Gage.

“We invite those parents to site, once it’s empty, to see it for themselves.

“I want them to be as confident as I am that we are going above and beyond – as a school and a trust – to ensure the safety of young people, because they matter to us as much as they do to them.”

metro.co.uk