'Back to school' with a difference

Schools are expected to be the first to re-open in the government’s plan to ease lockdown restrictions.

Tonight (22/02/21) Boris Johnson will be announcing his roadmap out of the tightest measures with pupils look set to return to classrooms on the 8th of March, but teaching unions say that would be 'reckless' and are calling for a phased return.

At the moment, pupils and students are being encouraged to take up home school learning but it's come with many problems from little or no equipment to distractions around getting work done.

Isabelle Peaks, a GCSE student at Beverley High School, told us:

“I’m looking forward for going back to school because it will give me the opportunity to be with all my friends. It also means we’ll get face to face teaching back which is a real benefit especially with wanting to go to college next year.”

Isabelle’s dad, Colin Peaks, is a Headteacher at Wilberforce College, he told us:

“Parents are confident that people are getting the vaccine and the most vulnerable are going to be protected so I think it’s the right time to re-open schools. I just think we need a couple of weeks’ notice to get things ready.”

Rapid lateral flow tests have become available to students and staff and two tests should be taken every week to identify those who're carrying the virus and to help reduce the risk of transmission. They provide results in 30 minutes and don't require a lab to process them.

Julie Peaks is the Deputy Principal of Wyke College and she told us:

“We’re ready to go but our biggest challenge is how we’re going to test 2,000 students so that it doesn’t disrupt learning even more for when we get them back in the classroom.”

Julie’s daughter, Isabelle said:

“I’m not worried about getting tested but I think for some people, it's going to be scary and I think it will also be a challenge for the schools to be able to test everyone, but I think it’s all for the best.”

Exams have been scrapped this year in response to the pandemic.

Isabelle said:

“I’m just carrying on as usual as if exams are going to happen but I know for some people it’s been hard because they’ve been trying to juggle online learning as well as trying to do revision.”