How schools will look with pop-up classrooms, socially-distanced desks and wash ‘stations’ when kids go back
SCHOOLS will look vastly different with extra measures brought in to reduce the spread of coronavirus when all pupils go back.
Pop-up classrooms, wash “stations”, hand sanitiser dotted about the school and socially-distanced desks will be in place in September.
Schools throughout the UK have worked hard to change how classrooms are set out to get as many primary school pupils back in already.
But in two months the Government expects all students to be back in school, with everything ready to keep them and the staff safe from coronavirus.
Whole year groups will be put into ‘bubbles’, pupils will have staggered breaks & no assemblies in schools reopening plans outlined today.
As The Sun revealed, bubbles will be made bigger from 15 to 30 pupils to ensure there’s room for all kids to return, guidance revealed this morning.
For younger children reminders of the distance to keep will be marked out by tape on the floor, with desks wide apart in the classrooms.
Playgrounds might look different too, with enclosed spots for specific groups to socially-distance while on a break.
Some schools have brought in temporary marquee classrooms to make sure each desk can be properly spaced out.
“Wash” stations will be all over school grounds, to ensure pupils wash their hands regularly and use hand sanitiser.
And Government rules state there should be a cleaning schedule with more frequent cleaning of rooms shared by more than one group.
Key rules for schools ahead of September:
- Cleaning system to show more regular cleaning
- Shared areas or rooms cleaned more often
- ‘Bubbles’ don’t need own toilets but blocks should be cleaned more often
- Plenty of ‘wash’ stations throughout school
- Regular cleaning encouraged, with younger children and those with special needs helped
- Group kids together and avoid mixing
- Classrooms have all forward facing desks
- Staff keep distance from pupils and other teachers
Any younger children or pupils with complex needs should be helped with regularly cleaning their hands.
Although this will differ between schools due to size and capability, efforts should be made to keep groups, or “bubbles”, together, the Government has said.
Contact between these groups should be minimal, with each classroom kitted out with distanced and forward facing desks.
And teachers are expected to keep distance from pupils and other staff as much as they can.
“Bubbles” will be used to get every child back learning this September – but schools will send the whole bubble home if one person is ill.
They have been urged to separate entire year groups with staggered start and finish times to keep them apart during breaks and lunch.
The move will see bigger schools enact bubbles of 30, with entire classes kept together to keep them safe.
Secondary school pupils could be isolated in their year groups – limiting their interactions with students of different ages.
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Only kids in reception, year one and year six have been allowed to return to the classrooms since the coronavirus outbreak, but other years can come back if there’s space.
Secondary schools in England have also been allowed to reopen for some students from Years 10, 11 and 12 since June 15.
The Government had to abandon plans to get every primary school child back in for a month before the summer.