Schools reopening: the primary school

“When this began, we said to you that the most important thing was to keep each other safe and come back to us safely. You’ve done that, so we’re going to take care of everything else.”

That was the message that we put out to our children during the week before they were due to come back to school, and we’d certainly done our best to be ready to take care of whatever today threw at us. We were ready and excited to see the children again. It was time.

Parents at the gate were overwhelmingly positive and relieved that the children were back, although some were, understandably, a little apprehensive. The relationship between home and school has definitely strengthened over this past year and that is something we want to build on as a school.  

Unsurprisingly, the children loved seeing their friends and teachers again. Morning registration took longer than usual as there was so much that they were desperate to share as soon as they came into the classroom.

When the registers were all completed, we saw that we had 100 per cent attendance. Whether that speaks more to our parents’ trust in us or their desperation to see the back of home learning, I don’t know, but it was wonderful to have the beautiful, busy buzz of a full school in the air again.

Walking around once lessons were underway, I was struck by how quickly staff had re-established such calm and familiar learning environments for the children. In some ways it was like we had never been away, although we have talked about how, when the children returned last June and September, it took a few days for the excitement of being back and seeing their friends to subside and for any anxieties to show themselves. We’ll continue to keep a very close eye on things, but for now all is well.

To help the children make up for lost time with their friends, we are running a Stay And Play Club on the school field for one class each day after school. There are no structured games or activities, just the chance to chat, chill and hang out. If the children can’t go to the park, we’ll bring the park to them. 

Today it was Year 6 who stayed on. I do feel for Year 6 in particular - in their last year together before heading off to secondary school, they have missed so much time with their friends, and a lot of the traditional end of primary school rites of passage either won’t go ahead or will be considerably scaled back. 

We’ll find a way to give them the send-off they deserve, but as I write this the entire year group bar one are at Stay And Play Club, incredibly happy just to be in each other’s company again, and it’s truly heartwarming to see. Right now, after all that has happened, it feels like the most important thing that we can do.

Daniel Woodrow is headteacher of St Gregory CEVC Primary School in Suffolk

Schools reopening: the secondary school

Last Friday felt like both the last day of term and the last day of the holidays. We were jumping for joy, ready to say goodbye to virtual lessons but also feeling September-style worries about returning to face-to-face teaching again. 

For many, yesterday’s alarm and the first commute of 2021 may have felt very strange, but for someone who has been going into school every day this lockdown, things didn’t feel as odd to me.  

To allow staff to be available to test Year 11 and sixth-form (the only year groups back yesterday), my first three lessons were non-live (independent work set on Classroom). We have had one non-live day a week and this has given students some non-screen time, and teachers have really appreciated these days to catch up on planning, marking and admin.

After my penultimate Google Meet form time (Year 8 aren’t back until Wednesday) answering lots of questions about testing and masks, I finished printing, marking and moderating Year 11 and 13 assessments and filled in their current working grades ahead of Wednesday’s data drop. We have just started the process of formally assessing our exam groups ahead of this summer’s grades, so it’s all systems go.

The day ended with my first face-to-face lesson of 2021 with Year 11. I had my seating plan, lesson plan and resources ready, but I still got jitters about teaching after a break. As per usual, they complained about their new seats and joked, ‘Miss, have you missed us?’ and then...they just got on with it.

That’s the thing about young people. They’re resilient. 

My mantra over the past year has been “day by day”. I got through the day. And I’ll do it all over again tomorrow.

Alice Anderson-Bonner is assistant head of Year 11 at The Priory School in Hertfordshire