“I am absolutely buzzing to be back in school.”

This was one secondary teacher’s response when asked how the second phase of the return to school buildings in Scotland - which got underway on Monday - is going.

He said: “The sun is out, I can hear kids playing through the open classroom windows, and my voice hurts from teaching. It’s great.”

That enthusiasm was echoed in the responses of many other teachers and school leaders who shared their experiences with Tes Scotland.

A year of Covid: Special free issue of Tes Scoland free to read for all

The figures: Proportion of pupils in school doubles

Schools reopening: Return of pupils to go ahead from Monday

Return of pupils: The preparation behind the scenes

Also today: Pushback against pressure on schools to handle appeals

Also this week: Covid rise could be linked to pupils’ return

Many school staff are clearly revelling in being back in the classroom now that primary is back full time and secondary pupils are taking part in a mix of remote and in-school learning.

That means all pupils are back in school buildings from this week for at least a small portion of the week, a decision that was controversial when announced on 2 March.

That teachers prefer to be face-to-face with their pupils is no surprise, especially as this week the Scottish weather has been kind and many staff and students have been able to escape the confines of the classroom and take learning out of doors.

However, the pleasure is tempered for many by fears about the consequences of having large numbers of pupils back in school buildings.

Double trouble?

Government data shows that the proportion of pupils back into school more than doubled this week, from 29.2 per cent of pupils in school on Friday of last week (12 March), to 68.7 per cent of Scottish pupils back in school on Monday (15 March).

One primary teacher who got in touch with Tes Scotland said that classes in her primary school had already had to isolate and one member of staff had tested positive since primary pupils returned (a process that started with P1-3 on 22 February, with P4-7 returning this week).

Another worry is the impact the full-time return of secondary pupils will have on coronavirus cases, especially as the first minister Nicola Sturgeon acknowledged on Monday that “a slight increase in cases” could be linked to the first phase of the return to school which also involved limited time in school for some senior secondary pupils. 

The next and final phase of the return to school is expected to come after the Easter break when secondaries will return full time with no distancing, prompting one teacher to comment that when 30 teenagers are packed into a room that will be “the ultimate display of [the government’s] contempt”.

Piling on the pressure

And there is still anger at Ms Sturgeon’s late decision on 2 March to get all secondary pupils back in school for some time each week, when originally the plan had been for just senior pupils to return.

That continues to be seen by many as a political move that is not in the best interests of teachers or pupils. They interpret it as the move of a leader who was willing to pile pressure on the profession just to score brownie points with the public ahead of an election.

However, now that the hard work of rearranging schools to accommodate as many pupils as possible and drawing up timetables has been done, some positives are being identified, particularly around pupils being able to see their friends and socialise.

One teacher said some S4 girls had told him they were “high on the sugar of social interaction”.

A parent said “it has made a huge difference to my [young people] to be in school physically with their friends and teachers”.  The same parent went on to thank school staff for all their hard work.

However, while many pupils are to be glad to be back, one depute head added that a lot were reporting that they were “struggling for motivation and also really anxious about assessments”. He said staff at his school had noticed a lot of pupils had put on weight during lockdown and were “generally a bit dishevelled” but he added “that may have something to do with hairdressers being closed as well!”

A secondary headteacher, meanwhile, said pupils would be back for just 10 days before schools would have to confirm the level they are working at for the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), something they descried as “ridiculous”, adding: “Their systems seem to trump pupils’ interests.”

Smaller classes

A benefit for some staff has been the chance to work with smaller classes, given the requirement for social distancing in secondary. This has been coupled with a move towards longer lessons in some secondary schools.

Some staff praised this, saying working with a small group of S4-6 pupils for three-hour blocks “has been ideal as we can cover loads and check how they’re going”. However, another teacher commented that the longer blocks of time did not suit their subject “as much as little and often does”.

A secondary head said that smaller class sizes had “allowed colleagues to get back in and working with a small number in a relaxed and calm manner” which they said fitted with his school’s focus “on re-engaging with school and positive relationships”. They were clear that, for the time being, learning would come second.

However, there are many different models, from the school that offering in-person learning in the mornings with all lessons online in the afternoon, to the private school that has managed to get all its secondary pupils back full time.

Some teachers are delivering the same lesson several times due to class sizes being reduced. Others are teaching two groups at once in different rooms, with the lesson being live-streamed.

Some teachers remain adamant that the impact on the quality of remote learning has not been worth getting pupils back in school usually for a day a week at most.

One teacher said: “In terms of the kids who are still learning at home, I feel like I’ve no clue what’s happening with them because so much of my time is spent dealing with kids in school.”

A private-school headteacher said they supported the return of lower secondary pupils, and that “the younger pupils probably need the social interaction and normality of school more than most of the older pupils who, by this stage, are well able to learn remotely with teacher support in lessons”.

However, they did add that because their school had not experienced much disruption following the return after the summer holidays, there was “a good degree of confidence that the necessary material has been covered for SQA classes”.

“It would probably be a different thing if we were still worried about that,” they said.

So another significant milestone has been reached on the road to recovery but there are fears it has been reached too quickly, and of what the consequences will be.

In secondary, notably, the spectre of how assessment will work looms large.