As well as getting all the usual schemes of work and displays ready to go before schools return in September, secondary school teachers will be making plans for something else this year: how they will manage moving between classrooms.

Social distancing measures mean that classes of students are likely to be staying put in one classroom in many schools, while their teachers come to them.

Back to school: what does Covid-19 mean for practical work?

Although this will be challenging for anyone who is used to teaching in one classroom, where everything they need is at their fingertips, it will create particular headaches for those teaching practical subjects.

How will teachers of subjects like art and PE manage the new normal? We spoke to a few to find out what they are planning to do.

‘The key will be to stay flexible and “go rogue”’

I have adapted the art curriculum so that all students will be focusing on the fundamentals of drawing, using the opportunity to deepen their understanding of art history, while mastering classic techniques such as observational drawing.

This will reduce cognitive load when full practical lessons resume and I will be able to give students more freedom to experiment and further develop their creativity and personal style. 

Lessons will still be highly practical, but with a reduced range of media, mainly pens, pencils and sketchbooks to allow for teaching in any environment, as required.

Ultimately, my goal for the first term is to establish the routines and expectations of the department while promoting an appreciation for art and enabling all students to see themselves as artists. 

To understand how artists respond to current events and celebrate cultural diversity, students will be introduced to artists Kehinde Wiley, Amy Sherald, Steve McQueen and Jamie Hawkesworth in one of their initial projects. They will learn how art can be used to explore notions of identity, community and respect, and will be commissioned to create their own portrait.

I predict that the key will be to stay flexible in planning, to be able to adapt to the ever-changing parameters imposed by the Covid-19  situation and even “go rogue” in respect to what best meets the needs and interests of the students. Rather than seeing the rules as limiting, I see this as an opportunity to continue doing what I love: taking students further than they ever thought they could go, regardless of circumstance.

Jennifer Marker is head of art at The Green School for Boys in West London

‘We will be heavily reliant on teacher demos’

For us, it will be a real mix. We will be teaching science in bubbles, which will mean some children will be in science labs, others in regular classrooms. This means we will be heavily reliant on teacher demos or even pre-recorded videos of a practical. 

For those in science labs, there will still be a lot of demos, as we just don’t have enough equipment for some practicals for everyone to have a set each. Where we can with these students, who happen to be Year 11, we will do a few “slow practicals”, with a set of equipment per student.

A slow practical is a method of literally slowing down the practical, which gets broken down into a series of small steps. The teacher gives students a very clear demonstration of each step. After each demo, the students will go back to their benches to complete that step themselves, before returning to observe the next step. Adam Boxer blogged about this approach here. 

Louise Lewis is a research lead and deputy head of science in a Yorkshire secondary school

‘We’ll have to be creative’

It’s complicated for music. There has been some confusion between the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Education guidance (the Cultural Learning Alliance has a useful summary of guidance, as does MusicMark for music specifically). In my new schools, we’re considering how best to manage the use of musical instruments: keyboards will need more regular cleaning, and good hand hygiene will need sustained encouragement. 

It’s a challenge with the guidance placing limits on singing/wind and brass, as it contradicts and hinders the ambitions of the national curriculum and the national plan for music education. Instrumental lessons delivered remotely haven’t been positively received (Southampton music hub published an evaluation of its online provision, which was positive). 

Ultimately, we’re still thinking about the best approaches, but it will be the case that limits will be necessary; thinking carefully about what instruments/equipment to use in the class that minimises sharing and can be cleaned with ease will be a big part of the approach from September. 

We’re so keen to deliver musical lessons, and we’ll have to be creative to teach musically and safely, in line with school and government guidelines.   

At the moment we’re encouraging arts teachers to consider the implications of social distancing carefully, particularly in dance/drama. 

Steven Berryman is director of arts and culture for Odyssey Trust for Education in South London

‘Switch your lesson to a theory one’

If a PE teacher is not in their normal classroom, then it’s a good idea to switch your lesson to a theory one. It just won’t be possible to do a practical lesson in a classroom. 

Instead, you can look at what constitutes fitness - look at the theory that students study at GCSE and A level. The history of sport and how different sports originated is always interesting. For example, the history of The Running Footman always catches the imagination of students.

As well as this, you could look at social cultural issues: Black Lives Matter, women in sport, and drugs in sport are all topical issues that are worth exploring.

Patrick Hallahan is a PE teacher at St Martin’s Academy in Essex

‘We will have to adapt every single lesson’

I think my school has been incredibly organised so far. However, it is still quite difficult to imagine what September will look like for drama. The planning is incredibly intricate and challenging for everyone to understand.

We plan to deliver a two-week introductory curriculum - created just for this year - with introductory tasks that can be taught with students socially distanced or not. The aim will be to establish and embed the new rules and not go jumping straight in.

The government guidance states that students should socially distance, other than when subject demands mean they can’t. My school is yet to make a decision about whether this should apply to KS3 - it probably will - because they don’t have the pressure of exams.

Will we still do the same amount of practical work? The simple answer is no. At my school, each classroom will have a 2m square “teacher zone” taped on to the floor. During the lesson, teachers are not able to leave the square, nor students to enter it. I will not be able to move around the space to provide feedback to students. 

From a classroom management perspective, some topics I wouldn’t approach, as I will be effectively “penned in” to my 2m box. If KS3 students have to remain socially distanced in any way, we will have to adapt every single drama lesson from September. If that changes and they can mix, it will be more challenging for me to remain socially distanced from them. 

We are lucky in that every student carries their own device. This means I can connect my Chromebook into any classroom projector and students can collaborate via Google for Education. I imagine that scripts will be scanned in, changed to PDF and then posted on Google Classroom, allowing students to access it and avoid paper. Students will also be discouraged from using chairs, tables and other furniture. 

Examination practicals take place later in the term and, for this, I imagine each group will be given a box in which to put all of their belongings for the exam. It is likely they will need to bring props and costume in from home and return them each evening. 

GCSE and A-level practicals have been reduced from seven to 12 minutes to 1.5 minutes. Written work remains the same.

Daniel Langley teaches drama at a secondary school in Buckinghamshire.

‘It will be a very challenging time for everyone’

These are very uncertain times indeed. Naturally, as a teacher working in a pupil-referral unit, I am constantly adapting to an ever-changing environment, where the student body is regularly renewed and skills within a group of learners can vary dramatically. However, although a PRU may be adept at managing challenges and navigating new terrain, this situation is unlike anything education has ever experienced before and I am concerned for its recovery. 

Typically, our students have huge gaps in their learning, and I am very aware how the educational gap that already existed for them will have now widened and the significant impact this will not only have upon their education, but also on their mental health. 

Regarding the delivery of a practical subject, I am determined that our students will still have access to an enriched programme of study that excites and engages them. 

During the first term I have opted to focus predominantly on practical activities, as opposed to theory, and have extended tasks, providing longer periods of time between to allow students an opportunity to absorb and reflect. The reason I have done this is because I am aware that when we return, we will discover students will have regressed. 

I believe we will struggle to engage them and there will be a need to accommodate recovery learning and to reteach skills. This relaxed period in their programme of study can be used to accommodate the reteaching of skills and deliver art therapy activities, which should be used to help individuals process and express what is currently happening in the world.

To facilitate social distancing, I have removed furniture and rearranged my classroom to accommodate the additional space required. Resources will be separated and allocated to groups of learners. Tools will be cleaned after every use. 

These changes will prove challenging for students who are used to co-op work and being permitted to enter cupboards freely and identify resources for use. As they become engrossed in a project, losing themselves in their work, I anticipate individuals will forget the new rules and will become frustrated every time staff need to remind them to keep their distance and refrain from sharing resources. 

I am aware how these changes will also result in a delay in the production of work and will possibly limit creativity as students will become reliant on staff to deliver materials to them.

It will be a very challenging time for all those in education - for everyone, in general. I am fortunate to work within a team that is both caring and supportive and thankful that our senior leadership team are effective leads who strive for the best outcomes that positively benefit students and staff alike.

Emma-May Alton is head of art at Enterprise Learning Alliance in Kent