What primary schools in Bath and Somerset will look like when kids return

From June 1, primary schools across the country will be re-opening their doors to children and employing social distancing measures.

Parents and guardians may be wondering: how will schools be ensuring their children's safety? What practical measures will be put in place?

We looked at several schools’ action plans across Somerset and Bath to gain some clarity. Including Roundhill Primary in Bath, Tops Day Nursery in Taunton, St Martin's Garden Primary in Bath and Preston C of E Primary School in Yeovil.

As previously announced, under government rules only reception, Year 1 and Year 6 pupils will be able to attend along with children of key workers.

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Reduced numbers means schools won’t be overwhelmed and will allow for class sizes to be reduced and spread across various classrooms.

Pupils and teachers will not be permitted to wear face masks as government guidance claims this could encourage children to scratch and touch their faces, causing further spread of Covid-19.

How many pupils will attend each class?

Class sizes will generally be cut by 50% from 30 pupils to 15.

Tops Day Nursery in Taunton has spoken about how  it is expected to go up from 30% capacity of key worker children to 70% capacity.

Roundhill Primary in Bath is going to group children into groups of no more than 15.

In a letter on their website they said: "Your child/ren will be taught in these smaller groups and might not be taught by their usual class teacher in their usual classroom.

"Teaching assistants will also be teaching small groups, under the guidance of the teacher."

St Martin's Garden Primary School in Bath is also going to have bubbles of 15 pupils.

As are Preston C of E Primary School in Yeovil who said they are going to have groups of no more than 12.

In the Classroom

Most schools appear to be breaking the class sizes into smaller groups.

These groups wont be allowed to mix in the day.

As St Martin's Garden Primary School has said in a letter on their website, the 'bubbles' of pupils wont mix.

This is to minimise the use of shared spaces and resources, meaning their will also be staggered lunch times.

Extensive cleaning is also on the agenda - Tops Nursery managing director, Cheryl Hadland said teachers are going to be wiping down tablets and washing cuddly toys after they have been played with.

Schools are also warning parents that it wont necessarily be their childs teacher who is teaching as schools adapt.

Preston C of E Primary in Yeovil said in a letter that where possible staff will be allocated and stay with the same group of children.

All schools have said that hand washing and hygiene will feature heavily in the school routine.

Drop off and collection

Roundhill Primary in Bath is going to stagger times for dropping off and collecting children.

Other primaries are also asking parents to drop their children by the door instead of coming inside.

Tops Nursery in Taunton is adopting that approach.

Preston C of E Primary in Yeovil said that it will be staggering times to avoid a crush and that opening and closing times will be altered to allow plenty of time.

School opening times

Staggered opening times is an option many primaries are going to follow.

Some leading with an AM or PM structure while others may do Monday/ Tuesday a clean on Wednesday and then another group in for Thursday/ Friday.

Break times and lunch time

Again, schools will be staggering times to ensure less cross-contamination.

Preston C OF E school said it will be doing this and that if possible letting children play in different parts of the school gorunds.

Pupils of St Martins in Bath will be having packed lunched in their classrooms unless the weather permits socially distanced lunches outside.

How will social distancing be enforced between the children?

Some schools have said it may be hard to strictly enforce this.

St Martin's Primary have said they have devised a "scalable model" for learning in groups which should enable social distancing.

Preston C of E Primary School in Yeovil has said that it may not be realistic to think younger children will remain at 2 metres apart.

Most schools have said that staff wont be in full PPE - Tops Day Nursery in Taunton said that children of key workers didn't react well to face masks so they wont be using them.

Tops Day Nursery also said that instead of focusing on children being socially distant - which they said would be very hard - they would ensure all teachers remained apart.

They have however put down tape in the playground reminding pupils to stay 2m apart.

Preston C of E school in Yeovil have also said staff wont be wearing PPE as a rule, except if a child starts showing symptoms.

As Cheryl Hadland, of Tops Day Nursery said, children come to primary school to learn how to talk and interact - something a face mask makes nearly impossible.

Instead Tops have got clear visas which they will wear if a child starts to display symptoms and they have already been introducing these visas to the children to make them feel comfortable with them, should a situation arise.

What have parents been asked to do?

Parents have been reminded that if they do not feel comfortable sending their child to school during this time, for example they are vulnerable, then there will be no repercussions with the authorities.

If a parent is happy to send their child back to school they are asked to ensure they change their childrens clothes each day and wash them.

This will prevent cross contamination from school to home and in the school environment.

Other schools have said that children can come in home clothes, and teachers will also be in comfortable clothes.