Marlborough St Mary’s has welcomed Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 pupils back to school this week as well as the children of key workers who have been attending every day since lockdown began. The photos show just how much the children are enjoying being back with their friends and teachers.
Headteacher, Anne Schwodler, told Marlborough.news, “Everything has gone very smoothly so far. We cleaned within an inch of our lives and put all sorts of procedures in place. There’s arrows on the floor, paint spray on paths, a one-way system for parents and a staggered start.”
54% of Reception class children returned to school on Monday and on Tuesday 80% of Year 6. “Year 6, the final year in the school, were very keen to come back,” explained Anne. “They have been missing their friends. They are having a lovely time.”
Anne hopes that more will attend once confidence in the new regime grows. The pupils are divided into ‘class bubbles’ which are a maximum of 15. Currently there are only 10 pupils in a bubble. Each class bubble has a teacher and a teaching assistant so there is plenty of opportunity for individual targeted help. For those who are still at home, work is still being set on Microsoft Teams.
Reflecting on the lockdown, Anne said, “Good things have come out of it. We will continue to use Microsoft Teams for homeworking and this will help prepare our pupils for secondary school. The key workers’ children have really got on so well and enjoyed themselves. The older ones have looked after the younger ones and being in a special group has given the quieter pupils more confidence.”
