St John’s Academy and Pewsey Vale School open their doors to more students

The two secondary schools in the area – St John’s Academy and Pewsey Vale School will be open for more students as from next Monday, June 15. This follows the government guidelines that students who have exams next summer should have some face to face time with their teachers before the summer holidays. However, no more than 25% of the designated year groups – Years 10 and 12 – are allowed in school at any one time, which means that each student will spend one day a week in school for the remaining 5 weeks of term.

Pewsey Vale School has divided Year 10 into four ‘bubbles’ each confined to a different area of the school. Each student will have their own desk and equipment supplied by the school. They will have a designated area for breaks and their own toilets. They will bring their own packed lunches.

“It has been logistically challenging,” commented Neil Pritchard, Headteacher at Pewsey Vale School, “but we are excited to welcome the students back.”

73% of Year 10 students are expected back. This is in addition to the 8% of the school population who are key worker children and vulnerable children who have been attending every day since lockdown began.

Pewsey Vale School has recently acquired a ‘Thermo Fogger’ – a thermal fogging device that will enable daily sanitization of the classrooms. More on this initiative can be found here.

At St John’s, classrooms have been prepared so that social distancing can be effective with no more than 12 or 13 students in a class. The school will be spot cleaned during the day. There will be a thorough cleaning of the school at the end of each working day and an assessment that procedures are adequate and manageable on Friday 19 June. St John’s will be closed on that day.

Students must only bring in and use their own personal equipment when in school. This includes bags and stationery. The sharing of equipment will not be allowed.

A clear one-way system is signposted throughout the school and hand sanitisation systems are available at over 70 locations. Parents and students are advised that clothes should be washed after a day at school.

Ian Tucker, Principal of St John’s said, “We are very excited about welcoming our Year 10 and 12 students back next week and the staff that will be supporting them.  The Academy has been transformed into a safe and secure place so that everyone can take part in the much needed face to face sessions that we have planned. 

A huge amount of thanks need to go to all the staff directly involved in transforming the Academy so that it meets all the requirements set by GOVUK, the DFE and Excalibur Academies Trust.  It is my sincere hope that this is a first step in seeing more and more of the young people we serve.”