Northamptonshire primary school opens doors to ALL its pupils

All pupils in all year groups at Old Stratford Primary school have been given the opportunity to go back to school before the end of the summer term.

On 1st June, the village primary school welcomed back pupils from reception, year 1 and year 6 into full time lessons.

Three weeks later, year 5 pupils were invited back into the classroom.

On Thursday (June 25) pupils from years 2, 3 and 4 were invited to head in once a week to socialise and learn with their friends in bubbles of 10 on the school field for an hour-and-a-half a week.

Head teacher Karen Sarbutts said she had been delighted with how successfully the children had reintegrated back into school and she wanted to extend the opportunity to all the school’s pupils.

She said: “I am extremely proud of how it has gone.

"It was wonderful to see the children’s reactions as they reunited with their friends and teachers. At first many of them came in worried and scared but within days their confidence grew. I have seen a huge difference in the children’s behaviour from when they first came in to now.

“I wanted to give every pupil the opportunity to socialise and mix with their friends before the end of term – it’s so essential for their mental health and well-being.” she added..

Numbers of pupils have steadily increased to achieve 69 per cent of attendance.

Arrival and departure times have been staggered with pupils arriving from marked designated areas. Breaks times have also been staggered.

Bubbles and zones have been introduced and walkway around the school is one-way with clear markings on the floor and doorways.

A year four parent, Tara Watt, from Deanshanger added how her son in year four loved being back in school. “He was feeling anxious about coming back to school but just having the opportunity to see his friends again in his bubble if only for a short time was fantastic. He really enjoyed helping set up the assault course.”

Children, who temperatures are taken on arrival, are told to use anti-bacterial gel whenever they leave or enter their classroom and social distancing measures are firmly in place for everybody.

“Logistically it has been extremely challenging,” said Ms Sarbutts. “I can’t believe we are actually at this point where I am welcoming back pupils from year 2, 3 and 4. I think back to the point when we were first starting to plan reintegration.

"Although everyone has to work separately we have had to work together as one team to make it happen but it has progressively got easier and easier.”