Bubbles, Zombie Arms And Laughter: Inside England's Re-Opened Classrooms
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The first day back at school is always a mixture of nerves, anxiety and excitement – but none more so than when some children returned at the beginning of this week, after 10 long weeks of coronavirus lockdown.
And none more divided either, as unions, parents and scientists warned against the government’s easing of the lockdown.
Many parents chose not to send their children back, despite Boris Johnson’s announcement of a return of school children in reception, Year 1 and Year 6 in England from June 1.
A number of councils across England opposed schools opening to more pupils amid safety concerns and many remained open to only the children of key workers and vulnerable pupils as they have since March 23.
However, some schools who opened their doors to more youngsters this week after making drastic changes to their classrooms and timetables to allow for social distancing measures, revealed to HuffPost UK that despite their reservations and anxieties, the first week of ‘back to school’ has been “emotional in a joyous way.”
It’s like having an empty house that’s suddenly full of life again. It’s just so lovely to hear laughter and fun in the corridors again.”Brian Walton, Brookside Academy, Somerset
And although they know they will face many challenges ahead as they prepare to take in greater numbers of children while trying to keep everyone safe, they say they have been buoyed by the happiness of children at being reunited with their friends and teachers and their resilience in the face of challenging circumstances.
“It’s like having an empty house that’s suddenly full of life again.” admitted Brian Walton, headteacher at Brookside Academy in Somerset. “It’s just so lovely to hear laughter and fun in the corridors again.”
He said the school had around 30 children on site each day throughout the lockdown as they took in the...
