Coronavirus: Schools that are open ditch uniforms, offer yoga and carry out temperature checks

‘We need to make sure we are not scaring them in this extreme environment,’ teacher says

Children walk home from Altrincham C.E. aided primary school after the government's policy to close all schools from today due to the coronavirus pandemic on March 20, 2020 in Altrincham, United Kingdom (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Schools open to children of key workers and vulnerable pupils amid the coronavirus pandemic are offering more exercise and mindfulness, ditching uniforms and carrying out temperature checks.

Headteachers are changing normal procedures to ensure social distancing takes place, while trying to ensure students at home are logging online and accessing resources.

Following Boris Johnson’s announcement of stricter measures on Monday night — which included a ban on public gatherings of more than two people — pupil numbers have fallen in schools.

But staff are still required to go to school. One teacher in Mansfield was reportedly stopped by the police on their way to work on Tuesday to check they were making a vital journey.

Education unions have called for greater clarity on how to keep children and teachers attending school safe.

Teachers are concerned about a shortage of hand sanitisers and say personal protective equipment (PPE) and testing in schools must be considered.

The government published guidance on social distancing in schools late on Tuesday that said parents should not gather at school gates, break times should be staggered and class sizes should be kept small.

But the latest advice, which does not provide any information on what type of PPE teachers need, has been criticised by school leaders for being too vague.

Ruth Wilkes, headteacher of Castle Newnham all-through school in Bedford, wants access to testing kits for her staff and pupils. “There is a bit of Russian roulette about it,” she told The Independent.

Staff at the school are considering wearing masks amid shortages of hand sanitiser.

In the absence of detailed guidance, some schools have begun introducing their own measures — such as temperature checks for pupils and abandoning uniforms so there is less need for washing.

In Maynard School in Exeter, children are turning up in their own clothes and are being asked to wash their hands in large buckets of soap and water around the school.

They are being given the opportunity to take part in yoga classes and personal training on the school grounds, but are keeping 2m apart.

Matthew Loosemore, assistant head at the school, said the 10 students are also being offered time for mindfulness activities in “opt-out rooms” so the experience doesn’t “feel too overwhelming” for them.

At Upton Heath Primary School in Chester, which has seen its number of children attending halve since Monday, pupils are getting outside as much as possible.

Conrad North, head of the school, said children were following a “more relaxed curriculum”, adding that it was more like “educare” than normal school.

At secondary schools across the country, students are working in small groups in computer rooms, sitting 2m away from each other, while accessing the same online resources that their peers are using at home.

Older pupils have also been taking part in live PE lessons from celebrity fitness trainer Joe Wicks and have been going on walks and runs around the school field in trios or pairs to maintain social distancing.

Lewis Smith, a teacher at Sir John Cass School in Tower Hamlets in London, where pupils had their temperature checked on arrival, said staff were balancing keeping children safe with keeping them calm.

“We need to make sure we are not scaring them in this kind of extreme environment. They are still only 11 and 12 and are going through a lot of change in an unfamiliar environment ,” Mr Smith said.

Julie McCulloch, director of policy at the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “Schools are protecting pupils and staff by encouraging regular hand washing, social distancing, frequent cleaning of areas which are in use, and by being alert to any coronavirus symptoms. This may include daily temperature checks.”

“Social distancing is easier than it would be in normal circumstances because there are only a small number of children in school, though this is more challenging in early years settings and in special schools,” she added.

Education secretary Gavin Williamson said: “Teachers and school staff are on the front line, playing a crucial role in our fight against coronavirus — I cannot thank them enough for everything they are doing.

“In order to help keep them and their pupils safe, we have issued tailored guidance for schools and education settings on social distancing and other hygiene measures. It offers practical advice to schools, like staggering break times and the movement of pupils around schools.

“We will provide further guidance for special settings, and continue to work with the sector to ensure schools get all the support they need.”