Shirebrook school principal says return to school should be 'staggered' amid virus outbreak

Mark Cottingham, principal of Shirebrook Academy, says that youngsters in the two year-groups have the most to lose from the continued closures of schools and that their needs should be the priority in the short term.

The government has not yet set a date for when schools can reopen, but Mr Cottingham says that there should be a staggered return to the classroom when schools are finally given the green light.

This is due to chief medical officer Chris Whitty’s recommendation that social distancing measures will need to be maintained for many months to come in order to control the spread of the coronavirus.

Mr Cottingham was speaking after Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said that schools are unlikely to re-open until June 1 at the earliest because of all the planning that would need to be done beforehand.

Mr Cottingham agreed with this, adding that he hoped that the decision to return would give schools the best possible chance to prepare themselves.

He said: “You couldn’t justify just re-opening all schools and having all the students back at the same time because you have to balance educational needs with health needs, so it’s sensible to stagger the return and prioritise year sixes and year tens.

“Year tens will be sitting their GCSEs this time next year, while this is a critical time for year sixes because they are transitioning from one school to another and need to get back to work as soon as they can in order that they can hit the ground running in September.

“Whatever the date, there is an enormous amount of planning that will need to be done before any students return to school and we will need strong national leadership and a robust plan, rather than leaving the decision to individual schools or giving us insufficient time to plan properly.

“That was a hallmark of the decision to close schools in the first place and I would hope that lessons have been learned from that experience.”

Mr Cottingham also praised school staff, parents and guardians for their tolerance and hard work in continuing the education of students and offered some advice for students and parents who may be struggling with home-schooling.

He said: “My advice is to keep everything to a routine by schooling from Monday to Friday and starting and finishing at the same time.

“Also, don’t stress if something’s not working. Stress is the enemy of learning. Leave something for a while if it’s not working and do something else.

“One positive of the lockdown is that it gives you the freedom to pursue your interests and the opportunity and time to try new things.”