Peter Mayland, who leads Albany Academy in Chorley, says that while a phased return would have helped with the practicalities of mass testing pupils for Covid, the pay-off for a wholesale reopening was “getting all children in for the three weeks before we break up for Easter”.
Peter Mayland, headteacher of Albany Academy in Chorley, is looking forward to welcoming back all pupils from 8th March
“That is worth the headaches that we’re going to face [with testing],” he said.
“We have done a survey of all students and staff about the way we have done things [during the lockdown] and there has been lots of positive feedback.
The South Ribble-based teacher who chairs the health and safety group of the country’s largest education union has described the decision to fully reopen all schools on the same day next month as “a complete gamble”. Ian Watkinson, from the National Education Union (NEU), says that the move flies in the face of the Prime Minister’s assertion that lockdown-lifting measures will be undertaken on the basis of “data not dates”. He was speaking after Boris Johnson briefed the Commons on his plan for schools to welcome back all pupils from March 8. They have been open only to vulnerable children and the children of key workers on all but one day so far this year.
Peter Mayland, who leads Albany Academy in Chorley, says that while a phased return would have helped with the practicalities of mass testing pupils for Covid, the pay-off for a wholesale reopening was “getting all children in for the three weeks before we break up for Easter”.
Peter Mayland, headteacher of Albany Academy in Chorley, is looking forward to welcoming back all pupils from 8th March
“That is worth the headaches that we’re going to face [with testing],” he said.
“We have done a survey of all students and staff about the way we have done things [during the lockdown] and there has been lots of positive feedback.