First day back at school gets top marks

Eldon Primary School headteacher and pupils celebrate the the start of a new academic year - back in class

t will definitely not be a case of business as usual as thousands of children return to school for the start of the new academic year over the next few days.

Along with their teachers, today marked the first time many have stepped inside their classroom for more than six months.

When lock down was imposed in March many schools remained open with skeleton staff to cater for the vulnerable and those from key worker families.

Many teachers though worked from home providing online lessons for their pupils but the next few weeks will be spent assessing how much pupils have missed out on.

Special measures at Eldon Primary in Preston make sure the little ones can study at a distance

Now back in class, the “new normal” involves hand sanitiser stations and messages about hand washing posted around the buildings.

Schools have organised one way systems to keep pupils separated and to avoid overcrowding in corridors and communal areas while in classrooms there is no more sitting around the tables, seating has been re-arranged so that pupils sit in rows and face forward.

Primary school pupils have been placed into pods and bubbles, with the youngsters sticking to a specific group who will work, play and eat together.