According to the politicians we are on the edge of 'something truly momentous' as schools across the nation start to see the return of children of all ages to the classroom. We started slightly early at Bishop's; on Thursday last week the Sports Hall started to fill with multi-coloured chairs, tables, boxes full of PPE and the paraphernalia of LFD testing ready for the arrival of the entire Sixth Form the following day. Early the following morning there was a tangible change in the atmosphere within the school site. A sense that the wait was almost over, that life was returning and an accelerating sense of purpose. More cars in the car park, fighting for space with the constructors' compound, and both staff and materials moving with increased energy from place to place as the final pieces of the testing jigsaw were fitted in to place. The volunteer helpers arrived, the Bursar briefed, aprons, masks and wonderful latex gloves went on. Everything was ready...
And then the students started to arrive. Bit by bit, looking slightly long-haired and in mufti of course, boys and girls drifted in through the gates and headed for the Hall Foyer. The mood was a mixture of relief that invisible barriers had been broken, excitement to see their friends at last and some nervousness about what was about to happen. The body language as they sat and waited, chatting, separate but en masse was good; it is obvious that a major part of their lives is about to be restored, and that they are all glad to be on the road back to normal life. Thankfully there were no positive tests and around 250 happy sixth form students disgorged happily in batches onto the Cathedral Green to catch up with news (in a strictly socially distanced manner of course!). They return to school, in best bib and tucker, on Monday when lessons resume for them.
On Monday the second act begins with Years 10 & 11, and so on through the week. By Wednesday lunchtime we should have worked our way through the entire 1054 population and the whole process starts again. The final batch of tests completes on 19 March, when the last Year 9 boys will have employed the last set of swabs in anger, the remaining PPE will be disposed of and the furniture will disappear back into storage. Testing will almost all be at home from then on and, rather like the annual apparition of the exam hall, the testing centre will become a thing of the past. The Sports Hall will finally revert to its primary purpose.
Despite the fact that our political class often employs unhelpful hyperbolae, I think that the PM is right on this occasion. The return of schools is highly significant as the vaccination programme powers out countrywide and society opens up. We are entering on a new chapter, one that promises a return to something much more normal in schools, and the pent-up energy and drive of thousands of young people is a very exciting prospect for the coming summer.
SDS
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