school life
Walking away from the school gates at the end of the day on Friday, March 20, was a harrowing experience for parents and pupils alike. Gone were the feelings of excitement and anticipation of the weekend. In their place, uncertainty and anxiety weighed heavy in the air as we took our children to the safety of their own homes, not knowing when, or even if, they would return to their classrooms.
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oronavirus saw schools shut their doors to all but the children of keyworkers and those who were classed as vulnerable. In the weeks that followed, kitchens were transformed into science labs, gardens were substitutes for sports fields and bedrooms became bases for essay writing. Trying to balance school, work and home life became a daily challenge. Year six, year one and reception children were invited back to school from June 1, with plans to get all remaining students back as soon as possible. But on June 9, parents and pupils gave up hope, when it was
announced the majority of students would not be back in school until the end of the summer holidays. Years 10 and 12 were to be taught some lessons from June 15. Brother and sister Danny and Megan Wright spent all of Lockdown learning at home. Danny, who was in year five when school shut, said, ‘it was good not having to go to school. Sometimes I wanted to go on my Xbox but I had to do my work first. I liked being at home because we didn’t have to travel to and from school, which takes up time, and it also meant I could spend the whole day with my dog. ‘I enjoyed the work I was set – my
mum and I had a lot of fun doing it. We made a Lady Macbeth puppet, and also did our own performance of Macbeth using characters that we made out of cardboard.
some time practising at home, I can now use a protractor too. ‘My teacher set me several science experiments to do, and we were really excited when they worked!
“I definitely enjoyed my time learning at home, but I looked forward to going back to school in September.” ‘We did maths every day, which I enjoyed because it’s one of my favourite subjects. After spending
We had one or two that didn’t quite go according to plan, but we enjoyed doing them at least. www.simplyspalding.co.uk | SIMPLY SPALDING | 15
