After 11 weeks of lockdown Wylye Valley C of E Primary School is delighted to be up and running again – albeit with just under half the normal number of pupils, according to head teacher Robert Barnes!

He had readied the staff and school in the run-up to the re-opening. Classrooms were deep-cleaned and desks and chairs re-positioned to for the two- metre rule.

The team was briefed on the ‘new normal’ and ‘social distancing’ measures were discussed. The safety and well-being of the children was at the forefront of everyone’s minds. Each returning child was assigned their own set of stationery and work-station. No more two children to a desk for now and no more than 15 children per classroom.

All too soon, June 1 arrived. Robert stood at the gate and greeted parents and children – each year group directed to a different entrance to ensure they stayed within their class ‘bubble’ (another new term to get to grips with). There was a definite sense of things being very different for both the children and the teaching staff. Some were all smiles and excitement but others were understandably nervous and a little apprehensive.

The first activity was a whole school assembly … outside.  Social distancing was easy to implement and it was important to get the Wylye Valley sense of belonging and whole-school message of ‘love, care and respect’ from the off.  As the day wore on, children and adults began to relax, and by the end of day, once the children were awash with phrases such as ‘this has been the best day ever’ (Ed), ‘today was awesome’ (Brooke), and ‘I’ve missed school so much!’ (Eloise).

Activities were predominantly outside, weather permitting, and the children could enjoy their first proper PE lesson for weeks, with Adam Kenich from PH Sports. Among the teaching was an outdoor maths lesson and Bug Hunt by Lynn Paul in Franklin Class and Brad Howarth took Newton Class on a virtual bike ride through the woods. Georgie Baker took Little Einsteins on a Treasure Hunt and Amanda Beeden’s Galileo Class looked at the Story of the Cautious Caterpillar.  Music was a challenge, with instruments remaining off limits for now, so Franklin Class looked at using their bodies to make music and keep to a rhythm rounding the lesson off with Katie Perry’s ‘Firework’ song – clapping, stamping and clicking along with some interesting ‘freestyle’ dancing in between.

The week ended, pretty much as it had started, with a whole school assembly on the school field on Friday afternoon. Led by Robert, certificates were awarded and individual and class achievements celebrated and rounded off with the school prayer.

For the first time in a long time, Friday actually felt like Friday. Pupils and adults were happy to have a weekend to rest and recuperate and all looked forward to what the next week would bring.