How schools are staying open for children of key workers and keeping them safe
By ITV Wales Reporter Megan Boot
Blenheim Road Community Primary school is one of the newer schools in Torfaen.
It has all the modern elements you’d expect of a 21st century school - whiteboards, pencil cases and story books, but now it also has an isolation room, separate toilets for children who might have Covid-19 and cleaners washing every hour. Why? Because it has been set up to provide childcare for children of key workers.
Ten local schools have come together to provide this childcare, with staff taking it in turns to come in.
Paul Keane is the executive head, and says the co-operation between schools has made it a success.
He said: “There's very little that would prepare you for this in the playbook of being a headteacher but that level of collaboration between all the experience we've got between the different heads, different schools we've got in has helped us overcome that challenge".
He added: "There are hand-washing stations throughout the school, the site is cleaned every hour as well as regular reminders on social distancing - like keeping two metres apart in the dining hall.
"Should any child become ill with symptoms of Covid-19 throughout the day there is an isolation room they can stay in whilst their parents and the local authority is contacted, as well as a separate toilet they can use".
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For the children that come here there is a sense of pride that their parents are working hard to keep people safe. Taylor and Dylan Whittaker's mother is a carer and they are very proud of what she is doing.
For those running some of the sessions, they have had to come up with creative ways of keeping children entertained, whilst maintaining social distancing.
Max Griffiths, a play worker, said: “Every child is getting used to it now and we've found alternatives, we've got loads of drama games going on, lots of arts and crafts with social distancing."
According to the Education Minister Kirsty Williams AM, schools will open further once the evidence shows it is safe to do so.
On Sunday, the First Minister Mark Drakeford was criticised for saying schools in Wales are unlikely to begin to reopen until the beginning of June at the earliest.
Teaching trade unions said reopening then would be impossible unless a plan was put in place this week. The FM later said he was not suggesting they would open in early June, but instead saying that was the earliest possible even if a decision was made now.
In the meantime, children across Wales are being home-educated by their parents as health officials continue to try and halt the spread of coronavirus.