Schools in the West Country welcome more pupils back as lockdown eases
Thousands of children returned to school after the Prime Minister announced reception, year one and year six students could go back on 1 June.
Many schools across the country have stayed open throughout the coronavirus lockdown to teach the children of key workers.
The government say the decision to gradually increase the numbers of children and young people attending schools and colleges is based on the latest scientific advice.
But concerns over safety have been raised by parents and teachers who fear social distancing will be difficult to manage in an education setting.
According to a GMB Union poll on 1 June, more than 80% of parents did not intend to send their children back to school, citing concerns over a lack of PPE and the absence of a comprehensive track and trace scheme.
As more of the region's school children head back, what are the government guidelines concerning social distancing and how will schools manage to enforce these rules with bigger class sizes?
Classes sizes will be reduced and children kept in “bubbles” with one member of staff assigned to each group. This means kids will be asked to mix only with their classmates in their bubble.
A maximum of eight per group is the government’s recommendation, although the guidelines allow for pods of up to 15.
Floor markings have been used by many schools to help keep children in different parts of the room, while desks, tables and chairs have been marked off to show children where they can sit.
If room allows, pupils can also be sat at separate desks and when kids sit on the floor for, say story time, stickers on the mat can be used to designated a space to ensure they are safely apart.
Schools are being asked to use areas not normally used for classrooms, for example school halls or dining areas, while staff are encouraged to use outdoor space as much as possible.
In some cases, if classes sizes are too squeezed, pupils may be asked to attend another nearby school.
One school in Cornwall that opened its gates and classrooms to year 6 pupils this morning was Carbeile Junior School in Torpoint.
A number of measures are in place to ensure the safety of the students.
All breaks have been staggered, meaning there is a limited number of children in the playground or canteen at any one time.
Teachers have also researched socially distanced games so the kids can still have fun, whilst adhering to social distanced guidelines.
The Headteacher, Mr Hamlyn said, "It is a new world but we are embracing it because we want them to have a good time at school."
In Somerset, Brookside Academy in Street has been open to key workers but they welcomed back pupils in reception, year one and year six.
They have gone from teaching 30 key worker children a day to more than 100.
Teachers there say they simply will not be able to take any more under the current guidelines.