Schools welcome pupils back
Schools across the county have begun to welcome pupils back after lockdown.
For the first time in months pupils in reception, year one and year six of primary school have been able to go back to their classrooms.
Although not all schools have been able to fully re-open, and some were holding teacher training days and will welcome pupils today, a number in Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin were open to non-key worker children.
Much Wenlock Primary School was one of those open for the day and had 65 pupils in the school, some way short of the pre-pandemic roll of 210, but considerably up on previous weeks.
Headteacher Carl Litchfield said the day had been a success, and that the plans for distancing had worked.
He said: "It has gone really well. We put lots of preparation in place beforehand so all the plans were there.
"In the morning it ran really smoothly. The parents were really good. We staggered the opening time and they were really good at sticking to that."
Mr Litchfield said that it had been wonderful to have so many children back in school, and he said the youngsters had also been enjoying their return – which sees them taught in 'bubbles' and classes of no more than 15.
He said: "The children were really excited to come back and it was really great to see them skipping back into school."
Mr Litchfield said that the number were slightly down on expectations, but he said he believed they would increase as the weeks go by.
He added: "The children are very resilient to be honest and are quite happy to be back and working in the classrooms."
The headteacher explained how the playground had been split into several sections to allow for the bubbles to be distant, but that because it was outside the children can still speak to each other from their section.
He said: "At playtime and lunchtime we have zoned off the areas and that has worked really well.
"The year sixes are split between two bubbles, some have not seen each other since lockdown and when they are outside they can shout over to each other and say hello."
Mr Litchfield said it was just good to see pupils back in the school.
He said: "It is brilliant and the weather has been fantastic. Just to be at the school gate welcoming the children was great. It seems like a long time since they were here last."
