North Yorkshire’s schools to fully open for autumn term
Teaching bubbles, which involve pupils spending the day with the same group of people within school, are just some of the bespoke measures which will be employed by individual schools depending on their site, student population and other factors.
Following the Government announcement on the use of face coverings in schools, the county council is waiting for detailed guidance from the Department for Education before issuing any advice to schools on the use of face masks.
Over the summer holidays, schools have been working on measures which will allow them to fully reopen to pupils of all ages from the week beginning Monday, September 7.
They have planned individually how they will arrange children in bubbles to minimise contact, using risk-assessment templates which have been developed by the county council in conjunction with headteachers and the unions.
Transport
Additional hygiene and safety measures will also be in place on school transport. North Yorkshire County Council has prepared guidance for families, transport providers and schools.
The home-to-school transport network will be operating in the same way as it did previously and pick-up and drop-off times will largely remain the same.
Students who rely on public transport to reach school will need to observe the government guidelines in relation to the wearing of face coverings and the 1m social distancing rules.
Wherever possible, parents and pupils are being asked to think about alternative, sustainable ways of getting to school by walking, cycling or scooting, to reduce the number of people using public transport.
Commuters are also asked to think about continuing to work from home or think about alternatives to public transport to limit the numbers of people returning to the bus and train network from the start of the school term.
