'They were so excited they ran to school' - schools reopen their doors

There was a lot of excitement as pupils went back to school on Monday (March 8).  

Primary and secondary schools across England reopened following the lockdown, and college students and university students on practical courses who need access to specialist facilities are also allowed back. 

Some pupils at Great Dunmow Primary School were so excited that they could be seen running to school by headteacher Kevin Watts. 

Mr Watts said: “The day was fantastic, it was good to see everybody back, and the beaming smiles on their faces.  

“We had music on the playground to welcome them.  

“Our attendance was 99.8 percent which is superb.” 

Mr Watts said he asked teachers to ease the children back into the routine by doing activities to increase their confidence at school. 

He said: “Having been off for 11 weeks it was difficult for some children to be back. 

“The learning is important, but their mental health and wellbeing is also vitally important.

“Hopefully we won’t have a fourth lockdown.” 

Clare Griffiths, headteacher at Dunmow St Mary’s, said the children were very happy to be back in school and see their friends and teachers. 

Mrs Griffiths said: “They were very happy to be back to normal, and we were very happy to have them back.  

“They have missed so much, their friends, the social interaction.  

“I think it’s been such an incredible hard time for families, a massive relief for everybody that schools could reopen fully yesterday.” 

She said she thinks that, with the right support, children will be able to go back into a routine. 

“We need to ensure children are happy, because if children don’t feel safe and happy, they won’t learn. 

“Some children have worked very hard to learn and carried on making progress. For some, it’s not been so easy.” 

She added: “We are going to work out exactly where each child is and what the crucial learning is for every pupil to fill any gaps. 

“I don’t think it’s going to be a quick fix, but I think children are very resilient. If they are in a good place emotionally, this generation of children will bounce back.”