The government has made the reopening of schools high priority in the road to pandemic recovery – with schools and colleges officially re-opening on 8th March. Consequently, opening schools in the safest and most hygienic way possible will be one of the main challenges.
Below, we highlight some of the most important ways that schools can maintain hygiene and reduce infection rates, with information from the hygiene experts, Focus Washrooms.
Social Distancing
Social distancing has been a buzzword for the last year but is especially pertinent with students returning to school. Boris Johnson has indicated that schools will hopefully be reopening from March, including extra-curricular activities. As much as possible, distance should be kept between students – especially during more high-risk activities such as eating, playing musical instruments and team sports.
Masks
Many cultures are choosing to enforce masks in the classroom which seems to be an effective way of reducing the spread of coronavirus. The government has announced that when schools reopen on March 8th, school pupils will be advised to wear masks in the classrooms, at least for the first few weeks after reopening.
Bubbles
Returning to school will present a great deal of logistical challenges for school staff. It has been advised that students should be limited to interacting with the same cohort as much as possible to reduce the risk of cross-contamination. Whether this is done by year-group, classes or certain groups coming in on certain days will be the decision of the school. Currently, the government has confirmed that students should all return to school on the same day, rather than a phased return.
Testing
Temperatures should be taken daily before arriving at the school. Anyone with a high temperature should stay at home, as should any students or teachers experiencing possible symptoms of Covid-19 including coughing, breathlessness or fever. The government has already outlined regular rapid Covid-19 tests for both staff and students returning to school.
Personal Hygiene
Personal hygiene needs to be a priority for all staff members and all students returning to schools. Hand sanitiser should be readily available for everyone as should hand-washing facilities. This is especially important upon entry, as students will be entering from many different places including public transport. Students should be reminded to regularly wash their hands and keep their personal work space clean.
Cleaning
Schools need to be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected in between groups of students. This means wiping down surfaces and especially disinfecting high-contact spots such as doors. Budget should allow for schools to be sufficiently staffed with cleaning staff and this should be a key priority for keeping the school hygienic and safe.