Staff ready to welcome pupils back at Banovallum School

As expected, the school had prepared for a ‘staggered re-opening’, starting next Monday and culminating in a return of all students by next Friday.

Headteacher Grant Edgar said: “As a staff body, we are looking forward to the students returning to school.

“It has been the strangest of years and I would hope that all the recent developments mean we can return to normal as quickly as possible.

“A school is nothing without the students and want them to return in a positive frame of mind for their studies.

“It is perfectly to be understandable to be a little nervous.

“Everyone, including myself, will be a little apprehensive about returning to school, but we have done everything to make the school as safe as possible and students and parents should be confident in the measures we have put in place.”

Mr Edgar added the staggered return was because all students will have to undergo Covid-19 tests.

He explained: “Because we have to test the students three times before the home testing begins, we will have a staggered start which means that by Friday, March 12, we will have all year groups back in school with everything pretty much back to normal by March 15.

“The students have worked extremely hard during lockdown and I would like to thank parents for their support as well as the various individuals and organisations, such as Sivills who helped us provide technology for the students.

“Hopefully, the development and roll out of the vaccine will mean that by September, we can begin a normal school year.”

• Full story in next week’s Horncastle News.