The re-opening of a school amidst a pandemic is no easy feat. However, at St Bees School in West Cumbria, the management team have publicly declared their commitment to ensure the safety and wellbeing of students, staff and parents by adopting to the Boarding Schools’ Association (BSA’s) Covid-Safe Charter.
Adhering to the strict regulations outlined in the charter, the school can testify to safely reopening in September in accordance to government guidelines. The charter requires that the school adopts certain rigorous cleaning processes, monitors testing, staff training and ensures effective communication across the entire school network.
Other standard hygiene measures are laid out, including an increased emphasis on hand washing, mask provision and social distancing.
Director of Operations, Derek Todd, admits “this is the largest challenge I have had to face in my career to date – and yet in adhering to the COVID-safe charter, I know, beyond all doubt, that we will have a safe and compliant school environment for our students in September.”
St Bees, which shall see its 15-strong current cohort expand to a phenomenal 50 in September, is ready for the students’ return.
“Our online learning, with students maintaining their current timetables and continuing face-to-face, albeit online, teaching has been hugely successful. But there is nothing quite like having the students back in school,” notes Headmaster Roger Sinnett.
“With the adoption of the COVID-safe charter, we are 100% confident that every single one of our students will be in the safest possible hands. Students will be coming from all over the world as well as the UK – from Germany, Turkey, Romania and Kazakhstan – and yet we know that we can still continue our global fusion education in spite of the pandemic happening around us.”
To read more about the COVID-safe charter please visit: https://bit.ly/BSACharter
