Bubbles and Safe Spots

Back to school at Cottenham Primary

Over the past few weeks we have been welcoming back those pupils in the eligible year groups, starting with EYFS and
Year 1, and then Year 6.

These have joined the children of key workers, many of whom have been attending school since the lockdown started, and we now have 130 pupils on site each day, supported by over 40 adults.

The school that the children have come back to is very different to the one they left on March 19th. From walking into school to stand on their ‘Safe Spots’ on the Hall floor, to following the one-way system around the building, the hand-washing routines, the spaced desks in each of the ‘Bubble rooms’, and observing the marked zones on the playground, their attitude has been astonishing. It is to their eternal credit that they have all adapted so quickly.

To get to this position has not been easy, and has only been achievable through the amazing culture we have at CPS and the fierce commitment of the staff and governors. The parents and carers of our children should also be commended for their patience, support and resilience. 

The reality is, however, that around 400 of our children are still not back in school. Despite the enormous amount of work that goes into delivering our Offsite Learning Hub (which we are reliably informed is being used by schools across a number of counties, including Essex and Hertfordshire), it is not the same. We all feel a deep sense of injustice about what has been stolen from our children and we are resolved to using this to fuel our work when the school is back to normal: adapting our phenomenal curriculum to ensure that each child at CPS can soar like an eagle.

James Kilsby Headteacher – Cottenham Primary School