Thatcham's Kennet School 'Nightingale' testing centre up and running

Covid-19 testing programme in full swing ahead of full return on March 8

KENNET School has become a hub of community activity at its ‘Nightingale’ testing centre as it eagerly waits for children to return next week.

Kennet pupils will join others across the country in a full return to school on March 8 for the first time since January.

Kennet, along with others in West Berkshire, started its Covid-19 testing programme on Monday in order to “allow the most effective teaching with least interruption” during the first two weeks back.

The school gym has become the ‘Kennet Nightingale Test Centre’ where 600 tests were conducted on the first round of pupils on Monday, with 5,451 needed to be carried out.

School guidance requires Kennet to offer three tests in school, followed by every pupil receiving home testing kits to maintain routine testing.

Headteacher Gemma Piper said the centre was “a buzz and hub of community activity” when pupils, staff and volunteers arrived on Monday.

Kennet is planning to have Years 7, 8, 11, 12 and 13 back on Monday and Years 9 and 10 on Tuesday.

Mrs Piper added: “We just want our pupils back. Our entire school will be back on Tuesday. It will be a staggered day, staggered access to food, bubbles, but we are going to be back and we can’t wait.”

Pupils are now required to wear a face covering in lessons as well as travelling around the school and in community areas.

They will not be required to wear a face covering at breaks and lunchtime, outside, in their social areas, but must maintain social distancing and re-apply the face covering prior to leaving their social areas.

Mrs Piper said she was proud of pupils, who had been “so respectful of the situation and incredibly positive”.

Debate has centred around whether the school day should be lengthened or extending the school summer term in an effort to make up for lost learning during the coronavirus pandemic.

Mrs Piper said that she disagreed with comments around lost learning and a lost generation of pupils.

She said that some pupils had “found their feet” in the new way of working and it was important that schools did not revert, resulting in a new skill set being lost.

“I think this generation have grown versatile and learned how to access learning at a far superior pace than many before them.”

Mrs Piper said that the focus on academic progress and children’s emotional wellbeing could not be separated and both were equally important.

In a letter to parents she said: “Our priority right now is to ensure we work together to support our pupils as they transition back into school physically and to ensure their mental health and wellbeing is cared for through the coming months.

“This generation of young people has demonstrated resilience, patience and determination on an industrial scale, far more than recent generations have had to face at their age.

“For this we applaud and celebrate our pupils.

“We will take every opportunity to share this message and I ask that this is echoed across our community.”