AN OXFORDSHIRE teacher is warning not to rush the decision to bring pupils back into schools.

Leigh Seedhouse, a maths teacher at Meadowbrook College in Banbury, has questioned when schools should reopen their doors again.

Currently, the vast majority of pupils are learning remotely, with just children of key workers physically going into school.

Miss Seedhouse, who is also the joint district and branch secretary for Oxfordshire National Education Union, said: “There has been much talk recently in the media about the prospect of schools reopening for all students and staff in the not so distant future.

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“We’ve already experienced battles with social distancing - schools aren’t built to keep children apart.

“Schools reopening will bring lots of people together and social distancing is not going to be physically possible, there’s constant contact happening in a school.

“There’s no way you’re getting 30 kids in a classroom and keeping them two metres apart.

“If they decide to have kids going back in June, rigorous plans need to have been put in place.

“There needs to be severe cleaning - we don’t have industrial cleaners - and big plans put in place to how we’ll do this and do it properly.”

Oxford Mail:

Miss Seedhouse, who has been a teacher since 2003 and currently teaches Key Stage 4, added that further complications would arise as pupils use public transport to get to school.

She also highlighted that the mental health of staff and children who may have suffered bereavements during the lockdown needs to be addressed.

Speaking about how Meadowbrook has handled the situation so far, Miss Seedhouse said she was ‘really proud of the work my school is doing to ensure we stay safe’.

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A spokesperson for Oxfordshire County Council said: “We are in regular contact with the Department for Education and other government bodies at this difficult time.

“The Government will decide when schools might reopen. No timetable has been decided.

“The safety of pupils, teachers and residents is our absolute priority.

“We will publish details once agreed with central government, based on their instructions and guidelines.”