Schools in Basingstoke are preparing for a month of staggered return of students following a decision by the government’s latest coronavirus announcement.

Primary schools are still set to open next week but secondary school pupils in exam years are now due to return to education settings in the week beginning January 11.

All secondary school and college students will return full time on January 18.

Reacting to the news, Chris Edwards, headteacher of Brighton Hill Community College in Basingstoke, said the reopening plans were largely expected.

Mr. Edwards told Gazette: “We are completely committed to making them work.  All schools in Basingstoke and Deane have worked incredibly hard to make their communities as Covid-safe as possible and we will continue to do so.”

The headteacher, however, said there will be financial ramifications because of government’s lateral flow testing system, although the plan is good.

“The addition of lateral flow testing should, in theory, allow us to keep more students in face-to-face lessons without the need for mass self-isolation, but obviously the staffing and financial ramifications for schools are immense when we consider the resources required to test such a large number of students on such a regular basis.

“We now need to do all that we can to keep the transmission rates as low as we possibly can in the community, to allow us to stay open safely as long as we possibly can.  We are all in this together and hope that we are on the road towards returning to full normality some time soon.”

Meanwhile, Councillor Roz Chadd, Hampshire County Council’s Executive Member for Education and Skills, welcomed the government’s decision.

 “We agree that all young people should be in school. However, we recognise the unprecedented situation that we are facing nationally and understand that the Government must make difficult decisions and that Ministers are doing so on the basis of scientific evidence.

“We are pleased that all children up to the age of 11 years, at primary stages of education, will return to face-to-face education in schools from 4 January. We also welcome the decision that children and young people who are vulnerable or are the children of key workers in all year groups, should return to school or college from the beginning of term. We will do all we can to ensure those in other year groups have access to good quality remote learning until they are able to return to school over the following two weeks.”

If you are a parent and want to share your thoughts on school reopening decision, email to Kiran.Sajan@basingstokegazette.co.uk.