Coronavirus: How it feels to be back at school

Published2 minutes ago

"It's scary but we don't have a choice really," says Iram Kanwal. "You have to pay your fine or bring them to school. I would've been happy not sending them back right now because it's too soon, but [I'm] hoping for the best I guess."

Iram says she worries about a second coronavirus peak, but admits having her children, aged three and five, at home for so long was bit of a "juggling act".

Now her kids are returning to school and nursery, she says she's been telling them to not get too close to other children and to keep washing their hands.

But she says her daughter, Samavia, is still "too small" to really understand about the virus and its dangers: "She doesn't even know what coronavirus is at the moment".

"I'm not that nervous about it because I'm sure my teachers know what they're doing", says eight-year-old Aarizuddin Halim, who is starting Year 4.

He says he's excited to meet his friends again, but his mother, Sabia, says he was a little nervous in the car on his way to school. "I don't know what work I'm going to be doing. It might be hard, it might be easy, but I'm going to have to just learn it," he explains.

Sabia says she's relieved home-schooling is over. "At the beginning of lockdown it was fine, home schooling was OK, but as time went on he lost his motivation. I am just so glad he is going back to school. I just want him to get back to education again."

"Boring", says Viorica Belenco, when asked how home-schooling has been.

"It has been very hard,", the carer says, adding: "I am a key worker, so she has been at school a while in the summer so we haven't been at home for too long."

"At home you don't have so many chances to do what they do in school."

Daniela, who is starting in Year 3, gives a shy shrug when asked what she is looking forward to most, but says she is pleased to be back.

"I am a bit nervous," Viorica says, "but I know that they will take care about sanitiser and the hands and everything, so I can't say I am am really too nervous. I am just excited that she is happy."

"I'm happy to be back and they are happy to be back," says teaching assistant Gemma Twining as she starts back at work. Her own children are aged three and eight - and also returned to nursery and school respectively.

"They have had such a long time off, such a long time away from their friends that they're ready."

She says it had been "challenging" trying to teach the two different ages at home, but both children had "dealt with it really well".

They both had five weeks back before the summer holidays. "That was great for them because they got that social interaction but obviously socially distanced," she says.

"Our school has put a lot in place to keep everybody safeguarded so I feel confident with them going back and myself going back."

Seven-year-old Alyssa Baptiste says she is looking forward to getting stuck in to maths and English classes in Year 3 - as well as seeing her friends. But her dad was feeling a "bit apprehensive".

"At the same time," Mickel Baptiste adds, "it's good to get back to some sense of normality for her.

"Obviously she has had a big break over the summer and when schools closed, so getting back into education for her I think will be really good and in that sense I am happy that it's happening.

"But I'm just a bit concerned about what you hear in the news about Covid and spikes. Obviously they've got safety measures in place and I'm just hoping that she'll be safe in school."

"I know the teachers will do their best and keep them protected, says Cristina Cioca, who admits she was feeling nervous as she dropped off her son, David, and daughter, Alexia, at school.

David is starting Reception while Alexia is in Year 1. "As long as they keep the social distancing, I'm sure it will be all right," Cristina adds.

She says it had been a "tough year" for parents but "they made it through". "It's a situation we've never been in," she says.

"We just hope for a new beginning and I suppose we have to live with the virus in some way."

"Keeping them at home for so long is more risky than keeping them away from the school," says Saima Aurangzeb, as her son and daughter return to the classroom.

"In school they can learn better," she says. "I was home-schooling during lockdown, but I can't think that it's comparable to the teaching done by professionals."

"We don't have a big social circle at home so it's better for them to be at school," she adds.

She says the pandemic made life difficult for the family as her husband had lost his job, although he was able to get another one.

Anaya, aged 5, says she is looking forward to learning and seeing her friends as she begins Year 1.

Adam Golinczak was feeling the usual first day back at school nerves. He wondered what his new teacher was going to be like. But his mum, Anna, says she isn't worried.

"I feel safe. We didn't know anybody who fell sick and I think the school is well prepared," she says.

When it came to home-schooling, she says Adam and his sister Alicja were "very excited" at first, but "after a few months or so they preferred to play than learn".

Nevertheless, they read a lot - both English and Polish books - and had "lots of fun" doing experiments, she adds.

All photographs by Phil Coomes and Amy Heycock. Interviews by Rachael McMenemy and Phil Shepka.