THE Isle of Wight Council says Island schools are eager to welcome children and young people back at the start of the new academic year next week.

Cllr Paul Brading said schools had worked hard during the summer holidays to complete the necessary risk assessments and implement appropriate measures to ensure all pupils can return safety.

The council says the Island's educators are fully prepared to have students back, and are confident they have put in place arrangements to help prevent the spread of Covid-19 infection.

While those arrangements will vary from school to school, depending on the size and layout of their sites, the ages and number of children attending, the measures will include:

• placing children in distinct ‘bubbles’ (groups) to be maintained throughout the school day

• operating a one-way system around the school site

• staggering the start and end of the school day

• staggering break times

• building time for frequent hand-washing in the daily timetable

• additionally, providing hand sanitiser in strategic areas of the building

• frequent reminders to Catch It, Bin It, Kill It

• additional cleaning of school buildings.

Wherever possible, and for multiple health benefits, children and young people are encouraged to walk, scoot or cycle to school.

Government guidance will apply to home-to-school travel arrangements for children and young people, eligible for school transport funded by the council.

There is no requirement for social distancing on dedicated home-to-school transport services but there will be a set of controls that will apply, such as use of hand sanitiser and where possible sitting in year groups.

Face coverings for pupils are recommended.

Enhanced cleaning will apply to vehicles being used on home to school journeys.

Pupils who travel on public transport will be required to respect the social distancing measures on public bus services and, if they are aged 11 years old or over, must wear a face covering.

If a pre-school child or school pupil displays any symptoms of Covid-19, education settings will follow the Public Health England guidance that they have been given, including what to do in the event of a confirmed case of the virus in an education setting.

The closure of any school due to Covid will be a last resort action and only on the advice of the local Public Health England health protection team.

For more information, visit https://www.iow.gov.uk/Council/OtherServices/Public-Health-Coronavirus-COVID-19/Nurseries-pre-schools-schools-and-colleges