FOUNDATION phase children in Monmouthshire will return to face-to-face teaching in primary schools on Wednesday February 24.

Announcing the news that three to seven-year-olds in the county will return to the classroom after half term, the council's chief officer for children and young people Will McLean said measures are being put in place to make sure it is a full return, with limited disruption in future months.

“We know that this time away from school for our youngest learners is a challenge; time away from friends and the school setting could affect their social, emotional and educational development,” he said.

“We also know that the youngest children find it harder to access remote learning and the aspirations of the Foundation Phase teaching methods are not necessarily conducive to remote learning.

“It is our intention that across Monmouthshire, our schools will return to face-to-face teaching of the Foundation Phase on Wednesday February 24.

“On Monday 22 and Tuesday 23, the existing provision for critical workers’ children and vulnerable learners will continue.

READ MORE:

Extending his thanks to schools, parents and guardians for the work put in across the latest lockdown to keep children as up to speed as possible, Mr McLean added: “The actions that our schools will put in place in the coming days are designed to ensure that this return to school can be a permanent arrangement - one that will be supplemented by our older children returning in the near future.

“I know that they will implement these measures in a rigorous and robust way that will ensure your children’s safety in school.

“However, I also know that the actions in school will be rendered ineffectual if we do not continue to observe the Alert Level Four restrictions in our communities.

“I know how hard maintaining this discipline is but mixing of bubbles outside of school for parties and sleepovers, congregating at the school gate, not observing social distancing and taking groups of children to the park all risk cases in school and more days lost through isolation requirements or even a reversal of the Foundation Phase returning to school.

“This is a difficult message, but it is a vital one if this is to be successful.”