SEVERAL schools in Wyre Forest will be making PPE available to teachers - despite the government saying it is not needed - as students from select year groups prepare to return to lessons from as early as June 1.

The government has said it wants children in nursery, reception, year one and year six to begin a phased return to schools next month, but surveys sent to parents from one local trust suggest as many as half will be keeping their children at home.

Chris King, CEO of the Severn Academies Educational Trust (SAET), which runs Baxter College, Stourport High and several primary schools in Wyre Forest, said it was using government safety guidelines as a “bare minimum” when planning how to get schools safely up and running.

Kidderminster Shuttle: Photos of Kempsey Primary School, near Worcester, show how schools could look when they reopen next month. Photo by Jacob King/PAPhotos of Kempsey Primary School, near Worcester, show how schools could look when they reopen next month. Photo by Jacob King/PA

Mr King said: “As soon as Boris made his announcement about the phased reopening of schools, we got a survey out to our staff to ask what their concerns were.

“A key challenge is staffing. It’s a bit like a snow day – the reason we can’t open is because we can’t get the staff in - so we needed to find out what our staffing levels were going to be like.

“One of things that came back was the concern and national discussion about PPE. The government guidance is reasonably explicit in places - for example saying staff don’t need PPE. We’re doing something slightly different.

“We’re not saying we’re forcing people to wear it at all, but we will make it available to staff that wish to wear it to help support staff and help with any anxiety about coming back to school.”

Students returning to SAET schools will be divided into smaller classes, with an allocated staff member who will stay with children throughout lessons and breaks. The schools will also be setting up wash stations, separating desks and staggering toilet trips and lunch breaks, as well as organising additional cleaning throughout the day.

Kidderminster Shuttle: Children abide by a traffic light system for social distancing when washing their hands at Kempsey Primary School in Worcestershire. Pic. Jacob King/PAChildren abide by a traffic light system for social distancing when washing their hands at Kempsey Primary School in Worcestershire. Pic. Jacob King/PA

Mr King said he expects around half of the applicable students to return to school when they reopen, based on feedback from parents.

He said: “Our heads have contacted parents and asked if they are planning to send their children back to school at this time. I wouldn’t like to put an exact figure on it at the moment but the response has been about half and half. We’re certainly not looking at a wholesale return to school.

“That could be for a variety of reasons. Some children have been self-isolating or have underlying medical conditions. Other parents are just not confident at this time that the government message is the right one.”

Mr King added: “We have been managing this situation in schools for many months now. This is just an extension of what we’re already doing.

“We will be following government guidance to make our school environments as safe as we can do for our children and staff.”

But Wyre Forest Labour said scientific data is needed to back up the government’s assertions that it is safe to go back to school.

Spokesman Stephen Brown said: “Until a return is safe and evidenced as such, there will be justified scepticism. Consequently, significant numbers of parents will prefer to keep their children at home to protect them and their family - teachers included.

“There will also be different risks for primary and secondary schools. It’s going to be harder inside primary schools to maintain social distancing.

“For secondary schools, the risks are heightened on the journey to and from school. How is it feasible to stop teenage children mixing? In both primary and secondary schools, these things increase the risk for pupils, their families, and school staff.”

Worcestershire county councillor Marcus Hart, cabinet member for education, said the decision to open any authority-maintained school would be based on the results of individual risk assessments.

Cllr Hart said: "We are working very closely with a group of school leaders and other colleagues to ensure that each school has an individual tailored plan for re-opening, based on their individual circumstances."