London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Sep 15, 2025

Covid: Back-to-school pupils 'excited and nervous'

Covid: Back-to-school pupils 'excited and nervous'

More pupils in Wales are returning to the classroom for the first time since December, prompting feelings of nervousness and excitement.

All remaining primary school children, pupils in Years 11 and 13 and many college students will head back to class on Monday.

Those in Year 10 and above will be "strongly encouraged" to take rapid Covid tests twice a week.

Face coverings must be worn in class if social distancing is not possible.

The youngest children, aged three to seven, have been back since February.

Schools have the flexibility to bring back pupils in Years 10 and 12, while offering wellbeing check-in sessions to those in Year 7, 8 and 9.

The Welsh government plans for all secondary-aged pupils to be back in full-time from 12 April.

'Important part of my life'


Finley, a Year 11 student from Rhyl, Denbighshire, said he was looking forward to going back after the "massive culture shock" of learning from home.

"On reflection it's shown how much I value school and how much of an important part of my life school is," he said.

"It will be great to be back in the classroom with my mates and with the teachers.

"The difference between sitting in front of a screen for six hours a day compared to sitting in a classroom for six hours a day is immeasurable.

"It's the most excited I've ever been to visit the building to be honest, but also I'm nervous in hoping that everything goes all right."

Finley said he was hoped fellow students would take up the offer of lateral flow tests.


"There'll definitely be some resistance because some people have never experienced anything like this," he said.

"At the end of the day though, if it's going to keep us all safe then it's necessary.

"I'm definitely going to take it up, if it's going to protect people that I know and my mates."

Dr Linos Jones, head of Welsh medium comprehensive, Ysgol Bro Myrddin in Carmarthen said it had been a very exciting time preparing for the return of the pupils.

Treading 'very carefully'


"There has been daily communication between us as a school and the children to ensure that nothing worries them on their return," she said.

She said everyone had received their timetable for the next fortnight to give sufficient advance notice and the Covid-safe measures put in place before Christmas remained key.

Dr Jones said they were treading "very carefully" for the two weeks before the Easter holiday and were returning specific groups of pupils only.

"For the first two weeks there are no more than two years in the same day and then rising to three years by the end of the last week," she said.

Laura Doel says she is disappointed the Welsh government did not choose to prioritise vaccinating school staff

She added pupils from Years 7, 8 and 9 would have one whole day at the school during this period.

She said she hoped the home Covid tests would give families more confidence.

'It must be sustainable'


Commenting on the wider return to schools Laura Doel, director of NAHT Cymru, said the union wanted nothing more than schools to reopen for all children but only "as long as the science supports that it is safe to do so".

"The return must be sustainable to avoid further disruption to children's education, which means everyone continuing to adhere to the rules," she added.

Ms Doel also said the union remained disappointed that the Welsh Government did not choose to prioritise vaccinating school staff.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
×