John Morrison, Principal of Lincoln UTC, has released plans to open fully to all year groups in September offering a return to full time education for all students whilst maintaining social distancing.
The UTC benefits from fewer students and smaller class sizes than most ‘ordinary’ schools and therefore can achieve distancing in classrooms providing the number in each class is kept low enough that students don’t need to share a table.
In Key Stage 4 the UTC plans to further reduce the size of its teaching groups to ensure that social distancing can be achieved with a maximum class size of twelve. Students will have five lessons a day, five days a week, which is broadly in line with what you would expect from most schools under ordinary circumstances.
In the Sixth Form most classes already have fewer than twelve students, but in the most popular subjects of maths, science and engineering classes will be split into smaller groups. Key Stage 5 students will have the same amount of contact time as usual.
John Morrison, Principal of Lincoln UTC said: “I predict that most schools in England will struggle to offer a return to full time education for all students whilst maintaining social distancing. Some do not have the staff and others do not have the space.
Lincoln UTC is fortunate compared to other schools, our average class size was eighteen this year and therefore we have less of a job to do in achieving social distancing. We are also fully staffed in all subject areas. No members of the teaching staff have left this year and we made four new appointments just before lockdown.
The socially distanced timetable does have some unavoidable compromises and isn’t quite what we would offer students in normal times but, we believe, it will still deliver a quality full time education.”
Paul Birt, Chair of Governors at Lincoln UTC and Head of HR – Smart Infrastructure Division at Siemens GB&I said: “The UTC is in a unique position to provide a return to full time education for all students even if the current restrictions and precautionary measures are still in place.
The safety of both students
and staff is paramount, and we will continue to monitor the situation and the
advice from the government throughout the summer and adapt our approach
accordingly.”