It’s been a busy period over the summer break for Aspire site staff as they prepare for the return of students and staff to the school building in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic with every room and piece of equipment being systematically and meticulously cleaned from the top floor to the bottom.

Cleaning isn’t the only job that COVID-19 has provoked – warning signs for safety and social distancing have all had to be installed around the building, which is no small task, and this will have to be revised as government guidelines change in response to the pandemic.

Household support, led by Mr Challenger, Mr Beck and Mrs Wall, have literally sanitised every square centimetre of the Aspire building to keep everybody safe during the new academic year: “It’s been a really tough summer,” said a slightly fatigued but happy Mr Challenger. “The summer holidays are our busiest time in a ‘normal’ year, but this year we just haven’t stopped. And even when everybody returns it won’t stop there – Household Support will have their work cut out keeping our building clean and safe, but I know that all staff will pull together in a real ‘Team Aspire’ effort to get us through these difficult times.”


The new thermal scanner and social distancing markers on the floor in our reception area keeping everybody safe

Meanwhile, in order to combat the spread of COVID-19 and keep both students and staff safe, the installation of thermal scanners and hand sanitiser units have been positioned at key locations around the Aspire building.

The thermal scanners are located at both our Reception and the staff entrance so that visitors and staff can be scanned as soon as they enter the building; if either scanner picks up a high temperature then that person will not be permitted to enter the building as a precaution to keep the rest of the Aspire population safe.

All entry and exit points, alongside other key areas, have been fitted with the hand sanitiser units allowing everybody easy access to clean hands and a safe environment. Other important features introduced since the pandemic started are bottles of hand sanitiser available in every room, sanitised wipes for the cleansing of equipment and the procurement of face masks for all students and staff.


The new hand sanitisers placed around Aspire and the thermal scanner located at the staff entrance

Please watch the video below from our Headteacher, Mr Woods, regarding the government's recent announcement about face masks in schools.