Three practical strategies for the 1.5-metre school

At the press conference on 21 April, we were all informed that primary schools (at 50% capacity), special education schools, childcare centres and out-of-school care facilities would reopen from Monday 11 May 2020. Secondary and special secondary schools will reopen on 1 June 2020, but must observe the 1.5-metre measures.

We are not educationalists, but after all these years we have developed strong expertise in educational accommodation. In this blog, we are therefore happy to share three strategies for dealing with the 1.5-metre school. Although this is not mandatory for primary education, these strategies can be used as tips to reduce the risks alongside the 50% rule. For secondary education, these tips can be used in preparation for the decision.

Schools have high occupancy rates

In our country, schools, along with stations, airports and so on, belong to the group of utility buildings with the highest occupancy rates. These buildings are characterised by many people being present at the same time in a relatively limited floor area. In a normal situation, this is not a problem at all. These buildings and sites are designed to accommodate large groups of pupils and teachers perfectly well without problems arising. However, things become difficult when, as now, measures are in force prescribing a certain distance between people: the now familiar 1.5-metre guidelines.

To meet the desire to resume education at schools as quickly and safely as possible, we would like to take you through three strategies. These strategies are intended to enable education to take place responsibly within the existing accommodation while observing the applicable measures. There is no perfect method for organising this, so please explore the tips mainly to determine which measures are suitable for your specific situation.

Strategy 1: Occupancy rate must be reduced

For the time being, we will not be able to accommodate the number of pupils that was possible until recently. A high occupancy rate in your school building makes it practically impossible to comply with the 1.5-metre guidelines. Reducing the occupancy rate is therefore the most important strategy for making your accommodation suitable. We offer a number of practical tips for reducing occupancy.

Prevent school buildings from becoming overloaded; structurally implement distance learning

For the time being, schools will not yet operate as we are used to. A hybrid intermediate form will have to be found between physical lessons at school and digital lessons, as in recent weeks: blended learning. When the schools closed, distance learning developed very quickly. With the 50% rule in primary education and preparations for the 1.5-metre measures in secondary education, it appears that we will at least partly have to continue using this temporarily. For that reason, structurally organising this digital education is an important step in keeping school-building occupancy rates low, preventing overloading and reducing the risks as much as possible. This form of blended learning ensures that, despite the applicable measures, high-quality education can still be provided responsibly.

Focus on core activities that must take place at school

When education is provided partly digitally and partly physically, it is important to determine which core school activities require physical presence and which, since there is temporarily no alternative, can also be carried out digitally.

Of course, we are all concerned about the pupils who normally need just that little bit of extra support, attention and challenge, but who can now receive it only to a limited extent. Physically organising coaching and mentoring sessions, as well as assessments (possibly on a large scale in the gymnasiums) and group work, therefore seems crucial. Temporarily focusing on core subjects and organising them physically on a limited basis is also a way to keep occupancy rates low while maximising quality and safeguarding the prevention of learning delays as much as possible.

Scheduling: half-fill classrooms, consider alternative spaces and work in shifts

The 1.5-metre measures mean that our ‘standard classrooms’ lose a large part of their capacity; splitting groups and working in ‘shifts’ will therefore be necessary. For primary education, this has already been laid down in the 50% arrangement. Organising this properly is a challenge when creating the timetable. The changes between shifts must also be taken into account; you want to prevent two groups of pupils from changing shifts at the same time and causing bottlenecks. Focusing on core activities, as described earlier, already helps with this.

It may also help to look at what other spaces are available within the building and temporarily give those an educational function as well. Consider meeting rooms, staff rooms, offices, gyms and playrooms, handicrafts classrooms and so on. In addition, certain lessons could possibly be held outdoors. Although this is obviously not ideal, it can temporarily increase the capacity of the available spaces.

Have teachers move instead of pupils

Particularly in secondary education, it seems important for pupils to remain in the same room as much as possible. For that reason, it would help if teachers moved between lessons while pupils stayed in the same classroom. This limits movement between lessons.

Strategy 2: Prevent contact moments

A school is a place where pupils can learn, play, meet and develop. Preventing contact therefore seems very difficult. However, preventing physical contact is one of the most important strategies for controlling the coronavirus: the 1.5-metre measures. Reducing school occupancy is already an important step in reducing contact; fewer pupils automatically means more square metres per pupil. But there are more possibilities.

Avoid shared breaks, including for teachers

It is an important part of our day: taking breaks and having lunch together with other pupils or colleagues. Unfortunately, however, we will have to make concessions in this regard for the time being. Ensuring the 1.5-metre measures in our assembly halls and staff rooms is practically impossible. The advice would therefore be not to facilitate breaks outside the classroom temporarily. Because they work in shifts, pupils are at school for only a limited time and should meet as few pupils as possible other than those in their own group during that period. The same applies to teachers: they should meet as few colleagues or other pupils as possible. Holding breaks in the classrooms prevents encounters and potential contact moments.

Limit contact with building elements

It is impossible to clean building elements such as door handles, buttons, railings and so on continuously. For that reason, contact with these elements should be limited as much as possible. One option is to leave certain doors open so that pupils and teachers do not have to touch them, or have to touch them only to a very limited extent. For classroom doors, it can be agreed that only the teacher opens and closes them. In places where avoiding contact is difficult, such as toilets and stairways, disinfectant gel can be provided so that hands can be disinfected after touching doors, taps and armrests.

In addition to fixed building elements, this also means that contact with loose elements such as vending machines and equipment, shared computers and so on must be avoided. The advice would be to close these off as much as possible.

Disinfection of the workstation

Aside from these tips and strategies, the cleaning of the building should be intensified. In addition, every classroom should be equipped with a disinfection kit, consisting, for example, of disinfectant wipes. At the end of the day, pupils should be tasked with disinfecting their desks, while teachers should disinfect their workstations when changing classrooms. In primary and special education too, desks and workstations could be disinfected regularly.

Sanitary facilities

Put up instructions saying ‘wash hands after using the toilet’.

Strategy 3: Organise movement through the building

The way in which pupils and teachers move through a school is an organic process.
Reducing occupancy of the building also reduces pressure on the circulation areas within it. However, in order to adequately guarantee the 1.5-metre measures and reduce risks wherever possible, a clear structure is needed.

Structure pupils’ arrival

Pupils can arrive at school in various ways. It is important that there is immediate structure in the way pupils move upon arrival, to prevent certain places from becoming too busy and making it impossible to guarantee 1.5 metres of distance. For pupils arriving by bicycle, cycling to the bicycle storage area should be organised, possibly using numbered spaces. A large part of the bicycle storage area should be taken out of use so that bicycles can be parked with sufficient space between them. Depending on the layout, separate entrances and exits could be considered to prevent pupils from coming too close to one another. For children who are brought to school, parents could be prohibited from entering the playground or building. When parents remain or gather outside the playground, it is important that they observe the 1.5-metre measures there as well. It may help to remind parents of this on the spot.

Pupils should also enter the building in a structured manner so that bottlenecks do not arise and everyone can go directly to their classroom. A ‘queue system’, such as those known from amusement parks, could be considered. Within this queue, clear circles or squares with a radius of 1.5 m could be marked out, in which each pupil must stand before being allowed inside. Here too, doors should be left open as much as possible so that as few people as possible have to touch them.

Prevent bottlenecks; go directly to the classroom

The corridors, lockers and outdoor areas are usually places where pupils meet and social interaction takes place. Unfortunately, that is what we want to limit at the moment. The advice would therefore be to close off lockers, cloakrooms and so on. Upon arrival, pupils go directly to the classroom and take all their belongings, such as coats, with them. Since the number of lessons is limited, this should not be a problem during this period.

One-way traffic within the school

The routing through your school building is an important factor in preventing physical encounters. Not every building will be suitable for this, but if it is possible in any way, establishing one-way traffic in the building would greatly help prevent contact as much as possible. This could also include the temporary use of (safe) stairways that are normally used less frequently. It is important that the direction of travel, or certain priority rules at narrow points, are clearly indicated. Think of arrows on floors, stairs, walls and so on. These arrows can also be used to draw constant attention to certain rules. To make the meaning of 1.5 m clear to (small) children, it may also help to mark clear circles on the floor so that pupils can see it immediately. Naturally, it is important to monitor compliance with the measures introduced.

Routing within the classroom

Each classroom’s layout must be carefully considered. Ensure that desks that cannot be used are clearly marked, or remove them from the classroom. It may also help to mark out on the floor the walkways along which pupils, as well as teachers, must move within the classroom. It is important that pupils understand that they must always walk through the classroom in one direction; structure is important here too. In addition, it may help to indicate the 1.5-metre distance at each seat by means of a circle or square on the floor. This constantly reminds both pupils and teachers of the measures when they approach another person. A visual representation of the 1.5-metre measures is very important, for children as well as adults.

All the strategies and tips described are intended to make it possible to provide education temporarily in a scaled-down form in our school buildings. As indicated, there will be no single method that can be applied in the same way to everyone. Education and buildings are always different; it remains a matter of tailoring solutions to the situation. Through the strategies presented, we are mainly trying to indicate approaches within which solutions can be sought and found.

These are extraordinary times in which we find ourselves together. If this blog has inspired you, or if you have come up with good solutions yourself recently, please do not hesitate to contact us. In these times, let us above all work together to find solutions so that we can continue to provide the high-quality education that we would all most like to see. Let us also make the most of the opportunities this crisis offers us! We are always available for questions, comments or advice as well.

We wish everyone good health and wisdom during this extraordinarily strange time.