It’s nearly time to go back to school, pupils are being told.
The Prime Minister has said a swift return in September is ‘vitally important‘ – and parents are now being urged to shop for shoes, buy new backpacks and grab the stationery kits.
Education facilities are all set to reopen as planned, and for many, this news will come as something of a relief.
Teaching effectively during coronavirus has been like trying to navigate choppy waters in a midnight storm, and both teachers and parents will be grateful for some stability that the school return will bring.
Nonetheless, the disruption of the past six months or so has led to new measures being introduced in schools and colleges.
These are designed to support any pupils hoping to catch up on missed work, offer children opportunities to resit exams and, most importantly of all, keep everyone in education protected.
Here’s what families should know right now about going back to school.
Exam resits
Any pupils who ended up with grades at GCSE or A Level they were ultimately unhappy with will be able to retake these tests in the autumn.
Pupils should speak to their teachers/schools as soon as possible in order to arrange resits.
The registration deadline for retaking A Levels is September 4, with resits taking place in October.
Those wanting to retake GCSEs must register by September 18 (except English and Maths, for which the deadline is October 4) to resit in November.
New assessment for Year 6 pupils
New compulsory assessments are being introduced for all pupils starting Year 6 in September 2020.
Occurring in summer 2021, these tests aim to determine how much learning children have lost due to COVID-19 whilst also prepping them for the step up to secondary school.
The Government commented: “Children and young people have missed a critical period of their education due to schools having to close to the majority of pupils to control the spread of coronavirus.
“It is vital that we better understand the impact of coronavirus on children’s education and give support to schools that need it the most.”
Classes and curriculum
On its website, the Government has stated that the school curriculum should ‘remain broad’ so that ‘the majority of pupils are taught a full range of subjects over the year, including sciences, humanities, the arts, physical education/sport, religious education and relationships and health education.’
COVID-19 measures however are likely to impact a number of classes, and the Government has published general guidance for education facilities on how to keep a full curriculum.
Regarding the subject of PE, which could potentially be seen as trickier to control, the Government added: “Schools have the flexibility to decide how physical education, sport and physical activity will be provided whilst following the measures in their system of controls.”
Face masks
Pikist
Face coverings have now been made mandatory for pupils Year 7 and above in schools in high-risk areas, such as Greater Manchester.
Pupils and staff will be asked to wear face coverings in corridors and other communal areas where social distancing is challenging.
New free app launches to help people find the best nature spots in and around Manchester
Emily Sergeant
A new free app has launched to help people find, discover, and visit nature on their doorstep.
Wildling is aiming to be a simple one-step solution to the growing mental health crisis and the urgent need to care for the natural world.
By helping people visit nature more easily, and giving them tools to truly connect with it at this same time, Wildling is well on its way to supporting personal wellbeing and the joy of easily discovering nature across the UK, all while nurturing a sense of care and action for the planet.
Supported by partners including the RSPB, Marine Conservation Society ,and Forestry England, and backed by advisors and environmentalists like Ben Goldsmith, Eden Project founder Tim Smit, and Dragon’s Den’s Deborah Meaden, the new app brings the UK’s wild spaces and hidden green spots together in one place.
A new free app has launched to help people find the best nature spots in Manchester / Credit: Kitera Dent | Robin Worrall (via Unsplash)
Featuring more than 1,500 locations across the country, from coastlines and woodlands, to nature reserves, the app also includes a wide range of tips to help you make your time in nature easier, more enjoyable, and more meaningful.
The app has been created with the input of research carried out by the University of Derby, based on responses from more than 68,000 adults across England over two years.
The study found that people who spend time in nature every day report up to 22% greater life satisfaction, 17% higher happiness, and an average uplift of around 19% in overall wellbeing, compared to those who rarely go out.
Regular time in nature was also found to have a ‘striking’ effect on pro-environmental behaviour too, according to the survey.
Wildling was created by impact entrepreneur Ant Rawlins who wanted to make accessing nature ‘easier’ for everyone.
“We wanted to give people the tools to engage with nature by making it genuinely easy to visit, by showing them nearby nature places and giving them everything they need to make it happen,” says Ant Rawlins commented.
Wildling connects Mancs to the outside world and all it has to offer / Credit: Sol Stock (Supplied)
Ant said the study shows that spending more time in nature just a nice idea, it makes you happier, increases your satisfaction with life, lifts your overall wellbeing, and encourages you to look after the world around you.
“That’s exactly why Wildling was created,” he concluded.
The Wildling app is available now to download for free through the App Store and Google Play, and you can find out more here.
Featured Image – Shironosov (Supplied)
News
Chester Zoo’s viral new snow leopard cub ventures outside for the first time
Emily Sergeant
Chester Zoo’s adorable baby snow leopard who went viral last week could very well be about to go viral again.
That’s because new footage of it venturing outside for the first time have been released.
After arriving to first-time parents Nubra and Yashin, who are both three-years-old, last month (10 June 2025), keepers at Chester Zoo said mum and cub had mostly spent their time quietly tucked away in a cosy den, away from the eyes of the onlooking public – but now, it’s time for the little one to see what the outside world is all about.
Now, at seven-weeks old, the cub has gained in strength and confidence, and experts expected that it could venture outside at ‘any moment’.
Zookeepers are still yet to confirm the sex of the cub, and will be able to do soon once it has undergone its first health check-up with the vets.
We can also expect to hear one the little one’s name is very soon too.
If you’re unfamiliar with snow leopards, they are classed as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and it’s believed there are as few as 4,000 now remaining in the wild.
Nicknamed the ‘ghosts of the mountains’, these elusive – but adorable – big cats are found in the rugged, remote regions of Central Asia and the Himalayas – but sadly, despite being known for living in desolate, harsh environments, they continue to face threats from habitat loss, climate change, poaching, and retaliatory killings by farmers.
Chester Zoo’s viral new snow leopard cub ventures outside for the first time / Credit: Chester Zoo
The cub’s birth follows the opening of Chester Zoo’s Himalayan habitat in May 2024, which is a vast, rocky environment that authentically recreates the mountainous terrain of Central Asia.
“This is the first snow leopard cub to be born at Chester Zoo,” commented Dave Hall, who is the Team Manager of carnivores at Chester Zoo, last week when the adorable hidden den cam footage was first released to the public.
“It’s a truly historic moment and a real cause for celebration – not just for our teams here, but also for the future of this magnificent species globally.”
Although it’s still early days, carnivore experts at the zoo say Nubra is showing ‘excellent maternal instincts’ by nursing her new arrival every few hours and always keeping close by.
The Manc -
25th August 2020 
