Lockdown School Life

Walking away from the school gates at the end of the day on Friday, March 20, was a harrowing experience for parents and pupils alike. Gone were the feelings of excitement and anticipation of the weekend. In their place, uncertainty and anxiety weighed heavy in the air as we took our children to the safety of their own homes, not knowing when, or even if, they would return to their classrooms.

Coronavirus saw schools shut their doors to all but the children of keyworkers and those who were classed as vulnerable. In the weeks that followed, kitchens were transformed into science labs, gardens were substitutes for sports fields and bedrooms became bases for essay writing. Trying to balance school, work and home life became a daily challenge.

Year six, year one and reception children were invited back to school from June 1, with plans to get all remaining students back as soon as possible. But on June 9, parents and pupils gave up hope, when it was announced the majority of students would not be back in school until the end of the summer holidays. Years 10 and 12 were to be taught some lessons from June 15.

Brother and sister Danny and Megan Wright spent all of Lockdown learning at home. Danny, who was in year five when school shut, said, ‘it was good not having to go to school. Sometimes I wanted to go on my Xbox but I had to do my work first. I liked being at home because we didn’t have to travel to and from school, which takes up time, and it also meant I could spend the whole day with my dog.

‘I enjoyed the work I was set – my mum and I had a lot of fun doing it. We made a Lady Macbeth puppet, and also did our own performance of Macbeth using characters that we made out of cardboard.

‘We did maths every day, which I enjoyed because it’s one of my favourite subjects. After spending some time practising at home, I can now use a protractor too.

‘My teacher set me several science experiments to do, and we were

really excited when they worked! We had one or two that didn’t quite go according to plan, but we enjoyed doing them at least. 

‘I could choose when I started my schoolwork, and once I’d done it all, I had the rest of the day to have fun. But in school you have to do your work at certain times, and when you’ve finished you can’t just go outside and play – you have to wait until breaktime.

‘It was also really nice to be able to eat when I wanted too! You can’t get up and grab a snack when you fancy at school, but at home I could just have a look what was in the cupboards when I felt a bit peckish.

‘When I was at home I learnt how to chop vegetables and I also had time to learn how to ride my bike better. But I did really miss my friends, and the fun we would have had together at school. I was sad to stop playing sports too. I had been looking forward to playing in hockey tournaments for my school and for my club, but they were cancelled, as were all my hockey training sessions. Over summer I was able to go to cricket coaching – it felt really good to be playing sports again. My family played football, cricket and other games with me in the garden, but it wasn’t the same.

‘I definitely enjoyed my time

learning at home, but I looked forward to going back to school in September.’

Megan, who was in year two when classrooms closed, told us, ‘I was sad to miss out on our trip to Tattershall Castle, and we didn’t get to do sports day either. I really wanted to run in the relay race again this year.

‘I got my schoolwork done really quickly, so I did lots of other things when I was at home. I planted lots of seeds like beans, peas, sunflowers, lettuces and pumpkins. I only managed to get one pumpkin to grow, but now it’s huge! It’s grown

For those who continued to attend school, things had certainly changed. Noah Howman’s mum is a keyworker, so he spent some time in school during Lockdown, and he told us all about it. ‘School was quite different from usual, because there were a lot less people there,’ Noah, who was in year four, explained. ‘I missed all my friends being with me, but I did enjoy going to school during Lockdown. We still had to keep to social distancing guidelines, and we sat on separate desks. I had my usual class teacher, but my sister Lois wasn’t taught by hers. That was nice for me, because although things were a bit different, my teacher was a familiar face. ‘We had to eat lunch in the classroom, which I enjoyed because it was quieter than the hall we would normally use – and we got to watch films when we ate too. ‘We just did our regular schoolwork, really, and we still did some PE too. When I was at home I spent time practising on the piano, and I had my music lessons virtually. ‘I was definitely looking forward to going back properly in September though. I wanted to learn, and to see my friends again.’

really well in the pumpkin patch that my mum and I dug together, and it’s turned bright orange.

‘I really enjoyed doing lots of baking at home once I had finished my schoolwork. I made lots of nice things like lasagne, cakes, scones and bread – although without yeast and bread flour, because mum couldn’t get any from the supermarket. I also made lots of slime!

‘I couldn’t wait to go back to school and start in my new class though. I’ve got some nice new shiny school shoes, and I really love wearing them!’

We are all facing and adapting to an ever changing world and a large proportion of us have spent more time at home over the last few months than ever before. The kitchen now, more than ever, has become central to our homes and a relaxing long soak in a luxurious bath to unwind at the end of a hard and tiring day after work or after a day of home schooling is equally important. Nobody knows that better than Stephen and Sarah Devonport who turned a long term dream into a reality when they set up their own Devonports kitchen and bathroom design and installation business in Deeping St James. “It all began over 16 years ago with a desire to provide people with beautiful bathrooms and kitchens married up with expert design, advice and customer service,” said Sarah.

They worked out of a home office and van in the early days of the business but were so driven with the dream of one day having their own showroom, that it was only a matter of time before the couple realised their ambition. “We enjoyed many years of continued growth and success and our dream finally became a reality in 2009 when the Devonports Kitchens & Bathrooms showroom was opened,” said Sarah. “Our initial showroom started out at 45 Bridge Street, Deeping St James and we now occupy the neighbouring two units which has allowed us to expand our existing showroom with further kitchen and bathroom displays.”

The Devonports’ kitchens, along with its fitted bathroom furniture, are manufactured in Birmingham by Mereway Limited, which has more than 30 years of continued growth and success.

They have three ranges within their kitchen portfolio and expanding into the showroom next door has given the Devonports the opportunity to display even more options. The new kitchen settings have been

specifically designed to showcase different door styles and colours and different styles of worktop. “Our existing showroom houses even more kitchen settings with laminate, Granite, Quartz and Corian worktops, all in an array of colours and shapes to show the beauty that can be created from all materials. “At Devonports we strive to offer that something extra to the kitchen and bathroom buying experience. “We are not driven by a team of sales staff, we have no targets or limits to reach or achieve, only the ones that we set ourselves to make our customers’ experiences enjoyable and personal. We will not put any time constraints on you by insisting that you sign to secure a ‘deal’. We will guide you through each step at your own pace.” “We listen, which we believe is quite possibly the most important part of our communication with you, and we offer practical and knowledge-based advice. “We do not take it lightly that we are welcomed into people’s homes and so we always treat them with the utmost respect, keeping our working environment as clean and tidy as possible at all times.”

Devonports has its own team of in-house kitchen and bathroom fitters, and uses the services of the same tilers, electricians and plasterers that it has for many years.

43-45 Bridge Street, Deeping St James, Lincolnshire PE6 8HA Tel: 01778 346415 visit www.devonportkitchensbathrooms.co.uk Open: Tuesday - Friday 10am - 4pm and Saturday By Appointment Only