Social distancing is important everywhere but especially in school where there are a lot of people from different households in one area.
Keeping as much distance between people as possible lowers the risk of viruses spreading because the invisible droplets we sneeze, cough, talk or breath out, that may contain viruses, are kept further away from others.
Your school may have social distancing rules to keep you and the people around you safe. Other schools may have different rules to yours, but it is very important to follow the rules in your school.
- Your school may be keeping young people and staff safe by keeping students in separate groups. These groups are called ‘bubbles’ and are usually made up of students in your class or your year group.
- It’s important for young people to only mix with those in their bubble whilst at school to reduce the viruses that might be shared between them.
- Even though it can be difficult to do, it’s important to still try and keep as much distance as you can from other people to help reduce viruses spreading, even if they are in your bubble, as much as possible.
The distance between you and other people should be roughly the same as your teacher lying down, or four and a third cats!
This can be difficult to do in a classroom, where you might not have a lot of room to move around, but it is still important to try. Here are some examples of how you might be able to socially distance more easily in your classroom:
- Desks could be moved further apart from each other
- Chairs should face the same direction and turning around to face other people behind you should be avoided
- Furniture that is not essential could be removed from the classroom to make more room
- If moving furniture is not possible, or if you have to be close to others, you could consider wearing a face covering like a mask
If you travel to and from school on a bus or public transport, try to keep 2 metres apart from others, or as far as you can, and wear a face covering to protect yourself and other people even more.
Social distancing at school helps keep a safe amount of space between everyone. Another important part of this is avoiding using or touching the same objects as others, because this could move viruses from person to person.
Remember that it is still important to try and avoid spreading the virus, even within your bubble. This means that everyone should use their own drinks bottles and their own stationery. Only using your own belongings and not sharing other peoples’ helps to keep students and staff safe.
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