Diocese of Chichester

This has not been a normal year at all for Year 6 children in schools across Sussex including those who attend our Church of England schools.

They have not quite had the send off they were expecting but they have gone with our blessing and schools have created inventive ways of getting together.

We asked year 6 pupils at Crowhurst Church of England Primary School a number of questions about school during lockdown and leaving primary school. This is what they had to say:

Q: What has been good about school during lockdown?

A good thing about home schooling during lockdown was I got to wear my own clothes, I got help from my family with my homework (and got to work in the garden!). I also got to set my own pace of doing the work and had longer break times.

Because my parents are key workers, it was okay having to go into school during lockdown because I got to see my friends, who had the same problems as me and we could share the same experience of lockdown. It was also easier to concentrate at school and all the resources I needed were there, such as my teachers.

Q: How has school and churches prepared you for moving forward and how do you feel about leaving primary school?

We have had multiple events that have helped prepare us for leaving primary school, such as transition booklets, a bacon butty morning, toy day and webinars with other schools nearby. I also loved the online school leavers’ service the Diocese of Chichester did for us and our own church leavers’ service on the last day of term.

Q: How have you generally adapted to life post-covid?

At school during lockdown, the classroom layout completely changed and everything I needed was already on my desk. We had to stand and sit 2 meters apart, with less people in the classroom, wash our hands a lot and at break time we had to play in our own ‘bubbles’. We weren’t allowed to use the sandpit and castle and our parents had to drop us outside of school – they were not allowed to come in with us.

Goodbye to all our Year 6 children - and every blessing on you and your famillies!