Nottinghamshire County Council says it is looking forward to children and young people across the county being back in school from next week, the start of the new academic year.

The council said it understood that parents, carers and young people may be feeling uncertain about getting back to school and wanted to provide children and their families with all the information they needed.

The council’s ‘back to school’ web page has a range of information about returning to school, mealtime arrangements, travelling to school, support with emotional wellbeing and information for children with additional needs.

Coun Philip Owen, committee chairman children and young people, said: “The safety and wellbeing of Nottinghamshire’s children, young people, families and staff is our priority.

“The restrictions in place since March mean that many of the county’s school-age children won’t have been in school for some time when they go back – so it’s vital that they, and their parents and carers, feel supported and ready to return.

“We feel it’s important for all school-age children to get back to school safely, especially after so many missed out on much of their valuable education during the lockdown restrictions.

“Our education team continues to support school teams in their meticulous preparation and risk assessments ahead of September. These include providing advice and guidance on health and safety measures, ensuring we can do all we can to support children’s emotional well-being as they return and engage them appropriately in a return to learning with the right support in place.”

The authority is working hard to ensure sufficient capacity on school transport and is working with commercial providers, as well as contracting additional coaches to provide dedicated school transport services.

The council is urging parents to encourage their children to walk or cycle or to school wherever possible.

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