THE head of a trust managing several schools has criticised the government’s lockdown advice as "big sound bites with nothing to back them up."

Royal Wootton Bassett Academy Trust CEO George Croxford oversees Wiltshire and Swindon schools including Noremarsh Junior School and Lawn Manor Academy.

New guidance has detailed how pupils are to be split into ‘bubbles’ the size of classes in primary school and year groups in secondary school, along with other new safety measures that will be put in place at the start of the next term.

He said: “There are obvious challenges for secondary schools. Moving students between lessons in small corridors will be tricky, and there’s huge issues with transporting them to school by bus with social distancing in place - unless they have to wear face masks, I don’t know.

“I find the difference in bubble sizes bizarre, and surely siblings in different bubbles will be interacting when they’re at home.

"In big secondary schools, it will be almost impossible to have a whole year group in one bubble - half a year group would be fine.

“Another odd thing is every student facing the front because that can’t be done in every classroom, like computer rooms or art lessons.”

He said: “The government tends to make these big sound bites with nothing ready to back them up so the details come later and we can’t work like that.

“So it’s been a difficult time and we’ve dealt with a lot of stress, but staff are really excited about everyone being back, it’s about time too.

"We will make this work in all of our schools, everyone will be happy and safe as can be, let’s go for it.

But Mr Croxford said staff were looking forward to welcoming pupils back in September and he praised the efforts headteachers and teachers have made to ensure their students’ education has continued during the pandemic.

“The staff have been utterly amazing throughout lockdown," he said. "They have not stopped since February. In some ways, they have had to work harder than ever before with online lessons and taking on more classes when some of the year groups returned.

“The children love being back, even ones who did not love it much before. We have had some real success stories.”