UTC South Durham has welcomed students back to school after a period of online learning during the Covid-19 pandemic. The first students returned to UTC on Tuesday 18th June, and more students are expected back in school over the coming weeks.

The first students to return were Year 12 students studying pre-apprenticeship courses, and the remaining Year 12 and Year 10 students have been invited to return from the week beginning 22nd June.

Following a lengthy risk assessment process, changes to the building and school protocol have been made to ensure that students and staff are safe. Social distancing will be maintained at all times, and students are attending classes in ‘bubbles’. Online learning will also continue to ensure that students and staff who are vulnerable are able to engage in and support education.

Vice-principal Catherine Purvis-Mawson, who has led on the school reopening, said: “Having our students back in the building to continue with their technical education is wonderful. They have embraced the social distancing and cleaning protocols that we have in place to ensure they can continue with their learning. It is also important to us to ensure that their well-being is looked after so being able to speak to them about their mental health has helped them enormously. We will look forward to welcoming more of our students back to the UTC over the next few weeks.”

UTC South Durham is a specialist technical school and Sixth Form based on the Aycliffe Business Park. It opened in September 2016 and focuses on engineering, technology, science and maths education for those who want to move on to careers in those sectors, either via university or directly into apprenticeships or employment.

Year 12 students in the engineering hall at UTC South Durham