Keen to ensure safety and distancing at his school during the COVID 19 pandemic, acting head teacher, Tim Broad popped into his local Persimmon development to ask whether he could borrow some of the safety barriers being used on the site.

Tim Broad, acting headteacher at Western Primary School, said: “As we reorganised the school for its reopening we felt we needed more visual barriers to help define the segregated areas, rather than simply cones or marked out lines on the ground.”

The barriers are being used to create a one-way system in the playground area so parents can safely pick-up and drop-off their children. In addition, part of the playground has been sectioned into three clearly defined areas so that more than one group of children can safely use the outdoor space at any time.

Tim added: “The Persimmon Homes team have certainly gone above and beyond to help us. They not only disinfected 30 barriers in advance but delivered and helped to put them up for us, wearing safety gloves the entire time.”

“This is an unprecedented time for us all, but the safety of our pupils and their families is our priority. Persimmon Homes has clearly demonstrated its support for the local community and our school and we can’t thank them enough.”

Persimmon Homes is covering the hire cost of the barriers which will be with the school for the remainder of the summer term.

Martin Fairbrother, assistant site manager at the Persimmon Homes King Edwin Park development, added: “We were more than happy to help Western Primary School. We are all living and working in these strange times and believe it is important to support others where you can.”