(P) Health and safety in a time of pandemic

A distant whirring and glow can be seen within the halls of the Cambridge School of Bucharest campus. As the noise grows louder and the glow more intense, the striking figure of Gary, the school’s ultra-violet robot, can be seen. Patrolling the school nightly to make sure the entire campus is safe, clean, and ready for the day to follow.

Education has certainly been changed forever by the pandemic, but the moral and ethical duty to keep students safe and secure will always be the most important concern any school has.

COVID-19 forced everyone to re-evaluate their practices, but Cambridge School of Bucharest (CSB) rose to the challenge quickly and efficiently, as the safety of their students underpins everything they do.

CSB is an accredited British Overseas School (BSO), meaning that they are held to the highest standards of health and safety, child protection, assessing, and addressing risks to their community.

However, even for a school that had strong systems already in place, COVID-19 brought its own challenges, and new and innovative practices had to be introduced.

Now located in their new Pipera campus, CSB began school year with a rigorous health and safety and child protection training programme with every member of staff. This meant that teachers and students would be fully aware of how to stay safe whilst on campus.

The school invested heavily in new technology that would allow all members of the school community to know they were safe in lessons, during break times, and while traveling to and from school.

Students were met each morning by their dedicated team of nurses and their Heads of School to direct students to the temperature scanners located at each entrance that give instant feedback and peace of mind.

“We care about our students’ wellbeing, and it was important to us that students not only felt secure, but that parents knew their children were safe. That is why all members of our community received their own personal CSB safety kits that included a personal UV wand, hand sanitizer, gloves, and a hygiene guide,” said Heath Renfroe, Deputy School Director. “Everyone really appreciated the kit and our students were using them daily whilst they were on campus.”

The real star of the show, however, is the UV Robot, Gary, who visits every classroom, all three science labs, the art and design and technology rooms, and IT labs each evening. “Gary has become part of the family,” says Elena Tenea, Front Office Coordinator, “and even though the students have not been in school, the robot makes its journey every night as we want to be ready for our students to come back as soon as it is allowed.”