THERE were a lot of smiling faces at The King Alfred School Academy this week as Year 7 students started their first day of secondary school.

The lives of young people across the UK this year were changed when the coronavirus pandemic hit the UK in March.

Thousands of children were forced to stay out of the classroom and get used to a new way of learning at home as Covid-19 forced the country into lockdown.

But on Tuesday (September 1) 250 Year 7 students were finally able to start secondary school at at The King Alfred School Academy after the Government relaxed the lockdown restrictions.

The pupils enjoyed a host of fun welcome activities and started to meet new friends and their teachers and staff.

The academy will keep the students inside a ‘bubble’ of their whole year group for both lessons and social times.

Nathan Jenkins, principal of The King Alfred School Academy, said he was pleased to meet the new students.

“It was tremendous to see so many new happy smiling faces,” Mr Jenkins said.

“It has been a challenging few months but it was so good to get things back to a bit of normality.

“All the students will be kept in ‘bubbles’ of their particular year, not mixing with other year groups.”