THE GATES HAVE CLOSED

I've finished school today. Like all English schools mine has closed it gates for an indefinate period, except to those kids whose parents are key workers.

It was a strange sad feeling seeing Year 11's finish their schooling two months early: no final exams, no proms, no long goodbyes. They are now out in the world whatever that world might look like.

Of particular poignancy for me was to see the 'special needs' kids, who I worked with for 5 years, facing today's emotional cliff edge. 

Autism craves routine and leaving school was always going to be a huge void for them, but today was much worse. Its all come to an abrupt end and now they enter a global pandemic, which is extra hard for them to make any sense of especially without their normal routines and school 'family' to help them. There have been scrunched faces, trembling lips and lots of tears and some emotions these kids have never had to deal with I'm sure.

Now I'm home for the foreseeable future I feel a rising sense of apprehension as the grip of the pandemic seems ever closer. It certainly isn't a holiday feeling and the prospect of celebrating Easter seems unthinkable.

To cap it all I have started coughing in the last half hour. Just lightly off and on but I suddenly feel terrified, a consequence of the growing fear sweeping Britain and the world.

I'm sure its nothing. I have talked to school-leavers a lot today and done my fair share of blubbing as I signed my special ed Year 11's shirts. My throat is probably strained a little.

I hope you and your loved ones are all safe and well still readers and I will keep blogging while I'm off work.