Despite being issued with two washable black masks in a hygienic storage bag and being explicitly made aware of where and when to wear them – a small minority of pupils at St. George’s Church of England Academy in Blackpool are said to be continually flouting the rules.  These pupils, say the school, ‘purposefully are being defiant’. The consequence of this defiance is that their peers and school staff are being put at risk as the Covid-19 pandemic continues.

This has led to the school issuing this statement today (08.09.2020):

Dear Parents and Carers,

Thank you to everyone who continues to bring and wear their masks at all appropriate times, keeping us all safer. A very small number of pupils have continually and purposely not brought their masks to school after being reminded each day.

To help this small minority remember their masks, we will issue after school detentions for persistent offenders who purposely are being defiant.

Pupils will not be punished for genuinely forgetting their masks, just the repeat offenders. Those that are exempt still do not need a mask.

We thank you all for your support during these challenging times

St George’s

The school has consistently made its policy over masks clear to students and parents, asking that they are plain black, grey, white or the IIR disposable. The school has said that they do not want face coverings to become a fashion accessory with branded masks being style ‘superior’ as this will only cause anxiety for their young people.