PUPILS at an Uxbridge secondary face a staggered return to school next week and will be asked to wear masks in classrooms.

In accordance with Government guidelines, students at Park Academy in Park View Road will need to be tested three times over a two-week period from March 8.

A testing area has been set up in the hall, where around 60 students will be tested every hour.

Three year groups will be tested each day from March 8. They will then be sent home and will return on Tuesday (as long as they test negative) to start school full-time.

Three other year groups will be tested on Tuesday and return to school on Wednesday, provided test results are negative.

Children of key workers or those classed as vulnerable will continue to attend each day as normal.

Principal Juan Delgado said: “The main aim is to get students back into the classroom as quickly as possible. Once this initial testing process is complete in, we can 100% focus on engagement and immersing students back into the life of the academy.”

Mr Delgado said a decision had also been made that students should wear face masks inside classrooms as social distancing was not always possible.