Christmas: School pantos and nativities hit by Covid again

Practice at St Joseph's

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, in Penarth will be filmed for parents to watch this year

By Bethan Lewis
BBC Wales education and family correspondent

Most school Christmas concerts and shows will be online for a second year after councils advised caution over Covid.

Several councils told head teachers not to invite parents on site due to the ongoing risks of mixing.

Education Minister Jeremy Miles said a "prudent and careful approach" was needed.

But he said that an early finish to term like last year would not be "a proportionate step".

The school's headteacher says they are trying to involve parents as much as possible

At St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, in Penarth, they will be filming their advent service so that families can watch it together at home.

They have had to think of different ways to do other seasonal activities too.

The Christmas fair is being replaced by an enterprise challenge so the children get the experience of thinking of a business and selling products to parents in a catalogue instead of face-to-face.

"Normally we would be going to the pantomime and having popcorn, but this year we're doing it virtually and they're really looking forward to that," said headteacher Laura Taylor.

Christmas lunches and Christmas jumper day will go ahead as usual, but the advent service will not be open to parents this year.

"It's been difficult," the Ms Taylor said. "But we're trying to involve parents at home as much as possible."

Ines (left) and Daniel have both been practising for the show in the school's very own amphitheatre

Eight-year-old Daniel is praying Covid will soon be over so his parents can watch his concerts in person.

"Hopefully next year when we move up and we're in Year 5 Covid will be over and parents can sit in the amphitheatre or hall and watch it," he said.

Ines said the story will still be the same with Mary and Joseph but it is also different: "We're going to turn it into a mini i-movie so that parents can watch it at home."

Different schools across the country have different arrangements

In the most recent week there were 2,687 cases among school staff and pupils in Wales, continuing an overall downward trend since October.

But the Education Minister Jeremy Miles said it was important to comply with guidance with Christmas approaching.

On Christmas activities he said "different schools will be making different choices" based on local circumstances.

Last year, the school term finished early before Christmas due to escalating Covid numbers, but children are expected to break up as late as 22 December in some areas this year.

The school's headteacher says they are trying to involve parents as much as possible

Mr Miles added they were "very, very keen to minimise that loss of learning" and there were no grounds to cut the term short.

In Heol-y-Celyn Primary School, near Pontypridd, Christmas shows will be pre-recorded or available live online for parent viewing.

"They're going to miss out on the experience of performing live in front of an audience and that's a vital part of growing up but it's not going to be possible this year," said deputy David Roberts.

But he is hopeful of keeping everyone in school until the end of term because a repeat of last December is "the last thing we want", he said.

Pupils have been busy practicing songs ready for their concert

What's happening across Wales?

Ynys Mon council said schools had been asked to "carefully consider the need to hold any public event at present".

Blaenau Gwent council said traditional school concerts with parents in a hall "is not advisable nor will be supported" by the authority, but smaller gatherings may be possible.

Merthyr and Powys said they advised against Christmas concerts with parents present, while Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan said an indoor audience was not advisable, but an outdoor event would pose a lower risk.

Bridgend, Denbighshire, Ceredigion, Newport, Conwy, Gwynedd, Pembrokeshire, Torfaen and Caerphilly council said it was up to individual schools based on risk assessments.

Some councils have asked schools to consider outside concerts

The final decision is also down to head teachers in Carmarthenshire, but the council said it had been "strongly discouraged from inviting parents on to school sites" due to space for social distancing.

Flintshire also said school had the final say, but asked them to "consider whether it is appropriate to have large public gatherings at a time when Covid-19 is still prevalent in communities".

Rhondda Cynon Taf council said it had "strongly recommended" that schools adopt a cautious approach and undertake activities virtually.

Swansea, Monmouthshire, Neath Port Talbot and Wrexham did not provide details.

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