March 2020 is a month we will never forget at Bury Grammar School. It was the beginning of the pandemic and the time we had to send our pupils home, marking the start of a period ofremote learning and a completely unprecedented era.

2020, Bury Grammar School’s 450 anniversary, was a year which had promised so much in the way of celebrations, ceremonies, and reunions, and was a year which ultimately became something quite different. Those celebrations did still take place - such was the determination and resolve of the BGS community - but in a way we could never have previously envisaged. And if the aim of ‘450’ had been to bring people together, ultimately we feel that aim was achieved, in the sense that overcoming adversity together strengthened our community spirit. 

By the third week of March 2020, the news about the progression of Covid-19 had become steadily more alarming and then, on Wednesday 18th March, we received this statement from the Department for Education: ‘Schools will close from Monday, except for children of key workers and vulnerable children’.

The reaction in school was a sense of disbelief mixed with confusion. There were many many more questions than there were answers – a look back at our records shows parents asking, for example, ‘Am I a key worker?’ - and the senior team was mindful of the importance of us offering calm reassurances to pupils, staff and parents while not being at all sure ourselves what this meant or for how long it might go on.

By Friday 20th March, the disbelief had turned to a determination that we would not let whatever lay ahead get in the way of our pupils’ learning or wellbeing.

Friday 20th March was many pupils’ last day in school for a long time.

Two months earlier than planned, leavers’ hoodies were distributed, balloons were blown up, cards were signed, and leaving speeches were written.

We wrote at the time:

‘Year 11 and Year 13 pupils have found themselves in a quite unprecedented place but have reacted with dignity, calm and composure. Within a very challenging timeframe (fewer than 24 hours) they pulled together some fabulous ‘final’ assemblies and still found time to write ‘thank you’ notes to teachers. Most of all, it was really touching to note their camaraderie, support for their friends and fondness for Bury Grammar School. What a superb generation of young people they are.’

Emily, a Y13 pupil pictured in the photo, says,

'I can vividly remember the announcement that schools were going to be closed, I was on the number 163 bus travelling home from a regular day at school and was immediately panicked. I wondered how I would get my A-Levels, if I would be able to go to university, and when I would next get to see my friends. I remember our last-minute celebration in school that Friday, the summit of my seven years at BGS over in the blink of an eye.’

Emily, who now works at BGS, adds,

‘Looking back now, it's strange to think how life-changing that moment was. I did get my A-Levels, and went to my first-choice university, but there is, and likely always will be, a piece of my heart still on that bus in the moment I found out. I often wonder what those last months of my time at BGS would have been like, and am saddened when I think of the memories my generation missed out on making.'

We were determined to help them make positive memories as best we could.

Our young people were our first concern. Although it seemed preposterous at the time, there were conversations about the fact that pupils in their GCSE and A Level years might possibly not have another opportunity to attend any more lessons in school before their exams began. Little did we know that there would be no exams at all that year…or the year after.

We brought all our pupils together in the hall on 20th March in final year group assemblies (it was before the days of social distancing) and reassured them that School would always be in touch with them. Some pupils were keen to know whether we thought we’d be back in school before Easter while others appeared to welcome the idea of a long Easter holiday; most appeared quite stunned and there were tears.

The message we wanted to get across was that pupils’ education would continue, and School would always be here for them.

This is what we posted on social media that day:

One of our senior leaders wrote in his diary that day,

‘This is the strangest (and saddest) day I've had in teaching. The school, like all of the schools across the country and those around the world, is closing indefinitely. Our pupils’ childhood will be impacted profoundly as they will not be allowed to socialise or play with friends or family for the foreseeable future. Who knows how this will affect them and the other millions of children all around the country?  Only time will tell.’

Time showed, ultimately, that our children were incredibly adaptable and resourceful, but in that moment in March 2020, our working lives changed in an instant.

Our records show that we were preparing to do a survey of pupils to ascertain what IT they had available at home. SLT agendas from the time point to conversations about video lessons and references to a news article which at the time gave clear instruct to teachers ‘not to live stream lessons’.  (This would of course change within a matter of weeks.)

Monday 23rd March, the first day of school with no pupils, was beautiful in its poignancy.

Later that week, an email came into school from a pupil in Year 7 who said, ‘I’m fine but can’t wait till we are back!’

We talked at SLT about ways in which we might reassure our families and pupils that School was still here for them and the most important things in life hadn’t changed.

This is what we wrote:

 What has changed -  

• School is very quiet 
• The playgrounds and sports fields are empty 
• There is no queue in the canteen
• Music is being made at home 
• The library is neat and tidy – in alphabetical order 

What has stayed the same – 

😊 Pupils are working hard and teachers are teaching great lessons

😊 House points are still being given out 

😊 Teachers are here to talk to

😊 Trophies stand proud in the cabinet

😊 Teachers still only get two sips of their cups of tea between lessons! 

😊 The School swan hangs protectively above the door 

😊 Caretakers are taking care of our school grounds ready for the day you come back  

😊 BGS is still here and awaits your return  

There would also be many upbeat moments later on. All lessons and activities were about to go online, including Food Tech, PE and Art – and some of those memories are among pupils’ fondest ones. Aminah, then in Year 6, but now a Year 11 pupil, recalls ‘on-line swimming lessons’ as a real favourite, which essentially became yoga sessions.

And story time for Nursery children took on a whole new format. Our Head of Kindergarten recalls being very nervous before her first live performance and refers to that time now as being ‘very surreal’.

Later on in the year, in July, Year 6s did get to mark the end of their Primary schooling, but those celebrations took place outside and were socially distanced. Everything was done differently.

A member of staff who joined our school office two weeks before lockdown said, looking back,

‘During such uncertain times, Bury Grammar gave me structure, purpose, and a sense of belonging—things I will always be grateful for.’

And the anniversary of events planned for BGS’s 450th anniversary did take place, but in a different format. On the plus side, this has meant that we have many more records and videos of our pupils at events such as the BGS Founders’ Day for that period than any other.

But back to the week of 23rd March 2020.

Here is an extract from that week’s newsletter:

‘We are confident, writing at the end of Week 1 of remote learning, that Bury Grammar School and our community will get through this period together.

It is at difficult moments that we see people’s true characters: it has been clearer than ever this week that our pupils are strong, upbeat, level-headed, hard-working and positive young people who can take challenges in their stride. We are immensely proud of them.

This era will one day come to an end and we thank those colleagues in School who are resolutely looking ahead and preparing us accordingly.

Recent events have shown, as never before, that our community spirit is strong, and we are there for each other.

Bury Grammar School, the 450 year old institution we all love, will be there and waiting for us when normal life resumes.’

While it would be a while before ‘normal life’ resumed, all that was said about our young people’s resolve and community spirit did indeed hold true.

Sophia, now in Year 11, but in her last year of Primary in 2020, says that since experiencing lockdown,

‘I have become more grateful and feel very privileged to live in freedom. Despite the many negatives from the Covid time, I have been able to find some positives, being grateful for the little things like being able to hug my family’.

On Monday 24th March 2025, five years on, we will be looking back to that period at Bury Grammar School and celebrating the freedoms and experiences we have today.