There is one thing we can guarantee in these inconsistent times; when our young people return to school, they will be full of questions, concerns and complaints they want us to address. 

So, what might some of these be and how can we support them by addressing them the best we can?

1. ‘Why us?’

If you have staggered starts, with different year groups coming in on different days or times, this is going to be one of the first things they are going to want to ask, especially if friends and family are still at home. 

We know that for Year 12 and Year 10 there is a quick answer in terms of exams, but that doesn’t mean those groups won’t ask. Some may even feel they have been working fine at home and school has become redundant.

The answer is simple: “You and your learning are important, so we want to make sure you have everything you need to make progress and we can’t always do that remotely.” 

Not to mention, of course, reminding them that we are pleased to see them face to face. Sometimes that can get lost among all the media debate about who should or should not be in school.

 2. ‘We haven’t learnt this/you didn’t set this!’

Hearing this statement lets you know you are definitely back in the game. It could be a wet Tuesday afternoon in any classroom across the country, indeed possibly the world.

There will undoubtedly be gaps in learning. We know that even when they are in front of us in the classroom. We have to use all the skills we have to ensure the learning becomes embedded in long-term memory. 

In the world of remote and home learning, we know many haven’t been able to access all materials and some will have struggled to understand. Then, of course, without chances to review and apply learning regularly, the information may have gone in one ear and out the other.

Start the learning process again by building up from a point you knew they were confident, and learning was embedded. This will build their confidence and allow them to start retrieving those things they think might be gone. 

Some may also have fallen out of the habit of thinking hard, so initial complaints of “I don’t know” and “We didn’t do this” should subside as you gradually reintroduce this process.

The “You didn’t set this” is often heard when it comes to homework, too - usually, a quick flash of the online resources means this cry subsides to a mutter. The same approach can be applied here.

3. ‘Have the rules changed?’

In the same way students may have forgotten what it means to think hard, they may also have got a bit wobbly on the rules and expectations. 

Rules provide a sense of security, so it is unsurprising students will be wondering what these are and if they can rely on them still, especially with so many other things being different. This is another good reason to clarify them at the start.

They may want to test those boundaries and may use this to unconsciously demonstrate that they need some more support. We will all be in very different places emotionally.

Continue to be as firm, fair, consistent and familiar as possible in these unprecedented times.

4. ‘Are we safe?’

This is the big question, one that we all perhaps are dreading. 

As much as we keep up to date with the official guidance, there has to be a degree of trust in the school teams who have devised the return procedures, and we need to reassure students that those providing this guidance are trying to keep us all as safe as possible.

Remind them of all the things in place to protect them and the reason that lockdown happened was to allow us to try to make them as safe as possible and keep them that way. This may not be an easy question to respond to, especially when we might have our own concerns, but we need to be as clear, honest and reassuring as possible.

Zoe Enser is lead English advisor for Kent Local Authority