In Bangkok, schools have been closed since February. But the average number of new cases in Thailand is just one per day, and so Thai schools are reopening.

This is no small task, of course, and one of the biggest challenges is communicating with all stakeholders about how this is being planned.

At Harrow International Bangkok, there have been many lines of communication to achieve this end that played a key role in helping get us back up and running as best as possible.

1. Internal communication at the senior level

Thoughts of reopening are not new. Since the closure of the site to all but the most essential worker, the operations department has been working on strategies and mapping proposals that could aid the opening of schools.

Discussions were in place to talk with senior figures and gain an understanding of the approach the government would be taking. Conversations were held with neighbouring schools to see how they were piecing together the puzzle.

Most importantly though, school leaders were working on reopening solutions as teachers were producing and executing online lessons.

Teachers were doing what they do best and leadership were doing what they do best - putting strategic maps in place.

2. Internal communication with all staff members

Once it began to become clear to the many that reopening was on the horizon, conversations were needed with multiple teams.

This began with a large group of teachers representing a cross-section of our community: early years, primary, senior school, sports and operations.

Everyone had the opportunity to talk through any ideas and concerns they had in relation to the school once again being full of students.

This group was not necessarily a place to solve problems, but a place to voice concerns and raise issues from the ground up. It was a chance for others to voice things we might not have already considered.

Then the message needed to get to all staff. We knew that staff members needed to feel empowered with the information and a step ahead of parents. The staff on the ground would be the ones who had to model the procedures and explain them to students. These messages were delivered in timely briefings so that all heard consistent and up to date messages.

3. Parent communication

Parent communication has been an ever-evolving focus for us during lockdown. It began with daily communication when it began and was reduced to weekly.

Parents showed that they wanted to be involved in their child’s learning like never before and, as a result, interactive question and answer sessions - we called them forums - were held.

It was at one of these forums that parents were given the first briefing about what reopening would entail and this was followed by detailed letters that communicated all the information.

The initial communication was lengthy, but it contained all the points which anyone would be seeking to have clarified. Risk assessments, logistics, staffing, social distancing, learning and more.

The communication reduced a fear that had crept into our community and gave clarity to what was going to happen.

Through communicating images and videos of the campus, the measures that had already been put in place to keep students safe resonated with the many and built trust between us and our parents. 

4. Student communication

Students were told by their teachers that they would be returning to school and through their online sessions, they began to prepare them for what life would be like once they re-entered the campus.

Information was also presented to students through assemblies and then once the students arrived in their classrooms, teachers spent time working with the children to ensure that they understood the expectations and could follow the guidelines within our new social norms.

Like everything when it comes to students, you sometimes need to repeat yourself and say the same thing in three different ways to ensure you get your point across.

We discovered that consistent messages by the teacher, through signs around school and reminders on every TV screen worked to get the main and most important messages clear in everyone’s minds.

5. Ongoing parent communication

It has been critical to keep parents informed once we returned to school - on what has worked, what we have changed and why, plus how we have adapted to new regulations.

We have discovered that the most effective way to do this is to have all the facts and present what you know in a clear and logical manner.

At this time, people want to feel safe, they want to feel listened to and they want to know that what they hear is a message they can trust.

Mike Godwin is head of pre-prep phase (Years 1-5) at Harrow International School Bangkok