Sitting outside a cafe in Cyprus, my team and I shared a cigar. We were on our way back from an operational tour in Afghanistan. Passing the cigar back and forth between us, we reflected on what we had been through.

We had been away for over six months. During that time we had lost battles and lost colleagues. Yet our attention now turned to how we would move forwards. How would we go back to our jobs in camp and talk to the soldiers about everything that had happened? How could we refocus and move on, stronger than before?

This sounds like another life, and it was: it was my life before teaching. I’m an ex-army officer and I am now a secondary history teacher and head of lower school.

While the situation that school leaders find themselves in as they look for a way forward after lockdown is not the same as recovering from an operational tour, I do think there are insights from my time in the army that can help leaders at the start of this strange new term.

The 2020-21 academic year will be like no other. Schools must continue to deliver safety, security and a rigorous curriculum for all pupils, despite having to deal with the repercussions of Covid-19 and perhaps feeling anxious about a potential further spike. I believe the army’s post-operational philosophies and procedures could help leaders at all levels in schools to deal with these challenges.

Having served on operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as on exercises in Kenya, Canada, the Czech Republic and beyond, some lessons on how to regroup after operations and successfully return to “normal” work have stayed with me.

1. Adopt a ‘mission command’ philosophy - and trust your team

The British Army, and the armies of other Nato countries, adhere to the philosophy of “mission command”: this empowers leaders at all levels and is founded on clear expression of intent by leaders, and the freedom of staff to act to achieve that intent.

The mission command philosophy only works if leaders can delegate and trust their team, and it relies on consistency and clarity. This will be fundamental for both staff and pupils if schools are to operate smoothly and efficiently in this new academic year. Trust is important at all levels.

2. Consider ‘lessons learned’

Following military operations, leaders at higher levels are required to submit “lessons learned” reports, in order to inform the army’s preparations for future operations and tasks. While another global pandemic is not expected any time soon, there are still lessons to be learned from the past six months that can inform schools’ planning moving forward.

For example: how can the technological skills that have been rapidly gained by teaching staff be maintained and developed? How can the positives of remote teaching and learning be harnessed and built upon? What can we learn from remote pastoral care, and new forms of communication? How can we encourage staff to engage with the wide range of excellent free online CPD that was hastily developed during lockdown?

Getting leadership teams to discuss their key lessons specific to their contexts, and document what has been learned, may be beneficial to the school’s collective memory moving forwards.

3. Prioritise pastoral care

Welfare issues, such as how to deal with bereavement and issues resulting from trauma, are key for the army on returning from operations. Some of the considerations here are comparable to supporting pupils who may have experienced bereavement or trauma during lockdown.

A focus on soldiers’ sense of belonging, teamwork and confidence can definitely be mirrored in schools, with perhaps more of a focus needed on friendship and self-esteem.

Like schools, the army has increased its focus (and spending) on mental health support in recent years, and has dealt increasingly well with issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

4. Reassert your values

Now is an important time to reassert values. Army core values, such as respect for others, integrity and discipline, are all notions that are equally important in schools - although pupils may need to be reminded about these values after a prolonged period at home.

This may be particularly challenging if assemblies do not run as previously, but pupils must be aware of, and buy into, the values of your school. School leaders ought to consider how to effectively remind all pupils that they should treat each other with kindness, respect and tolerance, both at school and online.

Pupils may also need to be reminded of the virtue of patience. The army has official “standards”, the most relevant here being “acceptable behaviour”. I believe it was an Australian Army general who first said: “The standard you walk past is the standard you accept.” This is a key message in terms of school uniform, attitudes and low-level disruption. Remember that any undesirable behaviour or infraction that is not sanctioned is endorsed as acceptable.

5. Re-establish routines

Much like the military post-deployment, schools must now prioritise re-establishing daily routines and discipline. This may be difficult with changing guidance - perhaps a staggered school day or unusual movements around the school site - but nevertheless a functional routine can be established. The army Values and Standards doctrine states that “discipline is built through education, training and practice until instinctive”. At the same time, we cannot expect pupils to return and immediately be as disciplined as they were in March.

6. Have a shared focus

Along with routines, school leaders should offer a clear renewed focus. The focus should be accessible yet aspirational; achievable for all yet still encouraging; striving towards a greater community goal. Community is key.

the army post-deployment context, this may be a focus on a large fundraising initiative: for example, a charity bike ride or an overseas sports tour. Granted, there are challenges replicating such activities in the current climate, but schools may wish to look for a charitable focus nonetheless.

7. Make time for fun

On the way home from a deployment, there is traditionally some “decompression” time, when soldiers can let off steam and gather together to share their war stories. This is not dissimilar to end-of-term jollification, where each class or year group may come together to reflect and celebrate. In most schools this was not possible at the end of the summer term, so it may be worth considering how this community celebration can be undertaken in September. And let’s not forget that teaching and support staff need the opportunity to have fun, too.

Hopefully, these lessons can help school leaders to take their staff and pupils forwards into what is bound to be a difficult year. A previous battery I served in had a Latin motto that roughly translated as “forward together”. This is a message that seems particularly pertinent to schools right now.

Gemma Hargraves is a secondary school history teacher and head of lower school

This article originally appeared in the 4 September 2020 issue under the headline “Lessons from the army to help get your troops back on track”