Schools will return to educating all pupils in the classroom from this week amid major concerns among the teaching profession about how this will work.

Tes has revealed that more than a third of staff surveyed said they feared the government’s approach to Covid safety in schools would leave them at risk. 

So how can schools best support staff to cope with the anxiety and concerns they have as they prepare to return to school in unprecedented circumstances? Here are seven pieces of practical advice.

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Teachers must be involved in school decision making

“I think schools will have made plans for how things are going to work but we will not know exactly how this works until we are back in school,” says James Bowen, the director of policy at the NAHT school leaders’ union.

He adds: “I think it is really important that school leaders are flexible and listen to their staff about what it is working well and what isn’t. I think staff need to be able to have the space to talk to each other about what isn’t working and schools need to listen to that. If teachers have that, it will help with anxiety because they can be reassured that their concerns are being listened to.”

Teachers must be told it is OK to feel anxious

Mr Bowen also tells Tes that at the start of the school year school leaders should make the effort to publicly tell their staff: “It is OK to feel nervous or anxious.”

He adds: “We are all feeling this way to some extent. These are unprecedented circumstances.  I think teachers hearing this will then know that they are not alone in this and we, as teachers, are going through this together. 

“I think it is also important to say that staff might feel differently about this depending on their circumstances and that is OK, too.”

Attempt to ‘manage’ worries

The Education Support organisation has said that teachers will have specific worries about the reopening of schools, along with concerns that they have already felt during the lockdown about their more vulnerable students, and about how to teach remotely.  

It recommends that teachers attempt to deal with this by managing their worries using simple techniques such as writing them down, which can help to make them feel less overwhelming.

In guidance it has produced to support teachers through the pandemic, the charity also suggests that school staff should: “Allocate, and boundary, specific worry time so that you don’t worry throughout the day.”

Ask to see the school’s risk assessment

The NASUWT union advises that if its members are feeling concerned about their safety on returning to school, they should ensure they have read and understood the school’s risk assessment.

The union says this will help teachers and school staff to understand the steps a school has taken to manage the risk.

A spokesperson for the union adds: “School employers have a duty to consult on and provide staff with details of the measures they will be taking to make the workplace as safe as possible. 

“Staff should have been consulted on the risk assessment their school has conducted as part of their plans for reopening at the start of the new term. 

“Schools which have consulted with staff on the safety measures they are putting in place for reopening are likely to see less anxiety amongst staff members.”

Teachers should look after themselves mentally and physically

Tamsin Ford, professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Cambridge, told Tes back in June that there were plenty of strategies for teachers to use to help minimise their anxiety.

She says teachers can do this by: “Looking after yourself, so a good diet, getting enough sleep and planning some pleasurable activity, and also reality-checking anxious thoughts.”

Professor Ford also suggests teachers should focus on what they can do  - such as washing hands, wearing a mask, keeping to social distancing - along with relaxation techniques, particularly ones that focus on slowing your breathing, to get through anxiety they may be feeling.

Have connection with your colleagues and a purpose

Richard Bentall, professor of clinical psychology at the University of Sheffield, who spoke to Tes ahead of the summer holidays, says that the support around a teacher will also help to overcome anxiety.

He says that both sub-clinical depression and anxiety can be handled by maintaining good relationships with friends and colleagues - and having plenty of staff support and the opportunities to share experiences.

Don’t expect to be able to go straight back to normal

Jane Millward, chief executive of the E-ACT academy chain, says the system needs to remember that many staff have been working constantly during the Covid-19 lockdown.

“We must acknowledge that while motivation may be high amongst staff, energy could be low,” she says. “Many staff have been working in our academies since lockdown began, over holiday periods as well as being virtual teachers.” 

She says staff will need time to adjust and settle back in, as schools focus on re-establishing relationships and routines. 

“It is why we won’t be expecting staff to dive straight back into the curriculum as it was before, and we have planned specially tailored Inset sessions before any of our pupils return.”