As schools are planning for full reopening in September, a major concern will be understanding where children are at in their learning and what support might be needed to help them move forwards again.
But perhaps more importantly, school leaders will also be wondering what they can do to support pupils’ wellbeing and mental health.
“We’ve heard lots from our members over the past weeks about their concerns about pupils’ mental health and wellbeing and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on those children and young people,” says Sarah Hannafin, senior policy adviser at the NAHT school leaders’ union. “Members were concerned about what they should look for or what impact it might have, what they should do.”
Hannafin has recently helped to put together guidance for school leaders around children and young people’s mental health during the coronavirus pandemic, and how to tackle the problems associated with this on returning to school: Coronavirus: Supporting pupils’ mental health and wellbeing.
Coronavirus: Looking after pupil mental health when schools reopen in September
“Obviously there will be a huge variety of experiences that children and young people have had - some positive, some negative,” says Hannafin. “We know some children will want to bounce right back to school, get into a routine and get going. Other children might find that really challenging to go back to the school environment and things be a bit different.
“I don’t think anyone can say what those numbers will look like, which is, I think, why school leaders are so keen to make sure that this is front and centre of their minds.”
Working in partnership with children’s mental health charities Place2Be and Young Minds, as well as the PSHE Association and the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, the NAHT has put together “clear and concise” guidance, which summarises the research around mental health issues that children might be facing during lockdown and when they return to school.
Crucially, the guidance also has a focus on offering “practical solutions” that might help heads to tackle some of the problems that will emerge.
“Getting the balance right between going back to learning and support for wellbeing: I think striking that balance is difficult and could be tricky,” Hannafin points out.
Schools will need to take a “universal approach” to mental health and wellbeing, she suggests.
Webinar: How to support pupil mental health, with Professor Tamsin Ford
“How can we support all children, wherever they’re at? And as we’re doing that, we can then look at and identify which children perhaps are struggling more, which young people might need additional support,” she explains.
So what does the guidance say? We have included some key extracts below, but you can read the full guide here, or download the PDF version from the NAHT website.
What is the impact of the coronavirus on children’s mental health and wellbeing?
The coronavirus pandemic is unprecedented; none of us has experienced this before so we don’t know what the exact impact will be. Moreover, every child and family will react differently. It is important to remember that for most pupils, lockdown will have also brought experiences which may have had a positive impact on their mental wellbeing. For example, some children and young people may have enjoyed having more time and sharing new experiences with family. Some may have established new routines that work better for them and some may have felt less pressure from tests, exams and academic success. Others may have developed new skills such as building resilience, problem-solving abilities and new coping strategies.
However, the pandemic will have affected mental wellbeing in various negative ways. As well as the short-term impact, there may be long-term consequences for mental health. Possible negative impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on the mental wellbeing of children and young people include:
Loss: The loss of seeing friends and family; of routines; of goals/milestones, such as exams; of rituals. such as end-of-year activities or exams; of school life; of normal life and activities.
Friendships: Lack of socialisation; loss of self-worth gained from peer groups; missing friends; difficulties maintaining friendships remotely; loss of social rewards and social identity.
Anxiety, fear and confusion: Fear about future uncertainty; fear of future school closures; confusion about new rules; anxiety about illness and hygiene.
Disrupted sleep patterns: Causing loss of concentration and affecting mood.
Family experiences: Abuse; conflict; stress; financial issues; coping with the mental health issues of adults; increased caring responsibilities.
School: Worries about missing learning and falling behind; loss of routines; academic worries due to school closures or exam cancellations; lack of access to trusted adults.
Bereavement and illness: Coping with the illness or death of family, friends and loved ones.
How might these experiences affect pupils when they return to school?
As children and young people return to school, they will be bringing their experience of coronavirus and lockdown with them but some of their anxieties and concerns may shift to focus on to their new circumstances.
For some children and young people, managing the transition back into school might be the most challenging aspect they face. Something that has always been a constant in their life - school - has become transitory and their relationship with their school may have become fragile. When they return, school is likely to look and feel very different.
As they return to school, pupils may struggle with:
Fear, anxiety and uncertainty: For family and friends; going to school; spreading or catching the virus; being separated from their families; maintaining social distancing in the school environment; whether schools might close again; tests, assessments and exams that are taking place or might be cancelled again.
Transition: School will not be the same; “enjoyable” and social aspects of school may not happen or will be different; pupils may need to manage new routines and expectations; they may have different teachers and/or be in a different class or peer group. Children and young people at key transition pathways may be feeling more worried about what they might have missed or falling behind with learning.
Relationships: Rebuilding, changing and maintaining relationships with peers and adults.
Self-regulation, concentration and engagement
Adapting: To routines and boundaries of school, including school rules.
Teachers may notice unusual behaviours in their pupils: children may be jumpy, volatile, hyper-vigilant or they may find it hard to settle. There will also be children who become withdrawn or who do not want to come to school. Other signs linked to anxiety about managing transitions include irritability, feeling overwhelmed, feelings of agitation or anger, not being able to regulate emotions, becoming easily tearful or a lack of concentration.
How can you support pupils to readjust, recover and move forwards?
Children and young people are often more resilient than we give them credit for and we must remember that schools cannot be responsible for everything; they can only control what happens in school and they have very limited influence over life outside school.
Here are some simple strategies to put into practice across your school:
Create a sense of safety in school by providing structure, routine and enjoyable activities.
Provide opportunities for pupils to talk to each other and with trusted adults about their experiences of lockdown.
Support friendships and provide time and space for pupils to reconnect with each other and with school life.
Take care in putting pupils into groups and regularly review how these groups are working.
Listen to pupils and use your school council to seek feedback and opinions from children and young people.
Normalise uncertainty while also recognising and validating emotions.
Provide written and visual information that sets out how things will be the same or different and help pupils to see what they can control.
Talk about coronavirus and related worries, and use this as an opportunity to correct inaccurate information.
Set an example of calmness, promoting calming activities through PE, art and music, where possible.
Ensure academic needs are met but don’t put too much academic pressure on pupils.
Support teachers and families with their own stresses and anxieties, which will, in turn, help pupils.
Be flexible and supportive when applying behaviour policies.
