As a pregnant teacher, when the reality of the coronavirus pandemic hit, I was placed in the “clinically vulnerable” category and advised to shield as soon as possible.

My school was excellent about supporting pregnant and vulnerable staff, advising us to go home before the schools officially shut on Friday 24 March.

Since then, learning how to remote teach, juggling a toddler and a full-time TLR/SLT job has been challenging and I have struggled with not being around people and seeing friends and family.

As such, the news we can go back to work - buried in the guidance document that stated “‘Following the reduction in the prevalence of coronavirus (Covid-19) and relaxation of shielding measures from 1 August, we expect that most staff will attend their setting” - should have been a delight. 

In fact, it is overwhelming.

Unclear guidelines

Try working at a school with 2,500 students, small classrooms, even smaller corridors and one canteen.

We have 26 teachers in our department, so even if half of us were in our staff room, we couldn’t socially distance. The whole approach feels slapdash and - as usual - inconsistent. 

True, the guidelines do offer some advice, providing links for shielding and pregnant teachers, which unhelpfully takes you to an out-of-date set of suggestions including the ever predictable: “stay home as much as possible”.

Then, returning to the main document, the next line states that all clinically vulnerable people should return to work from 1 August and maintain social distancing… 

So…maintain distance, stay at home as much as possible, but go back to work as normal - right…excuse me while I try and get to my classroom, squeeze through a corridor of 6ft-tall Year 11s, attempt to distance myself as 32 students sit down and me and my ever-increasing bump try to catch them up on a quarter of their GCSE while still focusing on the exams that have not been amended.

We know that catching Covid-19 has serious implications for the clinically vulnerable as we are told often, but where is the support and actual guidance? The wishy-washy approach to this is appalling - either it is safe to return or it isn’t?

The isolation effect

And this comes on top of another big concern that I know other shielding colleagues have - going back to school will only happen a few weeks after being “released” from isolation.

Suddenly those of us who have been shielding - a very different experience to just being socially distant (ie, you could go to the supermarket or out for a walk) - will face the reality of being around hoards of children and adults - an idea they are not taking well.

Not because they don’t want to see their pupils or colleagues - of course they do - but because for months we have been living under the guidance that other people are a risk to us. Now we are expected to flip and switch and happily spend time around them.

Personally, I feel able to overcome this concern but, for many, it’s easy to see why it’s a huge shock to the system and something of a tsunami of anxiety.

SLT support is vital

One thing that has helped is our Staff Wellbeing Team, staff have 1-2-1 with members of SLT to support their transition back, line managers are asked to be in contact with those feeling anxious or who are shielding.

A support network is truly up and running in our school and this will ease some of the concerns that returning shielders have…but is it enough? 

The DfE - and don’t even get me started on Gavin Williamson - seem to have lost sight of the fact that teachers are part of the opening of schools - not just the pupils.

Luckily, I am at a school that is very supportive in every aspect. I know my headteacher will provide me with options and allow remote learning where available.

But this is not the case for everyone, especially those who are returning to small schools. I rest in the knowledge that at least I will be on maternity leave during the Autumn term.

But this does not help my anxiety-ridden colleagues who are expected to return as if nothing has happened.

I urge teachers - at all levels - to recognise that for previously shielding teachers, this return to school will be especially hard and to give them time and space to readjust accordingly.

Georgia Hamilton works at a large comprehensive school in the South East