Reopening the school following the most recent lockdown has been challenging, to say the least. I look back on what a typical day looked like before the pandemic and I ask myself how I ever thought I was busy. In comparison, the days now make anything that came before look like a walk in the park. 

A typical day is intense, it’s uncertain and the children need teaching. A lot of it happens behind the scenes, out of sight, but leaders are under unprecedented strain. Sometimes I get home and it’s all been a blur.

Covid and schools: Dealing with a positive test

One of the biggest dreads at present is the positive Covid case. In the event of one, it is all hands on deck to ensure the safety of the students and staff who may have been in close proximity to the student. Contacting and communicating with home, while seamlessly shepherding the affected parties, creates a circus of activity - all while learning is taking place. 

On the face of it, you have to be calm and collected, but inside you’re figuring out the multiple variables to ensure that the task is carried out without disruption and further danger to individuals. 

Couple that with the fact that schools weren’t designed with Covid measures in mind (conjuring up extra space for isolation is a real challenge), and you can see why a positive case can be quite the curveball. Throw in another couple of positives, and it becomes a real party. You can have all of the procedures in place, but that doesn’t diminish the responsibility you feel as a leader. 

Bursting bubbles

The ever-changing puzzle of isolation has complicated bubble closures significantly. The rules and guidelines around lateral flow and PCR tests mean that, depending on where the test was taken, a report of a positive can be overturned. This creates pressure and confusion among staff and parents. 

After putting in place measures to ensure that the education of the students involved is only minimally affected, you can then be told that they are coming back to school the next day. The mental strain and sheer work hours that go into setting up for a bubble closure are incredible. 

To have this overturned - although positive in the long term - is soul-destroying at times. 

Coping with staff absences

As the weeks grind on, not only do we have the pandemic illnesses and isolating staff issues to deal with, but there is also the pressure of staff being ill with things other than Covid. 

Just this week, we had a sickness bug in school, and the fragile equilibrium was completely shattered by a mere five teachers being ill. In normal times, this would be a walk in the park but, with the current situation, such a seemingly minor disruption can have a significant impact on the school day. 

I wince when the absence phone rings and just hope it’s someone with the wrong number. It never is, but I can hope. 

Boosting staff morale

Throughout all of this, school leaders have been stuck between the government, unions and teachers. We represent teachers; we are teachers; we want the best for the teachers we work with. 

But, at times, it has felt like those who work in schools have turned against their leaders somewhat. 

The thing is that leaders are responsible for what happens in their schools. Staff morale has been impacted significantly by decisions beyond our power. Every day, I fear what is coming next and how I’m going to fight that huge fire with a proverbial water pistol (which has only a drop of water left in it), while still smiling and encouraging staff to fight the good fight. 

It may seem like we have autonomy as leaders through all this, but we are being prescribed to. Our options, although they may not seem it, are hugely limited in many cases.

Dealing with general disruption 

When you walk around classrooms, it is so heartwarming to see teachers teaching children. In my school, the dedication and commitment is palpable - as I’m sure it is in most others.

The thing that saddens me a bit is the fact that teachers can’t teach the way they want to and the way they know best. It is, of course, for safety, and there’s nothing I can do about what is happening globally, but I still feel that overwhelming sense of responsibility to make work as enjoyable and supportive as I can for those who work at the school. 

And this doesn’t stop when I leave. The mental pressures on leaders are 24/7 at the moment. There is very little down time, and when we get to a holiday or break, helpfully, the government gives a briefing that throws the break into complete disarray. 

Teacher holidays have always been a topic of contempt in the media, but the reality is that for some of us we haven’t had a break in over a year. I’m not exaggerating. 

Taking phone calls from parents

What is most difficult are the phone calls from parents. It is difficult to understand the restrictions and guidelines, and it feels although we have become the sounding board and the punching bag for people affected by the isolations. 

Frustration is understandable, but it really impacts you when you spend hours on the phone to parents, explaining that you can’t change the government guidance. I feel powerless sometimes, and I completely share the parent’s view, but it’s impossible to change some things. 
 

The days are long at the moment, but in some ways this pandemic has brought out the best in people in school. I am so lucky to be part of such a brilliant team of teachers. Although the strains are great, I hope there will be some normality soon. 

The author is a senior leader at a secondary school in East Anglia