Learning in a crisis: returning to school after COVID-19

 
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The One-Eighty team works with young people aged 4-18, who for a variety of complex reasons have disengaged with learning and for whom managing transitions can be difficult.

  • Young people like Jo, with special educational needs, who struggles with any changes to her routine and building relationships with peers

  • Or Ben, who suffers with anxiety and other mental health needs, leaving him unable to leave the house for a long period of time

  • Or Helen, a teenager, living in a residential care home who finds trusting new adults very difficult.  

But now, more so than in other years, all young people will need support to transition back to school. For a lot of young people, school finished on March 20th, 2020, leaving them potentially unable to have positive endings to their academic year, nursery schools, primary school and exams.

Based on our experience, and throughout May and June, we will be sharing some of our strategies, top tips and resources to help all young people begin their positive journey back to school. We will continuously reflect on the Government guidance on schools re-opening and work with this accordingly to support education staff, parents and carers to manage transitions.

Change is a normal part of life and helps us to develop self-awareness, resilience and communication skills. All young people experience change in their time in education, particularly with transitions; starting primary school; moving from Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 2; moving to Secondary school; and all the bits in between such as different classrooms and different adults.

School transitions can be a stressful and challenging time for many young people - they may worry about the unknown, what is expected of them in their new class, how they’ll navigate the new environment and build up social relationships.

But managed carefully and a young person can build their confidence and flourish in their new environment, supporting their wellbeing and academic attainments.

Our aim over the coming weeks is to offer support on the difficult aspects of transitions brought on by COVID-19, such as bereavements and loss, peer-relationships, adapting and changing routines and much more.

This will include our Top Tips on:

  • Returning to school after an extended period of isolation

  • Starting school

  • Transitioning to Junior School (Y2 to Y3)

  • Transitioning to Secondary School (Y6 to Y7)

  • Starting GCSEs

Keep checking back on our website and following our social media for our Top Tips. These will all be centred around supporting the various upcoming transitions young people will be experiencing.

 
Rebekah Sammut