Coronavirus: transitioning back to school

Introduction

In many parts of the UK, schools are preparing to welcome children and young people back to school for the new term. And in Scotland, the new academic year has already begun.

There are lots of things for schools to consider at the moment. Your school will have changed the way it operates - depending on where you are, a range of social distancing and additional hygiene measures might be in place, and you might be using a mixture of home and in-school learning. You may be in an area with a local lockdown.

Staff might be working with different groups of children than they’re used to, and some may be unable to work in school because they are shielding or self-isolating. Some people might have caring responsibilities and others may have been bereaved during the pandemic.

As things change, it’s important to ensure that children are kept safe and that children, parents, carers and staff feel supported.

We’ve pulled together some resources to help you support children and young people at the start of the new term.

This page will take you through:

safeguarding and child protection policies and procedures
recognising and responding to concerns
the impact of coronavirus on children’s mental health
supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing.

Listen to our podcast episodes about how schools have adapted to the coronavirus pandemic.

We explore how schools can manage safeguarding concerns, support children and young people and adjust to the new ‘normal’ as more children return to school.

> Podcast: returning to school post-lockdown

> Podcast: safeguarding advice for tutors

Safeguarding and child protection

Policies and procedures

You should continue to review and adapt your safeguarding and child protection policies and procedures as things change during the coronavirus pandemic.

Your policies and procedures should reflect any changes that need to be made depending on how you are operating. For example, if teachers in school are working with children they don’t know very well, they will need to be informed of any support needs or child protection issues that affect the children in their care. You should have a contingency plan in case your nominated child protection lead becomes unavailable. Who will take the lead on child protection if they can’t be on site?

Any changes to your safeguarding and child protection policies and procedures should be approved by your school governors.

> Follow our five steps to updating your safeguarding and child protection policies and procedures

> Read our briefing on safeguarding and child protection guidance for schools during coronavirus

> Check out our safeguarding guidance briefing for early years and childcare

> Find out what school governors should know about safeguarding during coronavirus

Recognising and responding to concerns

As more children attend school in person, your staff might notice more child protection concerns. You might also find out about problems that children and families have been having over the last few months.

Make sure everyone knows what to do if they have concerns about a child’s welfare. This is a good time to refresh everyone’s memory about your procedures for responding to concerns.

Make sure your nominated child protection lead and any deputies have enough time and capacity to respond appropriately to all concerns that have been raised. Nominated child protection leads should check they have up-to-date contact details for other agencies and know whether referral procedures have changed during the pandemic.

> Learn more about child protection roles and responsibilities in schools

> Browse our child protection training courses for schools

Contact the NSPCC helpline for expert advice on 0808 800 500 or by emailing help@nspcc.co.uk.

Children not in school

It may take time for all children to be back in school every day. If you are using a mixture of home- and in-school learning, for example, your policies need to reflect this. Think about how you will keep in touch with those you aren’t seeing on a daily basis and how you can make sure they are safe and well.

If your school is closed due to a local lockdown, you need plans in place to you can identify vulnerable children quickly and work with other agencies to provide them with appropriate support.

> Find out more about undertaking remote teaching safely

Recruitment

You may be thinking about filling vacancies and recruiting new staff or volunteers. Make sure you continue to follow safer recruitment practices to help ensure everyone working with children and young people is suitable.

> Take our safer recruitment in education elearning course

Supporting children's mental health

Impact of coronavirus (COVID-19)

Everyone will have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic in different ways. Some children may have found it difficult to spend more time at home, some children may have experienced a bereavement and some parents may have lost their jobs. Children may also have been unable to access support they usually receive from professionals such as mental health services or counsellors.

> Find out what children have been talking to Childline about during the pandemic

Feelings about going back to school

Children might have different feelings about returning to school. Some might be anxious for a range of reasons, while others may be excited.

Children who have previously experienced bullying at school may be worried about seeing their peers again. Some children may have experienced online bullying or problems with peer relationships while they were learning at home.

Some children may be feeling anxious about catching up on school work or worried that they’ve fallen behind during the pandemic.

Providing support

Make time to talk to children about all the changes that are happening at the moment. Ask them how they feel and if there is anything in particular that’s making them uncomfortable about being in school. It might be possible to make small changes to make things easier.

Consider how your school can provide support to children with mental health issues or those who may be struggling at this time. Think about how you will identify children who may need extra support as they return to school.

Make sure children know who in school they can talk to if they are worried about anything. Remind them that they can talk to Childline about any worries or problems they might be having.

Make sure that you have up-to-date contact information for local child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) and check whether referral processes have changed.

> Learn more about promoting wellbeing

> Find out more about supporting children’s mental health during coronavirus

> See Childline’s page for children worried about coronavirus

> See our resources for promoting healthy relationships

Outside of school

Make sure you continue to keep in touch with children who are not attending school, for example if their family has to self-isolate. Think about ways you can support their mental health and wellbeing.

These children might be worried because they don’t know what to expect when they get back to school. Think about ways you can help them prepare to return. For example, you might be able to keep in touch with them, send them pictures of how school looks different, share reassuring messages from staff and peers, or give them information on who will be working with them.

> Take a look at our resources for supporting children during the pandemic