News | Friday, 4th September 2020

School return: an anxious time for all, but teachers’ professionalism will shine through

Dr Janet Lord discusses this week’s return to the classroom after six months away

Any parent knows, even the youngest children can pick up on uncertainty. Transitions are always tricky, and the current environment, in education, nationally and internationally, is unsettling for even the most experienced parent, child or teacher.

Students and pupils have not been in schools and colleges for nearly six months: a very long time to be without the dedicated structure a learning environment can bring.

This week, children across the country return to schools in their millions, some moving into significant year groups, or even new schools.

Opportunities to minimise these anxieties are largely unavailable this year: to visit your new teacher, see your new classroom, visit your new school, think about your ways of working.

Some schools have offered this virtually, but a large proportion of schools don’t have access to virtual learning platforms, making the past six months particularly difficult for those schools and children in them.

For some age groups, there have been indications that absence from the classroom has improved wellbeing. A recent survey suggested that for teenagers, there have been reductions in anxiety in year nine students (ages 13-14).

This insight poses questions for schools, on what effect the removal of stressors within the school environment can have on children, such as the pressure of academic work and social relationships, including bullying.



One of the significant considerations will be how to support students when schools fully re-open. Not all students enjoyed a rise in wellbeing over the lockdown, and those who are disabled, have a health condition, already have poor medical health, as well as those who identify as LGBTQ+, did not show the same improvement in overall wellbeing. These children will need additional support when schools reopen.

From pupils’ points of view, they will of course be worried because, again, uncertainty is rife. We’ve not long experienced the recent changes by the government in relation to GCSEs, BTECs and A levels, and these events, so visible and present on news channels or via family conversations and experiences, will of course affect pupils’ overall confidence in the national policies taken to measure their ability.

However, Prime Minister Boris Johnson will personally supervise the return to school agenda, and some parents will no doubt gain confidence from this. One of the things parents may well feel confident about is that the government has shown it can make very speedy decisions. For example, countries marked on the quarantine list, or local lockdowns. People may feel safe knowing that agile responses are happening at a local level and therefore protecting them.

For those parents sending children back to school, or for those children and young people heading back to the classroom, it’s important to reassure them that teachers are professionals.  

They are very used to dealing with children who have been out of education for some time, even if not on such a large scale. Teachers are aware that many will be anxious about coming back to school, and that others will be extremely excited and looking forward to getting back to learning and seeing their friends again. Teachers are well versed in dealing with this wide variety of responses within a class or a year group, and additional support will be in place.

But if there are any concerns, then the first thing for parents to do is to approach school pastoral teams or the Head of Year for their child. They should make their worries known and create a plan jointly with their child and the school, to help their child transition effectively back to school.

Teachers really are wanting to welcome children back to happy and safe learning environments.

My experience working in schools and with teachers through many significant events and circumstances over the years, is that teachers are ultimate professionals invested in their vocation to nurture young minds, sometimes through adversity.

Part of our core teacher training here at Manchester Metropolitan is to develop this ability to adapt and respond to a child’s individual needs. Though this period is uncertain, and many parts are unknown, we will get through it.