The summer holidays are quickly coming to an end and while lots of children and young people will be excited to return to school over the next few weeks, there are many children and young people out there who are feeling anxious about returning to school after an unsettling few months. I thought it would be useful to share with you that the NSPCC has put a couple of advice documents to help parents support their children in their return to school. I wanted to share these with you in case they are useful not just for yourself but also may help your family and friends:
You are likely to have lots of different thoughts and emotions about your child returning to school, perhaps you will welcome the routine (and not having to juggle childcare and workload) or maybe you are anxious and worried that your child will struggle to cope or concerned about their safety. The NHS have created a pack for parents to help you manage your child’s emotions, provide strategies and tips to support their transition back into school life as well as to explore how to maintain your own wellbeing.
Returning to nursery, childminders, school and college
All children and young people, in all year groups, will return to school and college full time from the beginning of the autumn term. However, you should not send your child to their nursery, childminder, school or college if:
- they are or anyone in their household are showing coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms and if so, you should arrange a test and inform your nursery, childminder, school or college of the results.
- if they have or anyone in their household have tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) and if so follow guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection, and engage with the NHS Test and Trace process.
Shielding advice for all adults and children was paused from 1 August meaning that children and young people on the shielded patient list or have family members who are shielding can return to school or college. See the guidance on shielding and protecting people defined on medical grounds as extremely vulnerable for the current advice.
You can read the full advice on what parents and carers need to know about early years providers, schools and colleges in the autumn term including what happens if there is an outbreak on the Government website.
Supporting your child to transition back to school/college
Below are some tips on how you can support your child to transition back to school life:
- Talk to your child about how they are feeling about going back to school and try not to make assumptions. Ask them if they are worried or feel scared about anything, but also if they are excited about or looking forward to something. No matter how your child feels, let them know that it is completely normal to feel a mixture of emotions and that everyone will be in the same boat. Have a look at more advice on starting a conversation with your child.
- Provide your child with as much information about their new routine and school day as you can. This will help them to prepare for any changes that have been made to the timings of their day, the layout of their classroom, their peer groups and playtimes. For younger children, it can be really helpful for them to visualise these changes – so ask your child’s school if they can send any pictures to help make things feel more familiar.
- Reassure your child. During the lockdown we have been told to stay at home, remain socially distant from others and wash our hands regularly. This means children may find it difficult to go back to school because it will be a huge change from what they have been asked to do during the pandemic. Talk with your child about ways they can stay safe at school, such as washing their hands before and after eating, and reassure them that the school are putting measures in place to keep them safe.
- Re-establish a routine to help ease into school life. During lockdown it is understandable that your family’s routine may have changed (or completely gone out the window). Children are likely to have been waking up later or going to bed later. To help them get ready for school, try to gradually get them back into their usual morning and bedtime routines as they get closer to their return date.
- Don’t put pressure on yourself. The transition back into school is likely to take some time. Lots of children will experience ups and downs. Try your best to support, reassure and comfort them, without putting pressure on yourself to make sure their homework is done or they settle into a new routine straightaway.
- Think ahead. As well as reflecting on what has happened during the past few weeks, it is important to help children develop hope and a sense of excitement for the future. At a time like this, it can be hard to feel positive, but identifying the things that they can look forward to will help them to realise that the current situation won’t last forever and their feelings will change.
- Seek support if you need it. Transitioning back to school after being in lockdown is no easy task. You may find that your child struggles to get back into school or experiences difficulties while they’re at school. If this is the case, reach out to your child’s school as soon as you can so that you can make them aware of the challenges and work together to support your child. If you are concerned about your child’s mental health and you think they need professional support, speak to the school and your GP about the best next step.
Mental health and wellbeing
Nurseries, childminders, schools and colleges will understand that some children and young people may be experiencing feelings such as anxiety, stress or low mood as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
There are online resources available to help you and your child with mental health, including:
- MindEd, a free educational resource from Health Education England on children and young people’s mental health.
- Mental Health Foundation, preparing your child to return to school.
- Rise Above, which aims to build resilience and support good mental health in young people aged 10 to 16.
- Every Mind Matters, which includes an online tool and email journey to support everyone to feel more confident in taking action to look after their mental health and wellbeing.
- Bereavement UK and the Childhood Bereavement Network, provide information and resources to support bereaved pupils, schools and employees.
In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the remainder of the summer holidays with your loved ones and have a well-deserved rest where possible.
Take care.