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The pandemic lockdowns resulted in higher pastoral care needs for some students

STAYING CONNECTED

Elizabeth Ivens looks at how delivering pastoral care became one of the biggest challenges of the pandemic, with schools trying everything in their digital arsenal to ensure pupil wellbeing was maintained, from Zoom check-ins to online tea parties

When schools were plunged with the rest of us into the world of lockdowns, their first thought was inevitably how to ensure children’s learning could carry on effectively.

Thanks to the stealthy rise of interactive platforms like Microsoft Teams and Zoom, many quickly established their own virtual classrooms but replacing traditional pastoral care was set to be a greater challenge.

Not only did schools need to find a way to support children already on their radar, they also had to find ways of coping with the novel situation that all pupils suddenly found themselves in.

Not surprisingly, schools faced what Second Master at co-ed Blundell’s School in Devon Matt Radley summed up as “significant obstacles for the delivery of pastoral care within schools”.

In real life vs. digital?

“So many of the methods that teachers employ to build relationships with their pupils simply aren’t possible over Zoom or Teams,” he explained, “The quiet word after class for instance, or the chat in the corridor about the weekend, or yesterday’s sports fixture, or last night’s play.

“In addition, it’s far harder in an online meeting to pick up on those subtle hints and changes that might suggest a pupil is struggling, or that they might need a little additional help or guidance.”

At all-boys University College School Hampstead in north London Andrew Wilkes, Deputy Head for Pastoral at the senior school, explains that the school quickly decided to move operations online.

Keep calm and carry on

“Pretty much the first decision we made when moving on to Zoom was to keep everything going more or less as it would have been if they’d been in school – which included all of the typical pastoral care provisions.

“So morning and afternoon form periods and making sure everyone was touching base; the pupils were on Zoom for the same time as they’d have been in form period in school.”

Others concentrated on delivering triedand-tested wellbeing programmes through Zoom to support pupils’ welfare, as well as weekly check-ins with individual pupils already receiving support.

Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate in York, made it a “high priority” to continue to deliver its wellbeing programme, THRIVE@QE, said Jemma Holroyd, Head of Pastoral Care, doing so live through Teams.

The school was so successful in delivering its programme that it was also able to extend it to some local primary schools, said Mrs Holroyd.

Bespoke wellbeing programmes

At UCS Hampstead, one-to-one sessions were also held, as well as drop-ins where three or four pupils could see each other and talk to their form tutors or house masters, said

Andrew Wilkes.

At Blundell’s, online tea parties, quizzes and other gatherings were brought in to tackle the “lack of interaction with friends”, allowing pupils to ‘hang out’ with their friends and have fun together, said Matt Radley.

Many tutors at Blundell’s also “‘met’ their tutees online at the start of each day, to help give them a clear structure to their morning routine, as well as prepare for the day ahead

NOT ONLY DID SCHOOLS NEED TO FIND A WAY to support children already on their radar, they also had to find ways of coping with THE NOVEL SITUATION THAT ALL PUPILS SUDDENLY FOUND THEMSELVES IN

MEANWHILE, SCHOOLS BECAME INCREASINGLY AWARE THAT WHEN CHILDREN began to return to school, strong pastoral care support systems would be needed more than ever. SCHOOLS REPORTED ADDITIONAL CHALLENGES TRIGGERED BY THE PANDEMIC, INCLUDING CHANGES IN BEHAVIOUR

and make sure that any issues or problems could be raised”.

Meanwhile, schools became increasingly aware that when children began to return to school, strong pastoral support systems would be needed more than ever.

Schools reported additional challenges triggered by the pandemic, including changes in behaviour and a rise in anxiety and mental health issues.

Turning the dial up

At UCS Hampstead, Andrew Wilkes said the schools were “more acutely aware of wellbeing than before” and were certainly “dealing with a few more pressing issues” pastorally.

He said: “There may be a need to intervene more quickly and we’re aware that issues may be more acute than in the past.”

Matt Radley at Blundell’s said many pupils had “heightened pastoral needs as a result of the pandemic” and it was “beyond debate that lockdowns had a profound effect on some children” with schools reporting “substantial increases in mental health-related issues, such as self-harm and eating disorders”.

And yet among the hardships, schools also point to an increased awareness of the importance of pastoral care.

Jemma Holroyd at Queen Ethelburga’s said: “With the pandemic being referenced by many as one of the biggest disruptions to education in history, promoting positive wellbeing and mental health has never been more pertinent.”

And, at Blundell’s, Matt Radley stressed: “Perhaps most fundamentally of all, the pandemic has reminded us (not that we ever really forgot) that pupils need to know that staff are on their side. If they believe that a teacher is in their corner, and is there for them, then there’s almost no greater source of support that school can provide.”

Alfresco learning opportunities o er mental-health boosts, from tending allotments to woodland mindfulness

NOW AND THEN

A snapshot of how the pandemic has changed pastoral care

Face-to-face pastoral sessions which moved to digital sessions during the pandemic, and for some have now become a hybrid of the two:

During the pandemic, Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate in York worked hard to deliver activities virtually such as tea and talk, yoga and mindfulness sessions.

Now, Jemma Holroyd, Head of Pastoral Care, said: “Some students prefer to use the Teams online chat function as a method of communication when we carry out welfare check-ins, and this is something we will keep for those students who prefer this method of communication.”

A greater awareness of wellbeing and mental health:

UCS Hampstead in north London has employed a Director of Wellbeing giving them “a clearer sense of a strategy for wellbeing across the school”, said Andrew Wilkes, Deputy Head Pastoral at the Senior School.

The school’s PHSE programme has “defi nitely evolved” and pupils “are much more aware of each other’s wellbeing too, which is a real positive” and the school has doubled its counselling provision.

Embracing the outdoors:

Schools have found that students are benefi tting more than ever from spending time outside.

At Queen Ethelburga’s, postpandemic developments include a woodland area for students to use for mindfulness sessions.