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As a teacher-parent, it's not easy juggling schooling your child and completing school duties at home, says Sarah Mullin

You’ve just completed your first week as the headteacher, classroom teacher, caretaker and lunchtime supervisor of Home School Academy. As a qualified professional, you might have dreamed of this very moment, when you could use your repertoire of skills to teach your own little treasures. 

The only problem is that you’ve also been working remotely: setting work for your students, writing reports and attending virtual meetings.

As teachers, we know how to work under pressure, meeting the needs of multiple students and juggling our multifarious roles and responsibilities. But teacher-parents are now encountering a whole new set of challenges.

Coronavirus: Parent-teachers working from home

Here are just a few of the wins, wonders and woes of juggling home working with home learning.

1. Your colour-coded Covid-19 timetable didn't go to plan

Daily chores, morning walks and academic time: you've created the ideal timetable for your dream routine as a teacher-parent. 

It was all going well until day two, when you realised that it’s just not possible to take an important call while also supervising your youngest making a tower out of toilet rolls. 

None of us has ever encountered a pandemic before. We are learning to be flexible in the face of adversity. So, if baking cakes puts a smile on your child’s face, it’s OK if the timetable doesn’t quite go to plan this afternoon.

2. You set up an Insta-worthy home classroom that has hardly been used

You cleared a workspace and organised your child’s books neatly in the corner. Highlighters, pencils, pens and rulers were carefully positioned against some brightly coloured Post-It notes. You took a quick photo and shared it on social media, feeling proud of your parent-teacher study area. 

After five minutes, there’s a bowl of cornflakes resting on the maths homework and marker pen ink on the walls. 

School classrooms are designed to meet the needs of multiple learners. But some of the best learning experiences happen when children feel comfortable and content. So why not try dissecting the parts of a flower in the garden, or having fun with fractions using some fruit in the kitchen? 

And if you need to resort to CBBC so that you can manage an hour of work duties, that’s OK, too.

3. You thought celebrity exercise work-outs would be a great family bonding experience

It’s 9am and you’re lunging and stretching in front of a YouTube screen. What a way to get fit, while spending time with your nearest and dearest. And fitness means productivity. 

Pity it also means that you now can’t walk up the stairs without whimpering in pain. Who knew PE lessons could be that painful?

4. You miss your team of amazing colleagues

As a home-working parent-teacher, you’re making lunch while helping the eldest with their history project, supervising free play while checking your emails and tidying up Play-Doh while planning tomorrow’s lessons for your students

The best part about working in a school is being part of a tremendous team: from the caretaker who keeps us safe to the school nurse who keeps us healthy and happy. 

Where would we be without our teaching assistants, lunchtime supervisors, cooks, admin team and bursars? Doing all their jobs ourselves is where.

Thanks to technology, keeping in touch with your edu-buddies has never been easier. But you still look forward to the day when you can laugh with your colleagues in the staffroom once more. 

It may be chaos at times, but it is important to appreciate spending time with our loved ones in the comfort and safety of our own homes. 

We’re no longer sitting in queues of traffic on the daily commute, and exercise feels like a treat rather than a challenge. We’re preparing home-cooked meals for the family, and taking pleasure in spending time with one another.

Board games are coming out of storage, and books that sat on shelves for years are brightening up our evenings. Watching the news has taken priority over watching Netflix, and acts of kindness are abundant in communities across the country.

This period has taught us that our health truly is our wealth, and that the most important things in the world are family, friends, community and love.

Sarah Mullin is a deputy headteacher and doctor of education student. Her book, What They Didn’t Teach Me on My PGCE, is a bestseller on Amazon. This article has been reproduced from TES with Sarah Mullins' consent – thank you to Sarah and to the wonderful TES team.

Coronavirus: 5 lessons from a teacher-parent at home

As we enter what feels like the 100th week of working from home, the SCR Tracker team reflects on what it means to work from home, putting together tips and tricks for you, and sharing anecdotes from our time in isolation. 

At SCR Tracker we decided to send our people home earlier than Boris Johnson declared lockdown, so that we could efficiently plan the transition in order to put the safety of our people first. This extra time in isolation has given us lots to adapt to, and so we wanted to share a few funny stories from our team along with tips and tricks that we have learned along the way.  

Image source: Zoom screenshot (Zoom has always been our preferred method of conferencing, so it's been so nice to be joined by the rest of the world on it!)

When our team was asked for tips and tricks to work at home productively, our Director Gary Le Sueur shared: "Distractions are plentiful. You need to get into a routine, set working hours, get your partner to adhere to them with you, and close the office door. Maintain a to-do list (Trello or other) and just power through it."

Keeping set work hours, as well as adding these to your email signature can help you to differentiate between work time and home time. Just remember to stick to them! You may find that, depending on your company culture, people's expectations of response times vary, so it might be useful to add a note into your email signature on whether you are expecting a response, or whether this is not time sensitive. Shared calendars are often a huge benefit to remote teams to see others’ availability. We use tools like Zapier to update our employee’s Slack status based on Google Calendar entries, which gives us the space to be unavailable whilst we are busy. Using Slack's status 'Concentrating' or other custom statuses have also been useful for our team. 

Technical Director Ben Gale shared: "Try and keep to a schedule. It's easy to let routines slip when there aren't other people to plan your time around. It’s easy to get sucked in and end up sitting still for 8 hours – you need to make sure you get up and move around. Also, the dogs get frustrated if you don’t look up for hours at a time."

Remember to get up, move, walk around and not be chained to the desk for the entire duration of the working day. It’s very easy to get sucked in to being more sedentary than usual as your working life and connections are all online. Consider using your (former) commuting time as exercise time, preferably in the fresh air. A walk/bike ride/run or any exercise you enjoy also “bookends” the working day effectively, helping to provide a mental separation between home life and work life. If you are struggling with your time management, see what Adam Grant says about 'attention management'. 

Head of Business Development Julia Nielsen shared: "Don't fall into the trap of thinking that your dining chair will keep you sat straight and productive – it will just give you backache!"

You’ll want a comfortable chair, but not too comfortable. If you try a dining chair you’ll find a newfound respect for even the cheapest office chair. And consider ergonomics! Check that your chair and desk are at a good height, and that you aren’t reaching too far or flexing your wrists at a bad angle on your keyboard. If you can, use an external monitor or raise up your laptop and use an external keyboard. Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) is a real thing, and if you’re a bit more stressed than usual you’re likely to be tensing up and placing more strain on your back, neck and arms. See this NHS advice pieces on preventing RSI here and NHS advice on good sitting positions for working here. 

Co-Founder Luke O'Dwyer shared: "Have a morning routine, eat breakfast and make sure you have a lunch break away from your computer. I've been eating a lot better as I cook every day rather than finding the quickest bite to eat. And don't watch Netflix whilst working!"

Your brain might rebel if you’re not used to working from home. Try to make your working environment different from your usual hang-out places to emphasise the differences. Somewhere new, even if just a different chair, will make it easier to promote new habits and not just want to keep putting the TV on. Home is usually your sanctuary from work so you may find it harder to motivate than expected. Try to prepare lunch for yourself ahead of time if possible and eat as healthily as possible! Do not be tempted to wear your pyjamas to work, or spend your workday on the sofa. It will put you in the wrong mindset for work. No need to wear a suit, but find a comfortable medium that makes you feel comfortable at your new working spot, but also makes you feel professional and motivated. 

A new everyday: but is it the new normal?

When asked to share details of how their lives had changed, our team shared some intimate thoughts and details from their life. Gary shared: "Luckily I’m used to working from home! But I’m not used to the wife and boy being home every day, and they aren't either. They get bored easily it seems."

We have previously written up a full tool-kit for home learning during these times, full of hundreds of links to keep your family entertained and educated simultaneously. And remember – it's okay if you're working from home and your kids start yelling in the background while you’re on a call (or they casually walk into your home office/bedroom to ask you for something!). And it's also okay if you accidentally forget to hit the mute button and we hear you scream across the house for those same kids to be quiet! We're all human. 

Ben shared: "I’m looking forward to seeing what new traits we have developed permanently and what things go back to normal. I wonder how the world will adapt to our new habits."

Remember that, as we all eagerly anticipate what the 'new normal' (have we used that phrase enough yet?) might look like, these are things to be aware of right now:

Trust your team – they’re doing their best and want to balance their work and their obvious concerns about friends & family

Balance neglect vs. being overbearing – you must give clear output-driven guidance as you will not be able to task manage as effectively

Diarise the formal stuff and have informal “check ins” to stay connected – try to implement regular touch points (we have shared some ritual suggestions below)

Setting expectations – make sure your teams know when they are expected to be available to each other

Presence – now that we are connected all the time, presence indicators can be less useful, but setting a precedent about how this is used can help

Overcommunicate – invest time in telling people what’s going on as you don’t have the watercooler opportunities to disseminate information

Luke shared: "I do miss interacting with my lovely colleagues – Zoom calls aren't quite the same! Also, the coffee machine at work is a lot better than at home. I'm really looking forward to having a lovely macchiato when we go back to normal."

It's important to check in with your friends, your family, and yourself throughout your time working from home. We've shared advice on looking after your children's mental health and well-being, and also advice for school and university leaders on supporting community health and well-being. Please also see the below resources:

9 ways to stay positive during the Coronavirus Pandemic 

Understanding and avoiding armchair epidemiology

Mental Health considerations statement from WHO 

When the team was asked what they missed about the 'old normal', Ben shared "I miss KFC." And when they were asked what they don't miss, Ben laughed: "I don’t miss the guilt of eating KFC." Gary shared "I miss Nando’s, my parents and being less fat." Are you beginning to see a theme here? When they were asked what the first thing they'll do when they get out of lockdown might be, Ben said "KFC and Nando's", and Gary agreed: "First I would like to go clay shooting with my Dad. Also Nando’s."

Pre-lockdown our team had built up several strong rituals (mostly based around chicken) to work together more effectively. We would highly recommend continuing your company rituals throughout lockdown – and possibly even setting up new ones based around your new methods of working:

Team Standups. To ensure your team feels connected and supported, it’s important to quickly check in with each member at least once daily. Some teams like to have a casual standup conference call, while others prefer an agile scrum on Slack. How you do it isn’t important, but gauging accountability and tracking progress is. We have used an automated slackbot and love it!

Catch up on email. Avoid future “Have you followed up on this, yet?” emails by encouraging all of your team members to zero out their inbox at the end of each workday. Trust us, your clients and vendors will notice and appreciate your team’s accessibility.

Plan your tomorrow. This tried and true productivity method is easy to integrate into your team’s daily routine with a slackbot.

Casual Chats. Remote employees may need to be reminded that they work and interact with real human beings. Make sure to integrate efficient (but sincere) personal conversations into your work week by asking about kids, pets, trips, hobbies, or anything else that is exciting or unique about your coworkers. If you’re not "naturally chatty", block a quick one-on-one chat with each of your team members into your calendar or randomly pair employees with each other (including yourself) to connect during a scheduled time.

Live Meetings. Every team, regardless of size, should come together at least once a week to report, plan, celebrate, and problem solve. How you connect (phone, video, in-person, or other) isn’t very important, but uniting over shared experiences or goals is.

A Celebration. Recognise another stretch of a job well done with a celebration of some kind. You can start simple with extra compliments on Slack, then eventually graduate into Friday afternoon parties or breaks. Fun goals, like this, often make it worth getting through a tough few days and recharges everyone for the next week.

Progress Reports. Voluntarily providing updates communicates trust and confidence, so make sure to offer some kind of reporting to your followers, including progress summaries, important news, and forecasting for the next month. It’s up to you to decide whom to share these reports – just your team, a department, the whole company, or even your entire community. Again, the message is more important than the medium, so don’t get too caught up in format or distribution tools.

Unprofessional Activity. Forget about work and deadlines and clients for a minute and just do something outrageously fun or fulfilling together. Some teams host a Fitbit challenge, slack book club, or happy hour video call to enjoy together. Be creative. Tap into your company’s branding or common interests and goals for inspiration. This will not only support your company’s mission, but strengthen it.

Temperature Gauges. Check in on your team members one-by-one to get an idea of how they’re doing in general. Think of it as an agile scrum, but for their big picture: Are you satisfied with your progress and accomplishments this month? What blocks are you noticing that are hindering your creativity? What can I do that might help you accomplish your goal for next month? If you choose to share responses publicly, make sure to follow up your posted response with a private message to display individual concern.

Employee Evaluations. During standups and meetings, topics are usually discussed on a micro-scale, so this is a good opportunity to zoom out and look at the big picture of each worker’s progress, satisfaction, concerns, and goals. To encourage transparency, create a casual and comfortable environment, be open to any responses (positive or negative), and be as honest and compassionate as you expect them to be with you.  

Personal Gifts. Remind your team about how much you appreciate their work and value your professional relationship with them by sending them a little something every now and then. Budget these into your necessary expenses, so if a special occasion pops up or morale seems to sink, you won’t have an excuse to hold back.

Establishing rituals with your team might be the most direct path to becoming a more engaged and productive remote leader. With consistent habits and rituals, you will notice a higher rate of employee satisfaction and a more positive vibe to your company culture. 

Julia shared: "I find that one of the things I miss about being with colleagues whilst you're working is the occasional interruption: a question asked, a coffee shared, a problem shared. So at home, I've used productivity apps to keep me focused for set times throughout the day with short tea breaks in between. My favourite app is Forest!"

Forest is one of many productivity apps that can be downloaded on the app store which forces you to put your phone down for specific lengths of time (and grows actual trees in the world for you), but we've put together a list of productivity apps in case these work for you:

15Five – named after the 15 minutes it takes to complete a report and the five minutes it takes to read it, this gives either you or your team a macro analysis of performance each week.

Todoist – replacing your paper notebook is this smart to do list, which processes natural language to understand what priority your tasks are and when they’re due.

Any.do – different programs work for different people, so while this is another digital to do list, you can access it from anywhere, including a smart speaker, and it comes with a really clean, simple interface.

ClickUp – full-featured project management tool with native time tracking that allows your team to stay in sync on projects, deliverables, tasks, and processes.

Asana – a project management tool to help you stay on top of priority tasks, the Chrome extension allows you to create a workflow from any web page and share it with team mates instantly.

Timpler – another powerful, simple task manager, this one helps collect your thoughts throughout the day, organise tasks and schedule work for the future.

OKRs App – OKRs are the new KPIs, in that it’s a name for you to call ‘targets and performance tracking’, this app promises to make hitting them more likely by helping you stay on top of them.

Droptask – a project management tool that works by dragging and (as the name would suggest) dropping tasks into your workflow, it’s a user-friendly way of seeing all the moving parts of your business in one place.

Effortless – a nice Mac app which will focus your mind, simply set your goal, set a time limit, and go for it.

Slash – a productivity app that forces you to do one thing at a time, useful if you’re in the middle of something like a meaty search, get interrupted by a phone call, and usually struggle to get back to what you were doing, this app’ll sort you out.

Collect – a nice tool to request documents and data from your clients or your team. You can easily track responses and make sure you get everything back.

And remember, it's okay if you’re new to working remotely and we can see everything in your closet behind you. Or if your wifi goes down and the call drops, twice. Or even if your dog starts barking in the middle of your sentence and your main presentation point is completely drowned out. We're all human! There are a few things you can do in order to prepare for these situations:

Find out how to manage the “mute” – your collaboration tools probably have tools to help you mute one or even all of the participants on a meeting. Experiment with different audio inputs/options, what sounds best when you record it, and how to do multi-media sharing: screensharing, video sharing, using the chat, etc.

Can you “blur background”? – it’s not always possible to work in a quiet and distraction free space, not everyone has a home office. Blurring the background behind you can help keep focus in the meeting and also means no one has to see the mess we all inevitably actually live in! Fun alternative: use Zoom's virtual backgrounds!

Create symbols for your family – is there a sign you can put up, a light you can turn on, or a flag you can raise to show your family when you need quiet time to work so they can do their best to avoid disturbing at the critical moment.

Get some headphones or earbuds ready – if there is a lot of background noise, then it’ll be potentially difficult for you to both hear and be heard. Using some decent quality headphones will help on both ends! Make sure you’ve set them up correctly in advance of the meeting (especially if they are Bluetooth headphones!). Tip: we've been using the excellent Krisp software, a new AI technology that drowns out background noise and only shares your voice. Yes, it actually works!

Use video wherever possible to discuss team actions and help you feel connected to your office base and your colleagues. It's nice to see a friendly face!

Thank you to our friends at the Remote Work Survival Kit who have happily let us share their resources and excellent advice. We will leave you this funny story from our Co-Founder Luke when asked what funny things had happened to him since lockdown:

"I had a surprise 30th birthday on Zoom, meticulously organised by my girlfriend, where we were supposed to play an online game with around 25 people but the game didn't work... So we had 25 people (mostly strangers to each other), dressed as characters from Tiger King all wondering what is going on – it all worked out in the end though. Definitely one to remember."

And finally, a throwback from less socially distant times – all our best wishes from the SCR Tracker Team!

Gitlab guide to having an all remote company

Best practices and tips to help you stay sane

The recent COVID-19 outbreak has presented a number of unprecedented challenges — there is the obvious threat to our physical health and wellbeing but then and there is a less obvious threat too — that of anxiety triggered by a combination of uncertainty and disruption to our routines. The necessary but unusual series of response actions to the global pandemic — social distancing and isolation — can seem scary, especially to children. 

Not only are children finding themselves in unfamiliar circumstances (which can seem a lot like a punishment), but this is the generation that was already dealing with anticipatory grief, eco-anxiety and the like. As educators, parents and guardians, it is important for us to preempt the severe psychological impact of these changes during the coronavirus-induced distancing as well as in the aftermath of this crisis, when we will try to find the ‘new normal’. 

Cath Knibbs, a Cyber Specialist and trauma psychotherapist shares that her foremost concern in the current situation is the nature of exposure to information that children have:

“Young people aren’t being communicated to, and even when they are, it is a highly confusing messaging. On one hand, the schools are asking them not to panic and on the other hand, the children can see their parents hoarding supplies. They are utterly perplexed as to why mom or dad have brought home reams of crisps, biscuits and sausage rolls at once.” 

Such cognitive dissonance is not as easy to perceive and yet is capable of psychological harm. So how do we ensure that children are protected in a crisis?

Research has shown us that acknowledgement of a problem is the first step towards solving it. The global pandemic and the sheer uncertainty it brings with it can be crippling for adults and children alike. So the first step to handling the situation at hand is admitting that it is scary and that you don’t have all the answers. 

Knibbs has advice for everyone who communicates with children: 

“Uncertainty can be wobbly, but the only way out is through. Sit with the children, tell them you don’t know everything either. It leaves a door for conversations open for them. Then have a dialogue with them, use the curiosity of children to take them through all possible scenarios.” 

She adds, “You can exhaust yourself with all the ‘what-ifs’, but you’ll still not have all the answers. So, stop making the pandemic, the infection such a fearful and taboo thing.” Knibbs concludes: ”We, as a culture, don’t talk about death, but we are constantly looking at the statistics in the form of a death toll. It is important to address it sensitively.”

Don’t let the breaking news headlines break you

In a webinar on Parenting During COVID-19, Clinical Psychologist and NLP Practitioner Aarti C Rajaratnam shared similar concerns, “‘The death toll is being talked about in the news like a sporting tournament. We have to understand that it is disturbing for a lot of children.” The language being used in the media is centred around the metaphor of war: the ‘war on coronavirus’, or the battle against it, or for that matter calling the healthcare workers 'fighters' or 'warriors’ — this language, combined with the sensationalised reportage in the press, tends to create unnecessary alarm. The constant barrage of headlines can aggravate anxiety for those who are already dealing with mental health issues or chronic illnesses in the lockdown. 

Do your best during this time to limit the children’s exposure to media coverage on coronavirus. The best strategy is to tune in once a day to get the latest news and information on government directives and then unplug from constant updates for the rest of the day. Keep children updated and informed on the practical aspects — how they can stay safe, and nothing more. Additionally, restrict their exposure to constant updates by using parental controls on their smartphones and other devices. 

It is highly likely that even in the aftermath of the pandemic, as we will try to inch towards a routine again, children will feel disoriented yet again. Schools should take proactive measures in this regard. Administrators should consider surveying children during this time to see if they need counselling, the Designated Safeguarding Lead or Deputy should be available at all times even in online classes, teachers should check-in with children about how they are feeling at the beginning of classes. Such circumstances require educators and school authorities to show an increased level of empathy.

Focus on preparedness to beat ‘mental toxins’

We have previously discussed the preventive and protective guidelines to be implemented when children spend an increasing amount of time online, both for studying and recreation. Knibbs voices her concern, ‘Imagine the number of perpetrators that will be online!’ With so many children online, they can become easy targets of cyberbullying, phishing, identity theft, among other threats. Rajaratnam also sends a word of caution, referring to the predatory content and information available online as ‘mental toxins.’ 

How can we get rid of these mental toxins? Diana Graber, Founder of CyberCivics, shares a plan of action to prepare our children to go out into the virtual world without putting their mental health in jeopardy:

“The best way for parents to help their children not to panic about anything they encounter online is to start early. As soon as your children begin using connected devices, go online with them! Discuss what they do/see. Let them know that they can ask you questions about anything that happens online, good and bad. Assure them that they won’t get in trouble and that you are always there to help.”  

Nick Lambe, Director at GordAlex Limited, echoes the same worry, reasoning that 

“the risk of being a victim to an online attack or cyber scam is greater at the moment simply because the criminals are aware that there are many more people of all ages using technology when working from home or just chatting with friends whilst self-isolating.”

He has unique advice to offer: use yourself as a human firewall. Phishing, spam emails, cyberbullying — all involve a human element at the other end, too. If an email puts pressure on you to act immediately and attaches consequences if you don’t, it is likely a bait. Don’t fall for it. Lambe has a quick tech-checklist to go with this advice:

Have a VPN (Virtual Private Network) on every device that you own

Make use of a Password Keeper like LastPass or 1Password that lets you use highly complex passwords

Install a virus checker like AVAST or Sophos

Always avoid using unsecured or public Wi-Fi connections

Parents should let children indulge in some downtime: a recreational time when they are not expected to create educational output or achieve certain goals. Use this time to connect as a family. Play card games, Scrabble, or just chat — this can go a long way in creating and maintaining a general sense of well-being and belonging. You can also bring them on fun virtual excursions to various museums or gaze at wildlife at Explore.org.

Allow them to have healthy peer interactions. Set up virtual playdates (for the younger children) and let them chat with their friends (in case of adolescents). Even so, keep in mind how the presence of a screen will impact their interactions. For one, the use of technology makes them vulnerable to instances of cyberbullying, predatory attacks in the form of phishing, etc. Keep a keen watch on the apps and tools being used. FaceTime or WhatsApp for video chats with friends is a safe option. 

Secondly, the younger children might also respond with confusion over the barrier of a screen between them and their friends. Using a technology like Portal might help to create a more friendly environment. At the same time, parents should find gentle ways to explain to children why they are communicating the way that they are.  

And finally, remember that physical activity can be the best antidote to lethargy, boredom, isolation and illness. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends varying levels of exercise for different age groups, but make sure children get at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous-intensity physical activity on a daily basis. Our home-learning tool-kit lists resources that can make exercise fun for children! 

The promise of inclusive education should extend during the pandemic too. It is important that children with a sensory disability be guided and informed about the events through visual or auditory communication, as the case may be. According to Rajaratnam, children with intellectual disabilities should be engaged in daily chores, be allowed to help and then be given appreciation for their efforts. For children on the autism spectrum, the challenge exacerbates. They fundamentally thrive and survive on structure and routine, both of which have been severely disturbed. Her suggestion? “Stay in touch with the occupational therapists over telecommunication, figure out small interventions together, make use of Social Stories.”

Children are bound to feel a lot of emotions like fear, anger or frustration. Tell them It is completely okay to feel that way and guide them through those feelings so they bounce back from the panic they might feel. Keep them engaged in mindful and calming pursuits. Answer any questions they have in a gentle manner. The bottom line is that children should not feel like the world is spinning out of control.

This is a fascinating piece by SCR Tracker (www.scrtracker.com) on how to look after children's mental health and safety during a global crisis. Would recommend you give it a read!

Kritika M Narula discusses how to look after children's mental health and safety during a global crisis when everything seems like it's spinning out of control.

This is a fascinating piece by @SCRTracker on how to look after children's mental health and safety during a global crisis. Would recommend you give it a read!

Looking after children's mental health and safety during a crisis

This is a fascinating piece by @SCRTracker on how to look after children's mental health and safety during a global crisis. Would recommend!

School and university leaders are facing unprecedented and profound challenges. Guiding an organisation through a global pandemic whilst also attending to personal suffering requires extraordinary effort. Key amongst these are the efforts that leaders are making to protect the mental health and well-being of their communities. 

Recent polls, emerging studies and research from previous outbreaks all suggest that the mental health impact of the pandemic could be profound and long-lasting. People everywhere are experiencing fear, uncertainty, and so much grief and loss. 

Against this background, schools and universities are becoming powerful protective factors and vital sources of support during this time, offering opportunities for virtual connection, joyful events, academic engagement, social emotional learning and therapeutic intervention.

Drawing on our collective expertise and that of the contributing experts, and on our members’ experiences, we have prepared this article for you to download to help you to support your communities during this time and have outlined a summary below.

"The mental health effects of COVID-19 are as important to address as are the physical health effects." – Gionfriddo, P. President and CEO of Mental Health America, 3 March 2020.

Here is a summary of our key considerations:

1. Keep it simple and apply the essentials of good leadership

In the first section of the article, Rob Evans, Ed.D and Michael Thompson, PhD. explain that leading in a crisis requires you to draw on the essentials of good leadership, which are courage, connection, candour, clarity and empathy.

Douglas Walker, PhD. demonstrates how these essentials of good leadership are underpinned by evidence into organisational responses to large-scale crises, which highlights the importance of five key elements: providing opportunities for connection, enabling communities to be hopeful, providing a sense of safety, encouraging self and community efficacy, and modelling good practice through calm and thoughtful leadership and communication. 

3. Adapt your policies and communications and engage your board

In this section of the article, we encourage you to take stock of the ways in which you already support the well-being of your community and consider how you can address new needs and make this support work in remote learning environments. This might include introducing a mental health or well-being policy if you do not already have one, which can provide you with a framework for your organisation-wide approach. It might also be necessary to update reporting protocols so that they work in your new virtual environment, or appointing mental health leads or champion(s). Streamlining communications so that they do not become overwhelming is also discussed.

4. Identify and support at-risk individuals and prepare to support some individuals through traumatic grief

Consider who in your community is facing additional challenges and offer them targeted or specialist support if you can. Your teachers and faculty are in a very good position to help you to identify at-risk students. Individuals who might struggle include those with underlying mental health conditions, those who are exposed to harm in the home, separated from families or in different time zones from their school or university, those who struggle with technology and those who are caring for someone who has contracted the virus. These emerging resources will also help your faculty to identify students who are struggling and recognise signs that someone might be experiencing traumatic grief.

"It has made my OCD so much worse. I am now washing my hands every five minutes or using hand sanitiser." – Young Minds, Coronavirus: Impact on young people with mental health needs, March 2020.

Photo by🇨🇭 Claudio Schwarz | @purzlbaum on Unsplash

5. Learn about the challenges and the impact of your institution’s support over time, and take action in response

The unprecedented nature of the Coronavirus makes it difficult to know how best to support people. Consulting with your community about the challenges they face and seeking feedback from them on your institution’s responses will help to ensure that the support you are providing meets the needs that are arising in practice. Using well-being instruments such as community surveys or engagement sessions can help, as can one-to-one contact and small group discussions around social emotional themes.

One of the key takeaways from our members who have been teaching remotely since January has been the importance of protecting staff well-being and preventing educator burn-out. In this section of the article, Ellen Mahoney reflects on the key elements of compassionate leadership and the importance of recognising that emotional fatigue may come in waves. The benefits of effective line management and the role of supervision in preventing compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma are also discussed.

7. Create on-going opportunities for virtual connection and prioritise well-being

Connection is one of the most important protective factors for individual and community well-being. In this section of the article, we explain how our members have created on-going opportunities for virtual connection by bringing their communities together around fun and creative topics, and by holding resilience-based workshops.

Although many leaders are asked to resolve a ‘conflict’ between well-being on the one hand and learning on the other, in this section we argue that this is a false dichotomy and that focusing on well-being is necessary to enable teaching and learning to continue. This might mean taking longer breaks, interspersing mental health days or suspending formal learning and focusing exclusively on well-being for certain periods.

"If you have friends to speak to then speak to them and let them know you are thinking of them. Even just a couple of update texts from my friend made me feel so much better." – Young Minds, Coronavirus: Impact on young people with mental health needs, March 2020.

"Should we continue student learning during covid-19? A question of Maslow before Bloom." – Doucet A., 26 March 2020.

8. Provide your community with the tools they need to protect their own well-being, support others and be hopeful about the future

Quarantines and physical isolation from others can increase our stress levels and disrupt our usual coping mechanisms. Providing your community with the knowledge and tools they need to protect their own well-being during this time is important. Key to this is recognising that the way that we feel depends in large part on our physiology and that this can be protected by maintaining healthy habits in a number of key areas such as sleep, exercise and alcohol consumption.

Finding meaning and appreciating positive changes that result from crises can help with the grieving process. As leaders, you are ideally placed to help your community to do this.

"So much suffering and anxiety everywhere… But it also occurs to me that this is when the world needs our eyes and ears and minds. We are (and especially you are) the generation that is going to have to help us make sense of this and recover afterward." – Saunders, G. A Letter to My Students as We Face the Pandemic, 3 April 2020

Katie Rigg is the Head of Safeguarding and Student Well-Being at The Council of International Schools (CIS). Katie’s primary responsibility is to help CIS and school and university members to keep children and young people safe and to support and strengthen their mental health and well-being. In this capacity Katie carries out and supports research into new areas, develops resources, provides guidance and oversees professional development.

This article on safeguarding implications for online learning by Katie Rigg of the Council of International Schools

This discussion on how to keep students safe when online usage increases, with expert advice from The Safeguarding Association and more

This Safeguarding and Well-being guidance from Farrer & Co. for an overview of key considerations and this guidance on risk assessments

This guidance on Safeguarding in Schools during COVID-19 from the UK government sets out key principles for schools, including information about their child protection policies

This SWGfL Safe Remote Learning for information about safeguards to put in place when organising classes online

This NSPCC Lone Working Guidance for information about how to protect staff, faculty and young people involved in one to one sessions

Do you have questions or comments about this article? Please contact us – we look forward to hearing from you!

Katie Rigg of Council of International Schools shares advice on how to guide an organisation through a global pandemic, with an in-depth download on protecting mental health of school and university communities.

Advice for school and university leaders: How to support your community's mental health and well-being during Coronavirus

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has announced that vulnerable and disadvantaged young people across the country will receive free laptops as part of a major new package of support from the Department for Education. 

This announcement comes as schools are navigating the highs and lows of turning to remote learning, where difficulties have been emerging for students from a disadvantaged backgrounds. Today we have heard that disadvantaged children are set to receive laptops and tablets as part of the Department for Education's push towards higher accessibility levels across the education sector. 

"Devices will be ordered for children in the most vital stages of their education, those who receive support from a social worker and care leavers. The government will also provide 4G routers to make sure disadvantaged secondary school pupils and care leavers can access the internet – where those families do not already have mobile or broadband internet in the household. 

In addition, to support the hard work of schools in delivering remote education, the Oak National Academy is due to launch on Monday 20 April. This brand-new enterprise has been created by 40 teachers from some of the leading schools across England, backed by government grant funding. It will provide 180 video lessons each week, across a broad range of subjects from maths to art to languages, for every year group from Reception through to Year 10."

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said:

"I want to thank all the teachers and staff who are working so hard to ensure vulnerable children and those of critical workers are supported at this time. Schools will remain closed until the scientific advice changes, which is why we need to support the incredible work teachers are already doing to ensure children continue to receive the education they deserve and need. By providing young people with these laptops and tablets and enabling schools to access high quality support, we will enable all children to continue learning now and in the years to come. We hope this support will take some of the pressure off both parents and schools by providing more materials for them to use."

Furthermore, it has been announced that schools and colleges will be able to retain these laptops and tablets once they have reopened. This way, they will continue to play a vital role in enabling children to learn even after schools have reopened.

Oak Academy joins a wide range of support and resources available for teachers and parents, many of which are providing their software and resources for free. On Monday the 20th of April, the BBC education package is set to launch across TV and online.

While families are now staying at home to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, some children and young people may face increasing risks of neglect or abuse at home – or from strangers online, as their online internet usage increases. For this reason, the Government has made £1.6 million worth of funding available immediately for the NSPCC to expand and promote its national helpline.

At SCR Tracker we urge you to retain safeguarding as one of your highest priorities when coordinating and delivering online learning. We've published handy resources to help you including a checklist, an update on DBS checks, and temporary changes to the ID checking procedure.

Our thanks go to the Department for Education for sharing this announcement, and the cover photo photographer Jordhan Madec.

If you have any safeguarding questions or comments about this article please contact us here. 

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson announces that vulnerable and disadvantaged young people across the UK will receive free laptops in a major new support package.

New major package to support online learning

As schools close down amidst the covid-19 crisis and more learning moves online, we've compiled some brilliant resources to give you a rich tool-kit to ace your home-learning and virtual teaching needs. This article will be updated as new materials are added.

If you're a teacher looking for online resources to use, or a parent looking to supplement learning during the days where technical glitches stop a teacher from teaching a class – we've got you covered. This is a full list of resources compiled from different sources, and will hopefully act as a good reference point to dip in and out of as you please. 

We've called it home-learning rather than homeschooling, comprising of a mixture of online/virtual learning and offline learning. It shouldn't be left unsaid that we applaud each and every parent who is both working from home as well as enabling a home-learning environment. We've heard from many parents who are using this time to take a step back and avoid overloading children – this list is not meant to work as a to-do checklist!

Please keep these safeguarding practices at the highest priority when you decide to use any online materials such as the below. Happy home-learning – please do get in touch with us if you believe we have forgotten important resources!

Before we begin, we feel we must mention Robin Hood MAT's learning packs which have been highly praised. The link, which also contains resources for mental health and wellbeing for children, how to support your workforce, plans and risk assessments, and governance information can be accessed here: Robin Hood MAT Learning Projects

First, a list separated into subject areas:

Chatta: Teaching approach linking images with language for communication development. Early years to key stage 5: https://chattalearning.com/

Englicious: Free English language teaching resources, including exercises, projects and games. All ages: http://englicious.org/

Happy English: English, grammar and phonics. All ages: https://happyenglishuk.com

National Literacy Trust Family Zone: Advice and information for parents teaching from home during school closures. Ages 0 to 12: https://literacytrust.org.uk/family-zone/

Oaka Books: Resources for pupils who have dyslexia. Key stages 1 to 3: www.oakabooks.co.uk

Phonics Play: Phonics learning for early years and key stage 1. Free access for children during the coronavirus crisis: www.phonicsplay.co.uk

Pobble 365: Provides a photo stimulus for a writing task every day. All ages: www.pobble365.com

Zaprendo: Personalised learning tools and experiences for English and phonics learning. All ages: https://zaprendo.com/

Hopscotch Books: SecEd’s sister publishing house is offering free activities and resources for primary-age children (https://bit.ly/2WKNE3E) and a free download to help families plan home learning via books (https://bit.ly/2QCEylO). More resources will become available in due course: www.hopscotchbooks.com

Literacy shed: Animations on different topics to inspire children to write. Mainly key stages 1 and 2: www.literacyshed.com

Litfilmfest: Writing resources. To support schools and families, Litfilmfest is releasing videos every weekday at 10:30am. Key stages 1 to 3: https://litfilmfest.com/playlists/

Audible: Free audiobooks. All ages: https://stories.audible.com/start-listen

Bedrock Learning: Resources designed to broaden children’s vocabulary including Tier 2 words, root words and academic verbs. Free access for all schools closed due to coronavirus. Key stages 1 to 4: www.bedrocklearning.org/coronavirus-support