On 15th June, Reception teacher, Mel Mycroft, welcomed her pupils back into her classroom. Mel describes her first week in school – the similarities, the differences, the nerves on Monday morning and the children’s happy faces by Friday. It’s been a very different first week back at school…
As many of us work from home during the current coronavirus lockdown, it might be easy to think that this is what constitutes flexible working. But real flexible working is not a reactionary way of planning a working schedule, it is a carefully crafted blend of the demands of work and life.
Emma Turner currently works part time as Research and CPD Lead for Discovery Schools Academy Trust MAT in Leicestershire. An advocate for flexible working, she reflects on what the sector can learn from the lockdown experience.
Embark Federation led a Reconnection to Recovery and Resilience programme which focused on the social, emotional and mental health needs of children and staff. Three members of staff reflect on the preparation taken to reopen using the programme which is expected to impact 4 million children.
Last week was a very different return from the summer half term, as some schools opened their doors to welcome pupils back. Teachers and parents told us about the nerves, the preparation, the reunions and the smiles - in their small groups and with very clean hands, more children are back in our primary schools and their teachers couldn't be happier to see them.
Sinead McBrearty is Chief Executive of Education Support Partnership, a charity dedicated to improving the mental health and wellbeing of the education workforce. She shares tips and advice on how to look after your mental health and wellbeing at this time.
Interviewing for a new teaching role can be a stressful experience without the added complication of COVID-19. Teacher, Miles Schofield, shares what it was like being interviewed over skype and his top tips for other teachers.
That Sunday night feeling… it had been a while. I’d spent the days before planning for the week ahead and adapting my practise to tackle head on what would be the ‘new normal’ at least for the next few months.
When headteacher, Kate Jefferson, returned to work after maternity leave she didn’t expect to be leading her school through a pandemic.
Primary headteacher, Kate Jefferson, describes the steps her Trust has taken to continue remote learning and how she’s preparing for the challenges to welcome pupils back to school.