The challenge

One of the most affected groups, over the COVID-19 pandemic, was school-aged children. School closures meant enforced separation from classmates, and the cancellation of examinations. The immediate, and longer-term, impacts on pupils' mental health require attention and intervention, as well as providing insights for changes at a policy level.

Research impact - Wins and losses from closed schools and no exams

This Elizabeth Blackwell Institute (EBI) funded research project, into parents’ everyday realities of enforced home-schooling during COVID-19 (Lee and Wenham, 2021) found that while some children experienced a rich, creative learning environment, others lacked routine, resources and support which impacted their motivation, emotional well-being and academic progress.

The study offers important insights into the strengths and weaknesses of education systems. It argues (BERA, 2020) that focusing narrowly on ‘learning loss’ and returning to ‘normal’ may lead to impoverished educational experiences post-COVID, and that a broad, engaging curriculum with social and emotional wellbeing at its core will better support childrens’ thriving amidst an uncertain future.

The project also highlights how students experienced an abrupt end to their school education as high-stakes examinations were cancelled, with associated feelings of loss and illegitimacy.

We argue (Wenham and Lee, 2022) that if student mental health is to be foregrounded and taken seriously, then communication, dialogue and possibilities for taking back agency and critical hope may go some way towards mitigating mental health concerns.

The project, which was widely reported in both the local and national media, emphasises how pupil mental health must be a policy priority for the UK government as children are “not going to read or they’re not going to learn anything if they’re traumatised by being in a very unusual situation” (ITVX, May 2020).

Furthermore, in commenting on Scotland’s approach to reopening schools (The National, 2020) we noted how “having the later start date has to be more promising for health risks, for protecting health in the community, for the wellbeing of teachers and long-term educational progress."

The project’s findings were also presented at the Elizabeth Blackwell Institute (EBI) COVID Week (September 2020) and the EBI Mental Health and Young People Steering Group (October 2020). This led to further funding for research focusing on the resistance of some parents in returning to face-to-face teaching following the lifting of lockdown measures in March 2021 (Wenham, Din and Eaves, 2021). This research sheds light on the fragmented nature of the education system and how this differentially impacts some students and their families, particularly students with SEND. Indeed, in a BERA blog post (BERA, March 2021), we call for a comprehensive education system with critical pedagogy at its heart.

Further to this, the findings of the project were presented at a Department for Education (DfE) Policy Bristol briefing in May 2021. At this briefing, we advocated that funding for catch-up tutoring should go directly to schools, in order to reach those who need it most, especially as in-school tutors have established relationships with students and can more readily embed social and emotional aspects of learning.

As a direct response to this call, the UK government (Parliament, June 2021) stated that: “Schools are free to determine who is best placed to deliver tutoring support to meet their specific needs and can exercise discretion in determining which pupils are most in need of tutoring support.” And in the 2021/22 academic year, schools were provided with direct funding for school-led tutoring arrangements and could use their own staff or external tutors.

Additionally, we called for an end to illegal COVID ‘off-rolling’ and increased support for those children and families classed as clinically-extremely-vulnerable and therefore more anxious about returning to school.

As a result, there was a distinct change in the tone of policy issued by the UK government. School leaders had more discretion to work together with families to improve school attendance, with the DfE encouraging schools "to build strong relationships with families, listen to and understand barriers to attendance and work with families to remove them" (DfE, May 2022).