Thoughts From A Trainee: Impact of COVID-19 On Y10 Students

 By Tom Cooper & Najiyah Rahman

From September to early January we embarked upon a School Based Study research project that looked at the mental health and educational impacts caused by COVID-19 on Year 10 aged students within Westminster Academy. Our study sought to understand student mental wellbeing and educational development, as well as identify where Westminster Academy could potentially assist Year 10 students with mental health and attainment issues. 

This topic was selected after discussions about the unique challenges that teaching Year 10 poses. Year 6 (in 2019) was their last formal year of teaching, with Year 7 (2020) being disrupted by the pandemic lockdown restrictions. Our initial assumptions were that students would have faced distinct detrimental effects on their social and educational development, which could be seen through low level disruption and lack of attention in lessons.

Literature surrounding this topic suggested that our assumptions corroborated with published studies on such matters. For example, independent enquiries into the mental health and wellbeing of young Londoners (by the London Assembly Health Committee) saw that 85% had stated that the pandemic made them feel “down” or “very down”. UNESCO (2021) also noted that the lives and education of nearly 1.6 billion students were also adversely affected.

To investigate, we conducted a questionnaire, shared with all Year 10 tutor groups, gaining 112 responses out of a potential 200. The survey used a mix of qualitative and quantitative data, asking students to reflect on their mental health and schooling during and after the pandemic. The largest problem identified by the study was that 60.7% of students felt that the greater concern was the impact of the pandemic, and their lost learning, on their potential GCSE attainment. 

We also found that there was no obvious negative impact on mental health caused by COVID-19, with as many as 50% of the respondents disagreeing that the pandemic had a negative impact on their wellbeing, with only 23.2% of students saying that they were adversely affected. Of 112 students, only 19 students stated they received support for their mental health during the pandemic, with 52 stating they received no support at all, showing that while students were aware of what networks were available for support, they were not effective in accessing them. Students proposed changes to the school day, reductions in homework, school wide assemblies addressing the matter, and asked for more one-to-one sessions for support.

The study presented an interesting insight into the opinions and problems Year 10s have encountered during their schooling, as well as their judgement on how best they can be aided. 

Bitesize Research: Post-Pandemic Language Loss By EAL Learners

By Jaya Carrier

I hope you’re all having a good week so far - nearly at the half-term break now! In our INSET session T2 we’ll be welcoming two keynote speakers - one focussing on EAL learners, and one on safeguarding. The former will be led by Sarah Leonard from The Bell Foundation, whose recent report about EAL learners and language loss offers some interesting insights into the current context nationally. Objectives: To understand the language loss by EAL learners following the reopening of schools after the pandemic Summary:

• 59% of secondary school teachers reported some language loss for EAL learners following the reopening of schools after the pandemic
• 1 in 12 teachers who reported language loss for their EAL learners believed them to be specifically disadvantaged as a result of this
• The report recommends that schools have specific strategies in place to support these students, who may otherwise be rendered ‘invisible’
• The report also recommends that schools ensure they have:
• Targeted support for EAL learners who are about to take public examinations
• Work with parents to ensure they can comprehend key school messages effectively
• Provide EAL learners with rich opportunities for extracurricular activities
• Ensure that requisite pastoral care is provided for EAL learners who may be at greater risk of social isolation in schools.

How does this impact me and my practice?:

Some reflections arising from this that might be helpful to consider are:

• How do I know who my EAL learners and tutees are?
• What am I doing to support them both in lessons and more widely?
• What more do I want to find out about supporting EAL learners?

Please do get in touch if you would like to talk further about this - I’d love to hear from you!

Bitesize Research: Role Of Technology In Post-Pandemic Education Recovery

By Jaya Carrier

I hope you’re all having a good week so far. The ongoing research into the impact of the pandemic and into education recovery is an area that has maintained my interest for the last few years. As such, I was interested to see the summary paper from the Educational Policy Institute event about education recovery for disadvantaged students and in particular, the role played by technology in alleviating the gaps.

Objectives: To evaluate the ongoing education recovery for students after the pandemic, and the role that technology has to play within this

Summary: 

• Disadvantaged students have disproportionately fallen behind their peers after the pandemic, and a number of critical barriers to effective education recovery remain for these students including:

• Low attendance rate

• Poor mental health

• Exacerbated existing socioeconomic divisions

• Technology has an important part to play in overcoming these barriers

• EdTech and technology must build on and use existing evidence-based understanding of effective pedagogies in order to be effective 

• The use of technology will also be important to support students at risk of being NEET and will enable them to improve their employability skills

How does this impact me and my practice?: Some reflections arising from this that might be helpful to consider are: 

• What are the barriers for the disadvantaged students in my classes or tutor group? How do I know?

• What is important in the WA context in terms of disadvantaged students using technology? 

• How am I using technology to support my disadvantaged students?

• How do I ensure that good pedagogies are reflected in the way I use technology for learning?

Please do get in touch if you would like to talk further about this - I’d love to hear from you!

Bitesize Research: Impact Of Pandemic On Mental Health

By Jaya Carrier

I hope everyone’s had a great week so far! This week, I came across some recent research findings done by the UCL Institute of Education into adolescent mental health and in particular how the pandemic influenced mental health in students at KS3. Objectives: To understand the impact of the pandemic on adolescent mental health Summary:

• The research found that increased depressive symptoms and decreased life satisfaction took place for many young people during the pandemic, particularly for girls.
• It found that the increase will have led to approximately 60,000 more secondary-aged students reaching the threshold for clinical support for mental health.
• The researchers estimate that there would be 6% fewer adolescents with depressive mental health
• They conclude that this continues the urgent need to prioritise the already strained systems in place to support adolescent mental health and wellbeing

How does this impact me and my practice?:

Some reflection questions arising from this that might be helpful to consider are:

• How do I support my tutees’ and students’ mental health?
• What services or interventions of support am I aware of to guide students to?
• What further training would be helpful to ensure I can support my students as best as possible?

If you would like to discuss this further with me please get in touch! I’d be delighted to hear from you!

Bitesize Research: Impact Of Lockdowns On Students Around The Globe

By Jaya Carrier

I hope everyone’s had a great week so far! I was really interested to see this recent article which compiles some of the positive outcomes of the pandemic discovered by educational research conducted in different countries. Whilst we know that the pandemic has had a huge number of very negative and difficult consequences, I was intrigued to see a different perspective. Objectives: To collate recent international findings about the impact of the pandemics and lockdowns on students. Summary:

• The article suggests that in three critical areas there have been positive changes arising from the lockdowns and pandemic:
• Improved digital skills: There is evidence that the lockdown improved teachers’ and students’ digital skills and fostered a greater deal of creativity in thinking about teaching and learning. There is also some evidence that students have been better able to problem solve, and enjoyed being able to learn more at their own pace as a result of more online learning.
• Improved communication and assessment: There is evidence that the limitations on ways of assessing students during the pandemic led to greater creativity in ideas around assessment.
• Parental engagement: There is some evidence to suggest that in supporting learning at home during the pandemic during lockdown, parents now have a greater degree of understanding and engagement in their child’s learning.

How does this impact me and my practice?:

Some reflection questions arising from this that might be helpful to consider are:

• What positive outcomes for your teaching practice have followed the pandemic?
• What positive outcomes for students have arisen due to the pandemic?
• How might you build on this going forward?

If you would like to discuss this further with me please get in touch! I’d be delighted to hear from you!

Bitesize Research: Young People's Perceptions Of Career Prospects Post-Lockdown

By Jaya Carrier

I hope everyone’s had a great first week back having had a restful break! This week, following on from the Unifrog briefing we had in T2, I was really interested in a piece of research conducted by UCL Institute of Education about young people’s perceptions of their career prospects following the lockdowns in 2019 and 2020. Objectives: To understand the potential impact of the Covid-19 lockdowns on young people’s job skills and beliefs about their suitability and readiness for the workplace. Summary:

• 60% of students felt as though their job skills and prospects were significantly diminished by the Covid-19 pandemic.
• 42% of students did not know the job they would have by age 30
• Youth unemployment grew at a faster rate than at any point since the financial crisis of 2008
• One of the reasons for this is because of a loss of opportunities to gain key job skills during their education in the context of the pandemic and the post-pandemic (which has focussed more on ‘catch up’)
• The authors of the paper suggest that there needs to be an immediate refocusing on workplace skills in schools, and partnerships between schools and employers.

How does this impact me and my practice?:

Some reflection questions arising from this that might be helpful to consider are:

• How do I integrate or reference the workplace and workplace skills in my lessons?
• How do I support careers education in tutor time?
• How can I work with students to raise their aspirations around their workplace prospects?
  

If you would like to discuss this further with me - please let me know! I’d be delighted to open up these discussions and conversations.

  

Bitesize Research: Ongoing Challenges Schools Face Following The Covid-19 Pandemic

By Jaya Carrier

I hope everyone has had a great week so far. This week, I was interested in the NFER study from September 2021 that looks at some of the ongoing issues from the lockdowns and the pandemic for school settings. This study is based on in-depth interviews with 50 senior leaders from mainstream primary and secondary schools across the UK.

Objectives: To provide ongoing insights into the challenges of recovery, wellbeing and support for schools following the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Summary:  

The key findings were:

• Curriculum modification was a typical response to the pandemic. This took different models including; narrow (prioritising literacy and numeracy over other subjects); focused (prioritising core content within subjects); blended (supporting literacy and numeracy through other subjects); and continuous (covering content over a longer period of time).
• Pupil mental health and wellbeing is an immediate and urgent concern for school leaders. School leaders in this study reported that in particular there was an alarming increase in self-harm. 
• Pupils were less prepared emotionally and academically for transition between YR6 and YR7
• School leaders identified requiring robustly funded support for pupil wellbeing as the most urgent support needed from government and policy. 

How does this impact me and my practice?:

Some reflection questions arising from this that might be helpful to consider are: 

 

• How have I adapted the curriculum? If I’ve adapted the curriculum, which model of curriculum recovery have I followed?
• How can I support pupil mental health and wellbeing? How might trauma-informed approaches support this further?
• How is the transition going for pupils in my YR7 classes or tutors? What might I need to be mindful of with respect to their ongoing transition from YR6-7? 

If you would like to discuss this further with me - please let me know! I’d be delighted to open up these discussions and conversations.

Thanks, Jaya

Bitesize Research: Impact Of Lockdown On Children's Communication Skills

By Jaya Carrier

I hope everyone has had a great week so far - eyes on the prize for the summer holidays! This week I was interested in reading a report from communication charity I CAN on the impact of lockdown on children’s communication skills - see here for access to the report: https://ican.org.uk/speaking-up-for-the-covid-generation/ Objectives: To evaluate the impact of lockdowns in 2020 and 2021 on children’s communication skills Summary:

The key findings were:

• 1.5 million children are struggling to speak and to understand what people are saying to them as a result of the pandemic.
• The research suggests the two biggest reasons why children are struggling with speaking are firstly not being able to talk face-to-face with their friends (70%), and secondly the overuse of tablets/phones and computers (69%).
• These children are at significant risk of being left behind, and this also has a significant impact on primary to secondary transition.
• 60% of secondary teachers who have pupils behind due to the lockdowns believe that those pupils will not be able to catch up, despite funding efforts from the government

How does this impact me and my practice?:

Some reflection questions arising from this that might be helpful to consider are:

• How can I promote oracy and speaking in my lessons? Am I familiar with frameworks to support this, such as the School 21 oracy framework?
• How am I currently using peer-to-peer talk in my lessons? How can I develop this further?
• How can I ensure effective support for YR6-7 transition in my lessons that look to promote and support speaking and understanding?

If you would like to discuss this further with me - please let me know! I’d be delighted to open up these discussions and conversations.

Bitesize Research: Using Trauma-Informed Approaches When Working With Students

By Jaya Carrier

Following on from some of the training we had in 2020, looking at trauma-informed approaches will be an ongoing theme for the next academic year too. As such, I was interested to look at a pilot from another inner London area (Islington) to see how their schools had used trauma-informed practice to reframe their work with students. We will be using a slightly different set of principles but, for reference, this pilot used the ARC framework (attachment, regulation and competency). Objectives: To understand the possible impacts of using trauma-informed approaches to working with students Summary: The key overall themes are:

• In the year-long pilot period, where trauma-informed approaches were routinely embedded there were reductions in behaviour incidents, and fewer exclusions and other sanctions
• Working with vulnerable children became more effective than the practices previously adopted
• All except one school wanted to continue with the approach after the initial pilot

How does this impact me and my practice?:

Some reflection questions arising from this that might be helpful to consider are:

• What can I remember about trauma-informed practice and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)?
• How have I used previous training on trauma-informed practice to inform my interactions with students this year?
• What would I still like to learn about trauma-informed approaches?

If you would like to discuss this further with me - please let me know! I’d be delighted to open up these discussions and conversations.

How To Use Chromebooks Without Disruption

By Izzy Hilliard

Over the course of the last year, Google chromebooks have been a complete lifesaver. From zoom lessons to online assessments, WA has been ahead of the game when it comes to digital infrastructure and online learning. 

However as a return to “normal” learning inches ever closer, we are all experiencing the same issue. Students are on their chromebooks all the time. You haven’t asked them to be, but their reasoning of “wanting to see the slides” appears valid and slowly you notice a handful of students are on their chromebooks and you are not sure why. Whatever the reason may be, it is becoming more difficult to control our students on their chromebooks. 

What can you do to maximise the benefits of using chromebooks but minimise disruption?

1. Build routines

This seems obvious, but only because routines are vital when it comes to technology within schools. Chromebooks do not need to be out until a task needs them, and after the task they should be put back into their bags. Once the routine is set, your students will become quicker and quicker with this process. 

2. Make any use of chromebooks short and purposeful

The only reason students should be on their chromebook is when you have asked them to be. Having a short, interactive task such as a mentimeter for class discussion or a Google Forms quiz for AfL, these tasks should not take over ten minutes. After this point I find all minds begin to wander, whether that be towards checking emails or playing tetris. 

3. Make students know you’re watching

One of the many benefits of Google Classroom is that you can cast students’ work if needed. This isn’t just great for reflection and peer assessment, but also makes your classroom know that at any point you can showcase their work. I would not advise doing this as a name-and-shame as that is not beneficial to healthy relationships, but I think it does show you who is struggling, who is doing well and, potentially, who is being lazy.

4. Follow behaviour policy

If you have to stop your teaching to tell a student to put away their chromebook it is a disruption to learning. Even if they are looking at the slides, checking their timetable, or if they did just want to check their emails, it still counts. You had to stop teaching twenty five students to tell one off and this is disruptive behaviour when they know the routines you have set. 

5. Remember the good

Behaviour with chromebooks is still hard, even if you have the best routines and you ensure that all use is perfect, jazzy and interactive. It might still go wrong. Keeping in mind that we asked students to use their chromebooks for the better half of a year to learn. They have built their own routines over that time, where the chromebook is integral. Reconstructing this takes time and perseverance. The benefits chromebooks have given us over the last two years far outweigh the negatives we now have. 

Bitesize Research: Impact of COVID on attainment

This week, I wanted to share with you something I found to be a very helpful summary of available research on the impact of COVID on student attainment from the EEF.

Objectives: To understand the impact of COVID-19 on student attainment broadly, but also on disadvantaged students from a range of existing studies.

Summary:  

The key overall themes are:

• Students have made less progress compared to previous year groups
• The attainment gap between disadvantaged students and their non-disadvantaged peers has grown

How does this impact me and my practice?: Some reflection questions arising from this that might be helpful to consider are: 

 

• How can I use this information to support identifying gaps in knowledge and looking to redress them?

• What classroom or school strategies might best enable rapid progress to be made to ‘catch up’?

• Do I know who my disadvantaged students are? What are their current barriers to learning? How can I use available resources to support them as much as possible?

If anyone would like to discuss this further with me - please let me know! I’d be delighted to open up these discussions and conversations.