Catch Up Priorities
In September 2020 we identified the need for a School Recovery Plan to mitigate against the effects of the lockdown from Mar - Sept 2020. This entailed a focus on the key principles as described by NYCC Educational Psychology team
The five principles are:
· A sense of safety: It is important that adults, children and young people feel safe upon their return to school
· A sense of calm: Children/young people are likely to experience a range of emotions including both pleasant and unpleasant emotions. It is important that these are normalised and they are given support to help them manage their emotions and return to a state of calm.
· A sense of self- and collective- efficacy: Children/young people need to feel they have some control over what is happening to them, and a belief that their actions are likely to lead to generally positive outcomes. They need to feel they belong to a group that is likely to experience positive outcomes. This is known as collective efficacy.
· Social connectedness: It is important that adults, children and young people feel they belong and have a social network who can support them within the educational setting.
· Promoting hope: Whilst things may feel difficult at the moment, it is important that adults, children and young people feel things will get better and work out in future. They need to be provided with reassurance, and understand that in the long term they will feel positive again.
Our initial catch up as a whole school revolved around these. By the end of the first term these were secure in our delivery across school. The second lockdown then followed.
March 2021 the pupils returned after a second lockdown in which remote learning was carried out by all children.
Alongside ensuring that the 5 key principles above are maintained we have identified the following priorities
Whole School Priorities
Ensuring we proactively develop children’s positive mental health and equip them with strategies to deal with issues that arise.
Addressing the areas of key skills that are not secure due to earlier lockdowns. In particular those in maths, reading and writing.
Developing pupils’ oral skills through opportunity in school to talk.
Making sure children have opportunities to be creative
Developing healthy active lifestyles and re engaging with sports
Developing PSHE across school
Assessing areas of weakness effectively
For some pupils we also need targeted interventions to address
- specific areas of core curriculum needing intervention
- areas of learning not secured through remote learning due to lack of engagement
- ongoing areas of weakness that have been further weakened by having less time in school
- difficulties settling into school routines and expectations
- anxiety and poor self esteem
Wider areas to develop are:
The use of technology , ensuring good practice maintained and using technology to overcome limitations of Covid restrictions
Relationships with parents, looking at ways to continue to strengthen these and build on the work during lockdown
We have put these principles into a costed plan which is attached below.
