Back to School : Dealing with COVID-19 and Anxiety
As summer comes to an end, the beginning of school comes closer and closer. Starting school can be intimidating in the best of times, but starting school during a global pandemic is new to all of us. There are so many questions in these novel times about how schools will run, how the curriculum will be affected and how everyone will cope. In this post, I’m going to explore all these questions and hopefully give any prospective students some peace of mind.
How will my school maintain social distancing and general hygiene?
The Department of Education has published guidance for schools which is far more detailed than this blog post, but I’ll briefly cover the main topics. Perhaps the biggest change for students will be the ‘bubbles’ - schools are being recommended to group students by class, or by year group where that is not possible and limit contact between these groups or bubbles to limit spread of infection. This means you may not be able to see friends in other bubbles as much as normal. Schools also should avoid large gatherings such as assemblies or group prayer, and may also implement measures to avoid many people in confined spaces such as staggering entrance and leaving times to ensure the exits do not get busy. There will be better and more frequent cleaning of surfaces and more hand washing will be encouraged, and perhaps even use of face masks or PPE for students or staff. These measures are not ‘one size fits all’ and every school will do things slightly differently, so it is best to contact your school for further details if you have any questions.
What do I do if I am isolating?
If you contract symptoms, you will need to isolate as per government guidelines as well as your entire household. Schools will need to consult local authorities to see if anyone from school should also isolate. Your school will also have provisions to do online learning for those who are isolating to avoid them missing any more school time - this may be webcams in classrooms to live-stream lessons or copies of notes from lessons etc. The school will do everything they can to ensure you have caught up during the time you are not in school.
Are there any changes to the curriculum especially for GCSE and A-level students to make up for the lost time?
There have been changes in the curriculum to take into account the disruption that has been caused by the pandemic. Obviously, there are huge debates about fairness of exams, and changes are continuing to be made as the situation progresses. Currently, the majority of the changes have been made in the GCSE exams, as Ofqual states that A-levels are more important to keep the same as they are a vital stepping stone to university, and A-level students are older and more independent learners anyway. However, there have been changes regarding coursework and fieldwork in subjects such as geography. You can look at the document linked below to see Ofqual’s proposed changes for each specific subject and how that affects you.
I’m nervous about starting school, any tips?
This is completely natural, especially in these times. None of us have ever experienced a global pandemic before that has caused the entire world to shut down. The best advice I can give to you is to try and remember that everyone is in the same boat you are, and that there are always people that you can talk to if you are still anxious and stressed. Starting school may even help and bring some normalcy back to your life. Humans are known to be adaptable creatures, so just have faith in yourself and your ability to persevere!