Healing childhood traumas in a world of anxiety
Schools respond to fears of students in pandemic
SCHOOLS LEADERS in Yorkshire have put in place measures such as yoga classes and ‘ trauma awareness’ sessions for pupils to help them cope with increased anxiety since their return earlier this month.
Many children have been the hidden victims of the coronavirus pandemic, with further pressures on their mental health since returning to school with in the ‘ new normal. The number of schools in England sending home groups of pupils because of Covid19 incidents is also on the rise.
As a result of the new challenges, primary and secondary schools across the region have put in place a host of new schemes – from yoga classes to green schemes and ‘ trauma awareness’ – to help with students’ wellbeing.
Richmond School and SixthForm College, a community comprehensive on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales, has implemented a mental health trained pastoral manager for each year group, a family support worker, who is also bereavement counsellor and an open “trauma awareness” policy to encourage teachers and pupils to talk more confidently about the anxieties and concerns they feel in a pandemic.
Headteacher Jenna Potter told The Yorkshire Post: “We’ve very much turned our return to school about being trauma- aware rather than trauma- led – we’ve made a very big point for staff to use language that is solution focused and positive rather than falling into a trap of using language of deficit – such as talking about learning gaps and catch- up.”
Elsewhere, the importance of physical activity has been increased with modified physical education classes in place and more time for pupils to be in the “fresh air.”
Meanwhile across Outwood Grange Academies Trust, which operates 34 academies across northern England and the East Midlands, including 10 primary academies, mental health has also been a major focus.
The trust has extended a weekly programme developed last year for primary school students around confidence, the importance of mental health and community, which was recently recognised at the national 2020 Pearson National Teaching Awards, to daily “discreet” lessons.
We’ve very much turned our return about being trauma aware. Richmond School and Sixth- Form College headteacher Jenna Potter.