Two Years On: Long-Term Effects of Covid in Education

It goes without saying that the COVID-19 pandemic hit the education sector hard. From school closures and periods of home learning to bubbles, face masks and staff shortages, schools faced an uphill battle to continue delivering the best possible education.

We know that the effects of this large-scale disruption are still being felt by our partner schools, even as the country has seemingly appeared to return to some form of normality. Here we have highlighted some of the ways in which we can support our partners to overcome these challenges.

Pupil Engagement

Unsurprisingly, after almost two years of disrupted learning, many students are finding it difficult to settle back into the classroom. This can manifest itself through difficulty focusing, disruptive behaviour or poor attendance. None of these things can be fixed through marketing or communication alone of course, however we believe that consistent, positive messaging around school can have an important impact.

We work with our partners to create a range of materials that help to nurture a positive, engaging atmosphere, including:

  • Interior transformations
  • Posters
  • Information booklets (including transition guides)
  • Animations
  • Film content

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Parent/Carer Communication

Whilst many pupils are feeling increased anxiety around being back at school, the same can be said of parents and carers. This can be seen especially for those whose children have been affected by disruptions during the transition from primary to secondary school and feel that the family as a whole has not had chance to settle properly into secondary life as they would usually.

We have found that the most effective way for our partners to support families and alleviate this anxiety is through consistent communication campaigns at both a community and individual level. Our team can help to ensure that these campaigns are both engaging and effective, through materials such as:

  • Social media updates
  • Postcards
  • Reward certificates
  • Parent guides
  • Transition booklets
  • Microsites

Find out more:

Careers Education

Undoubtedly, one of the biggest effects of the pandemic has been seen in careers education, where periods of restriction have prevented children and young people from engaging with employers and further/higher education providers in the same ways as usual. Even in 2022, some employers still have restrictions in place.

Since the start of the pandemic, we have carried out extensive work to help bridge this gap by developing a large range of online Careers Education, Information & Guidance (CEIAG) resources, including:

  • Virtual careers fairs
  • Virtual work experience resources and activities
  • Virtual workplace tours
  • Employee and employer talking head films
  • Digital skills and career journey resources

Find out more:

Curriculum

One of Ofsted’s key priorities in the wake of the pandemic is to review how schools are implementing a ‘recovery curriculum’ to help get students back up to speed after periods of disrupted learning. As the normal curriculum, this should be carefully sequenced and ensure students understand key knowledge, skills, vocabulary, concepts and links between concepts (DfE, 2021).

We work with our partner schools to help them to communicate and deliver their curriculum in a variety of ways, such as:

  • Learning journeys
  • Knowledge organisers
  • Curriculum films
  • Revision films and animations

Find out more: