Teaching: School’s Countdown to September 2020

Post lockdown legacy teaching & learning

Many pupils are ready to return to school in September (not to mention their home-schooling parents!), but in the era of post lockdown legacy what are the issues that schools will face in the new academic year?

“82% of parents said their children missed their friends and social interaction with teachers during in-home learning”.
Muddy Stiletto’s Lockdown Learning Parental survey , May 2020

Returning to school in 2020 will present staff with a range of challenges, not least the job of wading through the DfE guidance on full opening for schools and responding to it. As well as the usual issues that schools see every year, lockdown legacy will continue to have an impact on safeguarding, wellbeing and mental health throughout the next academic year at the very least.

Curriculum & Statutory changes for 2020

2020 -2021 will see an increased focus on equality and anti-racism considering the Black Lives Matter movement. As well as adjusting their way of delivering the curriculum post lockdown from distance learning back to a more blended version of class- based teaching, schools must also make sure that they are compliant with statutory changes to Keeping children safe in education (KCSIE), as well as delivering compulsory Sex & Relationships Education, bringing changes to the way PSHEE is delivered in both Primary and secondary schools.

The need to invest time and efforts in staff CPD & INSET training is greater than ever.

Can schools run INSET training on site from September 2020?

The answer is yes you can bring an external speaker or trainer into your school to deliver a face to face workshop from September.

The DfE Guidance says:

“Schools should consider how to manage other visitors to the site, such as contractors, and ensure site guidance on physical distancing and hygiene is explained to visitors on or before arrival. A record should be kept of all visitors”.

So using a big space like the school hall would be ideal for the training, allowing staff to socially distance and of course provide sanitiser and washing facilities on site.

Given the need to rise to the various challenges teaching and support staff will face in 2020/21 how should school leaders prioritise their training needs?