This week, as primary schools across the country have welcomed more pupils into school, college staff will be contemplating what the new normal will look like for them and their students. One thing’s for sure, there is a very different feel to the final half-term of 2019-20. 

It has been a roller coaster of emotion, with the cancellation of exams, mass online migration and new guidance seemingly released weekly on everything from estimating and predicting to school PPE and social distancing measures.

Colleges have been set mid-June as their target and there are great discussions underway around sector readiness, staffing, student attendance, availability of PPE and whether further funding will be granted to deal with the massive challenges ahead. 

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What will further education look like beyond June?

Against a backdrop of our closest neighbour, Ireland, already confirming that schools will not begin under new guidance until September at the earliest, what will further education look like in the UK in June and beyond?

Will colleges be able to successfully surmount the many challenges they currently face? And how can they prepare for the challenges we are yet to encounter? 

Social distancing

The first issue will, of course, be the matter of social distancing - although the World Health Organisation has suggested one metre for social distancing (and other countries such as Australia have suggested one and a half metres) - the government has given two metres as the required distance across the country. The impact is immediate and severe - we must now physically teach a quarter of students in twice as much space.

Staff and student numbers

Before we even get to this point, however, this prediction is generally being made based on similar numbers of staff and students attending from mid-June and September and onwards - what if even this is an assumption too far? With many parents and carers immediately withdrawing students upon the enforcement of the lockdown, do we yet have any idea how many students will even attempt attendance? And along these lines, will we have the staff? With a minimum of 65 education staff dying from Covid-19 since the start of March, can we expect practitioners who are isolating or have underlying health conditions to return to work as normal? Teaching unions have expressed concern and there’s a shadow over the viability of mid-June expansion.

Providing technology 

It is likely we could end up with an educational Covid-19 division of two parallel ways of working: those staff and students who can and do attend schools and colleges under the new normal, and those who can’t and who will continue with distance learning until a vaccine has been developed. How this system will work is open to great debate, but more must be done to identify and support vulnerable learners, and properly provide laptops and internet access to all of those who do not have it.

The impact on mental health 

Also, although prioritising reception, Year 6, Year 10 and Year 12 initially seemed a positive step, little seems to have been announced to support the mental health of these students. For Year 6, especially, the move from primary to secondary is a watershed moment in which children move from a single teacher and a small group of peers who they have likely spent half their lives with, to an enormously intimidating, unfamiliar land of terrifying giants (or Year 11...) and anonymous teachers. Without adequate support in the remaining half-term (which is likely to be four or five weeks, at most), the mental health impact could be long lasting.

Monitoring engagement

There are questions to be asked about parents who choose not send their children to school and how we monitor and reward or sanction engagement. This is also true of students in post-16 education, where attendance is already a concern in some areas. Seeing how networks of support agencies - such as social services, Camhs and other vital agencies - continue to conduct home visits and meetings without parents or children in attendance will also be an immediate and difficult challenge to navigate.

A new academic year

So, what next? Well, firstly, colleges will address the basics: two-metre social distancing, soap and sanitiser available throughout buildings, regular deep cleans and communication with parents, as well as ensuring staff and students are safe in their new working environment. 

After this, further funding is needed to upgrade and improve all aspects of technology within schools so that all students are given the opportunity to learn. It is not inconceivable that lessons be live-streamed to those unable to attend, but this cannot be allowed to disadvantage those without the resources.

Whatever schools and colleges look like in the next few months, from September onwards, education is going to look very, very different for parents, carers, practitioners, leaders and students alike.

The writer is head of English and maths at a college in England