Curriculum Recovery

 As all the children return to school in September after lockdown, we felt it was important to consider how we are going to engage all pupils after what has been an unsettling time.  

At St Swithun's we have put a child's well-being at the centre of our thinking.  We acknowledge that the children have had different experiences during this time.  However the common thread running through all of this is the loss of routine, structure, friendship, opportunity and freedom.  These losses can trigger anxiety in anyone.

We know that an anxious child is not in a place to learn effectively. With this in mind we have considered the most effective way to support your child's ability to learn.  

Our approach

We will be thinking about regulating our emotions, feeling safe, calm and having a sense of belonging.  This will enable us to reflect and think about what is happening around us.  

REMEMBER: REGULATE-RELATE-REASON = RECOVERY

 It is likely that everyone returning to school has been affected by the collective trauma of ‘lock down’ and school closure.  Everyone will be returning to school with differing frames of reference.  Many children will, on some level, be on ‘alarm state’ and thus be experiencing some form of dysregulation.  In this state it is harder to listen, comprehend and cope; navigating our way through becomes a big ask and restoring stability becomes the focus.

 To be able to have the mental capacity to REASON everyone needs to be able to RELATE to each other.  To be able to RELATE to each other everyone needs to feel safe, calm and possess a sense of belonging through being able to REGULATE how they physically and emotionally feel.  Through this approach everyone will be able to start to RECOVER and engage successfully in school life.