New for Autumn 2020
Responding to the Pandemic: The New 3 R’s of a Recovery Curriculum: Reflection, Reconnection and Resilience
It would be naive to think that the child will pick up at exactly the same point at which they left on the day their school closed. Too much has happened.
Barry Carpenter, CBE, Professor of Mental Health in Education, Oxford Brookes University, UK
In response to the Pandemic Coaching for Progress is now offering support and training to support the return to school for all pupils. With a focus on Reflection, Reconnection and Resilience we are offering:
- One to one interventions and support for Individuals
- Small group sessions, assemblies and lessons on Reflection, Reconnection and Resilience
- Staff Training on how to support pupils return to school
Why is this so important right now?
Everyone has had their own unique experience and accompanying emotions during the pandemic. We are all trying to process and make sense of what has happened and what is yet to come.
This is the same for every young person we work with and support. Some will have drawn comfort and safety from the experience whilst others will have experienced loneliness, disconnection and fear. Either way the return to school in September is likely to be challenging for many and as professionals we need to be responsive to this.
Yes, we need structure, normality and a return to the regular curriculum.
At the same time, it is vital that we make space for the new 3 R’s
Reflection – Our young people need time and space to reflect upon the changes that have taken place for them in the past months. Above all they need to be heard, they need to tell their stories, to have their experiences validated and they need to be able to make sense of it all.
Reconnection – Our young people need to reconnect with their own identity, who are they now? What is the same and what is different? What have they learned? They need opportunities to rebuild relationships with those around them including the peers and the professionals they work with and reconnect with their wider community.
Resilience – Our young people need to develop resilience, the skills required to operate effectively in this brave new world. The future is now more unknow than at any point and it is vital that we teach young people how to manage their emotions, make logical decisions and cope with adversity.