23rd June 2020: As school gates begin to open, primary schools are facing a flood of exceptional challenges, including discovering the true impact of the Covid-19 outbreak on their students’ education.
In a new white paper, Making the impossible possible – A Covid-19 exit strategy for primary schools, launched today by Juniper Education, primary school leaders reveal their plans to recover from the pandemic and ensure that no child is left behind.
The report, which gathered the views of leaders of primary schools and multi-academy trusts, covers how the sector will manage the return to school, the fluctuations in pupil and staff attendance, how to provide emotional support for the whole school community and how to help children to overcome lost learning.
Strategies include filling any gaps in literacy and numeracy by teaching these skills within history or geography lessons as well, or enabling children shielding at home to collaborate in class projects so they do not feel left out when their peers head back to class.
The report also addresses the concerns school leaders have around managing the increased number of pupils in difficulty. “There are pupils who are now identifying as vulnerable who weren’t on our vulnerable list before lockdown. Our first priority will be to identify children’s emotional needs and support those needs pastorally,” says Stephen Chamberlain, CEO of the Active Learning Trust.
With no date set for when schools can return to normal, the white paper highlights the education sector’s determination to continue to respond to the challenges ahead with creative solutions that make a difference to children’s lives.
Graham Cooper, product strategy director of Juniper Education, says “We won’t know the full impact of the crisis for some time. But what we do know is that it has never been more important to give teachers the freedom to spend time with the children who need them most. The report highlights how schools are planning to support their pupils and staff, both in the immediate and long term. It’s clear school leaders are embracing innovative thinking and are putting in place solid foundations to protect and enhance the future of today’s children.”
The contributors to the white paper include:
- Chris Belli, executive director for education, The White Horse Federation
- Claire Jaques, headteacher, Acorn Academy
- Emma Wigmore, CEO, The Vine Schools Academy Trust
- Jane McKenzie Downes, education advisor, Juniper Education
- Nick Capstick, CEO, The White Horse Federation
- Peter French, deputy director of education, Diocese of Peterborough
- Stephen Chamberlain, CEO, Active Learning Trust
The Juniper Education team have worked in schools and understand the challenges school leaders face. They have the expertise to help schools to accelerate out of the Covid-19 crisis and address vital issues such as:
- Identifying gaps in learning
- Tracking pupil progress in the curriculum
- Supporting staff wellbeing
- Providing effective staff training
- Managing school finance, payroll and human resources
- Reducing time spent on meaningless administration
To read the full interviews and discover how primary schools plan to recover from the pandemic, download the white paper:
https://junipereducation.org/resource/white-papers/making-the-impossible-possible/
For further information and to arrange interviews, please contact:
Louise Everett, The Influence Crowd (on behalf of Juniper Education). louise@theinfluencecrowd.co.uk
Tel: 07855 257927.
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Juniper Education
Juniper Education’s aim is to increase the effectiveness of schools, improve outcomes for learners and enable teachers to teach. The organisation supports more than 7,000 primary and secondary schools with software to bring assessment, attendance, behaviour, pupil and staff data together into one system and supplies software for tracking pupil performance. Juniper Education provides services to assist schools with financial management, teacher training, HR, and school visits planning. Brands within the Juniper Education group include Target Tracker, OTrack, Maze Education, Classroom Monitor and Pupil Asset.
