On 20th March 2020, the coronavirus pandemic forced our school to close to the majority of pupils. This was a crisis that was totally unprecedented for us as a school and so we worked hard to ensure all of our children did not miss out during this period. We worked closely with parents and carers to support them with the new challenge that they faced in supporting their child’s learning at home.

 

As a school we realised that we had a vital role to play in helping children come to terms with the pandemic and disruption it has caused to their childhoods. We know how badly our children wanted to reconnect with their friends and teachers. It is for this reason that we developed the Northwood Recovery Curriculum. This was also developed alongside our Educational Psychology Service who supported us with the design and implementation of the curriculum.

 

The 5 Lenses’ in the centre of our flower built five weeks of social and emotional support for children, which were delivered to each child as they were reintroduced into the school system. Senior Leaders designed the 5Rs to support both staff and children as they started to  re-engage with school. The staff at Northwood have been supported and encouraged to seek connections, be mindful, be kind to themselves, notice their emotions and find space to zone out. Each time staff introduce a new lens to the children, they are encouraged to apply the principles behind it to themselves as well.

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This Recovery Curriculum prioritises safe opportunities for children to rebuild bonds with their classmates and teachers whom they have missed greatly during school closures.