In this episode, behaviour specialist Adele Bates reflects on the kaleidoscope of pupil’s lockdown experiences facing school leaders, and the challenge of meeting the individual needs of all.

The common theme running through her insights is the requirement to treat every child as an individual. Whilst some of those that normally struggle in a mainstream school environment have thrived during lockdown (though not all), there are those that normally thrive and perform well in school that have struggled while in lockdown (though again, not all).

Above all, Adele’s view is that safety and wellbeing needs must come first, and learning second as pupils return to the classroom. Add to that the understanding that teachers and leaders will have experienced a plethora of issues too, and we start to appreciate the enormity of the task facing us at the start of this new academic year.

There are lots of suggestions in this interview that can guide us through what will undoubtedly be a challenging time, along with links to helpful resources, and a useful handout to try in your setting – free writing for all, a wellbeing intervention that Adele finds most powerful.