Coronavirus: What can schools do?

With the current Covid-19 Coronavirus outbreak affecting every element of our daily lives, schools are in a bit of a strange position. Remaining open with very few staff and students, as we all try to figure this out day by day. Working with schools is equally challenging in these times. With Coronavirus in schools, rather than activity providers, this adds to the strain on teachers. Here at WiseUp we want to do what we can to support all the hardworking staff who are going above and beyond their already extensive work load.

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Staying Active

The benefits of an active lifestyle are never more important than now. Whilst we maybe can’t get out and about as much as we would usually like, there are still plenty of things we can all do to keep our bodies active.

The Body Coach Joe Wicks is running fantastic PE sessions live every morning. If you haven’t already checked them out, we can highly recommend them!

Join in the nationwide eye spy scavenger hunt! Every week, children are being encouraged to put drawings up in their windows as a way to spread joy and thank our amazing Key Workers. When you are out for your daily exercise, see how many you can count. Or mark them on a map! Teachers can encourage students to see how many they can spot from certain areas on the playground.

The category changes each week and they are as follows:

Rainbows – W/c 23 March
Sunshine – W/c 30 March
Easter – W/c 6 April
Animals – W/c 13 April
Flowers – W/c 20 April
Smiley Faces – W/c 27 April

Other Activity Ideas

We are putting together a free collection of super fun challenges that children of all ages can try. With videos and written description planned, these easy to follow activity ideas will keep everyone entertained. These are available on our website and will be updated frequently.

In the mean time, please check out some of our previous Blogs for quick and easy ideas of activities to do with children:

We also have more activity ideas to look forward to in our April Easter edition post.

Cancelled Exams

With all exams cancelled for the end of the academic year, many older students are especially worried about the impact this will have on their future. They may feel like they have worked very hard for a number of years, only for it to not matter now. But it DOES matter. All that hard work won’t have been wasted, as teachers follow the guidelines set out by the Department for Education.

This also means a substantially different approach for teachers. As a result of the changes, school staff have to make assessments based on physical evidence. This can be really difficult, as some teachers will know their students maybe hadn’t presented their best work previously but were headed for big improvements in the exams. The great news is that universities and colleges will also be adapting their intake approach as a result of all of this. The rules on conditional offers may well be adjusted, replaced or scrapped altogether.

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Effects on Mental Health

It’s important to think about the effect that Coronavirus is having on everyone’s mental health, alongside our physical health. The anxiety of being in an unknown situation can be extremely overwhelming. Add to that the possible effects of loneliness during isolation phases and the government lockdown.

As a result of all of this, young people may be feeling like this is all too much. Used to seeing their friends every day at school, younger children especially may not understand the current restrictions. This could cause them to play up or act out. Some parents we have spoken to have reported an onset of panic attacks in children as young as 8, whilst others have told us about the return of bed wetting and nightmares.

Parents are under enormous pressure. Not just with having their children suddenly off school and needing lots of attention, but with the extraordinary ways of trying to complete basic day to day living tasks. Going to do the food shopping is a logistical nightmare! It’s important for us all to remember that if we are struggling, to ask for help. Community spirit is massively on the upswing, which is one fantastic positive to come out of all of this. We certainly have spoken to more of our neighbours recently (at an acceptable distance) than ever before.

Another positive to focus on is to remember that this will come to an end, even if we aren’t 100% sure quite when. We are all in this together!

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School Trips Cancelled due to Coronavirus

With the UK (and indeed much of the world) in lockdown, schools are unable to take part in their normal school trips. This is a huge disappointment to students, staff and the activity providers themselves. Not only does it have an emotional impact, there are also the finances to consider.

This time of year is when the majority of businesses in the outdoor education sector make enough money to see them through the rest of the year. They rely on schools to be able to pay staff wages for their instructors, cleaners, maintenance staff, kitchen workers and office teams. There are also the other extensive out-goings that all businesses have, such as gas, water and electricity bills. Without this annual injection of cash, many outdoor companies run the risk of going out of business completely.

Schools can help keep this vital industry from collapse. If your school is going to be closed by the government on a date that you have a booking with an outdoor provider (or any other trip type), most schools will be able to claim the cost of this back from their school’s insurance under their trip cancellation policy. If for any reason this is not covered by your insurance, the Department of Education has said that they will reimburse schools for out of pocket expenses incurred as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The information is buried in various bits of government paperwork, but for official clarification, please contact your local council DofE worker.

Schools following this route, rather than claiming the cost of the trip back from the activity provider, will help to ensure the survival of the outdoor industry.

Thinking to the Future

When schools are back fully open, a team building activity day would be a fantastic way to re-ignite student interactions in a fun and positive event. Our problem solving challenges are ideal for kick starting the brain, ready for going back into the classroom. Re-building relationships between students will help improve mental health. Even better, holding events outside has the added bonus of improving physical health, as we have already established. Being outside in the fresh air, enjoying the British Spring/Summer time can only be a positive thing. Above all, these events bring people back together after all the talk of distance.

Please contact us to discuss holding a team building activity day when schools re-open.

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