English headteacher perspectives on school responses to protect student and staff mental wellbeing in the later stages of the COVID-19 pandemic

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on pupils and staff in English schools. This study aimed to provide an in-depth understanding of the challenges schools faced and the processes they implemented to protect the mental wellbeing of students and staff in the later stages of the pandemic, focusing on January–June 2022. Design: Qualitative study. Setting: Primary and secondary schools in England from April to September 2022. Method: Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted using Zoom with six primary and four secondary school headteachers (or other members of the senior leadership team) in England. Results: Mental wellbeing programming for students and staff was scaled up in both primary and secondary schools amid concerns that the COVID-19 pandemic would impact on mental health. Headteachers perceived changes in the behaviour of students, including increased dysregulation, and staff struggling with fatigue and a sense of being devalued as professionals. Schools scaled up the supports they offered to students and staff, but challenges remain in maintaining such increased support due to the perceived additional needs of staff and students within the context of funding constraints. Despite initial concerns that there would be tension between promoting mental wellbeing and academic catch-up among students, headteachers identified work addressing these two priorities as synergistic. Conclusion: Mental wellbeing impacts of the pandemic on pupils and staff required increased provision of support programmes. Ongoing efforts to monitor the wellbeing needs of students and staff is required. Formal and informal methods to enhance the mental health for pupils and staff should continue into the recovery period

Epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 infection among staff and students in a cohort of English primary and secondary schools during 2020–2021

BACKGROUND: There remains uncertainty about the epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 among school students and staff and the extent to which non-pharmaceutical-interventions reduce the risk of school settings. METHODS: We conducted an open cohort study in a sample of 59 primary and 97 secondary schools in 15 English local authority areas that were implementing government guidance to schools open during the pandemic. We estimated SARS-CoV-2 infection prevalence among those attending school, antibody prevalence, and antibody negative to positive conversion rates in staff and students over the school year (November 2020–July 2021). FINDINGS: 22,585 staff and students participated. SARS-CoV-2 infection prevalence among those attending school was highest during the first two rounds of testing in the autumn term, ranging from 0.7% (95% CI 0.2, 1.2) among primary staff in November 2020 to 1.6% (95% CI 0.9, 2.3) among secondary staff in December 2020. Antibody conversion rates were highest in the autumn term. Infection patterns were similar between staff and students, and between primary and secondary schools. The prevalence of nucleoprotein antibodies increased over the year and was lower among students than staff. SARS-CoV-2 infection prevalence in the North-West region was lower among secondary students attending school on normal school days than the regional estimate for secondary school-age children. INTERPRETATION: SARS-CoV-2 infection prevalence in staff and students attending school varied with local community infection rates. Non-pharmaceutical interventions intended to prevent infected individuals attending school may have partially reduced the prevalence of infection among those on the school site. FUNDING: UK Department of Health and Social Care