A headteacher whose 830 pupils must learn semi-remotely for at least a term because of the schools concrete crisis has warned that the upheaval could cause a recurrence of the negative mental health impact of Covid lockdowns.
James Saunders, the leader of Honywood school in Coggeshall, Essex, fears that year-seven students entering their first term at secondary school could face future struggles after the Department for Education last week ordered the closure of 22 classrooms as part of a nationwide safety alert.
The 1960s school was built using the aerated concrete roof panels known as Raac, which have forced the partial or complete closure of more than 100 schools in England and Wales over fears of sudden collapse.
Pupils at the school will be given a rota that means they will attend school on some days and work at home the rest of the time.
“It’s the worst time to be moving to remote learning,” Saunders said. “Let’s put ourselves in the shoes of our year-sevens. That’s a crucial time. It’s a transition [from primary to secondary school] that can really affect their mental health going forward.”
He said there had been a clear knock-on effect on the mental health of some in the cohort who started secondary school during the pandemic lockdown of 2020. “That could happen again,” he warned. “It’s going to be a lot tougher.”
UK government data from February and March 2021 shows that rates of probable mental disorder in children and young people increased between 2017 and 2021 from 12% to 17% among six-16-year-olds and from 10% to 17% among 17-19-year-olds.
