Most children are resilient and will manage to cope with the pandemic, the lockdown and returning to school with Covid safety rules but we can support that process.
We can do this by screening their emotional wellbeing as they return, offering interventions to build resilience and wellbeing, providing lessons that explicitly teach about and give space to think through the key themes they may be facing, ensuring well-structured routines and learning processes are in place, but most importantly, paying close attention to how we ‘show up’ for them, the relationships we build with them and how we embody Rogers’ three core conditions.
One PSHE lead/class teacher said: “I would like to say a huge thank you to all the Jigsaw team for your ongoing support. Many schemes/programmes you buy as a school need upgrades or additional materials that need to be paid for but Jigsaw is always there with up to date materials and policies whenever they are needed. When you buy the Jigsaw scheme you become part of its family and that is much appreciated.”
Carl Rogers, a psychologist who developed person-centred psychotherapy, suggested that there are three core conditions of positive relationships: unconditional positive regards, congruence (authenticity) and empathy.
These need extra attention as we bring children back to school. Our relationships with them, our own emotional state while we are with them and how we show up for them, is vital. The three Rs: Routine, Relevance and Relationships only scratch the surface. Teachers know their children and their awareness of children’s needs is vital.
The recovery package perfectly complements the Jigsaw Programme but can be used as a stand-alone recovery programme to help you support your children aged 5-11 as they return to school.
There is a pack for KS1 and a pack for KS2. Each comprises:
These have been written as PowerPoints with activities built into the slides. We envisage the lessons being used either by teachers in the classroom and/or as self-study packs for students working from home.
Teachers will of course, use their professionalism and discretion to assess which lessons may be suitable for self-study, and teachers, not Jigsaw, take full responsibility for this.
The lesson plans:
This includes: