Teachers, parents and children have all had to be creative, resilient and resourceful to survive a year of remote learning. But as four head teachers discover, schools have changed in ways that will leave their mark on our education system for ever

School has been out for almost a year now, apart from autumn term 2020 – a tense affair, full of one-way systems, sanitising gel and frequent breaks for self-isolation. Newspapers are ­calling current pupils “the lost generation” because of all the time they have missed in the classroom. This apocalyptic picture will be lost on some teenagers, who have enjoyed attending their morning online lessons in pyjamas, coffee mug in hand. But for many ­others, the loss of school routine, and the lack of human contact and support, has been lonely and depressing. Schools have been working hard to keep children afloat, not only educationally but psychologically. I spoke to four heads from very different schools to find out how they are coping – and discovered a surprising number of silver linings in pandemic clouds.

Matthew Condon is head of Christ the King Primary in Knowle West, south Bristol. The school serves a strong community, which also has high levels of deprivation. He explained how the pandemic had brought about ­developments in teaching and learning, with daily lessons and activities “focusing on building resilience, confidence and independence for all children, whether at home or in school”. One key part of this effort is regular, effective and positive feedback for all children, and working hard to keep up the strong relationships and connections that staff have with their children. Currently, one-third of pupils are going into school because their parents are key workers or because they are recognised as vulnerable.