Lockdown has impacted children in many ways. Each child's experience is unique and for some lockdown will have been a positive one.

But for many children it will have negatively affected their lives as they have dealt with social isolation, loss of learning time, diminished physical health (less exercise, poorer nutrition) and a lack of routine or structure that brings a feeling of safety and order to their daily lives.

Coram SCARF and Coram Beanstalk (both part of the oldest UK children's charity, Coram) have created an easy to access and implement toolkit to help build children's resilience and well-being as they return to school.

It’s designed to be easy for teachers to use, with everything in one place. It uses an evidence-informed framework and approach to improving mental health, for all ages.  

Coram Life Education’s online teaching resource, SCARF, provides a whole-school approach to pupil well-being, safety, behaviour and achievement. Meeting the Department for Education’s requirements for Relationships, Sex and Health Education; SCARF is a framework of lesson plans, online planning, assessment and Ofsted tools to give teachers the skills and confidence to embed a comprehensive PSHE, RSHE and well-being programme throughout the primary years. SCARF is now used by over 50,000 teachers across the UK.

About the Reconnect and Recover toolkit

This toolkit will work alongside the varying strategies that schools will use to support children's mental health and resilience, post lockdown.

It's based on the evidence-led NHS five steps to mental well-being: connect to others, be active, take notice (mindfulness), keep learning (creativity) and give to others.

SCARF's Reconnect and Recover toolkit will give NAHT members:

• daily or weekly age-appropriate activities to help children develop strategies to improve their well-being
• Creative and flexible ways of promoting everyone's mental health as schools re-open to all children
• Engaging stories and inspiring writing: starting points for activities that build on the five well-being themes
• Additional resources and support for teachers’ mental well-being.

For more information and to access your free toolkit, visit www.coramlifeeducation.org.uk.