Schools in Jesmond have said that co-curricular plans are crucial in helping students readapt to school life.

Catch-up plans being developed in Jesmond’s schools following the period of remote learning are emphasising social interaction and pastoral support. While online lessons meant that academic learning was able to continue, many pupils were missing day-to-day interaction with their peers in the classroom.

David Tickner, headmaster of Newcastle School for Boys, told JesmondLocal: “Since the boys have been back in school, we’ve had a chance to pick up on the things that were undoubtedly limited whilst they studied from home. Some skills can only be developed from being in a classroom, like collaborating with others, thinking creatively etc. These things form an integral part of an all-rounded education.”

Tickner added: “It’s just not been possible to deliver this in the same way. Overall, learning from home is not the sort of school experience that we would want for our pupils.”

Royal Grammar School Newcastle has also emphasised the need for students to be with each other in person again. “However good the online experience, it cannot replace the positive dynamic of day to day interaction between human beings”, said headteacher Geoffrey Stanford.

Stanford added: “Even just a passing conversation in the corridor can help lift someone’s mood and, by being around people, even the most reticent teenager learns social skills that they will need as they grow into young adults and pursue their careers.”

Staff are keen to reintroduce students into co-curricular subjects, such as sport, music, and drama, which they struggled to replicate during remote learning. The students at Newcastle High School for Girls (NHSG) have been partaking in yoga and dodgeball, and staff have planned a pupil wellbeing day for the end of this term.

NHSG’s headteacher Michael Tippet told JesmondLocal: “Social development goes hand in hand with academic development and this is an area we have been particularly focused on with the return to school plans, alongside supporting any mental health issues.

“It’s important that the girls have time outside of their lessons where they can relax and blow off some steam.”

Dame Allan’s School has also created a programme that prioritises socialising and positive mental wellbeing. The “Big Bounce Back” includes PSHEE activities which focus on “key behaviours” that staff felt were important as pupils got used to working together again. Timetables have also been adapted to allow time for off-screen activities and peer-to-peer socialisation.

Looking ahead to the summer term, the government’s road map provides reassurance that pupils will remain in school, which staff have commented as being vital to their overall development and wellbeing. The schools are keen to see students progress in the coming months as they readjust to normal school life.