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Views & Opinion Learning to connect Comment by Dr ASHA PATEL, CEO of education not-for-profit Innovating Minds
'Everyone else seems happy. They all fit in. Why am I always on the outside?' Mariam is 14 and never invites people to her house because it's not always a safe place. It was not a problem in lockdown but now she feels left out. Loneliness is
sometimes described as a profound sense of detachment and dislocation from those around them. We all need to be part of a group – our family, our community to thrive. Alienation and isolation make children vulnerable, and may lead to anxiety and the 'fight or flight' reaction. The pandemic has been blamed for a rise in loneliness in young
people. However, even in 2018 the Office for National Statistics was claiming that nearly 10% of to 18–year-olds said they were 'often lonely'. Young people are now reporting loneliness more frequently than their parents or grandparents, despite being in school surrounded by people or having regular contact with people online. The pandemic has exacerbated problems. Children were
encouraged to sit one metre apart; they were in bubbles, there were few if any outside visits or after school clubs. Many children were not able to attend school during the lock down period and therefore spent long periods at home isolated. Outside of school, there are fewer opportunities for social life
than in the past. According to the YMCA, youth services have experienced a 70% funding cut over the last 12 years and in some cases the buildings have been sold off so there is little chance of re-establishing centres where young people can meet others of a similar age. No wonder so many children seek solace in social media where
they have a connection with gamers or people who share their interests. They have friends, but not necessarily ones they will meet in the real world.
How schools can help Difficulties with social skills may be a barrier to making and keeping friends. Do your students struggle with initiating conversation? Do they know how to read body language or facial expressions? Do they know how to act appropriately around other children, or do they irritate their classmates by not listening, being bossy, standing too close to them? Tanya Birch, Intervention Support Officer at Innovating Minds
explains: 'Loneliness is relatively subjective. It’s an emotional response within an individual when there is a lack of social engagement. The key word here being engagement. A child can be surrounded by other adults and children (as they are in classrooms) but are they engaged socially and emotionally with those around them?'
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www.education-today.co.uk The impact of this is loneliness and the impact of loneliness is
impaired cognitive functions such as attention, an ability to focus as well as increased risk of mental health difficulties such as depression or anxiety. To support children, the curriculum should be proactive and
preventative in teaching social skills and social emotional literacy as well as supporting those children who are feeling lonely by providing early intervention strategies to support their individual needs. Tanya believes, 'The curriculum and whole school culture should be promoting social interactions and developing opportunities for children to come together, as well as ensuring their whole school mental health strategy is in place and sustainable.'
One school's mission to tackle loneliness Dave Shaw, headteacher, said: ‘At Spire we are always improving our understanding of the current state of loneliness in children, especially after the pandemic. Restrictions put in place to contain the virus have caused extended periods of isolation for children and young people away from their friends, teachers, extended family, sports and community networks. We have taken this on board and have numerous after school
club’s art, sports, cooking and gardening including preparations for our own allotment.
The school also provides: • Numerous after school clubs: art, sports, cooking and gardening including preparations for our own allotment • Booster classes before and after school for children who are working below the level of their peers to give them confidence • We offer all our children toast or bagels in a morning to set them up for their day ahead, nobody can learn on an empty tummy! • Drawing and Talking sessions for children who have experienced trauma • Lego Therapy, friendship groups and work with Emotional Literacy Support Assistants ELSA for children who struggle to form friendships or need to improve confidence and self-esteem • A therapy dog visits the school for children to read to. We have found this has a calming effect on children who struggle with anxiety • An afternoon nurture group provides the early nurturing experiences some children lack. This gives them the skills to do well at school, make friends and deal more confidently and calmly with the trials and tribulations of life’ 'Recently, we set up a food bank on site, as increased living
costs are impacting our families,' said Shaw. 'We want to reduce stress and worries at home as this can have a negative impact on children who pick up on their grown ups' worries and can feel isolated. We are proud of the way our staff build relationships with our children and make the time to talk to them,' he says. 'Sometimes just putting aside a small amount of time to listen to a child to help them have a successful day in school.'
For more information:
https://www.innovatingmindscic.com/
https://www.myedupod.com/cr/senior-mental-health-leads
https://lp.healing-together.co.uk/cr/healing-together-programme
May 2022
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