Abingdon News No.55

10 July 2020 10 Abingdon News It seems aeons ago that none of us had heard of Zoom, when flying abroad was something taken for granted, and when no one had spent an evening doing a virtual pub-less quiz. When lockdown came, a key issue for us all was how we could stay connected with our pupils, and ensure that they felt supported while history unfolded around them. It was for this reason that going online for lessons was accompanied by a robust programme of pastoral care. Every day tutors see each of their tutees for registration via a Zoom video link, enabling staff to ensure students are coping, and to encourage the boys to feel connected with each other, with staff, and with the school. Tutors also have weekly one to one catch up chats with their tutees. Assemblies and Chapel have carried on, and there have been all sorts of initiatives to bring boys in the houses together – whether that has been virtual pizza nights, online horse racing, or even running around the world. As well as putting in place this support framework, everyone has been encouraged to look after themselves and keep their Other Half going. Tutors have been asking boys to get outside, to help others, and to try something new. Building independence and resilience have been the watchwords of lockdown. Remote education is no replacement for the experience of being surrounded by the buzz of school life, bumping into peers and staff, being physically in the classroom, and being able to walk next to someone and share an emotion. However, there have been silver linings that we will take out of the whole experience: one of these is that the shared sense of displacement between staff and pupils has helped to build even stronger pastoral relationships. Pastoral Life in Lockdown Youth Mental Health Head of Wellbeing, Reverend Paul Gooding, was recently interviewed by local clinical psychologist, Dr Rebekah Tennyson, for an episode of the mental health podcast ‘A Drop in the Bucket’. He spoke about the importance of helping students with their mental fitness, including the role of Youth Mental Health First Aid courses which have been made available to teaching staff at Abingdon School and across the local partnership schools. The episode is available from Monday 6th July through Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Stitcher, as well as at dropinthebucket.buzzsprout.com. by Mark Hindley, Deputy Head Pastoral