Vigilance is key: Five things for safeguarding leads to consider

Schools are fully re-opening once again, with all pupils now where most of them want – and need – to be.

It will be a long time before things return fully back to normal and one particular legacy of the pandemic is the potential long-term damage to the mental health and wellbeing of children.

It is important that we keep a watchful eye on our pupils as they settle back into school. While the lockdown has disrupted learning and life for so many, most will hopefully bounce back quickly.

For others, it has been a time of severe stress and sometimes trauma. They may have been trapped in an unhappy home that has been wracked by joblessness, economic pressure and illness, or they may have lost a family member to Covid. Neglect, abuse and other issues have also risen during the national lockdowns. Whatever the reason behind their stress we need to be ready to support them.