Suffolk teacher says 'Year 11 students act like Year 9s' due to Covid

The impact of Covid has affected some pupils' maturity, says school head

A head teacher said a number of her Year 11 students were "still behaving in lots of ways like Year 9 students" due to the disruption caused by Covid.

Suffolk County Council's education scrutiny committee heard of a number of behavioural issues that had come to light as a result of the two lockdowns.

It was told young people had "lost out enormously".

Council education officers said they recognised the pressures schools and school staff were under.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said a report to the committee highlighted "increased numbers of children with eating disorders and anxiety, with little resilience and interest in school".

Long periods of learning away from school had affected some children's behaviour

Rowena Mackie, head teacher at Northgate High in Ipswich, said: "Our young people have lost out enormously through two school closures. They have missed nine months in the last two years really.

"Their level of maturity has been stunted to a certain degree, so for example I will look at some students in Year 11, who we would expect to be role models in our school with really positive behaviours, and they are still behaving in lots of ways like Year 9 students.

"That is not to blame the child, it is just to say that period of social isolation and being in those good routines, learning how to behave with each other as they grow and mature, they have lost that."

• Students’ mental health ‘worse since Covid’

• Covid fuels deepening education inequalities - MPs

• Almost two million pupils regularly missing school

• School tells MPs about impact of Covid on learning

She added: "Staff simply do not have the time to be mental health workers.

"I have been in education for 30 years and it has never, ever been harder."

The government launched the National Tutoring Programme, now in its second year, to help youngsters most disrupted during the pandemic to access targeted support.

Schools have also put in place measures to help pupils, such as developing resources for pupils outside of school hours or mental health access in schools.

Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email [e-mail]