Headteacher challenges and opportunities of implementing COVID-19 preventive measures in schools in England from 2022 onwards

Objective: Government guidance to reduce COVID-19 transmission was rapidly implemented by headteachers in primary and secondary schools in England. This study investigated the main challenges and opportunities faced by headteachers during the pandemic recovery period (starting in March 2021 when schools reopened indefinitely). Findings are intended to inform education policy to support schools and for future outbreaks. Design: Qualitative study involving semi-structured interviews. Setting: Primary and secondary schools in England from April to September 2022. Method: We undertook remote interviews using Zoom with 10 headteachers and senior leaders from six primary and four secondary schools. A thematic analysis was conducted to identify challenges and opportunities faced by schools when implementing COVID-19 preventive measures. Results: Participants continued to implement some preventive measures (ventilation, optional face masks, handwashing) into the recovery period. Hybrid learning was a large burden on schools, even more so than remote learning. Many schools felt confident in their ability to scale preventive measures up or down if needed in the future. Due to the increased utilisation of resources dedicated to the COVID-19 response, school budgets were felt to be at risk for the forthcoming school years. Conclusion: Implementation measures advised by the Government were perceived as helpful but came at a large human resource and financial cost. Schools should be provided with flexible guidance to allow leadership to tailor preventive measures to their own context. This would require technical advisory support to be available. Further research is needed to understand the impact of the COVID-19 recovery period on a wider scale for both teachers and students.