BRITISH FAMILIES IN LOCKDOWN STUDY: The Impact of COVID 19 on Education and Children’s Services C. Clayton, R. Clayton and M. Potter. Leeds Trinity University
‘British Families in Lockdown’ is a qualitative study led by Leeds Trinity University which has investigated the day-to-day experiences of British families during the first seven weeks of lockdown. Fifty-six families from a diverse set of socio-economic backgrounds, geographies, religions and cultures participated in telephone or video calling semi-structured interviews and they shared their detailed, personal stories and experiences of employment, children’s schooling, health, well-being, family life, leisure time and technology use during the first phase of lockdown.
Outside of this study, reported Covid-19 evidence is overwhelmingly quantitative based, scientific, clinical, anecdotal or journalistic, as such, these qualitative insights will help build a more rounded picture of British family experiences. The study was quick to respond to the pandemic and is one of the few qualitative studies collecting data from the UK population during the initial stage of lockdown. Our initial findings demonstrate some of the complex ways in which Covid-19 has impacted children’s services and education. Our data supports quantitative reports to some extent but there is contrasting evidence and wider issues to also consider.
SUMMARY OF MAIN FINDINGS
Some families who were provided a school place for their child, did not necessarily take up the school offer. They felt that keeping their children at home was safer. Access to support services for some families discontinued and there was limited, or no further contact made with the children during the initial period of lockdown. There were significant inconsistencies in terms of the provision and support offered by schools and nurseries to parents and pupils during lockdown. Many parents were critical of their children’s schools in terms of the work that was sent home, the lack of it, or the perception that it was too difficult. These parents were often disappointed that their children had little or no contact with teachers. Privately run schools seemed to offer much better outcomes for pupils including regular video conferencing and more teacher to pupil time and peer to peer contact online. For most families, feelings of closeness and bonding improved during lockdown which was seen as highly beneficial for well-being. Some children were far more suited to learning from home as school and early years settings were seen as a cause of distress and anxiety for various reasons. For these children lockdown was a positive experience. Parents felt that children of all ages missed physical contact with their peers and socialising opportunities. Children with SEN (special educational needs) or disabilities received little or no additional support for home learning during lockdown. Children appeared to be positive and engaged with their home-learning to varying degrees. It was noticeable that some children were willing to complete their studying either independently or under parental guidance without conflict. Parent’s noted that some children were only able to actively engage with learning for a few hours each day. Page 1
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Other parents experienced more tension in the household if they dictated lengthy and fixed hours of studying or attempted to force learning. Many parents prioritised their child’s well-being as being more important than their educational attainment and allowed their children to set their own work timetables. For several families, lockdown allowed parents to focus on their children’s needs and education, in a way that they had not done before, which resulted in reports of positive child outcomes. Some families appeared more resilient to lockdown than others. For most families there were positive impacts of lockdown in terms of their children’s outcomes. For families that appeared less resilient, there were pressures on the household such as additional support needs, or significant work pressures for the parents. Some families spoke of constant financial worries due to loss of actual and potential earnings and an increase in utility and grocery bills as a result of lockdown. Several financially disadvantaged families were having more positive experiences during lockdown compared to pre-lockdown circumstances. Particularly in terms of perceived well- being and family closeness. BAME (Black Asian Minority Ethnic) parents often felt that there were culturally distinct experiences and attitudes to viral infections which resulted in different manifested behaviours. Some parents plan to work more flexibly in the future as a direct result of lockdown, so they can spend more time with their children and rely less on formal childcare. Several parents considered the prospect of their children attending school/nursery part-time in the future as beneficial for their child, both academically and in terms of mental well- being.
CRITICAL WORKERS AND ACCESS TO The critical workers we spoke to, by EDUCATION and large had a partner or spouse who was able to stay at home with A number of our families had one parent who the children to provide home- was classed as a critical worker. There were schooling. Either because they were some difficulties accessing families where unemployed, self-employed, were both parents were critical workers. Often the furloughed or were in education invitation to take part in the research was themselves. declined by such families due to heavy For families in which both parents constraints on their time and work pressures. were critical workers, the children Nevertheless, our study did include several were offered a school place. families where both the mother and father Some families who were provided a were critical workers. It is also important to school place for their child, did not note that in all of the families we spoke to, at necessarily take up the school offer. least one of the parents continued to work, Some parents chose to work from during lockdown, either working from home home to be with their children and or by going to work outside of the household could work flexible hours, had an (this included both critical and non-critical understanding employer or in one workers). case, a parent decided to resign in Page 2
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order to look after the children. A Some children’s mental health small number of parents relied on support discontinued once lockdown relatives for childcare as an began. This resulted in additional alternative. worries for the parents and the Being a critical worker did not children concerned. guarantee a school place, even if the The difficulties some parents faced in child had severe care needs. This managing their children’s additional caused distress for the parents and needs alongside the expectations of led to difficulties at home. their employers, resulted in increased Families of non-critical workers with levels of anxiety and fraught family children who had additional care relationships. needs such as disabilities or SEN reported that they were not given the opportunity to send their children EARLY YEARS CLOSURES: CHILDCARE AND into school. CHILD DEVELOPMENT Despite not being critical workers, many parents were still under Several parents had children who were pressure to work full time hours, registered with early years settings, this sometimes to the same or increased included nurseries (private and local authority workloads. These families would have led), pre-schools and childminders. There benefitted from being given the were mixed parental responses in terms of choice of school spaces. Especially the envisaged and actual impact of early years those who had additional care needs closures on families and children. Parents within the home. reported both benefits and challenges of having young children at home during the lockdown with respect to child development.
CHILDREN’S SUPPORT SERVICES Several parents were not overly concerned about the impact of A number of our parents had children who closures on their child’s early years were engaging with support services prior to development. Parents here, felt that lockdown either for physical or mental health their children would ‘catch up’ when needs, or due to their disabilities or SEN. For early years settings resumed, and most, this support stopped and although children were also at an early stage of some parents were accepting of this and their development and learning recognised the unprecedented nature of the journey. lockdown, it did lead to some parental reports A number of parents felt that their of negative outcomes for the children. child had benefited from the Parents whose children had either increased level of parental attention disabilities or SEN, commented on the as a result of the lockdown with lack of support or provision for their positive benefits for home learning, children whilst they were at home. including improved developmental In some cases, children with SEN were outcomes for some pre-school not given differentiated homework children. and the work they were expected to A minority of parents expressed do was perceived to be beyond their concerns about early years closures capacity without support. and the negative impact that this may have on their child’s physical, social, Page 3
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emotional development and well- Some parents aim to rely less on being. excursions, clubs and external For parents, whose children would be activities in the future and spend transitioning to reception class in more time on activities at home. September later this year, they Some parents plan to work more expressed concerns about their child’s flexibly in the future so they can level of school ‘readiness’ and the spend more time with their children possible missed learning and and rely less on formal childcare. developmental opportunities at the Parents who usually worked long early years setting. hours and saw little of their children, Some parents were particularly enjoyed the opportunity offered by concerned about the risk of Covid-19 lockdown to work from home and infection within early years settings build stronger bonds with their and chose to withdraw their child children. before the lockdown measures Some parents perceived that their formally began. children were generally happier after Most parents were satisfied with the spending more time with them. early years’ settings in terms of Some parents thought their child had communication to parents, home- developed and matured whilst being learning support and the nature of the out of nursery and early years settings, resources provided. but they were unsure if that Some early years settings were pro- development would have taken place active in communication, offering anyway, regardless of lockdown. ideas for home activities. Parents had worries about their Some early years settings utilised children settling into nursery again online resources to help facilitate after lockdown, given that the first home learning, but not all. transition was not an easy one. Where one or both parents worked, productivity levels were reportedly affected by the lack of early years CANCELLED EXAMS childcare which could cause feelings of parental stress and anxiety. Some of the children in our sample were due Some parents with young children to be sitting either their SATS, GCSE exams or normally in nurseries or with A-Levels this year, and so for them there were childminders were not used to mixed feelings about the impact of lockdown. spending so many full days with Parents of children whose exams had babies and toddlers. been cancelled largely felt that it was Parents were surprised and pleased to unfair from their child’s perspective. learn and develop new skills in terms Parents also felt that children had lost of entertaining and understanding out on a “rite of passage”. their young children during lockdown. Most parents felt that their children Learning that children could be happy would have preferred to have sat and entertained simply by being their exams, although many parents included in day-to-day family life and seemed satisfied with the plans to tasks was a surprise to some first-time award exam results based on parents. predicted grades and mock exam results. Page 4
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Some parents felt that the use of In the main it seemed that those predicted grades and mock exam children who were at private schools results as a mechanism to award were getting better standards of grades was unfair. teaching. All of the private schools in The parents who seemed most our study were undertaking video concerned were those whose children conferencing and the pupils could are due to take exams next year, and attend virtual lessons. there is significant worry about the Many pupils at state-run schools had effect that this year’s lockdown will no personal contact or direct dialogue have on the children’s preparedness with their teachers. for a year’s time. Whilst some parents felt that their CONTACT WITH SCHOOLS children missed school, others felt that their children were thriving at Our study gathered data from children of all home whilst home learning. ages from 0-18, who were educated across a Whilst some schools provided a range of geographical locations and school several hours’ worth of studying types including state-run and private schools, expectations each day, other schools urban and rural schools, outstanding schools expected less. and those in or recently out of special Despite the school’s expectations, measures. most children would only study for There was little consistency between around three hours or less each day schools concerning how much contact and parent’s felt this was the was made between the schools and maximum amount of time children the lockdown families. Some schools could concentrate for. had regular contact with the pupils However, some parents did insist that including daily video conferencing. their children studied for a full school Other schools were in contact as little day, but they noticed that their as once a week via email. children would not respond well to In general parents felt that the work this and struggled to maintain sent home from school demanded a concentration. higher academic standard than they Most parents felt that their children thought was appropriate. Some were having different and varied parents concluded that perhaps learning experiences whilst at home children are being schooled to higher which were as valuable and, in some standards than they were. cases, more valuable than the missed Some of the learning sent home was schoolwork. expecting the pupils to undertake Some parents are now considering work that they had not been taught home-schooling their children as a about previously. result of the lockdown experience. Some parents felt the schoolwork was beyond their own capabilities and worried about their abilities to teach CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH the subject material as a result. Other parents thought that the Parents largely had mixed responses homework provided by schools was of concerning their children’s well-being. Some a low standard. parents felt that their children were benefiting from spending more time at home Page 5
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and increased time with family members, Parent’s noted that some children whilst others felt that their children were could only actively engage with missing out on social interactions. For parents learning for a few hours each day. of children at primary school and in the early Some parents were concerned about years, there were largely positive stories the possible effects of social isolation about increased levels of closeness which had and their child’s well-being. These benefits for the whole family. That the parents were often those who younger children seemed happier, more reported difficulties adapting to content. There were a smaller number of lockdown themselves. parents who were worried about their child’s Some children were encouraged to mental health, these were mostly parents ignore social distancing rules so that who expressed difficulties with adjusting to they could see their friends. This is lockdown themselves. because the parents either wanted them to “get out of the house” or Several parents identified schools as a they thought it was good for their cause of negative mental health children’s mental health to see their outcomes for their children and friends. thought lockdown and the home It was acknowledged that time apart learning environment was beneficial. as a family was just as important as Some children who had been victims time spent together during lockdown of bullying or who experienced for positive mental health. anxiety at school were benefitting A small number of secondary aged from being at home. children did not want to leave the A significant number of parents house on their own, due to pre- thought that the experience of being existing social anxiety and/or fears of at home was positive for the conflicts and confrontations with children’s mental health. They were others on the streets. spending more time with their Parents of older children typically parents and siblings and worried more about their children’s strengthening family bonds. well-being than parents of younger Concerns about the lack of contact children. with friends, were often overcome by Most parents reported improvements children having online contact with in the levels of family closeness and their classmates and peer groups. perceived this to have had a positive Children were often perceived as effect on the household including a spending a lot of time communicating sense of well-being. with their friends either through Sibling relationships improved during online gaming or through social media. lockdown in many cases. Most parents were not concerned For some parents, such as full-time about their children’s ability to workers, the number of hours spent engage with and complete work at together as a family had dramatically home. Children were mostly increased as a result of lockdown. perceived as positive and engaged Parents felt closer to their children with their home-learning and would and enjoyed the family time together. begin their studying either independently or under parental There were concerns from some guidance without conflict. parents about the potential negative Page 6
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mental health impacts for their Some families who can be described children when returning to school. as financially disadvantaged were Other parents felt that their children’s often displaying positive outcomes lack of physical contact with their during lockdown as a result of romantic partners, friends and peers increased family time, leading to was potentially harmful for their well- bonding and feelings of closeness, being. although financial worries were still Several parents considered the present in these parents’ minds. prospect of their children attending For those parents who were having to school part-time in the future as being work harder, either because of their beneficial for their child, both critical role or because of the financial academically and in terms of mental risks to their businesses and well-being. livelihoods, they were spending less Some parents and children felt that time with their families. This generally having the option to home-school led to more negative outcomes for and/or flexible schooling options the household. would be beneficial. A small number of parents recognised that their own negative mental health IMPACT ON DISADVANTAGED GROUPS could have had a negative impact on their children. In our sample there were parents who can be described as on low incomes, unemployed, single, separated, care leavers, young, BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) and some FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS FOR CHILDREN parents had care needs. In addition to this, a AND FAMILIES number of parents identified their children as Families were asked about their financial having specific needs ranging from disabilities concerns and worries. Most families noted and learning difficulties through to poor that their outgoings had reduced during mental health, victims of bullying and grieving lockdown, however, for many their income children. had been negatively affected. For families who had additional Some families talked about constant support needs, there was a general financial worries due to loss of actual lack of support during the initial and potential earnings and an weeks of lockdown. Families increase in utility and grocery bills as a perceived that they were expected to result of lockdown. be able to manage. Some parents were worried about As lockdown progressed, a small losing their jobs and businesses as a number of support services were result of lockdown. conducting home visits whilst social Some families were spending less distancing or utilising video money during lockdown and so they conferencing calling to contact were able to save more. families. There were no parental concerns Several BAME parents were about children’s pocket or spending concerned about anti-Asian and anti- money since outings had been ethnic hate crimes and attitudes as curtailed and many shops and venues seen in the media and felt unsafe were closed. when they were outside of the home. Page 7
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A minority of BAME families had Some BAME parents perceived there experienced anti-Asian hate crime, to be culturally distinct experiences especially when wearing face masks and attitudes to viral threats which before the lockdown began and in the affected the way that some cultural first few weeks of lockdown. Some groups responded to lockdown. families did not wear face masks to One British and Pakistani participant avoid drawing attention to felt that there were religious and themselves, despite wanting to use cultural reasons why BAME rates of them for protection. infection were higher in their Many BAME parents who wore face community. masks were treated with suspicion Parents who relied upon informal and intolerance before the lockdown support means such as grandparents began. One primary school did not for childcare and other types of permit the wearing of face masks support were negatively affected by when requested by one British the social restrictions. Chinese parent before the school Some disadvantaged parents had to closures began. Another British provide support for other family Chinese parent was not permitted to members outside of the home and use a taxi when wearing a face mask. this created additional strains on the Public attitudes towards face masks household in terms of finances, were said to be changing over the availability of time and childcare. course of lockdown and British For some parents, keeping young Chinese parents reported less fears children indoors was difficult about their use in public and especially when living in small spaces, encouraged their children to use them where no garden was available or as a result. there were a lack of resources and Parents who were unemployed were toys at home, or the inability to unable to seek employment during purchase new play items for children. the lockdown with financial Lack of personal outdoor space implications for the household. coupled with the closure of parks and Single parent households we spoke to playgrounds negatively affected received varied levels of support and several disadvantaged families who contact from the non-resident parent. wanted to spend time outside with Some were unsure about the non- their children. resident parents’ visitation or child contact rights during the lockdown. The absence of a separated parent’s CONCLUSIONS support often led to negative outcomes for the home. Families who had children with support needs For parents who had limited or no including disabilities and SEN received little or English language skills, government no support during the first stages of lockdown. guidance with regards to Covid-19 For parents who were having to work and and the lockdown was not clear or look after their children, including caring for a well understood. Advice was often child with additional needs, the home sought from friends and families environment became increasingly difficult and instead. hard to manage. Alongside critical workers, there were other parents who would benefit
from the option of a school place, particularly Page 8
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those who were still working full time and had Societal perceptions and general additional care needs within the home. attitudes to the wearing of face masks needs to improve. For a number of families, there were There appears to be perceived perceived benefits for their children’s mental positive impacts from lockdown for health by spending more time at home and some children. More time spent with out of the school environment. Whereas most their families has been suggested by families found the experience of lockdown to some parents to improve feelings of be positive in terms of increasing family time, closeness within the family which in strengthening bonds and enhancing closeness, turn, possibly encourages more it is uncertain whether these improvements in resilience in the children. Amidst well-being have translated into increased rising mental health concerns for levels of educational attainment for older children, further research is suggested children and learning for younger children, with regards to the potential positive although some parents would suggest so. impact of families spending more The majority of parents noted that children time together and less time working (particularly older children) needed to be inflexibly or in formal education. spending more time outside with their peers From our initial findings, a small and some parents encouraged their teenagers number of families expressed the to break social distancing guidelines in order view that less time in formal childcare meet up with their friends. These meet-ups and education was better for their were encouraged for social and mental health child’s mental health and potentially reasons but not necessarily for educational for their capacity to learn and enjoy purposes. learning. This requires further investigation. Parents noted that their children were not Positive home-schooling experiences able to effectively learn for a full teaching day, expressed by some parents and even with parental support, as such most children, requires more research. children would study for fewer hours than Particularly as home-schooling has would be expected in a normal school day. been growing in popularity in recent Some parents were positive regarding the years and trends may increase as a schools’ and early years settings efforts during result of lockdown experiences. Some the lockdown and expressed some degree of of the parents in this study spoke satisfaction with the support provided. Other positively about the prospect of parents were unhappy with the remote partial home-schooling in the future learning guidance offered to their children, and would welcome such an option. particularly within state-run schools and felt Initial data suggests that effective the expectations of teachers were unrealistic learning and studying at home considering the low levels of support received. appears to be only possible for a few An exception to this was made in terms of hours each day, which supports fee-paying schools, who had higher levels of existing literature suggesting that the pupil contact and offered regular online school day is too long for children in classes and guidance. terms of active learning capacity. This needs to be investigated further. Families who have children with RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONTINGENCY additional support needs at school, PLANNING also need professional support at Page 9
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home if effective home learning is to take place during future lockdowns. During lockdown, not only children of critical workers need places at school, but potentially children with SEN or disabilities, also children of parents who are both working full-time hours from home. Schools (particularly in the state sector) should develop their home learning capabilities, to involve regular online classes/learning sessions with video conferencing support since these have been shown to have positive outcomes for home learners. Parents would benefit from a deeper understanding of how children learn and develop if future lockdowns occur. To help parents become more prepared for future lockdowns and in order to build up resilience, work and employment should consider becoming more flexible in order to support parents spending more time with their children.
PROJECT DETAILS
Research Team: Dr C Clayton, R. Clayton M. Potter Lead Academic Organisation: Leeds Trinity University Correspondence Details: Name: Dr C. Clayton (Principal Investigator) Email: [email protected] Phone: +44 (0)113 2837 116 Address: Institute of Childhood and Education, Leeds Trinity University, LS18 5HD Page 10
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