The step-by-step plan for a good and socially safe start provides you with a clear overview of a number of points for attention that you and your team can use while preparing to restart education for pupils at your school.

Step 1: Prepare

School board and school management:

  • Consider what you consider important for the first period and involve all teams in the plans.
  • Involve external partners.

As a team:

  • Look back and share your experiences.
  • Look ahead and make agreements for the restart.
  • Involve parents.

Step 2: Set goals for the first day and the first period

It is important to know what the focus should be when the school starts again. The first period is primarily intended to:

  • Mark the start and express that it is good to see each other again.
  • Exchange experiences and share beautiful and sad moments together.
  • Offer a listening ear.
  • Create new connections within the group.

Step 3: Two pillars: processing and normalisation

It is important that you pay attention to both processing and normalisation. These processes run alongside and through each other and call upon your pedagogical and didactic expertise. Take time for a calm start and ask, ‘How has the past period been for you?’ You can choose to have a conversation, but there are other options, such as a creative activity or a shared ritual. Depending on the school and your pupils, you can use whichever approach is most appropriate.

Step 4: Practical (lesson) ideas

Celebrate seeing each other again. Provide a warm welcome. Make room for sharing and think of suitable group activities for this purpose. Relaxation and enjoyment are part of this.

  • Involve PE teachers in organising a possible outdoor activity.
  • Fill a question box with pupils’ questions for a group discussion.
  • Have pupils make cards for someone else.

A ritual can help mark the transition and provide support, comfort and connection. Support because it helps make contact with what is familiar and can serve as an anchor. Comfort because a ritual is a way to give emotions a place. Connection because everyone is together again and the ritual emphasises that togetherness at school.

Step 5: Wrap up

The restart, whether it lasts a day, a week or a longer period, must ultimately be brought to a close within the team. If possible, estimate when the situation should be ‘normal’ again.

  • Schedule periodic meetings in which you review the situation with the team, internal support staff and, if necessary, external partners as well. Keep track of how everyone on the team is doing. Discuss what is going well, what is not and what still needs to be arranged. Which agreements need to be revised?
  • Discuss how you can bring this school year to a meaningful close.
  • Finally, there should be a moment to look ahead. There will be room for that again, and that is a good thing.