Supporting Our 2025 Students: Nurturing Success in Term 1
As schools continue on the journey of welcoming their 2025 cohort, it is important to acknowledge that this group of students is unique. These students, born during the pandemic, are now stepping into formal education, carrying experiences shaped by an unprecedented global event. As educators and school communities, how can we best support them in this transition?
Understanding the Needs of the 2025 Cohort
While research into the impacts of early childhood experiences during the pandemic is ongoing, preliminary findings suggest some key developmental and environmental factors that may influence how these students adjust to school life.
Developmental Considerations
- Social and motor skills: Due to limited interaction during lockdowns, some children may have experienced delays in their ability to engage socially and develop fine and gross motor skills. (Note: some studies indicate these findings but research is ongoing)
- Language development: Many children starting school in 2025 had increased exposure to screens and limited experiential learning, which may have affected their vocabulary, non-verbal communication, and expressive language skills. (Note: the studies in this area are in their early stages and there is a large variance between individual children)
- Emotional regulation: Early findings indicate that children born during the pandemic may have a heightened prevalence of anxiety and a lower capacity for emotional regulation, likely due to the unique socialisation conditions of their early years.
Environmental Factors
- Reduced social interaction: Many students may not have had the same level of exposure to social experiences as previous cohorts, resulting in varying degrees of confidence and independence in social settings.
- Parental stress: Parents of this cohort navigated unprecedented challenges during their children’s infancy, leading to heightened anxiety and protective instincts that may influence the transition to school.
What Can We Do?
How Schools Can Best Support These Students
The fundamental principles of a strong orientation programme still apply: gradual exposure, positive reinforcement, clear expectations, and routine practice. However, to cater specifically to the needs of this cohort, two key focus areas should be prioritised:
1. Strengthening Emotional Regulation Strategies
For many students, starting school will introduce new emotions and require new strategies for managing them. This cohort may have fewer existing emotional regulation tools due to reduced social interactions in their early years. To support them:
- Proactively teach and model emotional regulation strategies.
- Develop a shared language around emotions and create a predictable, structured environment.
- Implement check-ins to monitor emotions and provide timely, actionable feedback.
- Use positive reinforcement to encourage self-regulation and confidence in managing emotions.
2. Strengthening Partnerships with Parents
The stronger the partnership between parents and schools, the smoother the transition for students. Parents of this cohort have faced unique challenges, and their anxieties about their child's transition to school may be heightened. Schools can support parents by:
- Communicating proactively about students’ emotional wellbeing, particularly in the first few weeks.
- Implementing daily emotion check-ins and sharing insights with parents to provide a more accurate reflection of their child’s school experience.
- Encouraging discussions around reduced screen time, healthy sleep habits, balanced nutrition, and fostering social skills at home.
- Providing parents with reassurance that their child is in a safe and nurturing environment, which in turn helps reduce student anxiety.
The 2025 cohort presents an opportunity for schools to refine and strengthen their support systems in response to an evolving educational landscape. By fostering emotional regulation skills and deepening partnerships with parents, we can ensure a positive and successful transition to school. These students may have had a unique start to life, but with the right support, they are well-positioned to thrive in their learning journey.
Access a FREE resource - Guide to Teaching Self Regulation and the Importance of Co-Regulation HERE
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