The recent global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic created significant challenges for society, not least for education. England went into lockdown in March 2020; following this, A Level exams were cancelled and the Department for Education announced that results were to be determined by teacher-assessed grades. This paper draws upon research…

The COVID-19 crisis has placed unique restrictions on social researchers in terms of how they conduct their research. It has also created opportunities for adaptation and critical reflection on methodological practice. This article considers how the unanticipated use of remote qualitative methods impacted processes of research…

The COVID-19 pandemic provided an opportunity to better understand the transition from secondary school to higher education regarding students' assessment and written-exam experiences. We used mixed methods to investigate students' experiences of first-year university physics exams and cancelled secondary school exams, regarding their motivational…

A national survey of Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) in England was conducted during the summer of 2020 in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic. The annually conducted survey typically collates demographic data about the SENCO workforce, but given the wider context, this particular survey also included nine questions about…

This article provides a vignette to exemplify how the training of teachers in primary schools in England was adapted in one context during the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the key challenges the HEIs and schools faced was how to continue to assess the practicum of trainee teachers while trying to maintain the integrity of classroom 'bubbles'. A fast…

The COVID-19 pandemic shone a light upon the issue of food insecurity in families, with school closures (for most children) drawing concern not simply because of the impact upon pupils' education, but also due to the lack of free school meals available for children in families with low incomes (Lalli, 2021). Since the pandemic, families in the…

The COVID-19 pandemic and the public health restrictions that followed changed the structure and experiences of education for young people in the UK. School closures, home schooling, online learning and exam cancellations were some of the consequences of the public health measures taken. School closures were intermittent between March 2020 and…

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the very youngest pupils in schools had their schooling and social interactions in the classroom disrupted by lengthy periods of school closures and remote learning. This research focuses particularly on these young pupils, and is exploring how their learning and social skills are recovering two years on from the…

Children have a right to play, as outlined by the United Nations, due to its important role in holistic development. However, as with many other human rights, children's access to their right to play was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions. With several studies demonstrating the ways in which children's play changed…

The return to school following the significant disruption to education during the COVID-19 pandemic presents challenges for students, teachers, and parents. In the English context, education leaders have expressed serious concerns about the significantly increased levels of anxiety and school absenteeism among students of all ages, particularly…

This paper uses qualitative data from a survey of Higher Education students, who are also parents, to reveal changing attitudes towards, and perceptions of, education during the pandemic school closures in England. Thematic analysis reveals the stresses of 'homeschooling' and how parents reacted and adapted to these, including adjusting ideas…

This research focuses on the impact of the context of COVID-19 on the role of the SENCo in English schools. The SENCo's role is a contested field; however, the current Special Educational Needs Code of Practice identifies 11 key areas of SENCos' work. A widely distributed survey was used to access the voice of SENCos across the country, and…

This article reports the findings from a small-scale, qualitative and phenomenological institutional research project, undertaken during the COVID-19 pandemic, on the experiences of undergraduate students from groups who are traditionally under-represented in higher education in the United Kingdom. Documenting the first two phases of a…

Police forces in England and Wales have faced ongoing difficulties of engagement with minority communities leading to a loss of confidence and trust in policing. The paper reports on the results of a project to improve relations with communities with Humberside Police, UK by implementing key ideas relating to procedural justice that consider how…

COVID-19 has closed schools, forced examinations to be abandoned and led to concerns about the negative educational and social effects on children and young people. This short article uses responses to two short surveys of school leaders in the West Midlands and North East of England to explore their views on whether and how schools can be…