Community celebrations in challenging times

Abstract

Welcome to Issue 2 of Volume 41 of Pastoral Care in Education. At the time of writing, it is just a few days after the Coronation of King Charles III in London. Many people were lining the streets to enjoy the occasion or participating in street parties across the UK and further afield, connecting again with their community after Covid-19. Others felt less inclined to celebrate during a period of post-Covid recovery, a cost-of-living crisis, mass strike action and climate change concerns. The current context did raise the question: What do young people want on Coronation Day? McDowell (2023) found that suggestions included wanting teachers to be paid fairly, schools to be adequately funded and the climate crisis to be taken seriously. Supporting the pastoral care of children and young people needs both the opportunity for developing a sense of belonging within their community and addressing their contemporary concerns. The articles in this edition certainly cover community and contemporary issues, including developing ‘societal resilience’ during COVID-19 recovery, refugee experiences, behaviour and the impact on achievement, friendship, test anxiety and mental health awareness. In the opening article of this issue, Penny Fogg explores the lessons that can be learnt from experiencing a national emergency like the pandemic. Her article draws upon a problem-analysis model, ‘Interactive Factors Framework’, applied to the experience of six primary school headteachers across systemic levels. The article outlines the care and education of children and young people at a local level during this period and identifies new knowledge for consideration with future pandemics or disasters. Concluding recommendations include suggestions for short and long-term recovery plans for societal resilience. This is followed by Lisa H. Papatraianou and Al Strangeways’ article that addresses an important and under-researched theme: understanding diverse refugee girls’ resilience when transitioning between home and school cultures. The study draws upon a ‘human resilience’ framework aiming to listen to the voices of refugee students. Arts based methods were used to encourage participation, agency and to hear the diversity of student experience. The findings challenge normative/Western constructs of resilience, examine the impact of resilience on a positive transition experience and address the challenges of moving across home and school cultures. The study recommends the importance of professional learning for teachers and whole school approaches for the future. PASTORAL CARE IN EDUCATION 2023, VOL. 41, NO. 2, 125–127 https://doi.org/10.1080/02643944.2023.2216433