House Life during the Pandemic

The academic year 2020/2021 has been an extraordinary one, with the Spring Term spent learning from home and restrictions in place when back on campus to help keep students and staff safe. Life at Fettes has been understandably different. What hasn’t changed is the sense of belonging, community and spirit, as is exemplified in the following accounts from two Houseparents and two students sharing their perspectives on life at Fettes during a pandemic.

James Weatherby, Houseparent of Carrington, 2009–2021

In the latter stages of August 2020, it seemed that every day the newspapers were filled with possible new rules or protocols that were going to be in place for the start of the new school year. However, there was lots of ‘think tanking’ and we were able to put a plan together.

The overwhelming feeling in the autumn was that it was good to be back at school. The boys were terrific, but I had some sympathy for the Lower Sixth Form. These boys are usually tasked with working hard to bring the House together but this year the objective was to keep the boys apart within their own bubbles. We still found moments to enjoy each other’s successes, and friendships were created and maintained from a distance.

The toughest moment was realising students were not returning after Christmas because, having already had a Summer Term lockdown, I didn’t think it was something that we’d need to do again. It was a worrying time and a challenging period. Having a conversation over Teams or Zoom is not the same as seeing someone in person so it was more challenging to get an overview of how everyone was coping. It’s also more challenging to maintain a House identity when in reality everyone is at a distance.

Communication is the key in sustaining a sense of belonging to the House and so I attempted to be in contact with everyone by setting up weekly calls to touch base. The Carrington Tutors were also terrific at keeping in contact with their tutees and the Lower Sixth were great at reaching out to the younger boys and setting up events like quiz sessions and extra sport gatherings. I also asked the boys to share videos and photos of their lives so that the CA community could see what everyone else was doing.

At the start of the Summer Term 2021, there was a real delight to be back at school, even though this meant returning to face to face assessments. The Spring Term was a tougher lockdown than the Summer Term of 2020 and I think there was excitement, anticipation and relief to finally be coming back. It was a delight to hear their excited chat and to settle into some semblance of routine. We were still distancing, and wearing masks, but the boys could attend lessons, play sports, learn instruments and, most importantly, spend some time with each other (bubble permitting).

There are numerous things that I’m looking forward to being able to do in House again soon but the two at the top of my list are getting the entire school back into Chapel and also being able to run a House Area (gathering) without having to keep the year groups in separate bubbles.

Vasily T, Carrington Fifth Form

After such a long break, surprisingly, it was easy to return to Fettes in August 2020 yet unusual. With restrictions in place, our daily habits had to change but it did not stop us from living the full Fettes experience. We knew we would all have to adapt to a new way of learning and boarding. Nonetheless, seeing friends and being with our Houses felt incredible. We knew that restrictions on mixing beyond year groups were necessary, but the downside was that it did stop us from socialising with different year groups which we did so much before Covid. I feel as a year group, we were able to become closer. The thing I missed most was undoubtedly one of the main aspects of being a Fettesian – Chapel and singing.

Over the Christmas break, as Covid grew fiercer, it became evident that we were not able to go back to Fettes in January. There was an element of sadness – not being able to be back at Fettes was going to be a mental challenge.

As a House, having gotten much closer during the Autumn Term and the fact that we were still meeting on Zoom weekly meant that there was definitely a sense of House and inclusiveness, even if some of us were 5000 miles away. Fettes did everything possible to make sure that home learning was effective, easy, and frankly enjoyable for many of us.

On our return in Summer 2021, there was a strong sense of déjà vu. This time, life at Fettes sprung right back up much faster than when the Covid related measures were new to everyone. Having been here for five years now, a big part of Fettes life is the ability to participate in whole school social events, such as discos and cèilidhs. That is something I miss a lot and am looking forward to having again.

Fettes has done a magnificent job in supporting students and staff through these tough times. There is more to Fettes than academia, it is also about community and making sure everyone is included in everything - that’s what I’m most proud of.

Sue Bruce, Houseparent of College West, 2006–present

On returning to school after the summer break, it was great to have all of the girls back in House but challenging to face Covid restrictions and have year group bubbles – it goes against everything we are trying to do when making our Houses cohesive and caring.

During the Autumn Term, I did feel for the students who had not been home in the summer holidays. That is tough on anyone let alone teenagers, however, I was not concerned about the pandemic as measures were in place to protect everyone. The girls in House did find things harder to deal with than normal and their anxieties would manifest in different ways and at different times.

After Christmas when I realised that the students were not going to be able to come back to Fettes, I initially felt sad but felt better equipped for the term and knew what we were letting ourselves in for. It was hard being a remote Houseparent as teenagers do not like talking at the best of times – let alone on Zoom or Teams! It was especially difficult for me as I thrive off people, so I found it hard myself as I was not able to interact with the girls as I would normally do in House. Happily, there was so much support from the girls, my family, the departments in the school, tutors, friends, and the Senior Management Team.

We sustained the feeling of belonging to the House remotely with weekly year group calls, House events, House calls, whole House meetings, activities, Kahoots, games, baking, Strava competitions and much more. When it came to returning for Summer Term 2021 there was a general feeling of excitement. The last lockdown was tough for all, so some were very apprehensive and have had wobbles, but on the whole, everyone was keen to get back to school and see their friends. It felt brilliant to have them back. They are a great bunch of talented young ladies with lots of fun even if they can drive you around the bend from time to time!

As a Houseparent I can’t wait until restrictions allow us to mix within year groups in the House and access all areas of the House again. It will also be great when we can resume whole House outings as well as year outings. Basically, for all the fun stuff to come back. From this tough academic year, I am most proud of the girls’ resilience, resourcefulness, flexibility, understanding and now their newfound appreciation for structure in their lives.

Cressida T, College West Fifth Form

During the summer holiday of 2020 I returned to Hong Kong, where my home is and where Covid restrictions had been in place for many months. Thus, I was accustomed to wearing a mask and sanitizing my hands whenever I could. Upon my return to Fettes, I appreciated the strict Covid restrictions set in place.

I felt that I fell behind in a lot of my work during first lockdown. Returning to Fettes was bittersweet but ensured supervision of work from members of staff and teachers, increasing my efficiency in finishing work as well as learning. However, as an introvert, I had enjoyed the tranquillity of lockdown and being away from the buzzing school life. During both lockdowns, I missed my roommates the most.

I stayed in Britain over Christmas as I did not expect a second lockdown, but upon learning about the second lockdown a feeling of anxiety took over me as my GCSEs were starting in the next term. I was one of the few students who remained on campus during the Spring Term and, though I enjoyed the quietness of having my own ensuite room in Craigleith, as time went by I did feel quite lonely without the jovial voices around. With the assistance of school staff and encouragement from my teachers, I pushed through the tough term of online trial exams and exam preparations. Learning from home was interesting to say the least. It required a keen sense of responsibility and independence which I normally possess, and with help from staff I managed to stay focused.

On the first day of the Summer Term, I was surprisingly grateful to be back with my friends and teachers. As soon as I wore my uniform again, I felt the sense of responsibility. Being back in school with a clear schedule and friends helped my concentration and determination to work. During the lockdowns, I did not get to go to rock climbing very often. Occasionally Mr Rowlands would come into school to kindly host climbing sessions, which were the highlights of my month. I missed rock climbing with my pals even through the wintry weather. I am so proud of my mental wellbeing during these tough times. Despite occasional teary days, I stayed positive throughout both lockdowns with help and guidance from my Houseparent and other members of staff. I also managed to catch up with friends, getting closer to them.