'It was relief, the pandemic stopped me from dropping out of university'

It has now been five year since COVID-19 closed schools and universities, but what has the impact been on students?

Dr Andrea Pickering is a psychologist from Kent, she believes more pupils are now 'doubting themselves' believing they 'don't have the skills' to get the jobs they want.

She said: "Some of this group didn't sit the standardised examinations for GCSE or A-levels and we've seen that employers have therefore questioned their qualifications, which has increased their self doubt when trying to pursue a career or job."

And, Damian Macbeth, the headteacher of the St John Wallis Church Academy in Ashford, explains students need to connect more, he said: "There needs to be a re focus of the importance of connecting in the real word.

"Whether that's in the real world, with children turning off devices and connecting in person, right the way through to teachers being more powerful in front of pupils instead of on a web app."

However, Martha Tipper, from Tunbridge Wells, didn't see schools closing as a negative. She was at the University of Bristol when the close was announced, which she believes resulted in her finishing her degree.

She said: "It was a weird time, everyone was panicking with loads of unanswered questions but I really wasn't enjoying my first year at University, i was considering dropping out so therefore it was a quite a blessing in disguise for me."