Since the initial closure of schools to most children on 20th March 2020, mainstream education has been disrupted as a result of COVID-19. When most pupils returned to school in March 2021, they regained some of their usual routines, but schooling was far from 'back to normal'. Building on the National Foundation for Educational Research's (NFER's) 2020 COVID-19 school surveys, this policy briefing reports headline findings from in-depth qualitative interviews in May and June 2021 with 50 senior leaders in mainstream primary and secondary schools. The study focused on schools serving deprived populations because it is known from previous work and other evidence that these schools and pupils have been most seriously affected by the pandemic. This study has the following objectives: (1) To identify the immediate and longer-term impacts of the pandemic on teaching and learning, and on pupils' wellbeing and mental health (acknowledging the relationship between mental wellbeing and effective learning); (2) To identify priorities for schools and pupils as they emerge from the pandemic, including support needs in the immediate-, medium- and longer-term, and positive developments that should be capitalised on; and (3) To consider how the sector can best prepare itself for future shocks, preserve high quality teaching and learning and protect pupils' mental health and wellbeing.