At eight years old, Cass loved going to school. A sociable child known for his big character, he was accustomed to the familiar rhythm of class and thrived in the lessons he loved; a creative spirit, he won awards for his written stories.

In March 2020, just as Cass had started to establish vital first friendships with classmates – the kind he would have remembered into his adulthood – he and 10.6 million children in the UK were told they wouldn’t be going to school anymore.

The little life he had built for himself at his Hackney primary school was wrenched away by the coronavirus pandemic, with an uncertain and bleak-looking future suddenly ushered in, where he was forced to adapt to face masks, two-metre distancing and social isolation.

‘He retreated inside himself, becoming introvert

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