I am writing this article at the very end of January and you will be reading it when it comes through your letter boxes sometime around Easter- I am looking forward to things being different at Easter compared with how they are now and it’s important that we remain hopeful.
As I write this we are in a national lockdown and schools are ‘closed’ – but I think the definition of ‘closed’ must have changed. Yes, schools are not open to all children but they are to many; staff in schools are working harder than ever and many children are learning from home. Of our 330 children on roll, we have 130 children attending school on site, with the remaining undertaking remote learning from home, planned and set by school staff. This is bringing huge challenges to us all- children, parents and staff- but I know that everybody is doing the very best they can, and that is all that can be asked of anyone.
All of us in schools are trying very hard to provide learning that is as close to ‘normal’ as is possible and whilst the remote learning can’t be identical to that which is taking place in school on site, it is planned to be as similar as possible this is so that when all the children return to school the ‘gap’ in learning between the children is as small as possible. It feels very different to the first lockdown and it is- this is because the role of schools at that time was to provide childcare; now it’s about continuing with the curriculum and learning that would be expected to take place normally.
We can’t thank parents enough for the commitment they have shown in supporting their children at home with their learning and for the words of kindness from those who are sending their children into school every day.
Deborah Hannaford
Headteacher