Shirebrook Academy principal praises school staff heroes

They are an example of how, in these times of crisis, the people whose jobs are sometimes taken for granted gain much-deserved recognition for their efforts for our country.

Inevitably, I will take the liberty of including school staff in this.

During the past two weeks, when our world at school has been turned upside down, they have done everything to ensure that our students’ needs continue to be met,

This has included delivering free meals to putting together learning packs to even acting as counsellors to parents sharing their difficulties with us when we call to check on the welfare of their children.

Through all of this – and especially through the last week of ‘normal’ school, when we made and then scrapped our plans about six times because the situation had changed – our staff have shown the willingness to muck in and adapt in a manner that you only ever get to see in crisis situations.

I appreciate that they are in the privileged position of still having a job when many other people have lost their livelihoods.

But I do think that the lockdown has demonstrated what working in a school is all about.

There will be very many parents who, on suddenly finding themselves home-schooling, now realise how teaching children is both an art and a science and will understand quite why it takes many years of hard work and study to master.

It’s clear that many parents have adapted to their new role well, while a great many of our students have overcome the very many constraints upon them in order to learn.

However, there will be those who will be left behind because they don’t have the technology or the input they need to keep up.

As ever, we will be there to pick up the pieces when things go back to normal, at which time I hope that school staff will be recognised alongside the skilled and committed people without whom the country would currently be grinding to a halt.

Mark Cottingham is the principal at Shirebrook Academy