Parent praises Kettering school for going 'above and beyond' during lockdown

A parent of a pupil has praised St Mary's Primary School in Kettering for continuing to support children during lockdown.

Rikki Meadows' son, Shay, is in reception at the Fuller Street school and said she thinks the teachers are heroes for what they do.

She said: "St Mary's have made it their goal to show every bit of support to their students. They are going above and beyond to help day-to-day life and helping their students get through this tough time in life.

"St Mary's contact me two times a week to make sure my son is getting the support and education he needs.

"His teacher, Mrs Brown, spends at least half an hour a week on the phone to him and all the other students in his class. The whole school is doing the same."

Rikki said she's been able to go to the school to collect work each week with lesson plans, which she says is really important for Shay's development as he continues to learn to read and write.

Rikki is normally a barber and said: "I honestly cannot thank them enough in these difficult times as a single mum who's...had to become a teacher behind closed doors.

"If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't have known where to begin."

St Mary's headteacher, Diane Wright, said the school is deeply committed to doing everything it can to support children and their families.

Mrs Wright said: "Prior to lockdown, we briefed out children that we all have special roles to ensure that we stay on our learning line.

"Staff contact our home workers at least once a week and interact with academic learning as well as the interactive learning projects which encourage a diversely creative approach to learning.

"The children and their families have excelled themselves, I am always delighted to see all the fabulous photos of their imaginative learning outcomes."

Mrs Wright also said the school have been supporting families in other ways.

She said: "Like our vision, 'do everything in love' as a school family, we do all we can to help and care for our school family. We have set up and distributed food boxes, provided well-being support and advocate passionately for our families.

"I am so proud to be the headteacher of such a wonderful school family whose staff have demonstrated that in times of crisis we go the extra mile to give all that we can."

From speaking to friends who have children at other schools, Rikki said she has realised just how much St Mary's are doing to support pupils and parents during lockdown.

"St Mary's is a small school but they really have shown how great they are and how much they care for the children.

"NHS staff and key workers are all heroes in my eyes but the teachers at this school are heroes for young children and I think they need recognition because they are amazing," Rikki said.