As we reach the end of this first full week of school closure

As we reach the end of this first full week of distance learning, I must admit to feeling overwhelmed. Overwhelmed at how incredibly adaptable our staff, pupils and parents / carers have been to this new way of working, overwhelmed at how unbelievably supportive the online community of educators across the globe has been, sharing resources, advice, successes and failures with each other and overwhelmed with relief that we made some of the strategic decisions that we did over the past few years with regards to prioritising the use of technology for learning with our Chiltern Learning Trust schools.

But this is a marathon, not a sprint

We have to continue to adapt and evolve over the coming weeks and months. It is essential to be generous and share what we can with others who need help, to continue to be there for staff in our own schools and beyond for whom this transition has been a steep learning curve. Most importantly, we must make sure that our learners continue to feel that the school and their teachers are still there for them, guiding and supporting every pupil through these challenging times.