May 20th is national Thank a Teacher day and boy do we have a lot to thank teachers for right now!

Teachers jobs are currently more complicated than ever with the added challenges of setting home schooling work while remaining in school for children who cannot stay home during lockdown.

While most children have been able to stay at home, nearly 1000 vulnerable children and children of keyworkers continue to attend classes in 140 schools across the county. To aid this, many schools in East Sussex have banded together to ensure they are able to keep their doors open for young people who need help during the coronavirus outbreak.

Schools such as Ringmer Primary and Nursey have been hosting children from nearby schools in Alfriston, Firle and Laughton to help ease the load and in the east of the county, Rye College and Rye Community Primary School are offering learning, creative and physical activities for children of key workers.

These shared spaces have provided the students with new experiences and new friendships, in what has been a very disruptive time for us all.

“The children absolutely love it and some who come in a couple of days a week are asking if they can come in every day. It is different from school as they know it; the nurturing they are receiving is allowing children to blossom in ways we have not seen before.”

– Anna Crompton, head teacher

“Children are very resilient and adapt very quickly to new situations. We’ve got children from different schools all getting on very harmoniously and they’ve made new friends.”

– Peter Marchant, head teacher

Thank you as well to all the accidental teachers. The mums and dads and guardians who have suddenly found themselves putting together impromptu maths lessons involving chocolate buttons, and bedroom cleaning disguised as PE.

You got this!

So… basically, we want to say a massive  T H A N K   Y O U  to all who are teaching right now, in whatever form. You’re all doing an amazing job!