The staff at Northern Saints Catholic Education Trust have moved their work to Microsoft Teams after initiating a business continuity plan to ensure effective communication amongst staff.
The move has helped the school to try and continue in the best way it can allowing Central Staff and Head Teachers across all four schools to hold strategy meetings daily to identify solutions which can benefit the students, families and staff in order to ensure that the young people who now are unable to attend school are still getting an education – which is of paramount importance.
As well as working with schools in their own trust this virtual way of working has allowed the Trust to work with partner schools in the Catholic community.
The Trust is also in regular communication with their Local Authority and DfE colleagues as a way of sourcing extra support and understanding of what is currently happening. Emma Harrison who works at the Trust said: ‘this has become a shared problem with shared solutions. It is about reducing workload and worry.’
Despite the difficult task of moving their work day to the virtual world, the trust still is finding a way to support the local community through the food bank. There is an understanding that there are people locally who are vulnerable so the staff and school kitchens are working in a way which is safe to make sure local community members are receiving meals.
The North-East has always been stronger together; we would like to hear how your school is dealing with the issues surrounding school closures and COVID-19.
