From the Headteacher's Study: Tuesday 7th April 2020

‘Community and Service’ is one of our Catholic Christian values at Bishop Challoner.   In a time like this, our NHS frontline workers and care workers deserve our utmost praise for the essential roles that they carry out amid putting themselves and their families at risk, and for many they are themselves suffering from anxiety.

I have a nephew who has spent the last few days working in a coronavirus ward, supporting the critically ill and he recognises that being a trainee nurse is about caring for and dealing with the unexpected.  There is no doubt that this has caused him much worry, fear and stress during these challenging times. 

I have read about schools making visors in the Design Technology departments and pupils including our own, having written to the elderly in care homes.  This is a period of loneliness and isolation for so many but they do not need to feel alone. There is always someone there within the community to support them. 

One of the major challenges for me over the past few weeks has been trying to ensure that my own elderly parents are cared for and have an online shopping delivery.  This has proved to be one of the most concerning times for me and the difficulty in getting a delivery slot has proved to be a nightmare.  They have very good neighbours within the village who I am certain would happily step in to support, but they too have their own families to attend to. Many villages have set up a COVID-19 community support network of volunteers who go above and beyond to help out and this has gone some way to put my mind at rest.

I am proud to be the Head of Bishop Challoner and never have I been more proud than now, having seen so many generous acts of kindness, goodwill and professionalism from the whole school community and from my dedicated team of staff who pull together in true community style.   Maintaining Bishop Challoner’s strong, supportive community spirit is one of our many strengths and the school has responded so well at a time when this pandemic dictates our daily lives.