This week I have had a couple of days at home, working remotely with meetings for parents, meetings with colleagues and a little bit of supporting my child with his work. It is really hard at these times to homeschool and work in the education sector as you’re busy doing so many things for so many other people; when you step back and look, you see your own child being brilliantly adaptable – being brilliantly patient – but somewhere deep inside I suspect, deeply sad.

Whilst we remotely share what we know on how to work remotely and use things like Google Classroom, we can be very proud, as often said by the likes of Dame Alison Peacock of the Chartered College. We can take strength from the many people in the same profession on Twitter that give little messages of support – it is so appreciated. When the negative comments come in; the small criticisms and negative challenge from people that really don’t understand – (and it isn’t their fault) we have to be strong and develop our resolve. To do what we believe is the right thing to do.

Run towards problems, never away.

Paul Sewell

We have had a week almost of children back at school. Those children have smiled and enjoyed the company of others, strictly in their small groups. The staff have enjoyed it too. School is the place that we want to be. That aside we still have to be very careful and cautious and follow the guidance; keeping our distance; washing our hands; and being very very sensible.

As said previously, there will always be different views on what we do: is it just one bubble; should the school be open or closed; should we go out; should we wear face masks when we leave the front door? My view regardless of the views of others on these, is we show respect and consider people in different contexts and appreciate, the scientists have said we are learning and don’t know everything about this. We need to stand together with empathy and as I often say, respect.

Nobody is to blame in my opinion. Nobody can possibly know the absolute right thing to do. People will have opinions and perspectives. Using every bit of knowledge we can gather, we should take care and stay strong, look after each other and respect the views of others and the decisions they take – whether that’s to send a child to school or not; to open a school or not.

For Daniel‘s homework he’s got a bit of a bake off challenge – eek! For those people that know me I am not a baker. So a trip to the supermarket with a big list of one of the most extravagant cakes I have known. We wandered the aisles looking for the vanilla extract, strawberry laces, different confectionary – all to make an island, volcano, train and trees. And I have never baked a cake in my life. Having said that, maybe it is untrue and I, at a young age I helped make a fairy cake (but I cannot remember for definite).

I am so pleased that my son is so keen to get in the kitchen and make this cake, although for those that may test it and eat it, be warned that he did say it doesn’t matter what it taste like – it’s about the decoration and how fancy it looks.

I would say wish me luck but I am relieved to learn that he is allowed no help. If I go missing, come and search for me in the kitchen, whether that’s swamped beneath the different ingredients or cowering, cowardly in a cupboard.