These are the heartfelt words from head teachers of all the secondary schools in Milton Keynes about the Covid crisis

Chris Holmwood, who is head of Shenley Brook End School, has penned a special article for the Citizen on behalf of fellow secondary school leaders from all over Milton Keynes.

It gives a behind-the-scenes insight into how schools are coping and it thanks parents wholeheartedly for their support. It also reveals how lessons can be learned from the Covid crisis that could shape learning in schools for years to come.

The heads' article is here:

"Since the re-opening of the secondary schools in Milton Keynes in September, for the vast majority of students every weekday has been a school day.m It has been so for headteachers too, in as much as there has been a lot to learn and implement in order to ensure everyone can continue to teach and learn in safety.

You may not know this, but on average an MK secondary school has 600 more students than the national average, so the current logistical challenge is complex.

Many schools have recalibrated themselves to keep around 1600 students in seven separate ‘bubbles’. Most schools have done this with staggering success. They have literally staggered the school day with different times for starting and ending the day for different year groups, and different break times, lunchtimes and different areas for those times.

Some schools have reduced the number of lessons but extended their length. Schools have also established ways of embedding blended learning, using the lessons of lockdown to support school learning well beyond the building. This has been especially important in those instances where students have had to learn at home because of Covid-related issues.

Ian Tett, Head of Oakgrove and the Chair of the MK Secondary Heads group, MKSH, has written to all parents of secondary school age children to update them on how the schools are working closely together to do everything possible to respond to the practical issues in the short term but also the longer term educational priorities for MK.

As a group of headteachers, we could not be more grateful for the ongoing support of parents for our school communities in recent months. Our challenges have been much simpler to overcome because of the partnership between parents, students and schools and we know we will continue to value this in the unpredictable but exciting times ahead.

We believe the lessons learned from the last six months will set new trends that outlive the virus and shape our shared vision for the future of learning in MK. The important focus for us is that each day sees challenges further transformed into new opportunities and we know that through continued collaboration we will do our very best to support the development of the qualities and qualifications of our young people."