CORONAVIRUS.
Some feedback from our parents in light of the School's approach to the Coronavirus situation.
"The education and pastoral care Westward has continued to provide to our two children during this period has been nothing short of exceptional. Our teachers, despite facing their own difficulties and pressures, have worked tirelessly to keep our two children learning, engaged and in touch. I will never forget their kindness and fortitude. A truly outstanding school in every way."
Mrs H
"I have been incredibly impressed with the way Westward have transitioned so quickly and positively towards a model of on-line delivery. The teachers of our 2 children have been excellent and kept the children engaged over the very hard medium of a screen. They have provided lots of support and kept the education and learning moving forward, as well as making themselves available to parents putting our minds at rest. I have friends in other schools and by comparison the support and classes we are being delivered seems excellent." Mr & Mrs S
"We have been so impressed with the way that Westward have managed the whole process of providing our children with continuity in their learning throughout school closure. Teachers have delivered work packs each week, alongside maintaining a 'normal' schedule of daily lessons, delivered through an online provision. The teachers have gone above and beyond and have done so with boundless enthusiasm, smiles and words of encouragement, ensuring that our children remain engaged in learning despite the unusual circumstances. Thank you!" Mrs G
"I have been very impressed with the learning packs that have been sent home that correspond with google classroom, they have kept my son engaged and busy. He also enjoyed purple mash. In addition, it was wonderful to have a weekly (socially distanced) visit from his teacher."
Mr & Mrs B
"I just wanted to drop a quick note to say how absolutely wonderful I think all the teachers at Westward have been throughout the current situation, and how well the school has put together at such short notice the remote learning system. Just as the situation isn't easy on the parents, I can also appreciate how difficult it has been for the teachers and the school too, and seeing the dedication to their roles from the various teachers that interact with our family is both impressive and also truly heartwarming.
Mrs T, as you can see from the email below, has been an absolute gem, and the passion for her job and the extent to which she misses 'her flock' (as she calls Y2) shines through. It was a lovely surprise to see Mrs W at the door a week or so ago with a Chrome book for A (which we can now return to you in fact as we have sorted the camera issue) and to hear her say that there was no way she could end her teaching career in this way and is thus staying on a bit longer, and I know the Y4 parents are very taken with Ms D and her efforts."
Mr N
"I also just wanted to say a big thank you to you for all your efforts since this situation began. You personally must have put in so many hours of work to take Westward learning online in such a short space of time, as well as managing both the year 5 and year 6 classes. Of course we have had our challenges at this end as anyone would expect, but none of them insurmountable, and your never-ending patience when talking the children through their lessons (and dealing with all their queries) is indeed an inspiration! I'm sure the other staff have been working flat out as well behind the scenes so please do pass on my thanks to them too. We saw Mrs T this morning as she passed our house on her bike ride. Again, you're probably aware, but I just wanted to say that her lessons have been amazing - pitched at just the right level, engaging, positive, lots of little videos posted to help with science experiments as well as the maths and English. How she has found the time with 2 little boys I really don't know!"
Mr & Mrs T
"I am writing to express my appreciation to the whole team at Westward School during this very difficult time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the outstanding leadership of Mrs Stevenson they have provided an excellent level of remote learning to my daughter in Year 5. Within a very short period of time Westward School set up, timetabled and implemented remote learning and is using Google Classroom to the full. The daily timetable, with its combination of Teacher led Google Meets along with pre set tasks for the children to complete independently works very well. In addition there is regular teacher feedback and opportunities for the class to ‘hang out’ and talk to each other and the teacher, which is so important for their mental well-being at this time. The input required by myself is minimal and my daughter (albeit keen to return to school) is very happy and progressing well, given that this is such an important year for her to prepare for the entrance exams next academic year. I do not believe that the school could do anymore to support the learning and development of the children given the current restrictions. Many of my friends and relatives are certainly not experiencing such a high level of teaching, learning and commitment through their particular school setting, nor are their teachers and support staff as accessible as ours are at Westward and this is something Westward School should be very proud of."
Mr & Mrs C
