A HEAD teacher in Carlisle has accepted an award on behalf of her school’s efforts during the coronavirus crisis.
Stanwix School head Kuldip McMullan was nominated for a 100 Thank Yous awards, and recently accepted the special plaque on behalf of her colleagues.
She said that she was delighted to receive the award and that “the whole school community have been very supportive and positive” during the coronavirus pandemic.
“We were a hub for six schools and with the support of the other heads, staff across all schools, governors from Stanwix and parents, we all adapted to the new way of working.
“This was done on a rota basis, and all staff contributed either in the hub or remotely.
“We kept in touch with pupils with regular phone calls, and our school learning platform which is set in year groups was used daily.”
The 100 Thank Yous campaign was launched by the Cumberland Building Society this spring in recognition of people in the region who have gone above and beyond to help others since the pandemic struck.
Mrs McMullan worked tirelessly with her staff to create a safe and welcoming hub for key worker children, and adapted the school for increased numbers of children.
After many months apart, she was pleased to be able to welcome her pupils back into a safe environment in September.
She continued: “The children were delighted to be back and attendance has been fantastic, and the pupils have been amazing in adapting to new procedures and systems we have in place.
“Social distancing has been a challenge, however our bubbles are working very well.”
Helen Forster, a key worker for the NHS whose son Philip attends the school, nominated Mrs McMullan for the award.
She said: “Mrs McMullan has worked tirelessly throughout the kickdown period, opening her school as a hub school welcoming pupils and staff from other schools. During this time she still kept all the pupils of stanwix school in mind making calls to families and making videos for the children.
“More recently she has worked hard to implement guidance which changes on an almost daily basis, juggling the needs of families and her staff.
“Throughout this, both she and her staff have maintained a safe fun environment for all pupils with no outward sign of the turmoil she is managing on a daily basis.”
