THE Northwich Education Partnership have welcomed the decision by government to re-open schools as it thanked parents for all their hard work and dedication providing home schooling.

Made up of schools across the area, working together to improve children's lives and their participation across the community, the partnership say that school is the best place for doing that.

Catriona Stewart, who is Head of Kingsmead Primary and also Chair of the partnership said: "The Northwich Education Partnership would like to thank the parents, carers and grandparents who have supported children learning at home since January 5.

"We know it has been incredibly tough for so many families and we thank every child and adult for their best efforts.

"From March 8 we are all back in our schools and can celebrate an end in sight.

"Many adults at home now have a much deeper knowledge and insight into their children’s learning, but I am sure we are united in agreement that in their school is the best place for them to be learning it."

As well as children and their families, she also praised school staff, who have also had to adapt to different ways of working during the pandemic.

"They have worked with kindness, energy and commitment to serve the children and young people of Northwich," she said.

"Staff too have balanced working from home with childcare and have experienced first-hand the challenges of balancing home learning with an online meeting.

"Teachers, teaching assistants, mid-day and premises staff, administrators and finance officers have all adjusted to new ways of working, often at very short notice.

"The collective efforts of school staff have ensured that many things have sustained us through this most difficult time.

"Families needing places in schools have received them.

"Our NHS and other key services have had the staff they need to operate."

Communities really did pull together during lockdown, with recent efforts to provide children with all the equipment the needed to be able to work from home effectively.

Catriona added: "Meals, vouchers, computers and books were provided for families in need.

"And most important of all – our children have been able to learn about their world, in home and in school, albeit in circumstances far from ideal.

"Finally, the partnership would also like to thank our school governors, hardworking volunteers who provide the support and challenge and offer oversight of all our schools.

"We are hopeful that the cooperation and partnership with families, the mutual respect that has become so very apparent during this most difficult of times is something we can all build on, in the coming years.

"We adults owe this to our children who have been so affected by the wider consequences of a global pandemic.

"School leaders and staff are busy preparing for the reopening of schools for all our children from March 8.

"We will making our best endeavours to make that reopening as safe and sustained and as joyful as we can."