One of Burnley's biggest high schools has just 20 pupils a day through the doors since lockdown began

Children of key workers, such as NHS staff, people who work in the financial services and people involved in food production, are still going in each day and head of year seven Miss Laura Murray admits school life is very different.

She admitted that she missed the 'hustle and bustle' of regular school life, when there are usually 1,250 children in the Ormerod Road building, but she said that students were studying hard despite the uncertainty.

Miss Murray said: "For the pupils who are in school their routine is pretty much the school routine as we wanted to keep it as normal as we could.

"There is a form group and prayers and then they go into separate classrooms for year groups and start Show My Homework just as the pupils are doing at home.

“They do have their uniforms on and they have breaks and lunch as with the school timetable but it’s a very different atmosphere. The corridors are usually full of hustle and bustle and now they are quiet and it does take some getting used to."

Miss Murray says it’s been tricky but there has also been a lot of positives adding: "Lancashire County Council dropped off food parcels for those pupils on free school meals, there was a week’s worth each, and we gave them to pupils in school and then dropped them off with parents of children who need them in the local area.

“There was a real sense of community about it.”

Assistant headteacher Rebecca Stevens said: “I find it quite incredible how quickly all schools have adapted to the challenge of completely re-thinking the way they deliver their curricula in a matter of days.

“At Blessed Trinity we are incredibly proud of how hard our staff have worked in launching our remote learning programme and we have been overwhelmed by the positive support from pupils, parents and carers.

“By 9am on day one, over 800 of pupils in years seven to 10 had logged onto Show My Homework, as well as 150 of our Year 11 leavers. It’s been a great team effort and reflects the fantastic sense of community at our school.”

Pastoral support is posted weekly on Show My Homework by Kate Mercer, Director of PSHE and Wellbeing, supplying pupils with strategies to support their mental well-being and health.

Assistant Headteacher, Helen Nolan added: "The response has been incredible.

"It is a true reflection of the strength of community here at Blessed Trinity that so many of our pupils are engaging with the pastoral support that we are offering alongside distance learning.

"It is a new way of working for everybody, but we have a resilient set of pupils here, supportive parents and hardworking, adaptable staff who will always go the extra mile for any one of our pupils.”

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