PARENTS at one primary school came together to applaud their children's teachers for their hard work during the coronavirus pandemic.

Teachers and school support staffthroughout the UK have been working hard during the pandemic, caring for the children of key workers during lockdown and then navigating all the coronavirus restrictions when schools fully reopened.

This has not gone unnoticed, and today - at the end of the last day of school before Christmas - parents of children at the Federation of St Mary's Infant School in Newton-le-Willows made sure their teachers knew how appreciated they are.

Parents came together to applaud staff and give a gift to staff.

One of the parents arranging this is Gillian PL Moore, who is a nurse. She said: "It was an amazing atmosphere to Clap our our Teachers at the End of Term Applaud and Brief Head Teacher Presentation

"Mr McCann, Mrs Grange and All Our Year 2, Teachers and All Teachers and Staff here at St Mary’s we really appreciate you.

"All us parents would like to say a huge collective thank you for a sterling job in your delivery of educational services and love to our children.

"You have done an amazing job and we cannot amidst such a difficult time with rapid changing pandemic, guidances, policies and managing the safety of our entire school and supporting families to maintain a safe and secure environment where learning can continue to flourish for our children and this was done exceptionally well.

"You are both excellent leaders and educators with a strong team of excellent teachers, we thank you for your excellence and would like Miss Bloxam who has been collecting to present you both with a token of our parental collective appreciation, respect and love as one St Mary’s Family.

"Now to our children you are all amazing superstars and have done exceptional well. We are all very proud of each of you and our little talented Grangers.

"Have a blessed and beautiful Christmas everyone."