My thanks to each and every Leeds school hero - YEP letters

I wanted to write to place on public record my thanks and gratitude to every single member of school staff – teacher, kitchen assistant or cleaner – who has helped to keep this city running over the past 18 months.

They have adapted to last-minute rule changes, dealt with unhappy parents, comforted frightened children, managed changing exam procedures and kept our most vulnerable children fed through the holidays.

Without them our key workers would not have been able to continue working, and children who need our help would have been left without it.

All this at a time when they had the same concerns we all did about our own health and that of our families.

I would also like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all of our children and young people, as well as their families.

They have accepted everything that has been asked of them, they have learnt from home, worked within bubbles at school, worn masks on the school bus and in class as well as taken lateral flow tests twice a week to help to keep us all safe.

While we don’t yet know what September will bring in terms of how our schools will be operating, I do know that every single member of staff and every single pupil will take it in their stride as they continue to make us as proud of them as we are right now.