28 May, 2020
Leigh Moore, Principal at Wodensborough Ormiston Academy (WOA), has been named a ‘West Midlands Hero’ by Sandwell Council following the outstanding efforts she and her team have gone to in order to support students and the wider school community during the lockdown.
With the large majority of students at Wodensborough Ormiston Academy currently learning from home, Leigh quickly implemented a system to ensure that every student has a member of staff in regular and direct contact, predominantly over the phone. Since the school partially closed in March, Leigh and her team have also carried out nearly 1000 home visits, conducting wellbeing checks or delivering essential food hampers to over 75 households. Alongside this direct support, WOA has provided students with puzzles and online learning devices with the help of donations from staff, charities and the local community.
In addition to the educational support being provided using online learning platforms, with Leigh’s direction WOA has established a raising achievement platform (iBelieve), form group classrooms and the ‘WOA Workouts and Wellbeing classroom’, with daily exercises, films and social media updates. Leigh is particularly focused on reducing the impact that lockdown will have on the mental health and wellbeing of students, and so has also set up online counselling and wellbeing support for any students who would benefit from it.
Staff at WOA will continue to support students as they work from home and are planning for how they will reintroduce students into the classroom and help them adapt to the ‘new normal’ in the months to come.
To hear more about Leigh and WOA’s work, visit: https://wmheroes.co.uk/how-one-school-is-providing-education-in-the-community/
Principal at Wodensborough Ormiston Academy, Leigh Moore, said:
“We are about changing lives here every day. We aim to provide an oasis for a safe and nurturing education, and as we cannot provide an education for all at school due to the restrictions, we have taken it into the community.
“I am incredibly proud of the way in which the whole team at WOA have pulled together to go above and beyond in supporting our students, families and the wider school community. I’ve signed up – so have my team – to changing lives. We’ll continue to do that whether or not there’s a pandemic.”
Category: News
Tags: Hero, Principal, West Midlands, WOA, Wodensborough Ormiston Academy
