The headteacher of a primary academy has praised the community's response as it continues to impress with "incredible and inspiring" teaching and learning during lockdown.

Having taken on her new role as head at St Margaret's Primary Academy in Lowestoft in September last year - amid the continuing coronavirus crisis - Zara Lambert has been heartened.

Miss Lambert said: "Starting my role as head during the pandemic to then be launched into a national lockdown has not been without its challenges.

"However, meeting the pupils, the staff and the parents within our community has made it all worth it.

"The saying goes 'it takes a village,' in reality - it takes so much more.

"The work of the parents to keep the children on track and up to date has been incredible and the way the whole community has moved to teaching and learning online has been inspiring.

"We are all learning together here, there is no 'one size fits all' but we are committed to finding the best way for our community.

"The community is what matters right now, the parents’ hard work at home and the wellbeing of all our families and staff too, that's the priority."

This has been highlighted this week as the academy promotes Children's Mental Health Week.

Miss Lambert said: "Children's Mental Health Week isn't just a week to explore a 'hot topic', it's about ensuring that we all have the fuel every day to understand our minds and how to cope in challenging situations.

"And that we remember how to have fun and re-energise, especially during a draining winter lockdown.

"Everyone is born with potential and brilliance and as a head I see it as my job to ensure that we all have a chance to live with wellbeing at the heart of all we do."

"My purpose as a Headteacher is to believe in the possible, to enable individuals to believe in themselves, to provide opportunities that widen their horizons and embolden them so that they might become courageous humans like Greta Thunberg or Marcus Rashford - making a positive impact in the world."

She added: "At St Margaret's, we have redesigned our core values and our mission statement - 'unlocking potential, transforming lives', and that's exactly what we are setting out to do."