Michelle Jones and Catherine Cooper

Michelle Jones and Catherine Cooper are the Head Teacher and Deputy Headteacher of Lansdowne Primary School in Cardiff, which is a multi-cultural and diverse school in Canton. It is a busy and challenging school.

They have been shortlisted for a St David Awards for the support they have shown to families at their school during the coronavirus pandemic.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, they have worked tirelessly to provide support and child care provision for children of key workers and vulnerable children. They have gone above their duties to ensure that vulnerable children and families received help and support during a very difficult time. They worked long days and put their own personal lives on hold to support the community in a variety of ways. These included transporting children to ensure they were able to attend school, providing families with food and other essentials, and making themselves available 24/7 to offer help and advice to the community.

During this time, the school, under their care, became a beacon of safety and the community leant on them for advice, reassurance and support. The well-being of staff in the school too was extremely important to them and they recognised the emotional impact on all of the school community. They also provided vital support to a family who lost their mother suddenly as four of the children were pupils at the school. Michelle and Catherine are the heart of Lansdowne and make it the safe, loving, supportive and ambitious community that it is.