Support Assistants will always be the true heart of any school community. They work tirelessly to ensure that all students are involved in all school and community activities. The support workers have also worked hard to meet the needs of the students and go the extra mile to make them feel comfortable when they return to school. I have always been inspired by the work ethic of the people I am proud to call my co-workers, but over the past few months they have become true heroes. Laura Vance, director of English at Outwood Adwick Academy in Doncaster, shares her admiration for all those who work in education and thanks them for all they have accomplished this year. Whether she has worked in education for many years or is new to her profession, I don’t think anyone could have predicted how difficult education can be in times of global pandemic. As we all know, school is the best place for children, and these great men worked tirelessly to make their entire community feel informed and supported. School leaders lead by example, showing the love and kindness we all show our students. This year, they made sure that students felt safe, loved, and able to overcome any obstacles. Second, the support staff has really been the backbone of the school. Thank you to all those who dreaded going back to work but overcame it to support their students. They have worked tirelessly to make our schools safer and have worked hard to offer distance learning strategies so that no child is left behind. At the end of this school year, the busiest in our working lives so far, I wanted to write this blog to thank you. Thank you to everyone who has been an encouraging voice for so many of us staff and students while we are still in doubt. This year has been a challenge for all of us and has had a big impact on the schools. Thank you to all those who selflessly took on roles and tasks that may not have been in their job descriptions, but who provided much needed stability to their colleagues and students. It was a difficult year, to say the least, but it was more than equal to its responsibilities.