A piece of art thanking teachers for their hard work during lockdown has been unveiled at The Castle School in Thornbury.

The artwork, created by local artist and parent Carys Tait, is now on display in the school's reception.

It came about after parent Louise Egan contacted the Castle School Friends group to suggest the efforts of teachers and staff should be recognised in a unique way.

Louise wanted the staff to know how grateful the community was, and the many thank you messages that parents and carers wanted to relay to staff.

The idea was born to create a bespoke piece of artwork which focused around these messages and the adjustments made by the staff during lockdown.

Parents and carers were invited to send in messages for the artwork, and work commenced after a fundraiser saw donations of more than £600.

In addition to the main artwork, each member of staff received their own smaller version. Extra donations were used to purchase various pieces of equipment from the school’s Amazon wishlist.

Headteacher Joe Docherty unveiled the artwork at a ceremony on Friday.

Castle School headteacher Joe Docherty unveils the new artwork

Castle School headteacher Joe Docherty unveils the new artwork

He said: “I couldn’t be prouder. The last year has thrown up so many new challenges for all of us, and I have been so impressed with how our students, staff and parents have responded.

"I’m very grateful to all the parents who chose to fund this lovely artwork, and to Carys Tait the artist. You wanted to thank the staff for all their support, and this is a fitting tribute.”

Artwork by Carys Tait

Artwork by Carys Tait

To see more of Carys’ work visit carys-ink.com

For more information about Castle School Friends and visit castleschoolfriends.org or follow their Facebook page.