A FORMER Newport primary school teacher has penned an open letter to parents, telling them they are "doing a great job" of home-schooling during lockdown.

Sarah White, who is now headteacher at Coates Lane Primary in Barnoldswick, Lancashire, grew up and began her teaching career in Newport.

Living in the city until she was 27, Mrs White worked at Llanmartin Primary and Rogerstone Primary before moving to Lancashire.

"My family all still live there and I love coming ‘home’ to see them," she said.

A mother-of-two, Mrs White explained that last week had been "a really tough week, as a headteacher and as a parent".

"I’d also taken a call from a parent at my school saying how much she had been struggling," she said.

"I thought 'I bet she isn’t the only parent feeling like that'.

"I decided to write to my parents and reassure them that everything would be ok."

In her letter, Mrs White said that times at the moment "are tough...and mental health is taking a battering".

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"We need to support each other to get through this," she wrote.

She congratulated parents for their hard work in home-schooling so far.

"If your child has had lots of microwave meals, stayed up too late, played too much Xbox and not finished their school work, THAT'S OK!," she wrote.

"We know our pupils are safe, loved and cared for.

"All we ask is that you do your best.

"If you need support, a chat, a cuppa or a cry, we are here.

"You are all doing amazing."

Since writing her letter, Mrs White has become something of a celebrity, appearing on news and talk shows, with the feedback being "phenomenal".

"I’m so shocked," she said.

"I genuinely wrote the letter for my Coates Lane community and never expected for it to be welcomed so much by the nation.

"I’m so pleased that people have taken some comfort in it and it helps them to find the balance between work and school."