There are days that are sent to test us. We’ve all experienced them. The series of unfortunate events begins to unfold early – usually a coffee spill on a crisp white shirt, or toothpaste on your tie. You then leave your phone on the kitchen counter, and only realise this when you are too far down the road to turn back… And then THAT e-mail… It sends you over the edge and sets in motion the perfect storm to throw the whole day off course. 

The call we have been waiting for, for almost two years, finally came on Monday morning. Inspection is something that stirs both dread, and a sense of challenge in any school community: dread because every detail of your practice is scrutinised; and challenge, because you need to use the opportunity to showcase everything that your school, and its community is doing to ensure that children are given the best possible opportunities to succeed.

I attended a fantastic conference yesterday, where the daughter of well-known educationalist, Sir Ken Robinson, who sadly passed away in 2020, presented a keynote address entitled Imagine If… .

Running Holiday Clubs for Scripture Union in South Africa was one of the first places where I learnt the value of being part of a community. Each school and university holiday was punctuated by youth camps, where children from all walks of life could come and be a part of something really positive and meaningful, and for many, these times were life-changing. So much of the work we did back then was unpaid. In fact, there were times when we had to pay our own way to be a part of the programmes we were running, but somehow, we all felt richer for having being part of the team.

Complementary or contradictory statements? I have found the phrase, ‘Nothing is forever’, an especially comforting phrase over the years. 

I was reading recently about trends in wellbeing.  It was interesting to find out the range of topical issues that are informing policymakers and leaders (Source: Global Wellness Institute).