Putting on our best face
27th September 2024
Thank you for the resilience that many of you have shown this week. There are a lot of bugs about and the predicted dip in the weather has meant it’s been very difficult for some to get through this past week. But, the overwhelming majority of staff, pupils and students have dragged themselves up and out, filled their pockets and bags with tissues, hankies, even Fisherman’s Friends, and have been in. It is very much appreciated. We are all in this togethers; you’re certainly are a resilient bunch – thank you.
We have entered the period where, however we are feeling in ourselves, when we start to open ourselves up to external scrutiny. We are in that period of the academic year when we throw open our doors and say to our communities…’come along and have a look at us’. Schools and colleges used to be mysterious places where ‘other’ adults could not tread. We feel differently these days. We are so much more open to a visit and, as a consequence, scrutiny.
Just this past couple of weeks we’ve had members of our communities, parents, carers and others in through our doors; be that the Heritage open day, the Macmillan coffee morning, the Saturday open day or the Monday open evening. There’s more to come across our sites in the coming weeks and months.
On one level this is about recruitment. Let’s be quite frank about this, if we don’t get the numbers in through our doors we cannot and will not be able to survive, never mind prosper. Opening ourselves up this week and in the coming weeks, heritage days, open days / evenings, Macmillan coffee mornings. That’s where we become exposed. It’s like at home but with a little more seriousness than plumping the cushions on the sofa.
We wear our best face but it must always be a true picture – you cannot fool the public at those times. The feedback has been incredible and many of our visitors have expressed their appreciation, admiration and support. These comments, some in person, some via email and social media, are worth so much to us. Sometimes we do feel that we are working a vacuum – we don’t always know what’s been said or how people feel.
It’s clear to me that we have flourishing institutions. We know that what we do, day in and day out, with our pupils and students, is highly valued by them and their parents and carers but the past few weeks has reminded us that we do have that wider reach and impact.
As one of our key leaders says regularly..’ we are engines of social change’ – so true and we forget that at our peril and to the detriment of our communities. We, within our trust, challenge ourselves to create learning environments, the physical buildings – which we’ve all opened up this past few weeks or so, where pupils and students can flourish, allowing for the development of their potential; to do well academically and live well as a human being. We know that we have to address the multiple negative impacts of 21st century Britain; be that the legacy of the pandemic, the current economic challenges or societal and community disharmony. We do that by creating a school or college environment that is warm and inclusive. Our vision promotes education as a force for social justice and we continue to be challenged within our schools, within the college, within those environments to say, do and present ourselves in a manner which promotes more than what can be bound by our bricks and mortar.
Our buildings matter, the environment matters, how we present ourselves matters, as that is the manifestation and presentation of what we are truly about and what we endeavour to achieve.
I am convinced that we’ll see our communities wanting to join us, be with us and share in our success.
‘Inclusive, good-quality education is a foundation for dynamic and equitable societies.’ Desmond Tutu