I’m not sure we ever got taught to be self-aware when I was at school. Our education seemed to revolve only around things that were perceived to be practical, and that would translate into us becoming solid citizens who would contribute to society in some way.

I’ve recently contacted a few old friends to find out how they are, and to catch up on some news. I’ve not seen some of them in a number of years, and much has taken place during that time for each of us. What struck me though, is that all of us remarked on how busy life has become, and how little time there appears to be for meaningful rest.

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.