The true test of where you are comes not on the days of languid sunshine, when the birds arc lazily overhead, cooling wind brushes across the glistening white crests and you skim along without a care in the world. Whilst we should be grateful for those days, those days when everything works and all the bits seem to fit together, those days of glorious tranquility. In my experience of almost eight years being a head, those days are more than not in the minority, recently they seem a rarity.
The true tests come on the days of biting cold, and howling gales. You know those days by the ominous black clouds swirling angrily overhead. The true test comes when you realise that after hours of work there are pieces of the jigsaw missing and the box is empty. The true tests don’t just come alone, they arrive with their mates ready for a ruckus. Those are the days when you find out where you are.
This week is one of those weeks…A perfect storm. A week where you batten down the hatches, aim your bow into the waves and crash on. Not easy but when you step back and look, school is running like you’re sailing in the calmest blue ocean.
This term is going to be one of those terms…a perfect storm largely ignored from the outside, COVID is over after all. The waves crashing against schools are relentless. There is no supply, there is no money. I am so proud of the team stepping into the breach without complaint doing all they can to help keep school open.
Staff absence/ lack of capacity (when you have 12 High needs pupils in a one form entry mainstream primary school any staff illness is a challenge) has crashed upon our good ship relentlessly. Not really the New Year we wanted…we had such plans. Thing is, it is what it is, this is the reality rather than the dream. Tomorrow I will be caretaker and teacher and dinner supervisor and many other jobs in-between.
This blog is a thankyou to the commitment of our brilliant staff…
That the children haven’t noticed, that the education hasn’t suffered, that school still feels like a well-oiled machine is testament to their sheer, utter bloody-minded commitment to doing a good job.
So thankyou and once more into the breach dear friends…then it’s the weekend. Hopefully the weather will turn, the clouds will clear and we’ll have a sunny updraft. If not we’ll keep riding the storm.
Those who are absent take care, look after yourself, don’t rush back. We miss you but we want you properly better.
Being Brave! a first time headteachers blog. 