Blood, Sweat and Tears

Last term was, for too many reasons, tough. But we got through it, and here we are, on the cusp of something.

Something.

What that something is comes down to each  of us. Play this right, and we have a set of excellent results coming, along with well-prepared younger year groups who are unilaterally moving in the right direction. And play it right we will.

Blood, sweat and tears. We'll be still here, standing strong, never in fear. Knowing that what we do empowers the powerless - beyond that grade, we enable people to understand, participate and communicate, to change their futures.

I still believe. A man who stands for nothing falls for anything. We stand for a purposeful engaging education that fulfils a social purpose. Equality and fairness. Opportunity. Like those three women, hugging, while the two men stood at opposite ends, bemused by what matters.

How do we get there? How do we ensure that as many of our pupils get the outcome they deserve as is humanly possible?

Forgiveness and fairness. Don't let the stresses we face, which we're paid to face and choose to face, impact upon them. They haven't chosen to be educated in a vile and soulless system,Support them.

Care. I know you do, and that I don't need to remind you. But care - care for their futures and their chances.

Understand. Understand the pressures, which are like nothing we faced during our educations. Understand why they may be fearful or avoidance, and support them in overcoming this.

We must be indefatigable, we must be ultimately consistent and we must be a team. Everyone who can, year 11 teacher or not, assistant teachers and all, must be prepared to go the extra mile, to be present at Flexible learning and to support one another.

If we follow the simple path we have tread for some years now, focusing on what is right for the pupils, working with our colleagues within the department as well as across the school and showing patience and understanding, we will succeed.

We will succeed.