Fresh Starts

Standing on the school gates this week, as a busy Mereland Road bears witness to the return of students of all ages to their schools, I have felt uplifted and proud. 

The new beginnings of this particular year are like none other. The previous six months have been riddled with uncertainty and rapid change - the landscape around schools has been fluid, dynamic and, at points, fretful. The fact remains that going forward, we are still unsure as to what the future may hold. 

What has inspired me however and what has fuelled my determination and professional energy, has been the resilience and spirit of the young people and staff that I work with. I have seen over the past week the irrepressible enthusiasm of students being back with each other, back in their lessons and back with the teachers who are so invested in their progress. The new starts and new connections in classrooms have been exciting, genuine and warm. Students have assimilated new rules and procedures in place to keep the community safe with understanding and wisdom beyond their years. Perhaps the eerie nature of lockdown has taught us much to value school even more than ever. 

New beginnings offer us the chance to reboot and refresh. We reflect on what we value and what we want to achieve going forward. New beginnings offer us threshold moments to recalibrate and make good our intention. Whatever is ahead of us, this term's new beginning has only brought me confidence in the strength of our community and the unshakable belief in our collective ambition and resilience.