Trying to reorganise files on my computer today, I came across this letter I wrote to Andy Burnham when he was, briefly, the shadow Secretary of State for Education back in 2011. It’s a really interesting read with many of the points I made still relevant 15 years later. Though I am a bit harsh… Read More Dear Mr Burnham
Heigh ho, heigh ho, it’s off to work I go. I was sure that was what the Seven Dwarfs sang. You too? Well maybe not. At a Quiz Night last weekend, the host assured us that actually it was ‘Heigh ho, Heigh ho, it’s home from work we go.’ And it turns out she was… Read More Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho
Last weekend, a good friend of mine was in a store in town when she was accosted by a group of young teenagers. They proceeded to provoke her with abuse and threats, poking her and standing in her way. One of them then said, ‘I’m autistic you know!’, the inference being that ‘you say anything… Read More The SEND Crisis: A Personal Essay
It’s something that I’ve thought about for a while now, and finally here is the pilot episode of the Bald Headteacher Podcast to listen to over Christmas. All being well, I will schedule several more episodes in the new year with some fabulous guests. The idea is to explore the future of education through big… Read More The Bald Headteacher Podcast
There appears to be no doubt that our country has a nagging problem with productivity, to say the least. All the data I’ve seen suggests a prolonged downturn, particularly since the pandemic, that shows no sign of easing. Well, if journeys to work are a good indication, then it certainly isn’t going to change in… Read More Agents of Change
Firstly, well done to all students who received their exam results this month. The great sorting mechanism will now do its bit, but it is a big moment in our students’ short life thus far, a threshold, a way marker. A new path awaits. In amongst the general trends, not just this year, but over… Read More The Slow Death of Literature
I have just finished reading the book ‘Legacy’ by James Kerr, somewhat late to the party (it was first written in 2013). The book charts the sustained winning culture of the New Zealand rugby union team, the famous All Blacks. It is a fabulous book for anyone who is, or aspires to be, in a… Read More Professional Curiosity
There is a section in the Jonathan Heidt book ‘The Anxious Generation’ where he uses the Polynesian proverb of ‘standing on a whale, fishing for minnows’, a beautiful way of saying that people neglect their potential by focusing on trivial matters. Heidt uses the proverb to colour his persuasive case that childhood is being completely… Read More The Whale and the Minnows
The image of the six police officers converging on the suburban house is quite unnerving. All that for complaining about your school in a WhatsApp group? Really? No wonder the Times chose to lead on it, though the fact the parent happens to be an employee probably oiled the wheels of the story. What we… Read More Call The Police
On Tuesday, I took my Mum along to the Mass of Thanksgiving for the proclamation of the 71st miracle of Lourdes, the Liverpudlian John ‘Jack’ Traynor. It was at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Liverpool, attended by brigades of priests and a substantial congregation. The Archdiocese was out in force for a true civic event that… Read More Miracles and Cures
I have now been working alongside colleagues at the Pope Francis Catholic Multi-Academy Trust for the past eighteen months. As the first trust set up by the Liverpool Archdiocese, the PFCMAT has a privileged position in helping to shape the future of Catholic education for decades to come. It has been invigorating, and at times… Read More Learning about Subsidiarity
I’m fascinated by the way multi-academy trusts are developing. In particular, the way alignment is interpreted, the ways in which conformity and compliance is decided upon. For me, I prefer to use a different framework to guide my thoughts. And that framework revolves around something wonderful which is subsidiarity. The concept of subsidiarity is of… Read More The Importance of Subsidiarity
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