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
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
Bald Headteacher 