Last week with my “Headteacher for the day” companion, Lucy, over lunch the discussion turned to whether she was enjoying herself and Lucy explained that she would very much like to be the most important person in the school which she believed the Headteacher was. It was interesting to hear this because that is not how I perceive myself and I explained to her that actually that’s not what a Headteacher is. Everybody in the school has their role to play and every role is important and every single person matters to the school including pupils, teachers, all kitchen, estates, learning support and admin staff as well as parents and governors. As we set out this year to really think about inclusion, equal opportunities and diversity as a focus, for me this is a fundamental truth about how a strong community thinks and behaves.
This week I know many of you have enjoyed meeting senior staff and teachers in Pre-Prep for the coffee mornings to settle you all in to your new year groups and in Prep we enjoyed meeting the Year 7 parents.
I’ve enjoyed watching a lot of football, firstly at the Saturday tournament, which was a lovely occasion and thank you to all the sports department for their participation and organisation of this, and secondly on my trip to The Hawthorns where I was delighted to share lunch with the Head, Adrian Floyd, a former colleague and see two out of our three teams winning.
It was lovely to see so many gathered together for a positive and fun P and F meeting with Oliver Schneider in the chair surrounded by women! Thank you for agreeing to fund generously some exciting projects and we look forward to them gathering pace. Thanks to all who work tirelessly to arrange the events and to those who will come forward and do their bit .
Bishop Jacob’s visit on Tuesday was a colourful affair and his thoughts on the contrasts he was experiencing in England compared to his home in Tanzania were very clear. Our children and the children in Shoreham Village School are incredibly lucky to have everything they need to support their learning, whereas the children in the new schools they have built in Mpwapwa, Tanzania still may only have to write resting on their knees or not even have anything to write with or on at all. Their class size is officially 45 but can be much more and there are classes that take place under trees or on dirt floors. For me certainly attending the partnership service on Sunday, the reception in Shoreham for Bishop Jacob on Monday and hearing him speak and reflect thoughtfully on the strengths of the partnership, it will be amazing to have a personal relationship with such an influential leader and to make friends in this distant place. Having the opportunities for learning and working together and making a difference, is really incredibly exciting.
Reverend Diane is now hopefully in Tanzania and she and Gillian Lovatt-Young from Shoreham Village School have begun their Tanzanian adventure.
Jill Aisher