“I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back.”
– Maya Angelou

As we speed towards a new term in all our schools, we have seen so many Heads writing to their communities about the importance of ensuring that their staff are well supported when they come back after the Summer break. This has taken the form of minimising the pre-term training they often need to undertake or perhaps allowing some work to be carried out at home to ease the transition. Needless to say, it all stems from a desire to support and care for those people who are some of the most important in any school and to make sure that they are also in a place where they can offer this same support to our children when they return.

This virus has had so many casualties; whether the souls who have lost their lives, loved ones or had their health irrevocably damaged. It has hurt economies and even fractured countries’ trust in each other whether through blame, or squabbles over vaccine supplies. However, what is so gratifying is that a huge number of schools around the world have used this crisis for so much good. For example, who knew there was so much to learn in developing distance teaching and learning skills? Many schools also realised that they needed to further support their staff by being more aware of their needs. This often found expression in support as diverse as reducing staff workload, minimising cover, using SLT to help and even offering psychological support through specialists as well as myriad other ways.  In addition, many schools have used the enforced isolation to reach out to other institutions and arrange any number of shared experiences from quizzes, exhibitions, debates through to even joint drama and musical performances, anything in fact to connect with others in a time of isolation and disconnectedness. It is therefore wonderful to see Heads and Principals continue to be so focused on the well-being of their staff and students before most return back to school.

If we can remember these words from Maya Angelou, I am sure none of us will go far wrong as we welcome the staff and children back to school. In this way schools can continue to be that more supportive, inclusive and caring towards all the community and that is surely a wonderful way to start a new year…