My company is called Koa – you may have noticed. If you are a gardener, you may know why. Can I take a moment to talk to you about the Koa tree? The Koa is a very tall kind of Acacia tree. It is thought so precious in the Hawaiian Islands that the wood is … Read more
Well here we go again, yet another round of glue, glitter, songs, rehearsals and the general mayhem as we hurtle towards the end of the Autumn Term. How many times have you been through this? For a teacher new to the profession, this end of term must be an eye-opener- joyous and exhausting! For me, … Read more
“When are you going to hug me?” is the question that Mark Kermode, film critic, pulls out the Elton John film ‘Rocketman’. He then goes on to describe the film as “a story about a little boy who became a big star while plaintively pleading ’I want love, but it’s impossible’, a shy kid who … Read more
I remember listening to the psycho therapist Una Firth some years ago who told the true story of 3 brothers who presented differently as a result of family trauma- the eldest with anti-social behaviour, the middle boy with eating disorders and the youngest being deeply withdrawn. The youngest had the most profound distress even though … Read more
I went to 6 schools before I was 18. I have worn brown with blue trimming, grey and greyer, navy with red and no uniform at all. I have been a poor learner, a successful student and a dismal middle-of-the road student. Teachers wrote ‘conscientious’ on my school report. There wasn’t much else to say! Trying … Read more
Can you identify with this? You start the term in one direction and by now you are less directed, or, as you might want to say to yourself, you are taking the scenic route! Your experience tells you that will get there eventually, however, you have a sense of frustration too. If so, this newsletter is … Read more
Today I want to talk about : Mental health and the gifted and talented I wanted to talk to you about this because there was a time when Ofsted scrutiny was about looking at provision for the gifted and talented. Do you remember that? Today it is not a specific area of scrutiny and this … Read more
This is a true story. It was the Autumn Term. It was Harvest. It was Monday morning and the children came in and added to the table in my classroom to celebrate the event. I had started the table with fruit and vegetables knowing that the gifts from my class of pupils would substantially be crisps and … Read more
It’s a decade now since the CAMHS Review surprised us by saying that ‘mental health is everybody’s business’. Much has changed and nothing has changed! What has definitely changed is the increase in children and young people with mental well-being needs and in the nature of those needs. That 2008 document talked about the 1 child in … Read more
I was admiring a dragon-fly recently, its gossamer wings and effortless flight across the meadow. What a joy to watch! And, as my grand-daughter was with me, we began poking about in the surrounds of the pond to see what else we could discover. Oh dear…there were really gross casings that looked something you didn’t … Read more