Like any species adapting in a Darwinian manner to an ever-changing world, trusts and schools are organic; they reflect and react to the emerging concerns of their time.
2024 has been another challenging year. We have seen the long shadow of young people’s poor mental health, endemic poverty and the trauma of civil unrest at home, and the constant spectre of international conflict, all of which have impacted our policies and procedures.
Navigating myriad complex issues is not just a core part of the day job; in many ways, it is the day job.
We could become gloomy in the face of seemingly intractable challenges, but we have the enormous privilege of shaping young people’s futures. We strive to meet every hurdle with optimism and an abiding sense that our best is yet to come.
So, banning mobile phones from classrooms and playgrounds is helping to alleviate young people’s anxiety and getting them talking more to each other; our pupils tell us so. But there is more to do to keep them safe in cyberspace and empower them as critical consumers of social media.
Deploying willing volunteers and using school space creatively to facilitate community hubs offsets poverty and isolation; our families tell us so. But there is more we can do to protect the vulnerable and ensure our children are nourished and warm.
A strong curriculum emphasising our nation’s values bolsters the contribution we make as civic institutions; our partners tell us so. But there is more to do to stop young people from feeling marginalised and depressed.
In an increasingly complex landscape, connectivity is key. Schools are about young people achieving great academic qualifications, and about nurturing them in a climate of wellbeing so that they thrive.
Establishing positive connections, internally and externally, is crucial to realising these twin aims. We are living through a corrosive epidemic of loneliness and disconnection. Restoring a sense of belonging is vital if we are to improve attendance, foster good behaviour and boost results.
Restoring a sense of belonging is vital
Relational practice is key to building the esteem of our communities, reminding all members of the key role they play and the value they bring. It is about getting back to the basics, helping to build a community and improving the quality of each day for as many as possible.
Building connections outside school – with businesses, charities, universities, voluntary organisations and public services – is effort well invested as the network of opportunities for pupils and their families broadens.
And of course, connecting meaningfully with professional bodies is essential for the growth of our support staff, teachers and leaders. Recruiting and retaining excellent staff is a significant challenge when other sectors offer the incentive of flexible working, which we can’t because our business is about physical connection.
To be effective, we need to be in the same building with children – face-to-face, building relationships. So we have to make our profession irresistible: through great development opportunities, enhanced wellbeing support and celebration of everyone’s talent and contribution.
We eagerly await the publication of the curriculum review report which promises to better equip young people for the future and provide a stimulating offer. We should feel connected by it, invested in it, bound by our shared aspirations for our pupils.
We welcome promised and much-needed reform to the SEND system to ensure that the pupils most in need of support receive it in a timely, co-ordinated and impactful way so that they are better able to connect with their peers and their curriculum.
Alongside all this, we should connect with the future by exploring new technology to create innovative ways of teaching, learning and managing schools to equip staff and pupils for a digitally dynamic world. We hope they will look back in five years’ time and say that we took the right bold decisions on their behalf.
Connection is about listening, being open to new ideas and being excited about the future. At its heart though, connection is about people and how we respond to their needs and aspirations.
The challenges we faced in 2024 will persist, but we must relish the collective mission ahead with renewed commitment and energy.
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