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I’m increasingly of the opinion that it takes huge bravery to occupy the middle ground. Too easily maligned as beige fence-sitting, our instincts often lead us to extremes and the narrative preferences in this place and time favour polarisation over complexity and nuance. In education we seek fervently to codify and to rationalise our work,…

Togetherness is critical in schools where All Children thrive. The value of Togetherness supercedes the concept of tolerance, which is not about ‘tolerating’ per se, but about co-existence of idealogies and beliefs that are different – and sometimes directly in opposition to one another. There is a place for celebration of difference and a place…

Resilience is both a quality that children possess, and something that needs to be explicitly taught and developed. It is needed of us as practitioners, and it comes from a deep understanding of ourselves and our own needs and triggers. Resilience is developed through adversity and is different in different areas of our lives –…

All children speaks to me of belonging. All children should be able to see themselves in our schools and in our systems. All children should have their voices heard and their experiences validated. All children should be able to access the support necessary to achieve agency, and all children should be challenged towards this end.…

Levels of serious youth violence have long been a concern in some of our communities. In recent weeks and months we have seen an escalation in the number and manner of violent attacks: there is increased media coverage, political manoeuvring and some ill-informed sharing of views about schools and the role they play. It’s dispiriting…

Equity can really only be achieved once expectations are clarified and need is revealed. Equity focuses on giving everyone what they need. This might be equipment, uniform, skills, language – whatever is lacking should be provided, either solely by the school or jointly with families, so that each child can access all that a school…

Eighteen years ago I took a job working in a school in Stockport. It was something of an educational backwater and together we underwent a journey of significant school improvement. I had some excellent colleagues and mentors in that school, made some friends for life and, as is the case with every job, I had…