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This is just an incredible book. Everybody should read it. It’s superb. You’re welcome. #HumanKind
On the eve of GCSE results day, I just wanted to share a story.
Last Thursday evening, I got a text.
It was from a parent of a young woman who had just received her A level results.
This young lady joined our school just after Christmas in her Y6, 7 years ago.
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Last Thursday evening, I got a text.
It was from a parent of a young woman who had just received her A level results.
This young lady joined our school just after Christmas in her Y6, 7 years ago.
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She was at serious risk of permanent exclusion from her previous school. She (and her family) had experienced many many occasions of ‘illegal’ unrecorded exclusions.
The whole family was increasingly distressed and it was having a significant impact.
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The whole family was increasingly distressed and it was having a significant impact.
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Fortunately the school had asked an EP for advice about ‘where she could go’. I’ll be forever grateful that the EP phoned us and asked us if we could accommodate her.
We did. And we applied for and received an EHCP very quickly.
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We did. And we applied for and received an EHCP very quickly.
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She had a personalised and individual programme of education that allowed her to emotionally and rationally process her new diagnosis of autism. She was an incredibly valuable member of our school and we all loved her and learned so much from her as all of our children are.
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More importantly, she FELT loved and valued and knew that we would always listen to what she needed.
That she was teaching us how to be even better at what we do.
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That she was teaching us how to be even better at what we do.
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She was determined and adamant about what she wanted to achieve.
No one who met her could doubt that she would be successful.
However...
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No one who met her could doubt that she would be successful.
However...
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Her choice of secondary school was not supported by our local authority and she was offered a place at a (great) specialist school but one that she and her parents did not believe met her needs or could facilitate her attaining her dreams and ambitions.
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Eventually, after 18 agonising months out of school (including her case being heard at tribunal) she started attending the mainstream school she had applied for.
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7 years on and her parents texted me this - I have permission to share:
‘... just want to drop a little message of thanks for the part you played in teaching me or should I say giving me the confidence to take on the system and fight for xxx.
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‘... just want to drop a little message of thanks for the part you played in teaching me or should I say giving me the confidence to take on the system and fight for xxx.
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Today she walked away on results day with an ‘A’ and off she goes in September to Uni to crack on with her nursing degree which eventually will get her to midwifery, her dream.’
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I’m so proud of our school and the context we have created for ALL of our pupils. I feel so privileged that we can positively contribute to people’s successes and life stories. And I’m grateful that people take the time out to share joy with us.
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I’ve just read Human Kind by Rutger Bregman and feel so emotional about it.
This story - and countless others - makes me absolutely believe that we live in the world he talks about.
A world where what others believe about you is a self-fulfilling prophecy.
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This story - and countless others - makes me absolutely believe that we live in the world he talks about.
A world where what others believe about you is a self-fulfilling prophecy.
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That’s what every human should experience - knowing that those around them love them and believe that they can achieve great things, feel understood and heard and feel connected to others.
That’s why we - like so many others - do the job we do.
#LearnToLoveLoveToLearn
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That’s why we - like so many others - do the job we do.
#LearnToLoveLoveToLearn
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