One of the privileges of my job is that I get to work with the phenomenal people who form the leadership teams at Brampton. Last week the leaders of our pastoral teams came together for a full day of training and reflection to discuss how, we can continue to offer an ever better experience for our students. When the ISI Inspection team from our March inspection reported that “Leaders critically reflect on their practice to drive continual improvement, ensuring that the education provided remains relevant and in the interests of the pupils” and “Leaders set high expectations for teaching and learning and are responsive to feedback, taking appropriate action where necessary to enhance the educational experience for all pupils.” They were absolutely correct and I’ve enjoyed sharing the experience of developing our practices this week while our students have been either taking or preparing for exams.
We came up with some great ideas that I look forward to implementing in the coming months and years. We also had a visit from the pioneering ‘Teaching Walkthrus’ group which will help ensure that we stay ahead of the curve in our practices moving forward.
Last weekend I had the privilege to be in the Jose Alvalade Stadium in Lisbon, Portugal to watch the final of the Women’s UEFA Champions League contested by Barcelona FC Femeni and Arsenal WFC. The occasion was incredible and the match was on a knife edge throughout – to see Arsenal lift the trophy was a victory for the underdog and a reminder that resilience and determination even when the odds are stacked against you can bring success. The analogy seems slightly shoe-horned in (my colleagues know only too well that shoe-horning in sports analogies is my forte…) but I think there is one to be found in the way the Arsenal players were willing to review the way they normally play even though it has seen them achieve great success in the past, make changes for a new opponent and not be afraid to do things differently when they believed they could be even better.
Brampton is a dynamic institution where we always seek to be the best versions of ourselves and where we are never too proud to say we need to make a change to become even better. I wish all of our A level and GCSE students well as we head into June and therefore the final month of their exams and, for some, of their school lives.
Good luck all.
John
