At the start of this week, I attended the HMC Conference in Stratford, where I was able to meet with other headteachers and leaders to consider the challenges and opportunities that we all face.
This year, the conference programme included a series of talks looking at leadership. I will probably pick up on some of these in future blogs, however it was the final session that moved me and left me hopeful for the future. The last session of the conference is often poorly attended, as people begin their journey back to their school; however, since this year’s conference was close to Coventry, I was one of those fortunate enough to hear Jaz Ampaw-Farr lead a session called ‘Everyday Heroes’. I encourage you to watch her give a similar talk, which can be found on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVHW7UlTobw&list=PL-Rfo8g5-uXeIr4t7f3OtMsuo8vZ2_oyP&index=3
Like all good speakers, she was an engaging story teller, explaining her often traumatic life journey and linking this to key principles. One of her themes was to be 10% braver and as part of this, she indicated that we might be terrified about getting something wrong, but that taking that next step is how we grow and are able to change lives. She spoke about the stories that we tell others about ourselves, about the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves and our unwritten story. Teenagers can find this particularly difficult, and that inner voice will often exaggerate the negatives, but by encouraging them to try something, to put themselves forward and to stand up for their values, they may well be amazed by what can be achieved. Part of the joy of working in a school is seeing the confident and happy young people that leave us, wanting, and able, to make a positive difference to our world.
In her talk, Jaz mentioned a phrase that she uses with her family, which is ‘adding value, giving joy’. I think that this is a motto that I may steal and use in my own conversations with pupils and colleagues. Watch this space!
(Bulletin No 87 - Friday 6th October 2023)
