News and views {GREY MATTER}
GREY MATTER
School life in September KIER GLOVER, school bursar at St John’s CE Primary School, Keele, writes about what it was like starting a new role just before the pandemic began, and what he is looking forward to when students return in September
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s I write in the school summer holidays, I wanted to share some of my thoughts and expectations on what school life will be like in September from both a school and a business point of view, when the new (and hopefully ‘normal’) academic year starts. When I progressed from office administrator, and started my current role as a school bursar, in January 2020, I had some expectations as to what my job might involve. Such expectations were thrown into disarray two months later when a global pandemic completely engulfed school life as we have all come to know it. Looking forward to September, even though COVID-19 has not gone away, we are hopefully about to commence the first ‘normal’ school year for two years. For me, there are so many special moments during the academic year; there are inevitably tough times but there are also amazing times each year. Since March 2020, we have missed so many of those amazing times we have all come to almost expect and enjoy each year as school staff and I hope that from September we can recommence such events that give the students and staff a real sense of belonging to their individual school again. This can sometimes just come from all being together, a simple
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September 2021
right taken away from us all many times in the last year and a half. It would be fantastic for simple daily occasions, such as school assemblies, to return and for the whole school to come together rather than being stuck in rigid bubbles and seeing each other through the medium of an interactive whiteboard. The return of events such as Christmas and summer fairs will be such a welcome return to school communities throughout the country. I hope for the special times that parents enjoy - such as sports days and watching nativities - to take place again. I know that, when I think back to primary school, I remember the trips my class went on so I know the children and staff will be looking forward to the return of visiting a setting away from school to enhance their learning.
FACE-TO-FACE From a personal point of view, I hope September brings the return of networking opportunities such as school business manager conferences held in person rather than on Microsoft Teams or Zoom. As I am still new into the role, I learn so much more by talking to people in a similar job role who I share the same problems with on a daily basis. Networking
It would be fantastic for simple daily occasions to return and for the whole school to come together opportunities are vital to me, and something I eagerly anticipate the return of. I think at times you could be forgiven for feeling slightly isolated with your problems in school business, and being able to put a face to a name can provide comfort during the stressful times we face! I am also somewhat excited by the hope that training courses to develop my knowledge will be in person – I can’t be the only one whose mind has started wandering about an hour and a half into a Microsoft Teams training course. I am also a huge fan of a coffee on a course, away from the school office, in peace! In the 2021/2022 academic year I also hope that schools can see a reduced amount of expenditure on costs related to the pandemic. I have seen a rising amount of expenditure on a wide range of issues, and they always link back to the
virus we have all been living with for the last 18 months! I look forward to spending school funds in areas that benefit the children, rather than the expenditure we have all inevitably spent on supply cover, extra PPE and problems such as staff isolating through no fault of their own. I would like to wish all educational staff the best of luck for the new school year. We have all put in a heroic effort in the last 18 months, especially at times when announcements were made at the last minute, and I know that everyone will continue to be the superheroes that they are in the future.