Headlines By James Saunders 9th October 2020
World Teacher’s Day On Monday it was World Teachers’ Day. A day to celebrate teachers “Teachers: Leading in crisis, reimagining the future”. The day provides the occasion to celebrate everyone who contributes to education worldwide, take stock of achievements, and draw attention to the voices of teachers, who are at the heart of efforts to attain the global education target of leaving no one behind. At Honywood I am proud of the way our wonderful staff responded to the challenges of the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly added to the challenges faced by already over-extended education systems throughout the world. It is no exaggeration to say that the world is at a crossroads and, now more than ever, we must work with teachers to protect the right to education and guide it into the unfolding landscape brought about by the pandemic. It a small but important gesture - if you have the time, say “thank you” to an amazing teacher - through the following link https://thankateacher.co.uk/ Open Evening and tours I am so pleased that we have been able to run our open tours and evening presentations this year. If you have already visited in the day or evening, thank you. It has taken a lot of organisation but we have managed to safely welcome over 200 visitors into the school for a personalised experience over a period of two weeks. During my evening talk to families I have spoken about how education is more than just academic success. I spoke about our aim for children to leave us as happy as well as successful young adults. Happiness is a tough thing to measure when compared to simplicity of exam results. However, without it we have not done our job fully. I highlighted our six capitals: moral (excellence of character); social (relationships); cultural (authentic and enriching experiences); knowledge (academically challenging curriculum); organisational (aspiration and challenge)
and professional (leadership). Our six capitals along with our core values of trust, respect, equity and excellence, remain a central part of the Honywood experience and they are carefully woven into the daily lives and learning of our learners so that they build their character and become happy and effective citizens. I have always viewed educational outcomes through a dual focus lens - personal development and academic achievement. These outcomes are like keys to the future; they complement each other and they unlock the next step. Qualifications open the door; it is excellence of character and the ability communicate and develop relationships that keeps the door open. At Honywood we believe that true success can only come from the right balance of these outcomes. The feedback I have received from tours has been excellent and highlights the hard work that goes on at Honywood to provide a happy environment that creates happy children. Our tours have naturally been operating a little differently than previously. However, the current climate of small groups and social distancing has provided us with the opportunity to showcase what we are all about even more - personalisation and relationships. It has been great to meet with small groups of parents and learners to talk about what our wonderful school has to offer. “Is effective teaching more about good relationships than anything else?” I would like to thank families for taking the time to visit us. I really do feel that you need to see the school with your own eyes and am glad we have been able to provide this opportunity to prospective families. Our tours have all been fully booked, therefore we have extended our tour period so that any further families who would like to see the school are still able to visit. If anyone would like to book onto a tour or if you know of anyone please contact the school office. Weather and coats The weather is well and truly turning now and things are getting colder. Our current risk assessment and covid requirements means that we must maintain good ventilation.