I was reminded this week during a visit to Hampstead school that the current Year 6 pupils will be completing 6th form studies in 2030, the same timeline as our education strategy. It is exciting to think of the influence and responsibility we all have on their school experiences during this time which will help inform the journey they take into young adulthood. At Christchurch NW3, just down the road from Hampstead School, I heard about their ‘trying something new week’ that is full of activities designed to test boundaries and learn new skills and talents. When it seems that there is so much negative news to be heard around us, driving aspiration in young people has never been more important. Considering young people as novice learners is part of this. This involves not making knowledge assumptions and actively seeking potential experience gaps to make sure that all young people have solid foundations to build on. This is something that only great curriculum design can provide, so this timeline is a good reminder that all those hours spent developing and refining curriculum pathways is not in vain!

At our Governors Forum on Thursday night, the forum Chair was elected and they heard about a range of school related matters including the health-related behaviour questionnaire, pupil 2021-22 outcomes, the school options working party, and outcomes from both the Diversity in Governance and website surveys. Tuesday was World Mental Health Day, and busy school leaders often concentrate more on the well-being of others at the cost of their own. Governors work in supporting you and acting as critical friends is an essential part of the machinery that makes healthy schools tick, this includes being mindful of your well-being. It is to the benefit of everyone that you regularly make time to stop, take stock and take opportunities to indulge in non-school related activities. I hope that you remind yourself of the important job you this coming weekend, by putting the school business aside for a while, and taking a break. Thank you as always for everything that you are doing.

Best wishes

Stephen Hall

Chief Executive Officer, Camden Learning