“Human capital and education are the cornerstones upon which hinge the social, economic and cultural well-being of our society”

At the start of the academic year it is becoming increasingly obvious that things are going to get a lot more interesting...

The future isn't simply about Academies and Free Schools. We need to work harder to build brilliant and maintain great schools in every community and great schools for every young person. We need to:

1. share and focus on the bigger picture;
2. share and be honest about the reality;
3. always be honest with each other;
4. share everything and learn constantly;
5. constantly listen to feedback from our colleagues, customers and partners;
6. share the workload to achieve more;
7. support others who are feeling the strain;
8. share every success and every failure.

This is more than just a series of goals or a shared vision - it's about values and culture and helping colleagues to understand where they fit into the bigger picture of Trusts, Academies and Free Schools. As always we must be prepared to confront the harsh realities when things go wrong and give and receive honest feedback but we need open, clear, two-way communication and active listening to continue to build teamwork across schools where we share what works and our outstanding practice. If we get this right I believe that things will happen spontaneously; colleagues will understand where the pressures are, what the challenges are and how team work can help to manage the workload. We must build and develop new creative and powerful teams, dynamic partnerships and strong and meaningful relationships focused on providing great services and great support to young people, their families and schools.

If we can do this properly and create a genuine 'one team' culture, everyone wins and learns and most importantly everyone improves and develops together.
Chris