A decade on...

Ten years since my beautiful wife, Val died. What a loss to the world, what a loss to her family, what a loss to me. Always in my heart.

Paulo Freire - a hero

Education, Conscientization and a Pedagogy of the Oppressed

Paulo Freire’s work has influenced people working in education, community development, community health and many other fields. Freire developed an approach to education that links the identification of issues to positive action for change and development. While Freire’s original work was in adult literacy, his approach leads us to think about how we can ‘read’ the society around us.
For Freire, the educational process is never neutral. People can be passive recipients of knowledge — whatever the content — or they can engage in a ‘problem-posing’ approach in which they become active participants. As part of this approach, it is essential that people link knowledge to action so that they actively work to change their societies at a local level and beyond.
Many of Freire’s writings are available in English. The most well known of these, Pedagogy of the Oppressed (1972) has been very influential and The Politics of Education (1985).
A typical feature of Freire-type education is that people bring their own knowledge and experience into the process. Training is typically undertaken in small groups with lively interaction and can embrace not only the written word but art, music and other forms of expression.

My latest job talk to the Rotary Club of Swindon Old Town

Mike gave us an outline of the dangers involved in Headship including snapping a tibia and fibula on a school adventure pursuits trip and having a steel rod inserted, and receiving an intimate silicone implant: so don’t be alarmed if you hear a dull explosion one morning at breakfast……...

He also alluded to a 41-year teaching career, which included being Head of Department in an East London Secondary in 1974, Head of a Primary in Gateshead with 83% free school meals in the 1980’s, and in his current post for 20 years at what is now Swindon’s first Outstanding Primary Academy which is Goddard Park based in Park North. Mike is committed to, and has pride in Swindon (and it’s GWR heritage, together with Swindon Town FC, and the town’s potential for the future).

A more colourful past involved him being politically active, first as a County Councillor in Wiltshire, and then a Borough Councillor in Swindon. He admitted to being the leading light in bringing Residents’ Parking to Swindon streets (for environmental reasons as well as parking for local residents) much against the wishes of the governing party at the time in Wiltshire. On the day this was reported in the Evening Advertiser it carried a report on the back page of a certain Trevor Embling winning the Swindon Men’s Badminton Championship – a sport also graced by Randy Burden, and enjoyed at a much humbler level by Mike. When he became a Deputy Head he drew a line under further political activity.

In 2010, Mike was elected National President of the National Association of Headteachers (NAHT). This involved much travelling to international Conferences, and the great opportunity to see schools in different Countries. ‘League tables do not tell the whole story but are convenient for the sound bite. Many school systems simply do not match up. In Finland – widely regarded as one of the best in the World there is no external examination until the age of 18. Why? It would distort our curriculum say Finnish Heads. Is anyone listening in the Department for Education? They recently added yet another test, this time phonics for 6 year olds!’

 Veronicah, James and Mike outside Alcatraz when attending the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) Conference in San Francisco in 2011.

Mike concluded with stories of personal witness on the importance of reaching out to all young people. He believes he has changed far more lives as a Headteacher than as a politician. Come on the Town!

Sons and Daughter, Granddaughters, cars, and football: just a regular weekend.

 George, James, Marcus and Lily. Good luck Marcus with the London Marathon and running for the RNIB. Just have a recovery support team ready at the finish. Go for it Son!

 Lily, Hope, James, Scarlett, Daisy and George at Uncle Paul's in Worksop

 The new car: a Jaguar XF and it drives like a dream - and probably the last one before we go electric.
... and to finish the weekend I took James to see Rotherham v Swindon at the Don Valley Stadium which was all too close for Veronicah to the Meadowhall shopping complex and she just had to take the twins there. Enough of cliches, although there seemed to be a quite a few shopping bags to return to Wiltshire with. I saw James' footballing future at the ground. Behind James and I was a supporter who was quite vocal, so James spent much of the second half shouting 'Come on Swindon'. It obviously worked as in this most remarkable season we came away with a 2-0 victory with both goals scored by Matt Ritchie. This is James' second match and we have won both. Perhaps he should start to go more often...

Another hand please

Just running out of hands....

Red, Green, Yellow, and Blue - the House System cometh

We have worked on the creation of a House system for Goddard Park over several months. The themes were based upon Swindon's heritage of Trains, Planes and Automobiles. We added water as a means of transport as the fourth. We asked the Schools Council, Staff, and Parents what names they thought would be right for each House. Some came easily as the GWR Castle engines gave us Castle House in its Green livery.Vickers Armstrong's Supermarine Spitfire provided Spitfire House with a Yellow Sun. Cars were plentiful with Honda and BMW's Mini, but we went back to Pressed Steel's MG for the Red MG House. This left us with the most difficult decision and that was Blue for water. We had suggestions around Swindon's canal, but nothing directly that the children could really relate to. Eventually, we settled on Weymouth House as it is often referred to as 'Swindon by the sea', many of our children (and some Staff) holiday there, we have had annual residential trips there from School for nearly 20 years, and it has the sailing Olympics this year.
All the children and Staff have now been attached to a House (with families in the same House) and a weekly Trophy is to be presented in a full School Assembly. Children can earn House points in a variety of ways including good work, perseverance, courtesy and good manners, being thoughtful about others, as well as good attendance and being in full School uniform. The Schools Council came up with some of the ideas and we are looking forward to this permeating all School life.

To France: the Dordogne for Christmas

It was the Dordogne for Christmas in a converted station halt in a small hamlet near the splendid town of Excideuil. 

Outings to Martignac and Sarlat were followed by time on a farm run by Thierry and Diane. We fed calves and saw the evening milking. Cows had a quick and effective response to a 'foreign' calf coming to milk, but not one I would recommend. Three days in, we had our Waterloo moment. Coming round a very sharp bend on a narrow road was our German Mercedes and it's British driver. Unfortunately, coming from the other direction was a French Peugeot on the same piece of tarmac. The outcome was another Waterloo with the French car 'totalled', and the Mercedes in need of some tender loving care, but eminently repairable. The female French driver was not Napoleon, but in fact Josephine.....
This did not affect a wonderful time 

and we were very pleased that Father Christmas found his way with the reindeer to France. He even left his footprints!

The way home was amusing. Everything was fine until the ferry at Calais where we said goodbye to the replacement C3 (which never seemed to need to visit a petrol station). A full set of luggage and the family, no trollies, and a late ferry left us at 9pm at night at the Dover terminal contemplating options. The last train was 10.44pm and we had tickets for 7.44pm. There was no connection from London. Should we stopover in Dover? Not a sentence I've ever had to use before.
It was midnight as we came into St Pancras International. A huge amount of luggage, three very young children, and no trollies again. The trainguard was brilliant - a real railwayman. As we relayed down the platform I spotted a trolley and as the family came closer it looked eerily like a carbon copy of our situation - young children, lots of pieces of luggage etc. They were getting on the train and explained they had just a car crash in France! General laughter. This required a group photo, and agreement about the good old British 'Never say die' spirit. They gave us the trolley, and then we then entered our nine-seater taxi driven by a very obliging Farzad from Old Town.

We three Kings and one mobile crown

A 3rd birthday (December 13th) party with special guests

As he approached his 3rd birthday James became increasingly excited. In addition to a bouncy castle at the party we had the services of Kenny, a local magician, as well as personal appearances by Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse. Fun for twenty friends including Lily, George, Ted, Freya, and special friend Aaron.

Nairobi in October

I am always concerned not to spend much of a long-haul flight next to crying babies or 25 stone adults. I am sure there are redeeming features, but I can't think of any at the moment. So when we took up the whole row on the Virgin Atlantic flight with three children under three (and with the twins only four months old) it was with some trepidation on behalf of nearby passengers. It turned out to be a pretty good flight with Virgin Atlantic cabin staff in excellent form. The requirement to remove sleeping babies from their bassinets (cots) at the slightest hint of turbulence was soon removed when the proverb, 'let sleeping dogs lie' was sensibly applied to babies.
Seeing Dad's (now 86) and Mum's faces when they saw the twins for the first time - it was for James, a seasoned traveller, another trip at the ripe old age of two and three quarters, and he must have more airmiles now than most people I know, having been to Norway, Spain, the USA (twice), Singapore, and now Nairobi for the third time - a pure delight.

The Desai School was in good heart. Standard 8 (usually 14 year olds) were preparing for the Kenyan Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination in November. I have been going to this slum area school in Kawangware for 13 years now, and am always amazed and humbled by the dedication of staff, all of whom live in the slum area, mostly in 10' by 10' mabati (corrugated tin) houses like the children, and share toilets with up to 15 families, and buy water half a mile away. Two years ago all 37 children who took the KCPE at the school passed - the best pass rate for this area of western Nairobi. The desire of the children to learn is always impressive. It is a pebble in a pond, but it is our pebble in the pond! www.desaimemorialschool.co.uk

Turning the other ear

To the Rotary Club of Swindon Old Town.

Yesterday I was fitted with a hearing aid in each ear

This now presents me with certain challenges:

1. My wife now expects me to hear and engage with every word she says as opposed to the previous 1 in 10 ratio I was allowed.

In the film Captain Corelli's Mandolin a doctor removed a hardened pea from a male villager's ear. By the end of the film this man asked for it to be replaced as he could now hear his wife all too regularly.

2. I can now look forward to hearing Stewart Bell's rapier wit as in the past he could have been reciting farmers weekly or the archers for all I know.

3. I'm sure at last night's Swindon match I tuned into Radio 4, or that may have been wishful thinking.

3. With the growing number of hearing aid wearers in the Club I think President we should consider the creation of a committee for those whose fetish is walking around with battery driven digital rubber in one or two orifices.

4. I hope I no longer have to use coping strategies such as 'really' or 'is that so?' when I can see the lips are moving, but haven't the slightest clue what is being said.

5. Finally, I am retiring today as a full-time Headteacher after some 25 years in such a post, but start a new contract as Head for three days a week contract as from Monday. 

I'm looking forward to continue working in Goddard Park as Head, although I do not intend to change my approach of smiling at, and asking a parent 'how is their sister', who I'd taught, to someone who may have just spoken an expletive to me. Its's just that they wouldn't have realized I hadn't heard it. Not quite the disarming approach of turning the other cheek, as much as turning the other ear.



       

Lily and George Welsh

Lily and George Welsh were born on 19th June. George was 4lb 10oz and arrived at 6.07am, and Lily was 4lb 6oz and came into the world at 6.14am. I have attached a photograph of Lily (left) and George with their big brother James, who is now two and a half and is very excited about having a brother and sister.
Veronicah entered the Great Western Hospital at 4am, so it was a short labour. No time for any higher level pain relief, so Veronicah once again made do with gas and air. The staff were brilliant and as twins for a slightly older mum are high risk we had nine members of staff including four Doctors. Immediately after giving birth Veronicah was taken to the operating theatre, and was successfully operated on by the Consultant who stemmed some fairly serious haemorrhaging.
All are doing well.
Both Lily and George have put on nearly two pounds over their birth weight. Feeding through the night is fun as always with both of us looking forward to getting some sleep soon.
Names: Lily Wanja Veronicah Welsh after my Mum, Veronicah’s Mum, and Lily’s Mum. George Mukundi Michael Welsh after my Grandad, Veronicah’s Grandad, and George’s Dad.
A great start in life.

Heated conversations

Last week we hosted a barbecue for family and friends. My 'Daddy Cool' apron came out for work at the charcoal face. It was a beautiful summer day and evening with one of those lovely relaxed times where both conversation and wine flows. There is something special about the UK when we experience these balmy evenings. Perhaps it is so fleeting we try to make the best of what we do have.
Sarah, Louis, and Lizzie were stopping for the weekend and they produced a splendid salad for the barbecue. A trip to Millets Farm Centre included test driving possible garden play equipment, including a tree house, which is on the list for the garden reconstruction this summer. After all of our travels we are looking forward to holidaying at home.

A whirlwind of names

Returning full-time to school continues the intensity of 2011. It's great to be back with the children, staff and school community. A brief agenda includes developing a new curriculum map, managing staff changes, a major building programme, as well as ensuring the quality of impact on learning and all the usual day-to-day engagement. Fortunately, I have an excellent team with Bev as Deputy and Fiona as School Business Manager, and the Assistant Heads - the progress group - driving improvements, and a brilliant staff. It's been good to spend some time speaking with parents. Although these remain difficult times for employment, Swindon is in a better place for this than many towns.
Veronicah is not far now from having the twins. At the Clinic on Monday the Consultant suggested the I shouldn't leave Town (the opposite of the famous line in Westerns!).
We are ready with all the clothes and two cribs and a duette pram. Names have been the subject of some lengthy conversations. Boy 1, Boy 2, Girl 1, Girl 2, and any combination. At least we have the Kikuyu second names now. This has involved much discussion with Dad, Mum, and family in Kenya. There are a number of cultural traditions which we are intending to observe. These are complicated still further by it being twins. All good fun! Our choices for first names are constantly evolving with past favourites falling by the wayside. As we both work in school each name is associated in your mind with particular children we have had over the years. Perhaps Ziggy Stardust or Lady GaGa or Paulo Di Canio aren't that bad after all.

My NAHT Presidential Year comes to a close.

I wanted to take the opportunity to record a few words in my last few days as President.

I'd like to thank the Northern Ireland committee and Colm and Michael in particular for a wonderful couple of days at the last National Executive in Belfast.

Well it all started with Children singing in Liverpool and I was delighted with a standing ovation for the presidential speech -  the entrance to the gala evening will last long in my, and my family's, memory.

Any President will tell you that it is their aim is to leave the association in a better place than where they began - our members rightly demand nothing less. In Kenya there is a term used by a previous President, Daniel Arap Moi - 'Nyayo' which means leaving footprints in life. 

One or two shared footprints from 2010/2011:

Firstly, the Bedouin tent has of necessity, with the refurbishment of the former Bonnington Hotel, meant the National Executive seeing other parts of the Country this year, but I believe that places like Bath and Belfast have shown we can at times conduct our business outside of London very successfully as a national association. A balance in someway with a revitalized Bonnington or Hilton Doubletree as it will be known, would be good.  

We had a positive changeover of General Secretary without the pain and dislocation that could have occurred. We also have indisputably the right General Secretary, and we have had an excellent working relationship.

A restructuring of HQ is well advanced to place us in a position to meet the needs and aspirations of our members. We must now ensure that this promise is fulfilled. 
I appreciate the considerable effort of many staff to make high quality provision for Member's needs.
 
We have had a new Government with an electoral mandate. In meeting with Ministers it is clear that they now take the Association as a serious organization with gravitas and they are in a better position to consider education policy if they talk with us first as recent progress has demonstrated. Fewer u turns will then be necessary. We need the 'Freedom to flourish'.

This blog illustrates just some of the engagement such as speeches, articles and discussions which I've been able to have with Branches, Regions, other school leader organizations, government, media, and individual members. This is frankly a punishing schedule throughout the year.         

I have been particularly pleased, following the lengthy and ultimately fruitless efforts of a working party of council in a previous year, to lead a task and finish group - and I pay tribute to that group - which has led to the new method of National Executive working including the introduction of a new committee structure and in particular the information session which ensures all executive members leave here richer and better able to perform your roles in the districts branches regions and sectors. These excellent foundations are now ready to be further built upon.

At times I frankly admit I could have had a much quieter life at one or two points and go through the motions, but that is not me and I have always tried to work by principle and as custodian of the naht best interests. This has required on occasion telling individuals to wake up and smell the coffee. This has been done carefully, often behind the scenes, and invariably taken with good grace. 

I think our debate and engagement in the National Executive this year has been rigorous, but in good humour and should command the respect of our members for these efforts and expertise and that of our HQ staff in developing and carrying out association policy always with the best interests of members at heart. There is no better voice when a member feels the world is caving in, or they just need support to do their job that little bit better, than the NAHT.

We have challenges such as developing the use of video conferencing which is so much better than teleconferencing and could enable colleagues to effectively engage at a lower cost in the range of smaller meetings we have.

I have met some great colleagues and characters around the Country from Northumberland to Ian Bruce in Cornwall, from Tom Thompson on the Isle of Man to John Deare on the Isle of Wight, and Windermere to the indefatigable Barbara Letchford in Kent, and a sane view in the New Forest from David Mewes. Many of these with National Executive colleagues quietly ensure the NAHT challenges the unfair, the uninspiring and unacceptable which causes so much anxiety and sleepless nights for school leaders who are simply doing their very best for the next generation.      

I intend to undertake the role of Immediate Past President and support Chris and Steve, but I am also looking to restore and develop my family life. In July, Veronicah is having twins and has just been successful in gaining a place on a PGCE course. I am looking forward to returning as Headteacher of Goddard Park in Swindon and working with the whole school community again. This will be my 25th year as a Head - a brilliant job - and 20 years in Goddard Park with my fabulous team and children. 

I would like to thank my wife, Veronicah, and my daughters Zoe and Sally, my grandchildren and many friends for their support this year.  My little James: the innocence and unconditional love of this little boy is the light of my life.

I would like to thank you for your kindness and support in this most unique year in my life. 
I am, and will always remain, so proud to have been National President of the NAHT. 

Thank you. 

The blog continues.......

November, April, and August: international engagement and decision-making

Alan November updated some of his previous talks with a positive view of children's engagement with the Internet. He provided excellent examples of how pupils' work could end up on e.g. School tube, and You Tube. 
I again held key talks with representatives of international school leader associations considering joining the International Confederation of Principals  (which NAHT is a Member of), including the NAESP who are carefully developing their position. ICP are extending Observer status to both NAESP (Elementary and NASSP (Secondary School Principals) for it's Council meeting at the 2011 ICP Convention in August in Toronto.
ICP is engaged in a reform programme designed to improve it's engagement with national associations and to share good practice throughout the world. Key players include Ontario Principals Council, and IPPN in Ireland.
A 'Plan B' should this fail to thrive is the possible creation of a World Forum charging individual schools being developed by Ton Duif in the Netherlands. 
Toronto will be an important juncture for these discussions.     

24 hours to Tampa (with apologies to Gene Pitney and Tulsa)

The last Conference of my Presidential year is the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) in the US. It's taking place in Tampa, Florida, a State I've never been to. In order to keep expenditure down my relatively cheap flight meant travelling from Heathrow to O'Hare in Chicago, and then flying south east to Tampa.
As part of the Kenyan dispora one of Veronicah's best friends from her early working days Tina, lives in Tampa with Mario, and their seven-month old son, Malik. So again I paid for Veronicah and James to accompany me at the Conference. As it's the Easter break immediately afterwards we are then moving from the Conference hotel to stop with Tina and Mario, before going on a driving tour of Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia, and finally arriving in Washington DC to stop with Veronicah's cousin, Minneh who has just become engaged to Chris. A later stopover is taking us to Dallas to meet another cousin, Grace, who is married to Kelvin and have Leon and Kamau. 
I'm particularly interested in the American Civil War and hope to see several key sites.

The Conference began with Sir Ken Robinson the UK's guru on creativity who now very creatively lives permanently in Los Angeles which he says is a short plane ride from America. His message is of vital importance however: that education systems should be encouraging creativity, passion, spirit, and energy with children in order to engage and prosper in the future.

Ken talks of Wayne Gretsky, the great Ice hockey player, who said that he never went to where the puck was, but where he thought it would be next! The backward-looking accountability loved by Governments and media is stifling children, and encourages teaching to tests which leads to meaningless grind. Of course children need to communicate and be numerate, but current 'if it moves measure it' systems are letting them down.
I refer again to Finland where, in one of the world's highest achieving education systems, there is no external assessments until the age of 18.
Ken may spend a considerable amount of time working with corporations now looking at creativity, but it is they amongst others who will employ our children. The CBI and others in the UK now rate very highly, for example, the ability to work in teams. Are we taking any notice? 

Not just a dark blues win in the boat race.

An excellent day with colleagues at a Presidential Seminar (and Workshop) on responding to the Government's consultation on the National Curriculum, in Wolfson College, Oxford. Representatives of Primary, Secondary, and Special Committees, National Officers, and key HQ staff took part. It was an excellent meeting with the opportunity to listen, think, and debate on the future of of the NC. The NAHT has always stood for a framework curriculum that does not over-prescribe detail, thereby entrusting teachers with pedagogy rather than civil servants. The heavy schedule of modern life can lead to reductionism, whereby major issues are dealt with in five minutes in a meeting, or by soundbite in the media. This day heralded a positive approach and continued the improved level of engagement and scrutiny this year by the National Executive that members would and should expect of us.

On the rails this week with First Great Western, Arriva Wales, and Virgin Cross Country.

The intensive schedule continues unabated.
On 21st March I had two meetings including Strategy at the Commonwealth Club just off Trafalgar Square.
On the Tuesday in the same venue I Chaired my last joint meeting of NHT and ASCL  in the morning and then Chaired the NAHT/ASCL/NGA/ADCS in the afternoon. Both were forward looking meetings which were intended to further develop the close working relationships and consider our positions on the key issues in accountability including governance, austerity, autonomy, as well as teaching and learning, curriculum, and pay and conditions. This always leads to a full meeting with interesting debate. In the evening I made my way by train and car to deepest Wiltshire to meet a group of Governors.
Wednesday was a four hour round trip to be the key speaker at the Dorset, Bournemouth, and Poole AGM. This also marked the retirement of Margaret Davies, Dorset Branch Secretary, who has made an invaluable contribution to the position of school leaders in the County. I am pleased that Vanessa Lucas, another Weymouth Headteacher, took on the mantle. The work of our Branch Secretaries is vital in each LA, and probably even more so as Governance becomes more dispersed with the advent of academies.
Thursday meant catching a train to Chepstow - a beautiful route into Wales from Gloucester and Cheltenham - to speak at the Bristol school leaders residential. Then another train immediately afterwards to Leeds. The train is crowded with racegoers going home from Chepstow after a full card. All shapes and sizes, but a smattering of younger participants with what would be seen as clothing to watch horse racing in: brown flat hats, and checked waistcoats. Although carefully affected it was still good to see some thought of tradition in these youths. I arrived in Leeds at 10.45pm to be met in the bar by three Executive Members and the General Secretary - any thought of an early night vanished, and a good time was had by all.
Friday involved introducing the NAHT Education Conference (North) and then the usual double-act with Russell when completing his session. A quick lunchtime dash to Leeds station had us on a train to Grantham for the Lincolnshire Branch AGM. About 80 Members were present and they were very focussed on the future work of the Branch. After our presentations there was an overwhelming request for a further special Branch Meeting on the academy programme which I agreed to attend. The key discussions were on SATs and Pensions - themes in virtually all my recent Branch Meetings.
The train home and a relatively early finish at 7pm on Friday and able to catch up with Veronicah and play with James was very welcome.

and the winner is..........

The Education Resource Awards at the Motorcylcle Museum in Birmingham are held each year on the Friday of the Education Show at the NEC. BESA encourage educational suppliers to seek awards for a range of quality provision from the best with, and without, the latest technology. As our Members are heavily interested in quality products for our schools, the NAHT supports two Awards: School Leadership, and School innovation. Using my knowledge of watching far too many OSCARS and BAFTA ceremonies, I introduce a dramatic pause before announcing the winning name. This is followed by a crescendo of noise from the winners and no doubt silent groan from those who just missed out.