Graham’s Blog…

First of all, can I start this week’s blog with an apology.

I didn’t get round to writing a blog last week.

I rarely miss, but I just had one of those weeks!

It’s quite interesting as I don’t think I was alone in having ‘one of those weeks’ – many of our staff, our families and young people have reported the same. There just appears so much to do and limited time to do it!

Maybe it’s taking us all an amount of time to adapt to a new norm? It feels, to me, that the pressures we are all, and I mean all, are working and living under are becoming more and more challenging.

This virus stubbornly refuses to back off and the disruption remains. All our organisations are, in one way or another, still trying to manage the implications on a day-to-day basis.

The young people are trying to make sense of the constant interruptions to their offer; our families are becoming ‘risk assessment experts’ as many juggle work commitments and the constant threat of the children/young people having to self-isolate and our staff teams are trying to plan, teach and support groups that have never been so transient.

The past few weeks and months have really brought it home, the need to ensure we all keep a healthy work/life balance and allow the children and young people the opportunity to be just that – children and young people.

We are all acutely aware of the pressures and stresses we are all dealing with.

It’s with that in mind that, this week, all of the schools have spent time ensuring that we get our ‘extra-curricular’ activities back up to speed.

I’ve been kept in the loop about all our residentials.

I made a commitment, earlier in the year, to every single child and young person that not a single one would miss out on our Trust’s unique offer.

Whether it’s in this country or abroad – (Disney for our Year 8s) – if the children missed out, all being well, it will be offered in the New Year.

We’re also ensuring we get all our before/after and holiday clubs fully operational.

We’re making sure we get our bus fleets improved and fit for purpose so that the children and young people can again use the community as an extended learning environment.

Our plans in relation to our two new schools are both progressing well. We’re hoping that we will be in a position to welcome Samuel Laycock (Tameside) into our family of schools in the New Year and work is progressing well on the design and build for our new free school in Rochdale.

We are looking at a provisional opening date of summer 2023.

Have a great weekend – stay safe

Graham