A letter from Chicago…

I’ll have to start this piece with yet another apology. Last weekend I was sitting at Manchester Piccadilly train station about to start my blog.

Last Sunday I was travelling down to London for an early meeting with the Department for Education first thing on Monday morning.

My wife dropped me at the station at 10.45 in anticipation of me jumping on the 11.00am train.

When I stepped onto the concourse, I was met with the message that many travellers dread, “this train has been cancelled – please use the next one at 12.15.”

Oh well, time for an overpriced coffee. Little did I know what was about to transpire.

My phone pinged with a message from one of our executive directors.

“I’ve tested positive.” – “OK” I said, “I guess you may need to isolate and follow the relevant guidance.”

“No”, she said even more exasperated, “Out of the 30 I’m the only one that’s tested positive, and I should be going on the Chicago trip tomorrow…”

Now some of you may remember that the Trust had been successful in establishing a significant amount of money from the Turing fund (a government grant that aims to twin schools across the world). We were taking 20 young people to the States to work with another school and Apple.

We were due to leave at 5.30am on the following day.

Hasty phone calls were made – risk assessments were checked – more conversations were had – risk assessments were double checked – and back up plans thought about.

We needed someone with a passport, a relevant Esta (visa), who could get immediately tested, pack, and jump on the plane all in the next 12 hours.

So here I am sitting in a hotel room in Chicago with 2 young men from New Bridge College experiencing, along with the young people and staff, one of the most ambitious and far reaching residentials we have ever undertaken.

If you’ve followed Facebook and Twitter you will know what we’ve been up to.

What absolutely amazes me (and I know it shouldn’t because it’s what we do) is just the way our Trust (and our schools) create life changing experiences for our youngsters.

How many people in the world can say that they have been to the flagship Apple store in Chicago, linked up with our partner school in the USA (Ridgewood High), held a briefing seminar with the US education team, and to top it all, had a photograph session in the store, taken photographs on Michigan Avenue and showcased them on the 12m video wall in the shop?

Well, that’s what we did this afternoon. Interaction and learning at its absolute best. Cue – huge applause from the customers in the shop. We’ll post some of our photos soon.

They are amazing.

We’re hoping that my colleague, and the original member of the trip, can get 2 negative LFTs, so she can fly out for the second week of the visit. As it stands, I’m flying back overnight on Sunday, hoping to land back in the UK on Monday.

Through the power of technology, and withstanding the time differences, I’ve been able to keep in touch with developments back in the UK and I’m delighted that it is now official that Samuel Laycock, in Tameside, will now be joining the Trust on the 1st April.

We are planning a communication day in a couple of weeks’ time – provisionally the 6th April – please keep your eye out on your Parents App if you want to come along. It may be of real interest to our families of children who are presently at Hawthorns.

Next week I’ve got some Governing Body meetings, meetings about new buildings and a couple of Trustee committees.

Either that or I’m eating another Chicago pizza!

Have a great weekend

Graham