'Everything you do and say shows the world who you are. Let it be the truth...' Oprah

‘Life is like a field of freshly fallen snow;

be careful how you tread, for every step will show…’

As a head teacher, I am proud of the footprints I have left. Like snow, they can be shovelled or melted away but the experiences stay with you forever.

You can have statues and rooms unveiled to commemorate special people and mark occasions in a school. I did this.

It demonstrated to children that every life matters and should never be forgotten. So, it deeply saddens and distresses me to know that events unique to a school’s history can simply be wiped out. 

I strived to teach children about tragedies that have happened and how we can all work together to make society a safer place for everyone to live in. Just because statues and rooms are no longer there and you cannot see them anymore, it does not make us forget how we feel. It does not take away our experiences.

The recent snowfall has evoked yet more memories from my wonderful primary school days growing up as a child in inner city Bristol.  My head teacher never missed an opportunity and, in the days when we happily trudged to school in all weathers, she set us a challenge that still sticks in my mind today. 

I was in my final year at Primary school. The enchanting snow was white, crisp and covered the playground like a blanket. Not only did we get to have a massive snowball fight (that today would make the eyes of health and safety officers water), we enjoyed hot chocolate and had to enter the school’s snow-themed creative writing competition. 

I will never forget being called up in assembly and my winning entry being read out by the head teacher.  I beamed with joy when she said ‘Reggie Regdab’, the character I had created, leapt from the page in my story and was a ‘true snow hero’.  As a child I could not stop thinking about how creatively I had dreamt up Reggie Regdab’s name and repeatedly told anyone who would listen that it was ‘badger’ spelt backwards!

How proud I felt as my head teacher read out my story in assembly and made Reggie Regdab come alive! That pride extended as she always read in such a captivating and animated way.

When you walk across freshly fallen snow that nobody else has walked on, it makes you feel special.  She made us feel special, just like all teachers should.

Going on to become a head teacher myself, I do not think I can ever convey the responsibility and pressure on you as an individual, let alone when it snows! To take the decision on whether you should keep the school open leaves you with sleepless nights. Getting up to check how many more flakes have fallen during the night leaves you deliriously counting snowmen at all hours!

We gave our children the best experiences on snow days at Trinity (including hot chocolate!) and I know that this stemmed from my own happy memories as a child.  Our welly racks that we had specially fitted were lined with gumboots galore, all shapes, sizes and colours.  There were no ‘wet playtimes’ at Trinity as every child was given their own waterproofs.  Rain, wind, sunshine or snow, the seasons were there to be enjoyed by everyone if they chose.

‘Childhood is the most beautiful of all life’s seasons’

Just like the seasons, life changes too. Sometimes when you least expect it. In December 2015, life changed not just for me, but the children also.

Winter soon turns to spring and many of my former pupils will remember this as a time of ‘new life’ and the excitement of our chicks hatching on the Trinity farm, with the hint of Easter coming. As teachers we are all role models. I enjoyed teaching the Easter story to our children, exploring friendship, betrayal, truth, honesty and denial. The lessons learnt from this story serve me well today and perhaps will do for the rest of my days.

My head teacher was forever setting us competitions and challenges. They were worth it! I defy any pupil to hear the theme from ‘Match of the Day’ and not sing the School’s Easter song set to this well-known anthem! This was a familiar theme in all the primary schools I have taught in. The very words that I wrote when I was eleven years old, this time for our Easter competition, were now being blasted out by hundreds of smiling and happy children, some thirty years later.

I too set my pupils the challenge of writing the ‘second verse’ to this Easter song.  As ever, the Trinity pupils rose to it. I hope we can keep the ball rolling and someday, verse three will be born!

‘We all leave footprints through life - make sure yours are worth following…’

As a result of legal action that I took in January 2017, I received an apology in court read out by the National Union of Teachers (NUT). The NUT paid significant costs to me. Two months later, the NUT referred me to the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL).

On 29 January 2018, the subject of teacher referrals to the NCTL was raised in Parliament by my local MP, Chris Skidmore. 

He asked “how is it that teachers’ lives can be made a misery by repeated malicious referrals to the NCTL, particularly by those who have a vested interest?”

Upon learning of the referral, documentation was disclosed to me.  This includes emails between the NUT, some staff, parents and the Local Authority. 

It appears that some people did indeed choose to follow in the footsteps of others. Much of what has been disclosed to me was written by individuals who spoke to me daily and sought my help, support and advice with personal issues. Some of these were parents and staff. Some of these staff returned to work at the school under my leadership. I willingly and gladly engaged in helping them. 

There were countless times where I went out socially with many individuals. These included Saturday shopping trips, weekends away, meals and even hot air ballooning! I do not make reference to routine staff functions here, these were non-school related socials, with people I considered to be friends. 

It has been hard for me to comprehend why people who engaged with me so positively, some over a period of many years, would become involved in such a negative campaign against me and the School.

As a teacher I worked in many schools, for strong and dynamic head teachers, where decisions were always made for the good of the children. In any place of work there will be times when people do not always agree.

There are proper procedures in place in order to resolve issues when they happen - and not ten years after you have left your post within a school. My door was always open. Not a day went by when I was not approached by staff or parents seeking my help with either school or personal advice. Much of this was outside of my duties as a head teacher.

I listened. I cared. I nurtured. I was there. I believe many feel that their cause is strengthened by ignoring and erasing the amount of support they received from me.

Snow hides and buries what lies beneath. When the sun comes out and the snow melts away, all is revealed. The truth is always uncovered.

‘Many people, especially ignorant people, want to punish you for speaking the truth, for being correct, for being you. Never apologise for being correct, or for being years ahead of your time. If you’re right and you know it, speak your mind. Speak your mind even if you are a minority of one. The truth is still the truth.’ - Gandhi