Blog
What if you fly?
As with so many aspects of life, last week's World Book Day celebrations brought an unplanned, but nevertheless very welcome, outcome - in fact, a denouement that confirmed the importance of our Core Value of Community.
Our Year 12 students have, since September, been independently planning and developing their own leadership projects under the umbrella of our new Futures Programme, and World Book Day was targeted as a focus by one group.
There's always a risk when you hand leadership of any project over to another individual - you never know 100% of what you're going to get.
In this case, however, we ended up with three separate zones in our Library, beautifully dressed with three engaging themes and incorporating props as well as aspirational examples of our own students' artwork.
The young people leading the day's workshops all arrived dressed as characters from the world of literature, and the day passed in a blur of creative reading and writing workshops for students in Years 7 and 8, as well as a special visit from Eastborough Primary school in the afternoon.
Of course, it's wonderful to see our students come together for the purpose of celebrating such a worthy cause, but I am also delighted to have seen such brilliant relationships being formed: our eldest students fulfilling the roles of coaches, mentors and guides to our youngest students, whilst planting the seed in their minds that they, one day, will step into their shoes and run inspirational workshops of their own.
In reflecting on the risks we take as leaders in handing over leadership to others - and the doubt that those new to leadership often feel as they begin - I'm reminded of a quote from poet Erin Hanson:
There is freedom waiting for you,
on the breezes of the sky,
and you ask, what if I fall?
Oh but my darling, what if you fly?
