So 12 and half years after moving to work at Shireland Collegiate Academy from a local Primary school to head up e-Learning here; 10 years after the Senior Team at Shireland had the idea of having an all-through school; almost 5 years of writing the first submission to open a technology primary and 18 months of writing policies, a curriculum; an education brief (that wasn’t so brief at 40,000 words) that outlined our values, beliefs, structures and approaches; job descriptions; website content; training and induction programmes; buying (and constructing) furniture, resources (physical and online) and books and setting up systems and processes…….finally, yes finally we open the doors for pupils and families.
But to be clear this has been an absolute team effort. In the words of Helen Keller, “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.”
During this time I have had incredible support from Shireland Trust staff, Shireland Academy staff, the Shireland Primary team (you know who you are and you are amazing) and my new staff team for Shireland Technology Primary itself – what a team, and not least Mrs Keeler, our Vice Principal who excels at making a great cup of coffee just at the right time!! This year has been a hard one but goodness we all rose to the challenge!
Finally, huge thanks to Mr Irish, the Principal of Shireland Collegiate Academy and his staff who kindly allowed us to use his beautiful brand new extension for this year so we could open ‘early’ and not be delayed. We promise to look after it for the year!
As I walk around the fully furnished and resourced building, ready for the patter of footsteps, the happy chatter and inquisitive minds that will be here every day for the next year before our actual building is ready for us to move into next Summer 2020, I have to concede that despite the setbacks and the challenge of opening a brand new school, it really has been worth the wait and hard work.
Pupils and families will never see just how much work has gone on in the background to get us to the position that we have done today, ready to open, and nor do they need to know. They just need to know we are ready and raring to go!
So here we are. September 2019 and gosh we are so ready to go and make it happen for our pupils and families!!!
EXCITE | EXPLORE | EXCEL
