Let’s start (as all the best festivities do) with a song:
“Look there’s a chubby, smiling Santa, with his bright red nose,
Who comes across a teachers’ party and what do you suppose,
He’s granted them each a wish, as they sit cuddling their beer,
A wish for the teaching profession as it enters the brand new year,
But just one wish each, when there is so much to choose,
Here’s their choice, but what is yours as you drink your booze?”
Mr Snodgrass the head, was the first to his feet. Swaying a little as he said: ”An end to austerity would be my wish. Let me have the money our children both need and deserve.”
Mrs Hemmings couldn’t agree more and she was next. “I would wish for a true work-life balance. The workload issue has not been truly addressed or tackled and every year I seem to be writing more and more pieces of worthless paper. And does this help our children? No.”
Mr Jones rose to his feet. Quiet and reflective normally, his views were normally precise: “Please no more talk of Brexit, let’s talk education instead,” and he slumped back into his chair.
NQT Mrs Young politely rose from her chair and hesitantly said: “I would wish for a curriculum relevant to the children’s needs, with creative activities and less repetitive and meaningless learning.”
Up stood Mrs Hayward the sendco, her gaze and forthright manner ensured all were listening. “Do you know, I would wish that Ofsted were actually on the side of teachers rather than always saying they were. We need advocates for the profession who will tell the government that things aren’t good at the moment, and we need change.”
A pause was broken by Mr Jennings, who rose and said: “I wish for a pay rise, a proper one mind you, I can’t live on what I earn”.
There’s nods from everyone, as Mrs Snelling said: “I wish for teaching to be that profession we all fell in love with, and were proud of, so that the youngsters would actively want to join us.”
And then all eyes fell on Mrs Evans, the reception teacher who was deep in contemplative thought. Slowly and gradually she rose to her feet, took a deep breath and said: “I would like all pupils to be happy in school. My wish is to press the undo button to erase what has happened to education over the last eight years.”
... and that’s enough said from me.
I wish all of you - every teacher and every member of staff who has worked so hard in our schools - a very merry Christmas and a great new year.
Colin Harris led a school in a deprived area of Portsmouth for more than two decades. His last two Ofsted reports were “outstanding” across all categories.
To read more of Colin’s articles, visit his back catalogue.
