Mama Beech

So here it is, my final day on the Scilly Isles. I'm going to miss waking up to this view... Cases groaning as we squashed our treasures inside, beds stripped, rubbish in sacks, luggage hauled to the port for 10am, and then the final few hours enjoying St. Mary's. My hand baggage is heavy so I chose to stay very local. A wander in the shops, lunch by the sea, a swim, a book, and sunshine. It sped by way too fast! Last night we all dined together, all 9 volunteers plus Katie and kind of said our goodbyes then. Today all 5 of us staying at Kistvaen were on the 4.30 Ferry, so we mingled a bit, found our own way to say goodbye to this place, and boarded together for a calm crossing to mainland Cornwall. We laughed, and chatted, and dozed on the deck in the sun. The denim blue sea was gentle, with ripples and dolphins speeding us on our way.  Penzance was welcoming and the boat service ran like clockwork, all too soon we were on the docks in a group hug saying goodbye. We have lived...

Change is one of those words that strikes terror into many a heart. We all know change can be good. We've all experienced change being bad. Change for change's sake is often just frustrating... and is the only guarantee we have in education! Covid brought change. We all suddenly had to do things differently, alter our practice, step out of our comfort zones and rearrange our lives. As a school that continued Forest School throughout the last 18 months, there was a lot to navigate to ensure we could provide meaningful sessions safely, and in our case, we extended Forest School to encompass all children weekly instead of weaving it into the curriculum on and off throughout the year. This was very successful in helping to keep a balance of wellbeing in these ongoing crazy times! It was also a crash course for all-year groups on what Forest School could be. Adults started to see how to use it to enhance what goes on inside, and the pupils began to understand responsibility and inde...