Facts: Pride

The card Mr Owen received from the staff

My first two days at the school perhaps lulled me into a sense of false security, two days of staff training went well and staff made me feel welcomed. Day three the students arrived back after their summer holiday and again I felt things had gone well until the end of the day when I discovered the new laptop computer with all my grand plans for the school had been found a new home by an unknown visitor to my office! This turned out not to be the last laptop I charitably donated in my time at the school but it has certainly taught me valuable lessons about the need to back up data!

This creates a very unfair picture of the school for its strength lay in the warm generous spirit of so many of its members. Two special things will stick in my mind about the school that will always give me fond memories; the first is the flow of students to my door with ‘personal bests’ – work they were proud of and work they really did understand. Seeing their pride (sometimes quite well hidden) provided those moments that make the day a good one.

The second special memory will be of the Easter Holiday 2004, the break before the final term of the school with all the staff bracing themselves for yet another visit from the Inspectors. It started with a couple of cards on the first day and as the days went on I received a card wishing me well from all the staff – I don’t think anything has ever touched me as much in my career, what a fantastic bunch of people!

I suppose the icing on the cake was the fantastic final report that the staff got: ‘A school really moving forward at a time when merely halting decline would be a real challenge’.

The determined spirit of Margaret Glen-Bott lived on until the end.

Gareth Owen

Nottingham
Head Teacher 2002-2004

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