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* Suspended students should remain in school according to new Department for Education guidance. The valid concern is that students suspended for things like mobile phone use are being left at home both vulnerable to the risks of mobile phones and experiencing no deterrent. The challenge for schools will be to ensure that suspended students are supervised with meaningful work outside the mainstream. This continues the focus on inclusion (think of the new Ofsted framework) as the centre of educational reform, with students with all types of needs increasingly catered for in mainstream settings. The government is investing £200m in SEND training for teachers whilst The Difference is looking for 10 schools to pilot inclusive ways of working.

* 6 in 10 students may have speech and language needs. A study by the DfE suggests that the level of need for students entering the school system may be far higher than previously expected. Whether the cause is related to COVID or other factors such as poverty is unclear but the conclusion has significant implications for schools and classrooms. Bearing inclusion in mind again we will need to consider that some things which previously were interventions for particular students might become mainstream activities for whole classes and cohorts. The fact that the gaps between those with and without literacy needs can be almost impossible to completely close during a school career, secondary leaders might also be considering the implications for future cohorts.

* Embrace the fact that life is continual. Kornferry emphasises the importance of attitude arguing that times when things are up in the air politically, economically or socially present us with opportunities for innovation, entrepreneurship, energy, influencing and pivoting. Put another way, times like these are great opportunities for those who see things a little differently. Which is why James Clear’s advice to embrace the fact that life is continual is so timely. Things like work, exercise and family are effectively endless. Therefore, a key to enjoying life is to look for ways to progress each day rather than focusing on getting to the end. If you have a great idea to simplify a process where resources are tight, to deliver something effectively where staffing has been reduced or to meet a growing need in an innovative way, now might just be the time to try it out and or share your ideas with someone (at work or at home). Maybe your idea will be the way forward in uncertain times. James Clear says, “Do not approach an endless game with a finite mindset. The objective is not to be done, but to settle into a daily lifestyle you can sustain and that allows you to make daily progress on the areas that matter. Embrace the fact that life is continual and look for ways to enjoy the daily practice.”

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