I know you wouldn't have looked at any of this in the news, but last week the government announced that they were cutting the funding for free schools in the United Kingdom to reallocate the funding towards SEND.
It meant that only 30% of the free schools which were to be formed and constructed would now be, would now go forward.
This is of no relevance to anyone who reads this blog, particularly, except for the fact that I was previously the chair of governors for one of the new free math schools in Nottingham, which is part of my governor job.
I decided to give up my job, my governor and trust job this year after 17 years in the governorship and to free up some time for me to do other stuff ( perhaps ride my bike a little bit and various other things). What actually happened, though, was that I gave myself permission to stop.
I'd done 17 years in governorship, and I had given a lot of time and a lot of evenings to try to help make a difference. I'd also ended up as one of the members of the East Midlands Education Trust, which are the 5 people who sit above the board of trustees for ultimate governance.
I learned a lot, but it was time to stop. I gave myself permission to stop.
Sometimes it's essential that we give ourselves permission to stop; sometimes it's essential that we give others permission to stop.
There are times when it's important that we say to people, “It's OK, I know that you have enough to do, I know you don't need to do this”.
Sometimes that's to do with a project, sometimes it's to do with a job, sometimes all we need is permission to stop, to free up time to do something else that's more valuable in whichever direction.
Blog Post Number - 4380
Colin Campbell, Chris Barrow, and an intrepid group of dentists will be cycling across the plains of Tanzania from Kilimanjaro in early February 2026. If you would like to support the charity, Bridge to Aid, and this extraordinary challenge, please click here.
Thank you for your generosity.
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