Where do we draw them? As this term draws towards its end and a time for recuperation and reflection approaches it might be timely to consider where we draw our personal lines in the sand; as governors, heads, consultants or in whatever guise we take in our pursuit of excellence in education. At AMC’s Dine & Discuss we have recently looked, with the help of Neil Carmichael MP, at the challenges posed by Theresa May’s government and more recently Richard Harman, General Secretary of AGBIS, has talked about walking the tightrope between headship and governance. But in the world of Brexit, Trump and Aleppo (all of which impinge on our schools) do we have lines in the sand which we do not cross? One of AMC’s most frequently used (by governors) questions when interviewing leadership candidates is to ask when, if ever, a confrontational style would be adopted in conversation with a member of staff. While in my experience as a head almost all matters are negotiable (but I did move on to politics!) there are a small number of areas which are non-negotiable. As Sir Anthony Seldon sets up his national association of heads it would be great to see ethics as a core component. The world of digitised information, obsessive social media, and reality television morphing into political reality, poses enormous questions for educators and decision-makers. At the end of the day, however, it is between us and our consciences and our sand-pits! Happy Christmas!! And in the New Year get ready for AMC Teacher – more to follow!
Anthony Millard
Executive Chairman and Director
