Due to various other Foundation-wide communications over the past couple of months, it has been some time since the last edition of Foundation News, which means that there is a good deal to cover. The week before the half term break was a particularly memorable one due to a series of events taking place.
The EDI Student Committee met in the beautiful, and recently listed, hall at King Edward VI Handsworth School for Girls. For two hours over eighty students from across our schools engaged in discussion and debate starting with an excellent presentation about the work done by the school committee at HAN. Then, roving with a microphone, I was able to get the students’ views about the development priorities of the new Foundation strategic period. They offered very constructive perspectives on the different areas. It felt like an important shift in the work of the committee, combining a focus on specific EDI matters with wider strategic ones through an EDI lens. With huge diversity within our student body, EDI is not an add on, but is integral to who we are.
The themes were continued in a very enjoyable production that evening with students from a number of Foundation schools. Held in the Ruddock Performing Arts Centre on the Edgbaston campus, the evening combined dance, spoken word, video and an art exhibition to tell the story and celebrate the achievements of the female, African-American 6888 battalion of the US Army based at King Edward’s School during the Second World War. The messages of unity and hope felt very timely. A great deal of thanks go to Jenny Adey, Dance teacher at King Edward VI Northfield School for Girls, for being the driving force behind the excellent project.
Earlier in the week, there had been the chance for colleagues to come together to discuss our strategic plans too. Sponsored by partners and at no cost to the Foundation or Academy Trust, dozens of people from across our schools, along with representatives from local trusts, the Department for Education, the University of Birmingham and sponsoring businesses, met at Villa Park to explore our development plans more deeply. We were also treated to an inspirational speech from Dr Joe Spence, CEO of the School Partnerships Alliance, who drew on his own experience of growing up in Birmingham and as former Master of Dulwich College to explain why he feels that partnerships like ours are so important.
Such a series of events made the announcement of my departure from the Foundation which came soon after all the more poignant for me. It has been an honour to work here and I will look forward to what the next six months bring.
