We have just over a month before the long summer break and it’s important to reflect on what a difficult year this has been and how much resilience we have had to show as individuals, a local community, a national community and a global community.

We can always learn things from the past if we have the confidence to accept that we do some things well but that there are always things that we can do to improve.

Sometimes it can feel overwhelming to reflect on what has gone before and many of us have a tendency to focus negatively. But if we change our mindset and look at our experiences as a positive, then we can grow.

Reflection has huge benefits in increasing self-awareness, which is a key aspect of emotional intelligence and in developing a better understanding of others, which, in turn, helps build empathy.

If you can reflect well, you progress as a human being and actually see and feel the developments that have occurred and that has been proven to improve your wellbeing.

If I were to reflect on this year, I would reflect that I have more appreciation for the smaller things in life – things like meeting friends in a group, being able to play sport and to be able to have that “normality” that we all crave.

Due the successful vaccine rollout, we are almost there, and I hope that we can all have a more “normal” Summer this year, than last.

Mr Tamplin
Senior Assistant Headteacher & Designated Safeguarding Lead