With the government bringing in a second lockdown from Thursday, though educational establishments continue to operate, the mist is again beginning to gather in terms of the future of this academic year. The Mayor of Manchester yesterday called for schools to be closed alongside other areas of society and for exams this year to again be cancelled in favour of a system of assessment being suggested recently in Wales. His assertion that the North West of England would be unfairly disadvantaged because of high levels of absence in the area was an early call to change plans. These voices have been quieted somewhat by the government, who have made assurances that the exams will go ahead, but this is a government who has a history of U-Turns - from the exams of 2020 to the need for a second lockdown - and so the outlook grows increasingly murky.

The gap between independent and state schools appears to be growing more pronounced too. Schools and Colleges which did not install some kind of back-up system of online teaching are playing catch up, and it’s difficult to see how they ever will. As day-to-day teaching continues, students need consistent and regular guidance. I know that we are in a good position with this. Though there have been cases amongst our parent body, broadly speaking, they have been excellent in keeping to a cautious approach with the sons or daughters, keeping them at home to mitigate the risks of spreading the virus. I feel that they are more inclined to do that because of our effective use of Google Classroom - it acts as a safety net to keep our students engaged and up to date. I’ve been able to teach one of my Year 13 students exclusively through Google Meet this term, and he is certainly not suffering any adverse effects thus far.

I’ve always thought that this is the most difficult half of the most difficult term for students. They often leave their homes to get here when dawn hasn’t properly broken and don’t return there until dusk is well established. They are also getting used to a very strange new world - a rather bleak few months where they are being expected to maintain a normal life whilst their parents are asked to work from home. Where they can’t go trick or treating at Hallowe’en, meet their friends at the cinema or indeed go shopping for Christmas presents - unless those presents can be classed as ‘essentials.’

With cases of Covid-19 spiralling out of control, a long, dark winter ahead and the prospect of a lockdown Christmas on the way then, motivation to adhere to the high standards which we have set for ourselves over the next few months is going to be difficult to muster for everyone at the College. 

It all begs the question: what can we find to look forward to and work towards?

I used to work with a PE teacher in one of my former schools. He was the sort of member of staff who would wear shorts whether the weather was scorchingly hot or bitterly cold, and the only thing which seemed to change with him was his mood - come the winter months. Though he would always brush it off as tiredness, or a series of ‘off days’, I’m convinced he suffered from Seasonal Affective Disorder. He would often be grumpy, irritable, lethargic and would tend to put on weight. Not that he was against putting on weight per se - he was a big man, and competed with himself every year on his all inclusive foreign holiday to see if he could beat his weight gain record through copious amounts of eating - set the previous year. As Winter turned into spring, he had a new lease of life, and was a different man. He became grinning, joyous and outgoing. The sunshine always followed the rain with him.

At this time of year, I’m conscious, and particular this year, of those still with us who fought in the Second World War but who are likely to be on their own over the next few months. This is the time allocated to be set aside for remembrance of their friends and colleagues who fought so bravely in that and in previous wars to maintain our standard of life. They will be in care homes without visitors or perhaps housebound with no one to look after them. In June 1940, not long after he had taken over as Prime Minister, and facing what seemed an insurmountable situation with the Nazis in almost full control of western Europe, Churchill found the resolve to motivate the nation. He drew on whatever reserves of spirit were available to deem the hard work put in then as ‘their finest hour’, calling on the fighting spirit of the British people and declaring that they would ‘never surrender’.

I drew inspiration recently from the words of one Second World War veteran, Mervyn Kersch. A 95 year old man who was an evacuee when the Second World War first broke out, joining up when he was 18 and later involved in the D-Day Landings.

He said recently, of the coronavirus, "It’s a serious situation. It reminds me of Dunkirk, when everyone was shocked. But we, as a nation, pulled together in adversity. It was the same with the Blitz and the Battle of Britain, everyone stood together and people who didn’t know one another rallied around. With coronavirus, there are no guarantees as to what will happen, but people will pull together and they will strengthen each other.”

It is exactly this level of optimism which will be vital in order to make it through the next few months. We must utilise whatever we can to continue teaching, continue learning, to look out for one another, to be as supportive as we can. We must look to the examples set by generations of the past, using the technologies of today, to emerge at the other end of the current situation a better society, being able to look back on it with pride at how we conducted ourselves. The generation who got through World War Two were rightly described as heroic. We must aspire to that example.

I’ve always been a very strong supporter of the Poppy Appeal, and I would urge people to donate this year - funding can be used to help volunteers to provide a lifeline for those most in need.