CEO Thought for the Week

Hi Everyone,

I hope you are all having a good week.

We are now well into that part of the school year where the pace definitely starts to increase. There is a huge amount happening across our schools and central teams: trips, sports days, reports, assessments, transition work, recruitment, staffing plans, end-of-year events and all the usual day-to-day work that never seems to slow down.

It is also the time of year where people can begin to feel tired, stretched and pulled in lots of different directions. That is completely understandable. Schools are brilliant, busy, joyful places, but they also ask a lot of the people who work in them.

A quote I have been reflecting on this week is:

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.”

It is a simple reminder, but an important one. As the pace increases, one of the most powerful things we can do is look after each other. Sometimes, that is through a big gesture, but more often it is through the small things: checking in with a colleague, offering help before being asked, assuming positive intent, saying thank you, giving someone a bit of grace, or noticing when someone may be finding things hard.

Across Infinity, we talk a lot about our values, our principles and our trademarks. These only really come to life in the way we treat each other when things are busy. Culture is not just what we say we believe; it is how people feel when the pressure is on.

That does not mean standards drop, or that the important work does not need to be done. It does mean we remember that we are people first. The way we speak to one another, support one another and recognise one another makes a real difference to how it feels to work in our schools and teams.

Thank you for everything you are doing at this busy point in the year. Thank you for continuing to keep children at the centre of your work, and thank you for the care, patience and kindness you show to each other along the way.

As we move through the next few weeks, please do keep looking out for one another. A kind word, a quick check-in or a simple “are you okay?” can matter more than we realise.

Have a lovely weekend when it comes.

Best wishes,

Gavin