CEO Thought of the Week

Dear All,

Well, that was a busy week of Term 4 to say the least. An Ofsted inspection, the national publication of an Infinity case study and the launch of parental consultation for three new schools wishing to join the Trust and that’s just the tip of the iceberg as I know we’ve had schools at Young Voices, Sporting competitions and some fantastic teaching and learning happening all across our Trust.

What all of these events have in common is that none of them could be achieved by any individual working in isolation. It is the team that brings us strength, provides us comfort and gives us opportunities. We are fortunate that our Infinity team extends beyond 400 colleagues and as I have seen on numerous occasions this week many of them are prepared to go more than the extra mile for each other and our children.

The inspection this week at Spalding caught many of us by surprise as it was earlier that expected. However, being in the school on Wednesday you could feel a buzz in the air and the atmosphere of the whole team pulling together was simply electric. I know this happens in our schools daily. I’ve heard this week of a Collective Worship that burst into spontaneous applause and a few tears celebrating the success of some of its children. I stood in the arena at Young Voices and marvelled not just at the 4,500 children singing their hearts out but at the staff teams who had given up their time not to just turn up with children but to give them an experience that they will remember for a lifetime. Those staff members were “all-in” and singing and dancing in a way that couldn’t help but inspire.

This is the secret to effective teams and transformation. It’s doing it together and being “all-in” on our goals, our ambitions and our values. Nothing was ever achieved through minimal effort or a half-hearted approach. I’m not talking about the amount of time spent, I’m talking about being there for each other, rallying together and leaving it “all on the floor” so that at the end of an inspection, a worship, a day in the classroom or a concert we can say we gave it our best, we did it together and look at the difference we’ve made.

Have a fantastic weekend!

Let’s see what Week 2 brings us!

Best Wishes

Gavin