Dear Friends & Colleagues - 

January can feel dark, long, and relentless. It’s exactly the kind of month where taking a moment to pause, reflect, and find some encouragement matters.

Working in education comes with plenty of highs and lows. Some days feel effortless; others feel unrelenting. But the work is never just about teaching subjects. School leaders hold a responsibility that goes so much deeper: advocating for the children and young people who rely on us, protecting the ones whose voices are quiet, and providing an environment where safety, learning, boundaries, and joy can coexist.

Schools are often the safest and most predictable places our pupils know. They’re also the places where they learn how to navigate relationships, expectations, and values that will shape them long after they leave. That matters. More than we sometimes give ourselves credit for.

There are days when you see the smiles, the small wins, the lightbulb moments — and on those days, just take them. Let them land. They’re reminders of why we do this.

And on the tougher days, when everything feels uphill, think about the young people whose names and faces stay with you. I certainly do. I can picture them even now. Not because I changed their whole life, but because I played a small part in their journey — a moment of support, a boundary held, a conversation that mattered. Those things add up.

We should never underestimate, the safe spaces we create, the experiences pupils would never have otherwise, the sense of stability we provide, the education that opens doors and the relationships that genuinely mean something to them.

There are children and young people who return after weekends or holidays genuinely excited to see you or their teachers. Not because school is perfect, but because the relationships are steady and dependable. That’s the bit they hold onto.

Proverbs 31:8 reminds us of our role as advocates — not just for the students who fit the usual definitions of “vulnerable” or “disadvantaged,” but for all pupils. We need to think beyond categories. Vulnerability doesn’t always come with a label or funding code. At different points in life, everyone — pupils, families, staff — can be vulnerable or disadvantaged in ways that aren’t immediately visible.

What you do, day in and day out, makes a difference to all who walk through the doors: not just students, but the adults who work alongside you too.

So, as you move through the term:

• Notice the moments of joy when they appear — even the small ones.
• Keep speaking up for the children who need you most, especially the ones who wouldn’t ask for it.
• Remember the impact you’ve already had on those whose faces still stay with you.

None of this is glamourous, and much of it is unseen. But it is important. And it is shaping futures in ways you may never fully know.

from Lynsey Norris - Assistant Diocesan Director of Education