Back to school

We actually went back to school on Friday with our best results for 9 years giving everyone a much needed boost on this difficult day, the one where we all wish the sun was still shining and the six week break was only just beginning. As it was they had to listen to me going on about raising standards still further over the next school year and getting them to identify students who will make a difference to our results. We're comfortably in the top 25% of schools nationally in respect of progress made and the targets would put us in the top 10% if achieved.

Then it was into departments for the rest of the day allowing us to prepare for the arrival of the kids. Today didn't see them come back as it was another training day with goal mapping as our theme. It was as interesting as I'd feared and can be summed up as setting goals and going about achieving them through positive thinking almost fooling the sub conscious into accepting that success is inevitable. We were invited to 'rub our own genie' so our wishes were granted. Did you know that 80% of the work gets done by 20% of the workforce in any workplace? And that the 20% can be divided again into 20% of them outperforming others although their skills may be only a few points better than the others? And that even they only perform at their best for 29% of the time?

It was sometimes akin to something David Brent might come up with and of course, pictures are the key. They reinforce the message to the sub conscious so you ought to draw your goals as well as write them down.

After the school day had finished it was time to meet the new staff and go through part of their induction process. As there were 5 of them it was comforting to know that only one of them would be worthwhile and then only for a short period of time but I refrained from advising them not to bother coming in again.

Then onwards to a meeting with Year Leaders followed by a meeting with the new Head of English to discuss data recording and analysis. It's all good fun.

The goal Bernard had had was to get of his piles but the picture accompanying his goal mapping prevents me from elaborating further on the grounds of decency. Mine is unlikely as Plymouth Argyle have enough ageing forwards to keep them going for sometime yet. I have yet to fool my sub conscious sufficiently and will strive to be more positive starting with Iscape's fixture tonight.