Scottish Mountaineering Week with Jagged Globe.

Jagged Globe:  Scottish winter mountaineering course - what a gem of a week this was. 

12 fit(ish) men and women   Under the careful watch of three excellent leaders survived this incredible week of skill, techniques and above all physical and mental challenge. Given the tough Scottish winter weather and severe wind chill,  conditions were very challenging which made it all the more satisfying when our week was completed. The start of the course involved briefing on equipment and basic mountain skills and an understanding of what we might expect in the terrain around Ben Nevis and Glen Coe. The first day included a gondola ride to the ski area around the northern slopes of Ben Nevis.

The focus was on using an ice axe efficiently including a range of ice axe arrest techniques. We then put on crampons and ventured around the mountain terrain and rocky outcrops getting used to different surfaces. Ice,soft snow and deep snow call for varied skills in crampon walking. This was an excellent start to the week not too strenuous but demonstrating the need to learn and practice basic techniques on the mountains. As the week progressed the intensity of what we did increased.  Rope work was the next challenge, getting the knots and hitches correct is so important particularly when belaying. Taking all of these skills to the mountain was incredible. We summited twice and on one particular afternoon under the gullies and aretes of 'The Ben'  built snow holes and belay seats as more experienced climbers tested their ice climbing skills on the frozen columns of ice dripping from the summit. 

The final day brought all of the experiences we had gathered in the week into one expedition. Starting from the car park on Glen Coe we crossed the bridge and walked up the just visible path into the Coire nan Lochan valley. We then manoeuvred the increasing deeper snow arriving in the amphitheatre under Stob Coire. Defined by high steep ridges the North-East corrie of Stob Coire nan Lochan is an idyllic spot with tall columnar cliffs and  deeply cut gullies. Its height makes it one of the most reliable winter climbing spots in Glencoe and it offers excellent routes of all grades. A fair amount of loose rock and windslab avalanches on the lower slopes can be hazardous.It was now decision time - 'do we go for Broad Gully - a grade 1 climb? ' After some deep thinking the consensus of the group was yes !!! So we used our ice axe and crampon skills to climb to the col. The pictures tell it all! 

We then summited to 1115 metres and bagged Stob Croire nan Lochan.

This was a great achievement and was also very satisfying to Alex, Max and Jamie our group leaders to see their  'team' reach the summit under challenging winter conditions. We were reminded of the importance of care in descent - when most accidents happen-  as we focused on the 2hours walk  back to the valley. 

This was a fitting end to a great week in the Scottish mountains, fab company, good hotel with plentiful food and above all excellent leaders who know their stuff. I can't wait for the next experience with Jagged Globe.  

The end but also the beginning.......

In July I completed 40 years working in secondary schools.  I began my career in 1974 as a PE teacher in a large secondary school, since then I have worked in three schools as Head of PE, Head of Humanities, Deputy Principal and Principal of both a community college and an Academy. During the last 40 years I have had the pleasure to meet and work with some outstanding professionals and a huge number of young people who have been both inspiring and enlightening in their attitudes and desire to want to succeed. I would like to think I have provided advice, support, knowledge and an understanding of not only the subjects I taught but also about life itself.  Outside of my vocation I have always been involved in sport, playing, coaching and managing football, running, walking and more recently cycling.  So after 40 years teaching and at 63 years of age what happens next?  Do I slip into retirement, hang up my boots and accept the onset of dementia? Not a chance! The bills and taxes are paid. Life is a marathon and the time and physical investment I have put in to maintaining my level of fitness over the last 40 or so years now needs to be well spent. My enthusiasm for challenge, my ambition, and determination to continue to get the most out of life is my driving force and aspiration. The intentions are to embrace the time I now have and these are just a sample of my aspirations:

·      Continue to work on a consultancy basis supporting the development of new educational initiatives.

·      Work with the Youth Sports Trust on developing the impact of sport on student attainment.

·      Maintain my sport schedule running races; cycling sportives; duathlons (the national age rankings beckons!).

·      Work my way through the bucket list I have accumulated of places to visit.

·      Begin the challenges I have longed to do including; Walking the Pennine Way; Trekking to Mera Peak; Climbing some Munros; cycling the coast to coast.

If this in inspires others young or old then that is a bonus, I know from years working with people of all ages that that initial motivation and drive comes from an inspirational role model. Life is tough, lifestyles are changing, the world gets smaller and technology and social media are taking over. We need to seek out our individuality, our inner self and find the mojo that makes us all unique.

I feel privileged and I suppose slightly lucky to be in a physical condition to be able to keep challenging and pushing myself. The adrenalin rush and need to exercise and take part in competitions has never left me I have come to the conclusion this love of sport, life and adventure will be with me forever.

So as the saying goes watch this space ! Whether its micro adventures, trips overseas or beating that Saturday Park Run PB let the new life begin.

micro adventure - summer solstice in norfolk

Inspired  by the concept of micro adventures we decided that we would throw away all that careful planning and booking ahead of camp sites and B&Bs and toss caution to the wind by driving from our home in Peterborough to the rolling coastline of north Norfolk.  Loaded with our bikes minimal clothing, sleeping bags and a spirit of adventure we arrived in Hunstanton at 3pm on the 21st June. Bikes ready we cycled off fully loaded and with our mini map on the 25 mile ride to Wells Next the Sea via Burnham on Market - the Norfolk 'Sloan Square'.    After a hearty meal of 'fish n chips' and a pint we ventured to the coast to find a suitable place to wild camp. The dunes of Holkham Bay provided our sleeping bags with a home for the night as we settled back to watch the sunset. The next morning saw a cloudy but warm and still solstice sunrise and the walk to the beach gave our legs the wake up they needed ready for the 14 mile cycle back to Hunstanton. A cafe stop for bacon butties and hot tea sustained us until we reached the cliff tops of sunny Hunny - which by now it was - and the delicious smell of sweet doughnuts from the sea front vendor, just reward for our amazing first micro adventure and memories never to be forgotten.

The times they are a changing …..(apologies to Dylan)

A few weeks ago I tentatively donned my football gear to take part in a staff v students football upon which a younger member of staff remarked ‘You play like a 1960s footballer in black and white!’ I knew just what they meant, watch the old newsreels of football matches past and you will see what I mean, even England’s world cup final with West Germany demonstrates the vast difference between football then and now.

Today’s players are athletes of the highest caliber, their body shape reflects strength and power training not to mention they require speed, agility and strong endurance. Their diet is well planned with alcohol during the season a no go. The game is quicker and technology has provided a refined ball of the highest quality.

Modern game changes, have in the main, been led by our European neighbours. Italy have long been the tacticiansand introduced ‘catenaccio’  in the 1960s, the 80s saw the ‘total football’ of the Dutch and today the Spanish short passing game has placed them above Brazil in the world rankings. At the same time France have developed their football development centre at Clairefontaine  whistthe German coaching system remains strict and well organized.

Here in the UK we have been slow to respond. The FA Coaching regime as attempted, on many occasions, to change the coaching and approaches to the game in this country from grass roots through to professional level. The FA School of Excellence at Lilleshall as been followed by the National Football Centre at Burton but as yet we do not know the impact this may be having. Football clubs in the football league are still coming to grips with sports science, diet, training methods, rehabilitation and technical skills which other European countries have long been practicing. It was only the start of the Premier League in this country and the vast amount of money it generated that opened the way forward for English clubs with the influx of foreign players and eventually foreign managers. This in itselfhas brought added problems and knock on effects. Where are the English players coming through?  What does this mean for the national side ? And what about the opportunities for English coaches to develop and manage at the highest level?  

More recently there has been a slight positive move by some clubs to appoint British coaches ( the Premier League has over half of its managers from other countries). The pressures on the ‘modern game’ clubs are enormous and failure results in a massive loss in revenue. As a result the top clubs are losing the community aspect of their role and serve international investors and multimillionaires. In turn this leads to short lived managers:we are seeing the last of a breed of managers who are given time to develop the club from its community grassroots to the first team.  

Instant success has become essential with 3 to 5 year contracts being the norm. The game as truly changed. It was recently announced that the amount of funding for football at the grass roots had been reduced due to lack of development and participation, a far cry from streets full of children playing football, using dustbins as goalposts and playing until the sun went down.

This raises many questions about the impact of other sports on our youth or the way technology has influenced our life, placing going out for a game of football way down on our children’s list of things to do. I am soon to embark on some work with the Youth Sports Trust looking at how sport can influence a young persons achievement, I wonder how football will feature or has it lost the influence it once had on motivating young people? Things have a habit of going full circle and if Liverpool win the league who knows some of those amazing football feel good factors I experienced in the 70s and 80s may return. It is an era where the game has changed but also one where it is imperative to retain some of our grass root values of the past in order to be successful.

What I know about …the importance of reading books!

These days we hear a lot about our young people being constantly slumped in front of TV screens and PlayStations, and that this departure from literature is a downward trend. But personally, I don’t believe that young people have abandoned reading as much as people think.

From an early age my own children loved books, and as parents we encouraged them to develop their love of reading by taking them to the library and buying them books. Now, as a Principal of an academy, which includes an Early Years Centre, my drive to encourage young people to read is even greater. So what is it that makes reading books so important? These are just some of the reasons why we should encourage children of all ages to read:

·      Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body

·      Self-improvement! Books can change your thinking, help you overcome the past, change situations and make better decisions

·      The ability to read and understand can open any door you choose to go through

·      Reading is fun! Early reading for toddlers helps them view books as an indulgence, not a chore. Kids who are exposed to reading are much more likely to choose books over video games, television, and other forms of entertainment as they grow older

·      Reading boosts imagination and creativity. Books are beyond imagination; it’s like a huge spider web where elements link to more and more ideas

The Department of Education clearly has renewed its focus on reading. Through learning to read fluently and confidently, pupils ‘have a chance to develop culturally, emotionally, spiritually and socially.’ The draft of the new English Programme of Study puts a strong emphasis on reading, stating that ‘Pupils should be taught to … understand extended prose, both fiction and non-fiction, and be encouraged to read for pleasure. Schools should do everything to promote wider reading.  They should provide library facilities and set ambitious expectations for reading at home.’

Ofsted also has a focus on reading in schools. Its inspectors would want to be assured that leaders and managers have clear, simple, consistent procedures and recording systems to track pupils’ progress in reading.  For example, in a primary school, they will ask the question: ‘Do leaders and managers know who the weakest readers in each year group are, and what is being done to support them?’ Inspectors will also want to know how well pupils are using their reading skills in other subjects.

‘Every child a reader’ is the target and all of us should encourage people of all ages to relax and spend time reading a good book.  Remember a book is a great gift you can give to anyone, and once the imagination is sparked, you will be giving them a gift for life.

What I know ……about opening a new school, one year on.

The opening of the new Ormiston Bushfield Academy in September 2012 was the end of an amazing journey, which we undertook to improve the educational, cultural and learning opportunities for the people living in the Orton’s. The continuous improvement of the old Bushfield Community College helped provide the impetus to pursue new accommodation which would further provide opportunities for young people to aspire and achieve in as many ways as possible. The new building provided us with state of the art facilities, which include ICT suites, a media/TV studio. So what as been the impact of the building on students, staff and the community?

·      Staff and student morale improved as soon as we walked into the building. People say its not the building that matters it is the people in it, nonetheless a truly inspiring building can raise peoples aspirations and motivate them to be the best.

·      The investment in a new well designed environment where educationalists had a major input meant we ended up with spaces fit for purpose.

·       The flexible learning spaces means that many areas of the building can be adapted for different events and activities.

·       There is a greater community feeling as all departments can be readily accessed and new resources shared. There are joint department meetings and curriculum projects enabling staff to work collaboratively.

·      Students behaviour as improved they are proud of the academy and show respect for the building.

·      Students have responded to the design and investment in their future and appreciate the new resources they are able to access.

·      The Investment in the community facilities in the building means the community users can more readily access the facilities after school hours, incorporating the library and sports centre in the colonnade means when visitors approach it does not 'look' like a school but a place where people want to be.

·      Parents are more confident in coming into the building and this makes for a better partnership with teachers.

·      The facilities are being used more and more by the community and we now have a range of activities taking place throughout the week including, parenting programs, baby clinic, Rhapsody Choir Group, Yoga in the theatre and a number of business and company bookings.

·      As a result of their investment in the new build we now have an excellent partnership with BGL the international insurance group based in Orton Southgate. As a result our 6^th form students have had opportunities for work experience and already three students have gained employment with the company.

The investment is clear to see and it is now up to myself and my staff to ensure we maximize the fantastic resources we have and create opportunities for our students and people in the community to access the some of the best facilities in the country. Opportunity , Belief and Aspiration is our mission.