Talking Heads
By Whitmore High School head teacher, Innes Robinson
AFTER what can be best described as an upsetting attempt to put on my grey suit, I asked the ever-helpful canteen at school to cut down my lunch portions. Despite it going against their incessant need to feed me, they obliged, and all was well. Fruit at break, a small jacket potato and tuna (no cheese) at lunch, and a dangerous amount of coffee was all I needed to get through the day.
But alas, the dream is over. Our autism base has decided to open their own bakery and hand-deliver delicious snacks to my office on an almost daily basis. “Why don’t you just say no?” I hear you cry. Because sadly I have no self-control. Just yesterday I ate six madeleines, no doubt meant for my children within about ten minutes.
That being said, the pure joy I feel when I go into the autism base makes up for my expanding waistline. Every day I get to see pupils in the base growing in confidence, making friends, and feeling happy about going off to lessons, something that I thought would not be possible at the start of term.
This is all down to the genuinely amazing staff we have been able to recruit into the base. The relationships they have formed and the support they provide are like nothing I have seen in education.
On reflection, I hope they don’t see this column…I’ve heard rumours of a pavlova this week, I’d be horrified if I miss out.
