Fresh new year, but education faces same old problems, says Stratford headteacher

THE new academic year always brings a sense of unbridled optimism.

First there is the training day when new staff join established colleagues to prepare for the term ahead. This is an invaluable opportunity to set the direction, tone and expectations for staff.

The following day hundreds of
new smiling faces, polished shoes and slightly oversized school uniforms appear as new students arrive alongside familiar faces – who invariably seem to have grown several inches since we last saw them six weeks ago. New sixth-formers have a spring in their step, buoyed by the GCSE exam results they achieved in the summer.