Back to school!

I went back to school last week when I attended my first meeting as a newly appointed school governor at Longfield School, which is one of the four schools in the Headstone North Ward.

Walking through the school gates on the 14th October was a very poignant occasion for me because I was thinking of my Uncle Graham who passed away exactly 20 years ago to the day.

My uncle was “Mr Education” and I first realised that he was someone of great importance when, as a small child, I watched in awe as he debated on television with Rhodes Boyson, who himself was a giant in the education world.  They were discussing the Plowden Report which has proved influential in the way education is delivered in schools to the present day.

Joining the governing body of Longfield School as a local authority representative is an honour and it makes me feel very proud because it has become something of a Bond family tradition to play an active role in the running of a school.  My uncle, who was head teacher of Marshlands School in Hailsham, East Sussex pioneered parent participation in the running of schools and under his leadership parents were amongst the first in the country to sit on school governing bodies.

My father was also a leading figure in Harrow’s education system which included serving as a parent governor to both West Lodge School, where he founded the Friends of West Lodge Schools, and later at Nower Hill High School.  In 1984 when he was elected an independent councillor he joined the governing body of Pinner Wood School as a local authority representative.

I know that I have a lot to live up to but I am totally inspired and motivated by the achievements of both my father and uncle and as I approach my first landmark as a councillor – six months in office – I am reminded that although the demands in running a school are not dissimilar to the challenges faced in times gone by, we are living in an altogether different world.  As I write this we are only days away from the government’s comprehensive spending review which without a shadow of a doubt will mean there will be even less money in the pot to go round in the years ahead.

Longfield School is the amalgamation of two schools and it also includes a nursery provision to cater for those of a pre-school age.  After my meeting I was given a tour of the school and it was an absolute joy to be greeted by so many staff and children who were already aware of whom I am.  Community involvement, as my tour guide indicated, is one of the key elements to the success of any school.

Forgive the cliché, but becoming a local councillor and school governor amounts to a very big learning curve and 2010 is turning out to be one of the most rewarding and fulfilling of my life.