Virtual induction - welcome to our new students

These continue to be bizarre times. Ordinarily I would be welcoming all our new prospective students into school for an induction day - a chance to meet us and each other and familiarise themselves with our campus and facilities. Sadly due to lockdown, we can not offer this so our induction needs to be ‘virtual’. Induction packs are going out next week but ‘induction’ is not just about information - of course that’s important… where is the canteen and what is the dress code, etc… but induction is about much more than that. It is about ethos and culture and vision. It’s about connecting to each other and establishing our shared values and this is harder to do ‘virtually’.

So, to aid our virtual induction process, I have made a vision vlog and creativity challenge for all our new students. Inspired by Ivan Illich, I have made a short film inviting all new students to ‘master a new tool’ and ‘invest the world with meaning’. I have made a magic wand, a cuddly teddy bear and a short animation…. I can’t wait to see what tools our new students use and what they create.

Apologies in advance for the terrible German accent… Here’s my little film: