27. Rachel Tomlinson - a progressive head teacher

In the words of Yvonne Newbold MBE: “Whatever you're doing, please stop and find 35 mins to listen to this fabulous conversation between 2 of my favourite people. Listening to Rachel talk about the simplicity of kindness and empathy in transforming schools to welcome, include and make every child feel safe blew me away”(Learn more  about Yvonne’s fantastic work at Newbold Hope in Episode 13)I always hoped  this podcast would be about bringing in new people in order to bring in fresh ideas and perspectives.Rachel Tomlinson is the head teacher of Barrowford school in Lancashire. I connected with her when she was a speaker at  Newbold Hope conference. Like Yvonne, I was blown away by the simplicity and humanity of Rachel‘s message. Lemon lightbulbs 🍋💡🍋 Learn to love. Love to learn!Inclusivity. Look through the lens of the child. including the Infant voiceFind out what matters to people #WMTYIf we tap into our shared humanity and connection, the systems and protocols fit around that; simple solutions followHealthcare professionals have lived experience too. Don’t put people in boxesNot even healthcare professionals find it easy to navigate healthcare pathways!“On the other side of the fence”, it feels so different.  And why is there a fence? 😢Some children find school very difficult. Work WITH them and make sure everyone has the best experienceA school with no punishments and no rewards - unusual!Restorative approach - for children and adults alike.  Learn from our mistakesGo back and unpick what went wrong, to avoid similar outcomes in the futureFocus on restoring the relationshipMake the school feel safe enough for children to be honest and talk about  problemsDon’t let the small stuff escalateTake the power imbalance awayLearn from lived experience – children and parentsTelling personal stories can be very painful - how can we get more people listening?Let’s learn  (as medics do) from serious incidents; prevent permanent exclusions from schoolMove away from the blame / shame culture. It breaks trust.Shaming parents and children has dire and lasting consequencesBelieve parents when they report problems and seek helpChildren (people!) behave differently in different situations – find out why rather than be smug!Don’t expect  parents to apologise for their childIf we contain the child in school in such a way that they erupt at home, we have work to do!Feelings of inadequacy run deep. Don’t judgeLife is fragile - we are all one step away from being ‘on the other side of the fence’Empathy increases when you become a parent yourselfIs what we provide good enough for our own children?Children are just learning ‘how to be’.  Help them get it right, just as you would do with long multiplication Advocate for children – particularly those with less resilienceDifferent ‘sectors’ must work together for the benefit of the child – leave the ego at the door. No ‘cookie cutWe LOVE it when you leave a review!If you enjoy my podcast and find these conversations usefulplease  share your thoughts by leaving a review (Spotify or Apple are easiest to leave a review - navigate via 3 dots) and comment on your favourite episodes.Connect with me - Gill Phillips - on LinkedIn, especially if you are interested in our brand new #CYPWhoseShoes resources or our well-established #MatExp (maternity experience) work.I tweet (not so much these days!) as @WhoseShoes  and am on Instagram as @WhoseShoesUK and @WildCardWS.Please recommend 'Wild Card - Whose Shoes' to others who enjoy hearing passionate people talk about their experiences of improving health care.