Where have I been?

I realise I have been a bit unfaithful to my 8 followers by not posting for a while.  The truth is I've been a bit busier than normal.  Last week I chaired an EMAP conference on academies - near Euston, chaired the Development Board in Maidenhead and led an away day for the senior team in EC1.  So this week is about converting all the decisions and learning from last week into action, which takes time, talk and energy.

This is a high growth time for the company, with significant international expansion for Lifestyle Concierge and considerable growth for our professional support arm, with more and more schools - and local authorities - signing up to be members of our services.

Anthony Seldon - the contemporary historian and head of a public school - opened the academies conference with a speech focused on liberty and liberal education.  He reminded us that humans function at their best when they are given autonomy over their lives.  He talked through some of the things he had done to work more closely with the state.  He encouraged people to seize the moment and opt for academy status.

Others talked about their experiences of becoming academies, the legal aspects of doing so, the freedoms that schools have in any case (ie without the need to sign up to academy status).  About 70 people were there.  Next Thursday I am chairing the first day of the leadership conference at the Education Show taking place in Birmingham at the NEC and hosting drinks for members of The Key in the evening.

Last night I went to my son's school in Guildford to hear Peter (Lord) Hennesy speaking about the formation of the coalition government.  The man is brilliant: his knowledge is huge, his wit clever and entertaining, and his use of language delightful.  He was engagingly irreverent.  Interesting that although he is a cross-bencher he clearly has some respect for Cameron and no respect at all for Blair.  A couple of interesting comments: 1. The Lib Dems have saved Cameron from having to rely on the 30 or so lunatics on the far right of the Conservative party and he would rather work with the them than the crazies.  2.  We have always been a back-of-an-envelope nation when it comes to formulating the way we do things. 

I'll try to stay in touch.