Rona Mackenzie

In different ways, last week signified the end of a chapter, even a book. In September 2014 our first students joined Lincoln UTC and last week, nearly 22 months later, we celebrated the end of the academic studies for our Year 11 and 13 students at two very successful Proms.

Hosted by the Charlotte House Hotel, I was very proud to see our students celebrating their achievements with their teachers, rather than the more usual celebration of the end of ‘school’.

We have shared an exciting journey along a pathway never previously trodden. It takes a special type of person to embark on a new project, whether it be in business or education, and I admire and respect both staff and students for their commitment, determination and resilience.

Parents too have been part of this vision and we are grateful to them for the faith they have placed in their children and our community. Businesses and individuals have also played a role in our success, adding to an amazing network of diverse contributors who have shared in our journey.

As we reminisced at the Proms, laughing at shared memories and reminded ourselves of the colourful experiences, I found myself feeling sad that a very significant chapter in my life, and the students’, had come to a close.

This has been a very special journey which we have travelled together in a spirit of cooperation and shared belief. Of course it has had its challenges but these are far outweighed by the sense of fulfilment and camaraderie we now all share. I know that following results days in August, we all embark on new and exciting opportunities as further chapters of our lives unfold.

They say that you don’t appreciate what you have until it’s gone; to say that I miss our Year 11 and Year 13 students is an understatement!

This week, as our doors have opened to only two year groups, the corridors seem quieter and the pioneering faces fewer. Whilst the chatter is a little subdued, new faces are emerging, starting their own journeys and their own new chapters.

Our new cohorts, joining us in September, have been in for meetings and open evenings, preparing to join us on the journey started in September 2014. They will forge their own paths and write their own stories but the themes remain the same even if the journey is less fraught.

Filled with enthusiasm and excitement, they bring a new sense of excitement and anticipation as we prepare courses and resources for September.

Opportunities have been flooding in, with offers of work in local businesses: chances in aviation, mechanics, manufacturing and systems control projects.

Sometimes I think our staff are bigger kids than the students, their excitement for these projects brimming over!

And as the academic year draws to a close, we are collecting feedback from our students as we seek to learn from our adventures and improve our offering.

Their perceptiveness never ceases to amaze me, as they accurately pinpoint areas of strength as well as aspects they would like to develop. They have strong opinions, not least when discussing the EU referendum.

We often underestimate the opinions of the young, fearing that youth suggests a lack of experience and therefore ill-thought judgements. Whilst I was surprised by the outcome, I was more troubled by the blame that was laid at the feet of the young, elderly and those perceived to lack education.

The United Kingdom is embarking on its own new chapter as an outlier to the EU and now that the decision has been made, we should all unite to seek a way to make this chapter even better than the last.

As students around the county begin to enjoy the summer holidays, I wish each and every one of them the very best of luck for their summer results and in the new opportunities September will bring.

For those who work hard, realise their potential and discover their talent, doors will appear and wonderful opportunities will emerge. Rest well, for you will need your energies for the new challenges ahead.

After a busy seven-week term, packed with events including the start of formal examinations, farewell assemblies and a multitude of learning activities, I was pleased to see the holiday suddenly appear on the horizon.

It’s that time of year when students are both in need of a rest and for time to focus on their revision. Equally staff are in need of time to recharge their batteries before the start of the final stint of the year.

Some might think that this is an opportunity to relax but the coming months, in the run up to the August holiday, are vital weeks of preparation and reflection as we gear ourselves up to start all over again in September.

I normally find myself at work during this one week break but this year I too felt the need for some time out. Fresh air and mountain scenery were in order and after less than two hours in the sky, we landed in northern Spain to head into the Picos de Europa National Park.

Holidays are normally action packed but after a recent injury, this time we started at a more sedate pace as I found my walking legs.

I’ve been surprised by the things I’ve had time to stop to notice; the beautiful clean air and chattering sounds of nature have created for me a sense of tranquility.

Whilst the weather has been a mix of beautiful sunshine and lashing gales, both have been welcome in their own way with the rain releasing the humidity and cleaning everything in its path.

The differences between the English and Spanish ways of life have been more obvious at my less adventurous pace. On the hunt for supplies, we have found that the shops always seemed to be closed.

We eventually came to appreciate that they chose to open at 10am, close at 1.30pm for a long lunch and then return at 4pm for a four-hour evening session.

Time with friends and family, relaxing, eating and drinking is clearly of high priority. There appears not to be a sense of haste: people are living in the present, enjoying the moment and appreciating all around them.

I was amazed today to see a local policeman controlling the traffic in the centre of the town. The traffic was light and, despite there not being lights and other calming measures, drivers were carefully negotiating their way across the town before he arrived.

We could not work out why his arrival was required, but enjoyed watching him work his craft, using a whistle and elaborate hand signals to keep pedestrians safe and cars flowing smoothly. As we walked back to our accommodation, we walked passed a local school and suddenly realised that his arrival was to ensure the safe passage of students at the end of the school day. These young people and their safety matter enormously to people in this small town.

This holiday week has been an opportunity to appreciate things in life that are so often overlooked. Time to relax with those you care about, to idly chatter and while away an afternoon.

Time to read books too long sat gathering dust as well as a full review of the daily newspaper. Time to walk in the mountains, appreciating the scenery, taking time to listen to the bird song and see which skulking flash of colour warbles which tune.

For next week we will return to the hustle and bustle of life, the fast paced nature of work and the accompanying stresses and strains of a sometimes self-inflicted treadmill.

Maybe we need to take a leaf out of the Spaniards’ book and slip into an easier gear a little more frequently: life is too short for us to miss out on the beauty around us and spend time on the real pleasures of life.