BACK TO SCHOOL
D r Theatre has a magical effect on actors. That ‘show-must-go-on’ spirit can see them transformed from the lowest ebb to dramatic heights, sustaining them until the curtain call. Teachers depend on those same qualities, energy and stamina among them, to keep pupils – the toughest and most critical audience of them all – excited, inspired and learning every day of every school term. There’s a reason why school holidays are long and it has everything to do with recharging batteries. Despite the demands coming at them from every direction, teachers in our area remain not just impressively positive but buoyant about this coming academic year and beyond. For Johanna Sale, principal of Impington Village College and director of IB Programmes, Eastern Learning Alliance, every new academic year is “a chance for a fresh start; a time to leave old ways behind, embrace change and implement the new.” At Abbey College Cambridge, principal Ellen Hesse radiates similarly positive emotions. “The beginning of a new academic year is always a source of great excitement for me,” she says. Part of that stems from watching last year’s students mature into new roles, while there’s also the satisfaction of welcoming new families and students and helping them to feel that they belong from day one. “I interview most of the new students so meeting them for the first time in person is truly special. Their enthusiasm and fresh perspectives are so energising,” she adds. As Kate Latham, assistant head academic at Kimbolton School, points out, if you’re not feeling that enthusiasm then something is wrong. “We want to put joy back into the classroom and into education, and find as many ways as possible to do that. If you can’t enjoy it, you might as well hang up your boots,” she asserts. Core analysis Admittedly, Kimbolton School has a stronger reason than most to feel positive about the
CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK SEPTEMBER 2026 79 SMILES FOR MILES Both Abbey College Cambridge (above) and Kimbolton School (left) place a lot of value on positive thinking and enthusiasm within education
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