July 12th 2021: Unity

Like most people, I watched England play Italy in the final of the euros last night and my heart sank when they were beaten in the cruellest part of the game –  the penalty shootout. When I woke this morning the news was filled with the racist abuse that some of the players had endured,  as vile and cowardly messages were left on social media platforms. 

My heart sank when England lost,  but it broke when I thought about how these amazing young role models have been faced with hatred and prejudice via social media. 

At St Ed’s we want to say congratulations to our national team. We are in awe of your skill, your spirit and most of all your strength.  You represent the sort of unity in diversity that is our mission too. 

In our Academy, we will continue to “call out” discrimination in all of its ignorant forms. As a teacher and a parent, we must protect our young people from this sort of abuse. On the last day of term I will be asking all students to think carefully about their use of social media during the holidays. 

Now that students are all free to mix (responsibly) again, how sad would it be, if they spent the next 6 weeks attached to a phone…..