Olivia Palmer
I have been Deputy Head at Redlands Primary school since 2011. Before that I was a Deputy Head in a different LA for 3 years.
What the Annual RPHA Conference Means to me as a School Leader
In my role as a school leader it is important for me to keep abreast of current trends in education and attending the RPHA conference strongly supports this. The conference is an excellent opportunity for new and experienced school leaders in Reading to network with colleagues from other schools - how often do we have dedicated time to do this? Having time to also meet and speak with leaders in education, and other fields is so interesting and sparks debate and conversation not only at the conference but back in school as well.
What this year’s theme means to me
The theme 'Creating Waves' suggests to me not just letting things happen as they always have. It means shaking things up a bit, changing the way things have always been done ... Letting staff take risks and see what happens and then letting this escalate out to other members of staff when it is successful. Taking the opportunity to interpret the current situation in education in our own way and make it work for the children in our schools is vital to their successes.