A day in the life of a Headmaster

Gary is a friend of mine.  I asked him to write an item about his life as a Headmaster and this is what he sent me, copied from a newspaper article several years ago:-

Gary Coleby is the headmaster of Crown Hills community college, the secondary school in Leicester with the TB outbreak. He has been trying to maintain normal school life around countless media interviews and mass TB screenings

“So much has happened it’s been unbelievable. Last Friday it was a very busy school week and we were also doing a lot of screenings. Several hundred kids going into the second stage of testing. I had interviews all afternoon, contact with the BBC and the local paper about what was going on. At the weekend I went home completely exhausted.

I’m always at work at 7.30am. On Monday there was a school achievement award, I interviewed a person for a post, was observing a teacher in the classroom, and had evening meetings. On Tuesday the screening continued. The first round who had had tests read were being X-rayed. At 4pm I had to attend a press conference with the area health authority. There’s been significant contact with media. GMTV wanted me to go in at 6.30am to do a live interview. I made a decision to front up to the media to try and protect the kids and the teachers.

On Wednesday the shit really hit the fan. At 6.30 I was being interviewed by GMTV, then later by the Daily Mail, the Times, the Guardian, Sky Television, and PA. Also live interviews with BBC radio, both local and national, ITN, the Asia Network as well. I had to field numerous phone calls, chase up teachers, do training, everyday things you have to do at a school. My number was given out and GMTV called and wanted me to go in again at 6.30. I was not prepared to do any more television stuff outside school hours.

On Thursday there was a staff meeting, contact with concerned parents and community groups. I’ve also been working with Dr Phillip Monk, who is co-ordinating the screening. I met the kitchen staff who were concerned whether they should be screened and wanted to be included. There is a governor’s discipline meeting at 4pm and a press conference at 4.30. Then I shall go home.

It is serious but nowhere near as serious as it’s been made out to be. The way it’s been reported makes it sound as if it’s a highly infectious contagious disease, which it’s not. One day there were five known cases, the next day 24. That doesn’t mean it spread and they got it, it was just detected – they’d had it for a while. The strain is very treatable, most people don’t have to be off school.

Life goes on. There is no reason to close the school. It’s a community issue not a school issue. It was spotted here but started in the community. I remain cheerful and confident. I have a superb bunch of kids and a superb bunch of staff. But people are worried. I am 49 but I feel 65.”

Catherine Broughton is a novelist, a poet and an artist. He books are on Amazon and Kindle, or can bve ordered from most leading book stores and libraries.  Her best seller is “The Man with Green Fingers”, a novel set in Cyprus.  For more about Catherine Broughton, to include her sketches, stories and blogs from all over the world, go to http://www.turquoisemoon.co.uk